Interviewing Cat Caretaker Voulenteers

As a feral cat colony caretaker since 1999 I have learned that not everyone is suited to be a volunteer. That is why I have an informal interview with all people who are interested in helping out with the cat colony. This interview helps me to determine the right position for the volunteer.

Some Caretakers care for feral kittens 

As an example; a friend contacted me today and told me that she would like to help out with taking care of the  cats in our neighborhood, She said she would like to participate in feeding the cats that were close to her home. 

I told her that I would do a schedule for her and that she would be responsible for providing the cats with their food and water and that she must be punctual that there was no excuse for weather, they cats had to be fed during rain, snow or sleet. I also noted that if she could not feed the cats at a specific time that it was up to her to find a replacement caretaker.

My friend told me that if it was pouring rain or snowing that she would not leave her house to feed the cats and I reminder her that they were dependent upon their human caretaker to feed them and if she was not going to leave the comforts of her home then how would they eat? My friend replied they are cats and are resourceful so they will have to hunt for their meal on a rainy or snowy day.

All cats must be fed daily, no excuses

From her response to my question I knew we cold not depend on her for regular feedings and that she did not take the cats seriously so I offered her the position of cleaning out the cat beds, changing the straw and or helping with trapping the cats for spa or neuter or maybe she would be interesting in networking community for cat adoptions. 

Setting up Feral Cats Winter Feeding Station

The weather is getting colder  and husband and I thought it would be best to move the feral cats feeding station closer to the house. We may have snow or icy weather and the location in the woods would be difficult to get to. 

 In order to get to the feeding station I need to hike a good 70 feet from my home and normally this is not a problem but coyote have migrated over into our woods and personally I do not like setting up the woods station with food because it puts cats in harms way.

Cat inside thicket den in woods

It would be better to have the feeding station close to my detached garage where there is a kitty door and warm beds inside.  Better and safer for the cats to be in the shelter rather than in their thicket dens in the woods.  

Feeding station close to house

With the help of my husband we shut down the feral cat feeding station in the woods and set up a new one closer to the house. 

 We selected an area that has a windblock due to the backside of the detached garage, it also provides a safe passage to our yard from the back entrance to the park. then there is an overhang from the garage roof that protects the station from rain.  

The front of the feeding station is blocked from view due to the ornamental grasses and then the entrance to our garage shelter is eight feet away from the new winter feeding station.  

Here is a photo of one of the feral cats sleeping in straw bed inside our garage shelter.  I am hoping that with the feeding station closer to the shelter that feral cats will enter and be safe and warm this winter.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card Postcard 

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I am glad the feral cats feeding station is located in the back of our yard because it is a safer place for the cats and it also enable us to provide them with food even if there is a bad weather;  snow, sleet or ice.

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K&H Verses Wooden Cat House Comparison

We take care of a few stray and feral cats and because our winters can be long and cold we did buy K&H outdoor cat houses.  The cat houses are great but they were not intended for large cats or for setting up in an open space in the yard. 

Here is my review of the heated thermal cat house and the birchwood manor

The roof after one light rain. This house needs to be set up on a
a porch that has a covering or in a garage or cool basement.

If you plan on setting up the K&H cat house in your garage, shed, workshop, or on a covered porch then this lightweight outdoor cat shelter will serve its purpose. But you cannot set it up in the middle of your yard.  It just does not hold up well in wind rain or snow.  

The K & H cat house is easy to assemble; it goes together quickly and stays together with heavy-duty Velcro. It has a heated pad with a fleece cover that is nice too, but this house needs weather protection and it is not meant for the cat to sit on top of it because the house will flatten like a pancake. 

Also, the thermo K&H kitty house needs to be protected from the wind as it can easily be uplifted.

In comparison to the above-mentioned K & H  cat house, we liked their birchwood manor outdoor houses.  It's made from wood and is more durable.  You can set it up anywhere and this house is heavier and withstand, wind, sleet, and snow. 

We set this house up against a hard service; backside of my garage or privacy wooden fence. This location blocks the wind. We also lift the wood cat house up by putting it on cement blocks, this keeps the rain runoff away from the entrance and also keep snow out of the cavity. 

