How To Be The Best Pet Parent to Your Cat
Owners of felines are a special community, and they have some unique challenges when it comes to some who struggle with the indoor/outdoor cat dilemma.
Some feel that your curious cat has an innate need to explore the out of doors, and so they give in and allow their cat to spend time outdoors as well as inside.
Is this a choice that is in the best interest of your cat in the long run?
There surely will be arguments on both sides of this discussion.
However, from the stand point of pet risks, and the aspect of confusion related to owned cats vs. “community cats” the information would side on keeping your cat indoors and finding ways to keep it stimulated and happy in the safety of their home.
Tags and microchips are for kitties too.
Many cat owners don’t microchip or tag their cats, which contributes to the problem of having them reunited. These are all concerns that should be considered! In fact, if all cats were “chipped or tipped” (learn about TNR and ear tipping of community cats below), staggering statistics could change for the better.
Take our LOVE TAG CHIP CHALLENGE for YOUR cat!
Microchipping your cat.
Whether you choose to keep your cat as indoor only or indoor/outdoor, microchipping your cat is so important. Why? Because even indoor only cats can be sneaky and find their way outside at some point.
Microchips are small and mighty! Short of a visible tag with your contact info that that instantly assist a “finder” to let you know they found your pet, the microchip could be the best chance you have of being reunited should your pet go missing! A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It is injected into your pet’s shoulder area, but does not create any real pain. When scanned, it connects with REGISTERED info that identifies the pet parent. If adopted, many rescues may have registered the cat to them, but the owner should be sure they add their info too.
If you move, it’s vital to keep your info updated with current information.
It is a pet owner’s worst nightmare should their pet get outside and wander off and not return quickly. Everyday this happens unintentionally. But collars with tags and microchipped pets can more easily and quickly be reunited with their owner.
Learn more about microchip companies here.
Without identification, your cat might be considered what is often referred to as feral or a community cat.
Above image speaks to chip or tip: owners should microchip their cats and feral cats that are trapped, neutered and returned to their outside colony are sometimes microchipped. An ear being “tipped” or cropped is done to indicate they have undergone TNR. Learn more from the Alley Cat Allies website.
Lost Pet Numbers Are Higher Than You Would Imagine
Once a cat gets out in an unintended way and they are not found quickly, the search for them can end up being for an extendedperiod of time. Some may never be found, especially when they don’t have any identification to get them home.
The longer they don’t return home, the greater their risk of traveling further and possibly succumbing to the dangers of predatory animals or being struck.
Others end up in shelters or rescues that need rehoming after an extended amount of time where their owner may not find them in their search.
Indoor/Outdoor and the Community Cat Population Confusion
Consider the number of cats that go missing. Some may have fallen victim to an animal attack or being struck by a car. Others may get picked up and find their way to a shelter far from home. Some cats may travel about and return days later. When they don’t, an owner may have lost valuable time to realize they are in fact missing and start their search later which puts them behind in time to find them successfully.
How Community Cats Are Managed using TNR and Ear tipping
Feral/community cats that have been trapped/neutered/returned (TNR) have their left ear tipped (sometimes the right instead) to let those caring for cat colonies to know they’ve already been addressed.
Between owned cats that wander off/go missing and the staggering population of community cats resulting from cats that are not spayed or neutered, owners and community colony managers can make a difference! These volunteers dedicate their time and funds to feed colonies that become known in communities.
The state of affairs related to strays. Consider the stats:
Statistics related to cats entering the shelter system are sobering.
Check out the ASPCA’s statistics which includes the following:
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– Around 27% of cats are acquired as strays, down from 35% in 2012. (Source: APPA)
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– According to the ASPCA’s National Rehoming Survey, pet problems are the most common reason that owners rehome their pet, accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of rehomed cats. Pet problems were defined as problematic behaviors, aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems owner couldn’t handle.
Some Great Overall Cat Lover Info Source!
-The Catington Post is a must view site for cat people! There you’ll find cat info from A to Z including tips about behavior problems so you and your feline friend(s) can coexist in the happiest way!
-Learn about dealing with your fearful cat from Cats International. Explore a wide array of their article topics as well!
