Making a Place for Everyone

By: Christian Yost

March 28, 2009
Your older pet needs to be reassured that the newcomer will not take over his territory. If he has a favorite sleeping place, don�t let the kitten sleep there. Provide the youngster with her own toys.

Animals are often possessive of their food and feeding dishes. Since the kitten should be eating kitten food anyway, keeping her feeding dishes in a different room or area for as long as possible makes sense.

Monitor mealtimes to prevent either animal from pushing the other away from its plate. Since kitten food is best for her first 12 months, it may be a good idea to continue feeding your kitten in a closed room for a while.

Although a premium quality food for all life stages will provide complete and balanced nutrition for both animals, if your adult cat tends to be overweight, she does not need the extra calories that a kitten food provides. In fact, if your cat is already eating a diet intended for weight loss or weight control, the kitten will not receive all the extra nutrition she requires for her growing body if they are sharing food bowls.

It is best to feed the pets the food formulated for their specific life stage.

Please visit us at www.siamese-cattailscattery.com

How to Have a Trauma-free Veterinary Visit

How to Have a Trauma-free Veterinary Visit

By: Christian Yost

March 24, 2009

Does your cat dart out of reach as soon as she sees the cat carrier? This is a common reaction of many pets when they know a veterinary  visit is coming. A trip to the doctor’s office for your pet can be a stressful and anxious event. Here are a few tips to making that dreaded visit safer and more pleasant for you, your pet and the veterinary staff.

Getting the Cat in The Carrier

Chances are you do not take your cat on short trips, outings to the park or social visits. Trips in the car for cats are far less common than for dogs. In fact, probably the only place you take your cat is to the vet or perhaps a kennel . So when Kitty sees that pet taxi come out, it usually means Bad News. Many a veterinary visit is cancelled for reasons none other than the owner simply can’t find or can’t reach her cat. In homes occupied by more than one cat, a trip to the doctor can trigger a whole chain of stressful events.

Cats that have previously gotten along with each other may hiss or even fight when the patient returns home.

One of the ways you can reduce your pet’s anxiety is to make the travel kennel an everyday object. A pet taxi’s use does not have to be limited to travel alone. Use it from day one as a retreat, a perch or a feeding station for your cat before you ever attempt to use it as a carrier. Let your cat become comfortable seeing the carrier; perhaps you can use it for lying in a sunny window.

Throw a cat treat, some catnip or cat toy in it occasionally so your kitty moves in and out freely and develops confidence in the present of the carrier. For younger cats, try taking your kitten in the carrier on short trips in the car. The purpose of the trip should be a short ride ONLY to desensitize your cat. Do not run errands and leave kitty unattended in the car. Speak softly and reassuringly. Keep windows rolled up and the radio off. When you return home, open the door to the carrier and let your cat stroll out on her own to a small food treat.

Once your cat feels confident in the car, ask the staff at the veterinary hospital if you can stop by for a non-medical visit like a weight check. Let your kitten interact with the veterinary staff for a few minutes and then proceed home. Your veterinary staff will be happy to take a minute or two for these important interactions as a stressed out cat is hard on them, too.

When taking your cat to the doctor, a pet taxi is a must. Do not let your cat roam freely in the car; this is dangerous for you and your pet. A cat can dart out when you open the door, hide out of reach in the seat or wedge herself under the cars accelerator while you are driving. If you are taking more than one pet in for care, each cat should be taken in her own carrier. Fights and squabbles can break out even among loving companions and injury can occur.

When returning home, provide your cat with some privacy and solitude. Many cats hiss and fight with companions on their return. Take your cat to a quiet area of your home with food, water and a litter box for a little relaxation time, and let things calm down before returning to your daily routine.

Some cats tend to be more stressed with their owners close by. It sometimes works to everyone’s benefit to do a physical exam or procedure in a separate room with only veterinary staff in attendance. As much as you want to be with your pet every minute, this is often a simple solution that decreases anxiety.

Can’t You Give Him Something?