The birch cat house is built well, treated with water protection, and will withstand the weather.  We added a hefty layer of straw to keep the stray cats warm this winter. 

When it comes to choosing a heated or unheated cat house by K&H we choose the birchwood for outdoor usage and the Thermo kitty with a heated pad for the garage or for our covered porch. 

Note: The only thing that was lacking in both houses was the overall size.  Both cat houses could be a tad larger as large cats like a Main Coon have difficulty getting into this cat house.

My Kitten Has a Disability

Day we found kittens

My rescue kitten has special needs but we do not care because she is so sweet and loving. 

We took good care of this little rescue kitten because we knew she was not quite right. This  kitten is very small for her age, in fact her siblings are three times her size. But even though she is petite she has a big heart and tries her best to keep up with the other cats.

I suppose in nature the mother cat would have left this baby go, after all she was the runt. She was frail when I found her on the side of the road.  We always had a problem with getting her to eat and so we needed to bottle feed her, and when we weaned her we still had to feed her away from the other cats. 

My special needs kitten

We found out when she went in for her wellness exam that she is a special needs cat; underdeveloped for her age and vision disability.

  

Her disability makes her a special kitty, but know that we love her all the more and will eventually find her a forever home where the cat adopter will care for her and treat my rescued kitten "Sally" like a princess for the rest of her cat life.

 

Adopters Love Funny Kitten Photographs

Whenever I get  cats ready for adoption I always fuss with them by grooming, brushing and clipping their nails before I take their photograph.  Last week I got a call from the veterinarian’s office where I have hung a flyer and the girls suggested that I pose the kittens for a cute photo because a client was coming in that they thought would be interested.

Here us a flyer template that i use for my cats.  It is good for hanging on bulletin boards and handing out to neighbors.  I wanted to update this flyer with adorable kitten photographs.

Cat Adoption Template Flyer Flyer 

Kittens are fast so you need to spend a day with them to get the perfect photographs.  Well that is exactly what I did, I watched them play and tried to pose them in flower pots but they really did not like posing for the camera. I wanted to get the perfect photo that would tug on the adopter’s heartstrings, but needless to say the kittens were not cooperating. 

Generally I have my camera set for motion because kittens are fast and that darling shot may be  gone in a second. Well after an afternoon of failed attempts I happened to see my tuxedo and tortoiseshell kitten sitting on the table and I thought it was a perfect shot.

Well those buggers showed me what they thought of the camera because both of them stuck their tongue out at me.  I laugh so hard when I saw the photo but brought it with me when I went to the veterinarians office the following day.  

Well everyone fell in love with the kitten giving me the raspberry and that was the photograph that got my kittens adopted. An adopter saw the photo, and wanted to meet the kittens.  She loved them both and  here is the photo that tugged on the cat adopters  heartstrings.  

My kittens got adopted because the photo showed off their adorable personalities.  

Find Best Cat Adopters with Screening and Placement Fee

Since rescuing the five kittens  I have learned many things about finding the right adopters.  I learned that a screening interview is imperative as well as a placement fee. These two steps help me to find the best adopters for the cats.

Rescue kitten Hairy

You would think that anyone would be overjoyed to get a well-trained cat that had all of their vaccines, including feline leukemia preventative, worming, and spay or neuter and microchip.  Basically, all of the expenses of owning a kitten or cat have been taken care of and adopters need only transfer paperwork.

 Kittens are expensive and we have taken care of all of the medical expenses plus training them to be perfect little housecats.

All we asked for was a $50 placement fee which I thought was nominal considering PetSmart pet charities charge $60 and humane society $75.  Many times you will need to spay or neuter and get a microchip on top of the placement fee.

I was surprised when the adopters that I interviewed said no to the fee.  I thought this refusal was a red flag to the cat’s well-being as many said they did not believe in getting cats vaccinated spayed or neutered because they were cats.  (Not sure what this meant but knew they had little regard for the cats)

I kept my ground and said I am sorry this kitten is not a right match for you.  

This is why I say that it is important to screen all adopters and charge a placement fee for all cat adoptions because it enables you to determine if the adopter is a good match and will take care of the cat's medical needs.  

Some People Should Not Adopt a Cat

In my search to find adopter for kitten I have learned that many people want cats for the wrong reason and that finding responsible cat owners is not an easy task.