-ASPCA’s Cat Nutrition Tips
The Declawing Issue
Learn about alternatives to declawing from AntiCruelty.org.
This site also has lots of other helpful info including acclimating your cat to a cat carrier so check out all of their library topics.
Litter Box Troubles?
Need help getting your cat to use the litter box? The Howard County Cat Club has great information including specific info about How to Persuade Your Cat to Use Her Box!
Adding a cat? Choose Adoption!
In addition to your local shelter, there are many cat specific rescues to be found. One such rescue in Virginia is King Street Cats which provides a safe haven for cats looking for forever homes. Get the 4-1-1 on cats from this fabulous group by visiting their website! And google to find a rescue near you or go to Adopt-A-Pet or PetFinder!
Petfinder’s page about keeping cats safe shares that “According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, fewer than 2% of lost cats and only 15-20% of lost dogs are ever returned to their guardians. Just because your pet lives inside is also no guarantee of safety. Linda Lord DVM, of the Ohio State University, reported that 40% of lost cats in one community were indoor-only cats and only 19% of cats reported lost had any sort of identification.” Visit their page for other info related to keeping your cat safe!
Volunteer Cat Rescues Fill Important Community Roles
Susan Mohler, President of Town Cats, Inc. rescue in Ocean City, Maryland has led the rescue’s efforts for several years. Many of their incoming homeless cats and kittens are from the population that led to this small but mighty rescue near the beach of Ocean City in the first place!
The mission of Town Cats is “to enrich the lives of free-roaming, feral, and/or abandoned cats in the Ocean City and surrounding communities by limiting the population growth and providing medical care through Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR), and affordable adoption services”.
Since 1998, Town Cats has worked to address the many homeless cats that summer visitors had fed , and after the season these cats became a homeless cat population facing winter without food or shelter. Those that survived would inevitably breed in the spring, producing litters of feral kittens that would eventually produce more unwanted kittens. Something had to be done to stop the litters and so Town Cats was born to spay/neuter/vaccinate the feral cats of Ocean City. around their neighboring Ocean City area. Today, Town Cats serves the communities within Worcester County.
In addition to adopting out cats and kittens in their rescue, Town Cats also has:
– Barn Cats program for those cats who don’t make sense in a traditional home. These cats need rural outdoor home, barn, stable, garage or warehouse. But, like those adopted to homes, they still are spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, treated for worms and fleas, and tested for feline leukemia and Fiv.
– Bluefrog Farm cat sanctuary dedicated to providing a safe and healthy refuse for cats that are or soon will be homeless giving preference to those cats that are in danger or injured.
Their rescue provides a multitude of services and information related to cats with a big emphasis on spay/neuter since this is a huge reason for a big influx of kittens (and mommas too) into rescue.
Cat Kids Rescue, a nonprofit in Seminole, Florida has an extensive foster network, donors and partners that are helping to answer the call of overcrowded shelters in their region. Their efforts have successfully helped to save more than 1,400 cats each year!
Their foster network plays a vital role in offering the comfort and care of in-home environments to allow them to be nurtured and move a step closer to a forever (again) homes.
Similar to Town Cats and so many cat rescues, Cat Kids Rescue was born out of a need that was answered by their founder. In this case, founder Phyllis Combs was faced with an impossible situation when a neighbor who had been caring for 20 plus feral cats who passed away. Combs stepped in and not only stepped in for the immediate situation at hand, but recognized that her new found responsibility set her up for providing so much more for other cats in need.
Adopters of Cat Kids Rescue cats must agree that part of their adoption requires that their cat will live indoors, noting statistics show that indoor cats live longer, healthier lives. Their goal? To one day open a shelter of their own to serve even more cats in need!
They provide a variety of ways for those in their Florida community to support their services including student service hours!
In addition to checking out their rescue related info, Cat Kids Rescue’s site offers great cat tips including household hazard tips and other great safety tips for cat owners for any cat owner.
Their pawtnership with the PetSmart in Largo and Tyrone Mall to help give their adoptables the added exposure to help them find furever homes!
Take the steps to nurture, love and keep YOUR cat safe and not a rescue statistic.
And support cat rescues near you with donations and helping them find furever homes for those in their care.