Every veternarian has patients that, despite all efforts, are so frightened and anxious, even a simple physical exam is impossible. Everyone takes these pets very seriously. A frightened pet can become defensive and injure the owner, doctor, staff or even another patient in the clinic. A pet’s behavior may limit needed medical care. If it is a safe alternative based on your pet’s health, your veterinarian may discuss with you the advantages of providing mild sedation for your cat. It may be a pill you give before you leave for the clinic or medication administered by the doctor. Sedation can be a lifesaver for those pets needing medical attention. Please discuss this option with your doctor. Please visit us at www.siamese-cattailscattery.com

How to Introduce Your Cat to Your New Home

How to Introduce Your Cat to Your New Home

By: Christian Yost

March 20,2009

You’re moving into a new house or apartment and you are excited about the change. Your cat, however, is a creature of habit and moving to a new home represents a complete upheaval of his world. Unlike dogs who seemingly could care less where they are as long as their person is with them, cats like to maintain the status quo. Moving to a new home, therefore, is an upsetting event for a cat.

Don’t give up on your cat, though. Nothing would be more traumatic for him than losing not only his comfortable home, but his human caregiver as well because you took him to a shelter instead of your new home. We found that moving was a major reason why pets are turned over to shelters. The tragic truth is that most shelter cats do not find new homes.

If your cat has trouble adjusting to a new home, he may engage in house-soiling, excessive grooming or not grooming altogether, excessive meowing, destructiveness or self-mutilation activities like tail biting. Other symptoms of anxiety may include depression, loss of appetite, hiding or aggression. Some simple planning will help prevent your cat from becoming stressed by a complete change in his environment.

If you have the opportunity, take your cat with you to your new house before the furniture arrives. Lay a trail of catnip from one room to the other so he can follow it as he explores. Clean up the catnip once he has finished so it remains a special treat. Leave his carrier open in one of the rooms so he can get into it if he chooses. Give him some treats so he associates something positive with the new environment. If he has a favorite bed take that as well so he will recognize something familiar. Make certain doors and windows are secure so your cat doesn’t accidentally escape – he won’t know where he is.

Obtain a facial pheromone-based product, such as Feliway®, and spray it on walls and corners at your cat’s eye-level. Pheromone products were developed in France to stop spraying behavior in cats, but they have also been shown to initiate exploratory behavior and eating in cats that are in strange environments like kennels or new homes. Cats deposit pheromones on surfaces when they rub their cheeks against them, and their presence has a calming effect. Pheromones will make your cat feel more comfortable in his new surroundings and more accepting of the house as his.

If you choose not to buy a pheromone-based product, rub a towel on your cat to pick up his scent and rub it on walls, corners and windowsills in the new house to transfer your cat’s scent to his new territory.

Once you move, assign one room as your cat’s. Put him in the room with his food, water, litter box, toys, scratching post and comfortable belongings. Place something with your scent such as a worn t-shirt in the room. Leave a radio turned on to a soft-music station. The room will become your cat’s safe zone if and when he needs to get away. Once you move, you will have lots to do, unpacking and putting away your belongings, but spend time with your cat in his room. Have two ten to fifteen minute play sessions each day. Over the course of two to three weeks, allow your cat to come out of the room to explore the rest of the house. Once again, create a catnip trail for your cat to follow throughout the house. When he is finished exploring, return him to the room and clean up the catnip. When your cat appears comfortable in the new space, allow him free run of the house. Move his belongings to their new locations a few steps at a time so he always knows where they are.

As a safety precaution on moving day, place your cat in his carrier to prevent him from accidentally escaping or being accidentally stepped on by the movers. Someone carrying a one- hundred-pound sofa is going to be more concerned about not tripping than not hurting an animal that is in the way.

If you let your cat go outside, wait for at least three weeks before allowing him access to the out-of-doors. If your cat goes out before learning that the new house is home, he may attempt to go back to his old digs. Many cats have gone hundreds, even thousands, of miles back to their old homes. If you are concerned about your cat’s safety while he is outside, moving to a new home may be a good time to get him used to living entirely indoors.