Some people want to adopt kittens because they are cute, but they do not want them to bite, scratch or play too hard. They want the kittens to be trained to play on command and then sleep the rest of the day.  I suspect that these are the people that put their kittens out of the house.

Other people want a cat because all you need to do is feed them and change their litter box when it stinks.  These people think that you do not need to play with them or pet them like a dog,  because unlike a dog cats are not affectionate. So you can leave them to travel for a week an not worry.

My tortoiseshell cat in her cozy purr-pad bed in garage.

Then there are the cat adopters who only want a cat to live outdoors under their porch all year round to control the rodents, and I suspect these people have no intention of giving cat proper shelter or cat food.

Some people are eager to adopt a cat but do not take into consideration that somebody in the household is allergic to cat dander.   Even with good intentions to keep house allergen free it never works out for the benefit of the cat.

Then there are the cat adopters that associate black cats as being evil and will adopt them only to torture them and let’s not forget the people who raid the shelters for black cats for their Halloween party and then put them out of the house the next day without providing the black cat with food or outdoor shelter.

This is why I say that some people should not adopt a cat.

Finding Quality Cat Adopters

As of this date I have interviewed four adopters for the kittens that we rescued in May when they were approximately ten days old.   These kittens were sickly due to the stress and the circumstance in which we found them, in a sack in the center of the highway median.

We took utmost care of the kittens and to make sure they were strong and healthy, after they were weaned we fed them Blue Buffalo Healthy Growth kitten food, we also had sponsors for the kittens so they received all of their rabies shots, vaccines, booster shots, worming and were vaccinated for the prevention of feline leukemia.  Then husband and I went ahead and had all kittens spayed and neutered.

The kittens are housecats that use litter box, scratching post, are trained to come when called and are all crate trained.  The long haired kittens groomed daily and short haired once a week. 

Anyone who would adopt the kittens’ would not have to do anything except transfer the paperwork. We asked for a placement fee of $50, it is less than adopting a kitten from local PetSmart.com charities or Human Society Shelter.  

Out of the six cat adopters that I interviewed there was only one match and Harry our gray and white kitten was adopted into his forever home. The other  kittens are in waiting for their forever family .  

The other adopters were either living in apartments that had a pet restriction,  had family members that were allergic to cats and thus cat had to live outdoors full time and other wanted cat for rodent control only. 

This is why I say finding quality cat adopter is difficult.

Rescue Cats Diagnosed with Cancer:

Out of the 89 cats and kittens that we have rescued and then adopted or placed in a cat colony only two cats were diagnosed with cancer and had to be euthanized last week.   Both cats were my housecats;  one was a rescue from an abandonment and the other was a socialized feral cat. Needless to say my heart is broken.

My rescue cat Gracie: photo captured six months before she got Cancer.
Her form of cancer came on quickly and she needed to be put down.

The attending veternarian told me that 99% of cats today develop some form of cancer and he also noted that a feral cats life expectancy is two years, an indoor /outdoor cat seven years and a housecat was 17 years.  I guess he was trying to say that my two cats were lucky to have been rescued by me, but it did not make me feel better.

For the last several years I have been feeding all cats holistic food with no soy, corn or grains and giving them bottle water.  I kept my cats indoors to prevent them being exposed to pesticides, but everything that I did was vain because in the end my two cats had cancer.  I keep asking the same question over and over again: Why did these cats get cancer?  
Two Cats Diagnosed with Cancer: Wondering Why? - Bubblews

Cat Sponsor Booster Shots Agreement

My husband and I rescue many cats and kittens that are abandoned in the woods by our home and most of the time we pay for the cat care out of our pockets.  Occasionally we get civic-minded sponsors who help us with the veterinarian costs or food.  A few months ago my husband and I found newborn kittens that were put in a bag and thrown out like trash.  

We rescued the cats by taking them into our home and away from harm, The cats are cared for. We bottle feed them, helped them to go to the bathroom, groomed them, and kept them safe and warm. When the kittens are older we take them to the veterinarian for a wellness checkup and for kitten boosters/spay or neuter.

Photos of kittens that we have rescued.

