Age Matters When Adopting a Cat

  

In the past, I rescued a litter of six kittens that were abandoned at the side of the road  We were able to find homes for two of the six kittens but ended up adopting the remaining four. 

Four of the six kittens that we rescued
 

All of the kittens were the same age and it was fun to watch them grow, play, and take care of each other but when they were older it was heartbreaking.

 

Sibling cats sleeping together 

We learned the hard way that it's best to adopt cats that are different ages rather than all the same age.  

This past December we had to say goodbye to three of our cats who all passed away within a month.  I think the loss of a sibling was just too much for our littermates and that the sadness escalated their failing health.

The cats were elderly (age 18) and we knew that they were all end of life but they were part of our family and the passing of a cat, a beloved cat still hurts. 

Both my husband and I decided that age does matter when adopting a cat and that it's best to have multiple cats that are not the same age.  

We are thinking of adopting a kitten and an adult cat age 4 or 5 along with a senior cat since they always need homes for older cats at the shelter.   The difference in age matters to us as we do not want cats that are the same age for fear that they will all become elderly at the same time and all will go to the rainbow bridge one after another just like what occurred with us the month before Christmas. 

Mistletoe is Toxic To Cats

While shopping today my husband grabbed some mistletoe and held it above my head.  And we kissed because it's tradition during the holidays.  While it's fun to kiss under the mistletoe did you know that it's toxic to cats?

Mistletoe contains substances that are toxic to both dogs and cats,

Mistletoe growing on branches of trees

mistletoe ornament used during the Christmas season

Normally during the holiday season, people will hang mistletoe in the doorway so that all who stand under it will receive a kiss.  This is great for homes with no pets because mistletoe is not a harmless plant, all plant parts are toxic, and depending on how much is ingested it may cause any of the following; excessive drooling vomiting diarrhea gastrointestinal upset, and pain abnormal heart rate seizures or death (the entire plant is toxic, branch, leaves and berries)  

I would recommend that you enjoy the mistletoe when you are away from your home because the only way to keep your cats safe is to keep it out and away from your house. 

Poinsettia Plants Are They Toxic to Cats

 

The poinsettia is known as the Christmas plant due to its colorful green and red foliage.  While this plant is stunning to look at during the holiday season it's also very attractive to cats and it's important to know if this plant is toxic or not. 

Poinsettia plant leaves

Today my brother gave me a beautiful red poinsettia and since I have cats I wondered if the plant might be toxic to my pets.  My indoor cats are plant-starved and normally everything I bring indoors is deemed a new kitty treat.  So I needed to make sure that this holiday poinsettia would not poison my pets. 

my poinsettia plant on the porch / away from the cats

I searched online and found that many websites have listed that poinsettia plants are toxic to cats and that I should keep the poinsettia away from them. All of the websites seemed to say the same thing and honestly, I needed to confirm the information so I searched for a veterinarian school.

My search led me to an educational website for veterinarian medicine and this website gave me accurate information regarding poinsettia toxicity to cats. 

 ". Poinsettias have received bad publicity in the past whereas, in fact, poinsettias are not very toxic to pets. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth but if signs develop they are usually mild.  The College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University provides the following information for Poinsettia, as well as Mistletoe and Holly. "Holiday Health Hazards" https://hospital.vetmed.wsu.edu/2021/11/23/holiday-health-hazards-for-pets/ 

In conclusion and in my opinion, the poinsettia plant will not end your cat's life, as this plant has very low toxicity to cats.  You know your cat's behavior, if they are plant-starved like mine, attracted to all greenery as something new to chew on then keep the poinsettia away from your cats.  

The leaves of the poinsettia will cause an irritation to the mouth. Watch out for drooling.  Now if they eat the poinsettia leaves, stems all parts of the plant  they may drool, vomit, or have diarrhea.  

Bobcat Fever What it is and How to Protect Cats

  

Recently I read in our local newspaper an article about a cat that had been infected with Bobcat fever.  I learned that the disease was found in bobcats and it was transferred to cats from a lone star tick.  Basically, the tick would bite a bobcat and then bite the cat and that is how the disease is passed.

An infected cat will have a very high fever and will feel hot when you touch them, they will not eat or drink water and they will sleep more than usually, they will also have jaundice (white in eyes will look yellow).  As the bobcat fever disease progresses the cat will have difficulty breathing and will suffer from dehydration.

Know that you cat may be bitten by a tick, and you will remove it but you will not know if the tick is infected until five to 20 days because that is how long it takes to have symptoms of the disease.

Be aware that your cat may have Bobcat fever without seeing a tick, because the tick may bite and fall off.  So, its best to watch for any symptoms mentions and take your cat to the veterinarian if you cat has any signs of this disease.

Even if your cat is an indoors and never goes outdoors you should keep up with flea and tick medication because if you have a dog they can bring in ticks.  I have found a few ticks on me after gardening and those ticks could have bitten my indoor cats.  

I treat my cats with revolution topical monthly but plan to talk to my veterinarian about a treatment that will kill the tick before they bite my cat.

Other information 

* Identify the lone star tick as the black tick with the bright white spot on their back.

* Bobcat fever does not affect dogs or humans. 

* If you have recently adopted a cat then make an appointment with the veternarian to get vaccines, wellness check and monthly flea and tick treatment. 

