Category Archives: Kitty care: keeping our cats healthy

Information and tips to help cats stay healthy

Adopt – and spay, neuter

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Potsdam Humane Society hosts giveaway to battle kitty overpopulation

 

By JACOB TIERNEY, TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

spay and neuter

Potsdam shelter

 

POTSDAM — The Potsdam Humane Society is urgently looking for prospective pet owners as the shelter continues to fill with more felines than it can handle.Cats like Conan, Moo Moo, Bojangles and more than 150 others prowl the shelter, which is at a loss for how to deal with the surplus. “This is the fullest and busiest we’ve ever been,” shelter employee Bonnie Peryer said.

Those who work at the shelter refer to springtime as “kitten season,” when they receive more cats than at any other time. This year, however, kitten season didn’t end. They just kept coming. To combat overpopulation, the shelter began offering half off the price of adopting cats at the start of the summer. The initiative was meant to last only a week or two, but kittens and strays kept coming in, and the reduced costs stayed.

Last week the shelter took it a step further, giving cats and kittens away for free in an initiative dubbed “Feline Fiesta.” Ms. Peryer said this giveaway has led to an increase in adoptions, but not enough to reduce the shelter’s population significantly. “Feline Fiesta” was supposed to last only a week, but it has been extended to the end of the month.

Ms. Peryer said she will be taking a vacation soon, but hopes to return to find the shelter’s efforts have been successful. “I’m hoping to come back to everyone having been adopted and all new animals coming in,” she said.
Potsdam resident Erwin Zahler said this summer’s sale prompted him and his fiancee, Michele Rudlong, to adopt two strays from the shelter: Oliver and Felix. When they heard the shelter was giving cats away, they adopted a third and named him Zeus. “They’re doing great. They are very well behaved,” Mr. Zahler said.
New animals are brought in as fast as space is made for them. The shelter is running at maximum capacity, and the waiting list is so full it may take six months to a year for owners looking to give up their pets to be able to give them to the society. These owners are redirected around the region from shelter to shelter, many of which are suffering from the same overpopulation problems. At the start of 2013, the Potsdam Humane Society was caring for 45 dogs and 93 cats. It is now up to 60 and 162, respectively. Dog adoptions will be free starting next week, although puppy adoptions still will cost money.

Normally the cost is $50 for cats, $75 for kittens, $95 for dogs and $115 for puppies.
By giving its animals away, the shelter may be taking steps to solve one problem while exacerbating another. Each animal that comes through the doors costs the Humane Society an estimated $180 to care for, and the shelter already is operating a deficit spurred by a drop in donations. The society is relying on these dwindling donations more than ever, but for the moment, the highest priority is bringing the number of animals down to manageable levels, even if it means giving them away, according to Humane Society Director Alicia M. Maynard. “At least it’s helping us right now getting animals into homes,” she said. Ms. Maynard said she wants to focus the society’s efforts on expanding education initiatives and spay/neuter programs, taking steps to help stop animal overpopulation before it starts.

 

some kitty care reminders

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Kitty Tips

Ten Mistakes Cat Owners Make

Friday, July 5, 2013

 

by LISA ACHO REMORENKO (CONTACT)

Dr. Karen Becker is a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian who helps prevent illness in pets. This approach seeks to save you and your pet from unnecessary suffering by identifying and removing health obstacles even before disease occurs. Becker said that many cat owners don’t realize that their pets require specialized care. Here are the top 10 mistakes most cat owners make:

  1. Using products intended for dogs on their cat: Under certain circumstances, this can prove to be a fatal mistake. Never assume any product designed for dogs is safe for cats as well. Use only products that clearly state they are safe for kitties.
  2. Giving human medications: This, too, can prove deadly. Always consult your veterinarian before medicating your kitty. Certain medications, especially aspirin, can be fatal.
  3. ? Allowing your kitty to grow obese: Over half the domesticated cats in the U.S. are overfed and under-exercised. To get your cat in shape, you can move the food bowl so it’s farther away from your cat’s normal hang out spots; get your cat to chase feather toys, ping-pong balls, or a balled up piece of wax paper; buy a remote-controlled toy mouse and get your cat to chase it around the house; or if your cat is an only cat, consider adopting another kitty for companionship as well as to keep your cat moving.
  4. ? Inattention to the litter box: Cats are extremely clean creatures. They don’t like dirty, smelly litter. They also have individual preferences when it comes to types of litter and litter boxes. This can lead to litter box issues where your cat will refuse to use the litter box.
  5. ? Taking a hands-off approach to your cat: It’s true kitties are independent and self-sufficient by nature, but your furry feline still needs your help with brushing or combing, nail trims, dental hygiene, and even the occasional bath.
  6. ? Not taking your kitty to the vet for regular wellness checkups: Just because kitty doesn’t like to visit the vet doesn’t mean he shouldn’t. Housecats are much less likely to see a vet regularly than their canine counterparts, to the detriment of their good health. At the very least, you should take your cat in to the vet for a complete physical once a year.
  7. ? Feeding dry food: Dry kibble is hands-down the worst thing you can feed your precious kitty. Most brands are devoid of exactly the kind of nourishment your cat needs to be healthy all her life. If you’re feeding your cat dry food, Becker recommends you start today to make gradual improvements in your cat’s diet.
  8. ? Misinterpreting behavior changes in your kitty: Cats are stoic creatures. As a result, it can be challenging to know when your favorite feline isn’t feeling well. One thing to look for is any change in his behavior and, in particular, his litter box habits. Never assume a kitty that suddenly starts eliminating outside his box is misbehaving just to misbehave. Becker said that something about his health or his environment is causing the change, and he’s depending on you to help him sort it out.
  9. ? Assuming it’s normal for your cat to throw up: It’s not normal for cats to vomit. While it’s true too many cats vomit too often, throwing up is a sign of an underlying problem that requires attention. There are reasons kitties throw up. Hairballs are just one of them. If your cat repeatedly vomits, make an appointment with your veterinarian to get things checked out.
  10. ? Not brushing those tiny teeth: Dental disease is one of the most common reasons cats visit the vet, and also one of the most costly. Dental disease isn’t always confined to the mouth, either. It can lead to a host of other health problems for your furry feline. If your cat refuses brushing, you can at least get dental chews. My kitties love these http://www.amazon.com/C-E-T-Enzymatic-Hygiene-Chews-Poultry-Flavored/dp/B001P3NU58

By preventing problems in your pet before they occur, you will save time, money, and potentially the life of your kitty!

Kitty litter tips – different types of litter

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The scoop on the best cat litter

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© iStockphoto.com / Nina Shannon

By Dorian Wagner; From The Daily Cat
(Updated:June 20, 2013 04:05 PM)

Choosing the right litter for a cat to do its business in is serious business. Different brands and types can fit your kitty’s different needs, and we’ve got the scoop on how to select your best match.

Clumping vs. Disposable

The first choice to make is whether you want to scoop the stuff out of the litter box every day or throw all the litter away and start fresh. Clumping varieties cost a little bit more, but they last longer. For added convenience, many clumping varieties are also flushable.

Natural vs. Synthetic

If you choose a scoopable litter, the next choice is natural or synthetic. There is some controversy about the health risk of clay litter — your cat licks its feet and grooms its fur, which means he or she could ingest some of the litter — but many people still choose it for convenience.

Natural cat litter choices tend to be more expensive, and some cats may take a while to adjust to them because they are different in shape and texture. Some examples include World’s Best Cat Litter (made from corn — a larger “pebble” litter), Feline Pine (made from pine — pellets or a dusty kind of soft shaving) and Yesterday’s News (made from recycled paper — pellets that dissolve when used). While these are becoming easier to find, some of these may need to be purchased in specialty pet stores.

Synthetic varieties include Fresh Step Crystals (soft, crystal-like pebbles that absorb odor) or Tidy Cats (virtually dust-free small pebble litter). These are widely used and are available in most supermarkets.

If you choose a natural litter, your cat may need an adjustment period since the materials are so different from what your pet may be used to. It is recommended to switch litters slowly, as you would food. Start first with 1/3 new litter and 2/3 old litter, then move to 50/50, and then progress to 3/4 new and 1/4 old until your cat has fully adjusted and is used to the new variety, especially if you are switching to a pellet litter.

Litter choice is important for both you and your cat. The easiest way to find what works best is to try a few and see how you and your cat like them, factoring dust, your cat’s comfort level when stepping into the box, and ease of disposal.

Dorian Wagner is the founder of YourDailyCute.com and a blogger at The Cat’s Meow. She is the proud mom of two cats. Her blogs have previously appeared on The Daily Cat.

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