I shared the kitten story with neighbors and was delighted when two told me that they would sponsor a set of two kittens each.  Well, the one sponsor did not understand what their responsibility was because when it came time to fulfill their obligation they changed their mind.  But the other neighbor agreed to the terms and sponsoring the kittens was a blessing as money for so many cats at one time was scarce.

Know that all kittens received vaccines and were spayed or neutered.  By doing this we were able to find them forever home families to love and care for them without the worry of veterinarian care.

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Cats Get Grumpy if NOT Fed on Time

When it comes to feeding your cats it is best to keep on schedule because if cats are hungry and no food is available then they will get grumpy, grouchy and pick fights with other cats.   In short a hungry cat is not a patient cat.

Feral Cat eating cat food

Many of the rescued cats and kitten that I have taken in had gone without meals and were starving.  These cats seemed overly anxious, and their behavior was aggressive with each other as well as destructive behavior; scratching on sofa wood baseboards and or rug and not their cat scratching post.   In addition cats will vomit when they are hungry.  If you provide the cat with food then this will calm them.

Happy feral cat eating cat food

I recommend feeding cats two meals a day.  My schedule is every 12 hours for my cats.  Basically I will mix Friskies special diet canned food with Goodlife chicken recipe kibble. This food is made by Mars and contains no corn, soy or wheat.  I will then add two tablespoons of water and mix the food well.   I will put the portions for each cat in their food bowls and allow them all to eat.  If any food is left over after a half hour I will remove the food to prevent snacking as this is how cats tend to put on weight.

When I stick to my feeding schedule then the cats all get along and do not become grumpy or frantic.

Cats get along well when they are fed on time

**I found the cat food Goodlife “a thoughtful recipe by Mars” at Walmart and in comparison to other wheat, corn and soy food this cat food is moderately priced.   My cats love this food and I also feed the feral cats this food.  Unlike the other brands this food is priced right.  Mycats eat less, and food does control hairballs.

Nine Week Old Kitten Stopped Eating

Hairy the rescue kitten is nine week old, he has adjusted well from abandonment when he was three weeks old.  He is a big eater, loves to play and cuddle so I was surprised when he stopped eating and drinking.

I went to feed him and he sniffed and walked away I thought it was odd.  When I brought in his favorite canned food; Natural Balance chicken pate recipe with gravy on plate I expected Hairy to coming running but instead he did not get out of bed.   Hairy was sick I just knew it and he was looking dehydrated too so I knew we had a problem.  I filled his nursing bottle with replacement milk mixed with his chicken pate and started feeding him , he took to this okay and so I put the mixture on a plate and Hairy sniffed and walked away.

I thought at first he could not smell the food and that is why he fed off the bottle and not from his food bowl.   My husband said he must have eaten something that upset his stomach he will be okay. But Hairy was not okay he developed diarrhea that would not stop, the poor kitten was leaking when he walked or lay down in his bed.  This was not good so I called the veterinarian and they said they could not see him until two days later.

I continued to care for Hairy and his diarrhea did stop, but my little rescued kitten was still not eating.  So I kept the kitten close by in a crate and bottle fed him every hour.  Hairy was getting weak and would was not taking to the bottle.  I called the veternarian and there were no appointment, the only option they could offer was to bring Hairy in when doctors arrive and are getting ready for their day.  They would then have one check Hairy to determine his condition. 

So we waited two more days and on the third day Hairy weight indicated that he had lost a pound. I was certain that if we did not get veterinarian care he would die.  We rushed him to the veternarian today so he could be evaluated.  

He needed an IV and was treated for coccidia and I was told that he would be back eating and being a normal kitten within a day.  Hairy stopped eating and refused to eat or drink due to worms.  All of the rescued kittens including Hairy were wormed today and should make a full recovery.

*We rescued Hairy and  his four siblings when they were three weeks old. They were abandoned on the medium in the center of the highway at night.  

Kittens Need a Cat Scratcher

The kittens that I rescued three weeks ago are at the age where they need to learn how to scratch on a post.  So we went shopping at PetSmart today to get some ideas.