Keep Cats Cool in Summer with Fans

This past summer the heat was extreme with no rain in over a month.   Many of the feral and stray cats did come into our yard to drink water from the many bowls and a few went into our air-conditioned shed.  Other cats tried to keep cool by lying on our patio chairs.  But when the the shade was a heat index of 90 degrees we did take steps to provide these cats with powerful air circulation from an industrial fan. 

Here is a photo of the fan that we set up for the cat.

We bought an industrial large fan from Lowes home improvement store and set the fan up so that it was five feet away from where the cat was lying.  The large fan did provide the cat with a steady stream of air and hopefully, it blew the hot air away from the cat. 

We have taken care of this feral cat since 2008 and think she is set in her ways and does not want to go into the shed where the air conditioner is.  Maybe afraid of the other cats or afraid of the window unit as they are noisy.

The cat stayed in the chair and only left the area with the breeze from the fan to get a drink of water.   She came back to where the fan was and seemed to enjoy the steady breeze.

Setting the fan five feet away from the cat was good as we tried to be closer and the stronger breeze did scare her.   

How to Take Care of Barn Cats

  

My local shelter is now accepting stray and feral cats for barn cat adoptions. These cats provided that they are sterilized, with rabies vaccine, and are in good health are intended for farms that are in need of snake and rodent control.

 

Many people assume that a cat if it's “hungry” will hunt and kill its supper.  Therefore you would not feed the cat.  Know if you assume this then you are wrong, the cat will eventually move on to another farm or house in the area that will provide it with food.

 

The best way to keep a barn cat is to feed the cat food kibble.  Set a bowl of food in the barn along with fresh water and allow the cat to eat the kibble throughout the day. The barn cat will become dependent upon the food and will hang out in the barn or close to it.  

Here is a photo of cats in my shed.  I have provided them with food and an insulated shelter. They keep the shed rodent free along with the outdoor gardens. 

 

The food and water along with straw for sleeping will attract the cat to the barn where they will eat food and kill mice and other rodents in appreciation of the care that you provide them.   

Barn cats are feral cats that were born outdoors and are fearful of humans.  They normally kill and eat their prey even though they have eaten a bowl of cat food.  Fresh meat is a way to supplement their diet and hunting comes naturally to them and they enjoy it.

 

When we moved into our home in the woods our yard was loaded up with field mice and snakes.  My friend who has a farm told me to put out a bowl of cat food and fresh water in the morning and the feral and stray cats in the area will eventually come. She told me to feed them and they would rid my yard of pests.

 

I kept the cats in my yard by taking care of my feral cats with an outdoor shelter, and daily food and provided them with fresh water.  I also trapped them and paid for their sterilization, rabies, and other necessary cat vaccines.

 

So if you are planning to adopt a barn cat, please take steps to provide the cat with food water, and an outdoor shelter that will keep them dry, warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. When you take care of the cat, then they will rid your yard of rodents.

 

 *Note feral/barn or other cats that live outdoors are good hunters. A domesticated house cat is not a good hunter.  Many times they will play with the rodent and sometimes the housecat is afraid of the rodent.

Smart Queen Cat Can't be Trapped

For the past three days, we have been trying to trap a queen feral cat but this cat is very smart and knows how to get the bait without setting off the trap trigger.

I have been trapping feral and stray cats for over a decade and have never come across a cat like this. But sure enough, this kitty knows how to get the bait and leave. 

The trap works fine with normal cats, but a smart cat no.

At first, I thought it was my trap and that it was not working properly. So I checked it by setting it outdoors and was able to trap a tomcat.  It's not the trap it works fine.

One of the cat's friends suggested putting a kitchen towel in the trap to cover the trigger.  This towel would trick the cat and they would step on the trigger.  I thought it was a great idea so I set up the trap at 5 AM inside my garden shed, asd that is where the queen cat is. 

We watch through the window of the shed to see if the cat was trapped. We couldn't believe our eyes but this queen cat sat in front of the trap door as if she was studying the towel. Then she pulled the towel out of the trap before going in to eat the bait.  She escaped being trapped once again.

I spoke to my veterinarian about what was going on and she said the cat has probably been trapped before and that the cat is very smart.

We are going to try again tomorrow to trap this queen cat that is in heat. We are hoping that we are successful.  Have you ever experienced a cat like this?

ecoFlex Albany Outdoor Cat House Review

 I bought mossy oak ecoFlex Albany outdoor cat insulated house for feral and stay cats and have used it for the last three years. This cat house is quality and made to last through the harshest winters and I would recommend this cat house to anyone who has outdoor cats.

 

Know that I liked that the walls of this house are insulated and that it comes with an escape door. The cat house was easy to put together, but I do recommend that you keep the screwdriver because you will need it to take off the roof to clean the house.  I also recommend that add any extra insulation to the house before you attach the roof.

 

 

This past winter it was bitter cold in my area and I did add reflective insulation to all walls, floor, and ceiling. I then filled it with wheat straw and two feral cats lived in the ecoFlex outdoor cat house.

 

This house has a roomy interior that allowed two cats to snuggle in the straw and stay warm throughout the winter months.

 

The only thing I did not like was the plastic door flaps were difficult to open, and they scared the feral cats. I did remove the front entrance and left the door flap on the side entrance.  Also, this particular house design should have an overhang to prevent snow and rain from getting in.  We screwed a plastic container lid to the roof of the cat house and it worked very well.

 

***The photographs shown in this blog are my original photographs of the mossy oak ecoFlex Albany outdoor cat house.