Let me tell you, there are so many scratching posts that come in a variety of styles and sizes.  Normally we buy a scratching post that fits our adult cat’s needs; the cats that scratch our Berber carpet do well with the cat scratching trees that are covered with carpet.   My one cat goes after the side of our sofa so we bought a silsal robe covered post and this style satisfied my furniture scratching cat.

The five kittens that we rescued are climbers as they will climb up my body to stand on my shoulder and purr in my ear.  This behavior is a good sign that they need a cat tree or a cat scratcher that is mounted over the door like SmartCat Muliti cat climber at amazon.com.


Now that we have an idea as to what cat scratcher would be best we are going to watch for pet product sale. 

Cat Food Donations: What is Best? Food or Gift Card

A friend of mine volunteers at our local animal shelter and told me that the animal all have stomach upset from the potluck food that is donated.  I was taken back by what she said and asked why the shelter did not send out a newsletter or post on their entrance what brand and type of food that they needed. Clearly, food consistency is greatly needed or animals will have stomach upset.

My friend responded by saying that they simply could not ask people to buy specific food, that they were grateful for all foods that were donated.  I disagreed and made a point by saying that people will give you whatever you ask for, the last thing animal lovers want is to make the pets sick. 

Do you agree? 

If you are someone who donates food to your local animal shelter then I would recommend that you call the shelter to find out what they need.  Ask if there is a specific brand or type of food that is needed.  Do not accept the reply "any food will be appreciated" because any food will make animals sick.  If you cannot get the shelter to tell you what they need like "Purina Cat Chow" then shop for a gift card from Amazon, Walmart or Pet Smart.  

Donate the gift card to your local shelter so they can buy exactly what they need.

Feeding Rescued Baby Kitten: 3 to 5 Weeks

baby kitten 3 weeks old

This month my husband and I rescued baby kittens. The kittens were put into a Glad trash bag and thrown out onto the center medium of the road during the night hours when the light was poor and the cars sped by.  These baby kittens were newborns as two of them had just opened their eyes and these two out of the five needed help in going to the bathroom. 

We kept the kittens isolated from our cats and decided that due to the trauma that they just endured that we would care for them until they were four lbs.

At first we fed the kitten replacement milk and then when they were 4 week old we shopped at PetSmart for a quality kitten food.  We looked at Blue Buffalo but decided to buy Wellness Core dry kitten food. This is what we are feeding the kittens, a food that will boost their immune system and help them to grow healthy and strong.  .   

Boosting kitten immune system with Wellness Core kitten food

Feeding Baby Kittens, Hairy, Larry, Dini, Molly, and Sally Replacement milk 

At five weeks we were feeding the kitten’s softened solid food because these babies needed to put on weight. We also continued the replacement milk because it was a good way to boost their immune system.

Larry the rescued kitten 5 weeks old

At six weeks the kittens are weighing in approximately two pounds.   The worst thing that cat owner did was take the baby kittens away from their mom at such a young age and then put them in a bag and throw them out like trash.   I am so glad that my husband and I found the babies.

Sickly but beautiful rescued kittens

  

All kittens will be put up for adoption after they get a wellness checkup at the veterinarian and are tested for cat disease, get their booster shots and are wormed.  If you are interested in learning more about these  kittens please leave me a comment below.

Here are some baby kitten photographs.  

Kittens Hairy, Larry, Molly, and Dini eating wellness core kitten food

Baby Dini Kitten 

Trapping an Injured Neighborhood Cat

Part of my duties as a cat caretaker and rescuer is to watch over the cats and to trap them if any of them are injured. 

So when the baby-injured feral kitten showed up at the workshop with a noticeable lump on his upper leg I knew that he needed veterinarian care.

Feral kitten I trapped in a Live animal trap

We tried to catch the kitten but when that failed we decided to set up the Havahart double-door trap that I bought at amazon.com in the workshop and close off the kitty door so he could not exit and other cats could not enter. 

 

The live animal trap was set and baited with Friskies mixed grill canned cat food and I also added some water in a small plastic bowl.  This stinky food should attract the cat into the live animal trap. When the feral kitten enters the trap this evening at least he will have food and water and a soft bed of straw.  I covered the trap with a soft white baby blanket, so the kitten will think the trap is its den. The blanket is a way to lessen any stress or anxiety. 

photo of a kitten in a recovery cage

The kitten entered the trap and was not distressed. His leg needs to be looked at by a veterinarian.  Trapping was successful 

Happy Ending for Rescued Chartreux Cat

After four months of tying to locate the Chartreux cat’s family I finally met someone who recognized the cat and that is when I learned that this cat’s people had passed and that the cat was taken by a neighbor.  

The neighbor had no experience in caring for a cat, and thus did not realize that the cat was mourning the loss of his master and was uncomfortable with the new home.

The new cat owner thought the cat had unwarranted behavior issues and put the cat outdoors during.  It was winter when that cat was put outdoors.  There was snow and ice on the ground and the temperature bitter cold.

Being put outdoors caused the Chartreux to suffer as he did not know where to go for cat food or to seek shelter. The neighbor that took the cat did not provide a cathouse or any type of outdoor shelter. 

I am not sure why my husband decided to take a walk in a blizzard, but he did and at two in the morning he discovered the Chartreux cat sitting in the snow and meowing at the top of his lungs.  It was a distress meow and my husband reacted by lifting the cat and putting him under his overcoat.

The cat suffered from a minor case of frostbite. We took care of the cat and he regained his healthy and his spirit.

During the time that I cared for this cat I noted that he did not like women in general and I attribute that to the neighbor and that he may think all women are uncaring.  I worked with the cat every day and came to the conclusion that he would be best suited living with a single man.

At first we were going to keep this cat but he never warmed up to me and he did not get along with other cats. I am happy to say that this Chartreux gray and white cat was adopted today into a forever home and will live out his life as a housecat with a senior citizen man.

Found Tabby Cat at Park Gets a Sponsor

Two weeks ago I discovered a cat in the park lying on a dilapidated picnic table.  I did not know if this cat was feral, stray or abandoned housecat. 

All I knew is that it may be hungry so I went back home to get some cat food and water.  When I returned the cat had not moved so I set up the feeding station with dry cat food approximately 30 feet away, then stepped back to watch.  

The cat was slow to react to the cat food but when the cat came to the feeding station he at the entire bowl and drank water.

Going forward I went to the park every day to feed this cat and to get him dependent on me. My plan worked because today I looked out my back window and saw the cat in my back garden.  Presently the cat is eating in my yard daily and then lying in my irises.

Yesterday I shared my found cat in park news at my feral cat caregiver meeting and one of the volunteers offered to sponsor the cat by paying the cats veterinarian bill for sterilization, vaccines including feline leukemia, de-wormer, and revolution for ear mites, fleas and other animal parasites.  She will then pay for the cat’s food and any shelter costs for the rest of the cat’s life.

This week I will trap the park found cat for veternarian care. 

The images that you view on this post are of the cat that I found at the park.

Purina One beyond Cat Food Review

At our neighborhood cat meeting today we decided to feed the cats Purina One beyond White Meat Chicken Oatmeal cat Food instead of canned food.  We need to make a change because we can no longer feed the outdoor cats Friskies Special Diet canned cat food due to the warm weather and insects.

We researched online found the best prices for this food were at Walmart.com and we stocked up by buying at four 13 pound bag for $23.98. Plus we got free shipping.  Buying cat food in bulk was smart because prices may increase to be the same as other pet food retailers

When it comes to feeding the shelter and outdoor stray and feral cats we think the Purina One beyond White Meat Chicken Oatmeal Cat Food is a good choice because it contains no corn, wheat or other fillers plus there are no artificial preservatives.  Unlike the other cat foods that put corn gluten meal as their first ingredient the beyond first ingredients are white meat chicken, whole oat meal, carrots and fiber for healthy digestion.

Is it the best food for cats?  I like to think that it is best for the neighborhood cats, in fact I would feed my own cats this food. I think Purina One beyond White Meat Chicken Oatmeal Cat Food is best, because it has wholesome ingredients.  the food is high in protein which is good for a cats diet.

Do the cats like it?

I mixed the old cat food with the Purina One beyond and the outdoor cats pushed away the old cat food to get to the new food.  The taste agrees with them, now it is too soon to note any changes to their coat so I will need to report my findings in 30 days.

Attribution: Fair Use  Screenshot of Purina One Beyond Adult white meat chicken and whole oat recipe cat food