Category: noise

Preparing For Your New Cat

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Congratulations on adding a new cat to your family! Whether you have had a cat before or not, here are some good tips to follow to help your new furry family member adjust to its new home.

Supplies For Your New Cat

To help your new cat have a smooth transition to its new home with you, do some shopping first. Here is a list of items you must have before you bring your new cat home.

  • Pet Carrier
  • Litter Box & Scoop
  • Litter
  • Food Bowl
  • Water Bowl
  • Toys
  • Cat Scratchers
  • Cat Food & Treats
  • Blanket or bed
  • Collar & Tag
  • Cat Tower

Cat Carrier

Why is a cat carrier important? A cat carrier is important for safe traveling. You will need one when you go to pick up your cat. You will need it to keep your cat safe while in the car, so that it can't get loose. If you are in an accident, it could prevent serious harm or death. A cat carrier is an easy way to carry your cat to and from the car when taking your cat to the Vet.

Which cat carrier should you buy? There are a lot of options today when it comes to pet carriers. Ask family and friends which carrier they use for their cat, and what they like or dislike about it. Research online and read reviews. A lot of people prefer a carrier that opens from the front and from the top.

Litter Box, Litter & Scoop

You will want a minimum of 2 litter boxes for your new cat. The general rule when it comes to how many litter boxes should be in your home is 1 litter box per cat PLUS 1 more.

The litter box should be uncovered, and the size should be the length of your cat and a half. If you are getting a kitten, it's fine to purchase a small litter box, but as your kitten grows, you will want to slowly transition to a larger litter box. Your cat will thank you. Remember you will need a litter scoop!

Which litter is best? There are so many terrific options when it comes to cat litter these days. Ultimately, try to start off with the litter that your cat was previously using. If you want to change that litter once your cat has settled into its new home, that's ok. Just do a slow transition of reducing the current litter and adding in the new litter until there is only the new litter.

Cat's prefer unscented litter. Scented litter is for humans. If you don't want your home to smell, clean all litterboxes a minimum of twice daily. Generally, scoop after poop! Again, your cat will thank you. Keep the level of litter at about 2 inches. Clean as needed using regular dish soap and water (not bleach), but not more than weekly. You don't want to completely remove your cat's scent from the litter box, but if it really needs a thorough sanitization, use 1 ounce of bleach to 32 ounces of water so the smell of bleach won't be overpowering for your cat (they WILL smell it, even if you can't).

Food, Water & Bowls

1 bowl for dry food and 1 for wet

 

There are a lot of terrific options available for choosing food and treats for your cat. When you first bring your cat home, try to continue feeding it the same food it was eating. Ask family & friends for suggestions of which food to buy, but also do your own research. There is a wide variety of brands and flavors to choose from. Transition your cat to the new food slowly so he or she won't have an upset tummy.

Choosing food & water bowls can be fun. There are all kinds of decorative and cute bowls to buy. Be sure to buy stainless steel or ceramic, as they are less likely to cause chin acne (yes, cat's can get acne!), especially when washed after each meal. The most important thing about bowls is that you choose ones that are wide enough that your cat's whiskers will NOT touch the sides. Cats can get whisker stress and sometimes the wrong bowl size can make your cat not want to eat. Providing a wide enough bowl will make your cat's eating and drinking experience much more enjoyable and comfortable.

Cat fountains! I am a huge believer in cat fountains. Always provide fresh water on a daily basis, even if you don't purchase a fountain. If you do get a fountain, be sure to get one that has more than 1 option of how to drink from it. Each cat has its own preference - drink straight from the bowl or from where the water comes out or is moving. Fountains are a great way to entice your cat to drink more often which in turn can help them stay hydrated and healthy.

Collar & I.D. Tags

You never know when your cat might try to get out of your house or the carrier to get outside. One of our cats, Rupert, has managed to get out of our house and it was terrifying when I realized it. Luckily, he was not far, and the rattling of a treat bag brought him back inside quickly. He has a break-away collar with a name tag attached. The tag also includes both my phone # and my husband's. The break-away collar is the best recommendation because if the collar were to ever get caught on something, if Rupert pulled enough, it would break off and keep him from being strangled. Your cat should be microchipped already, so if someone finds your cat, they can take him or her to be scanned for the chip by a veterinarian or animal shelter/animal control, which would lead back to you. Keep the microchip information updated.

Toys & Cat Beds

                 

Mufasa loves his toy mice

 

Buying toys and cat beds can be so much fun. There are so many types of toys and beds to buy. Keep in mind that what you might like, your cat might not. Cats can be choosy. Starting out, buy a variety of toys - different shapes, sizes, smells, crinkly or not crinkly, toys that your cat can play with on its own and wand toys so you can play and bond with your new cat. Rupert prefers anything with catnip, but he mostly prefers a red sparkly toy. Mufasa, even though he is 15 years old, is our most playful cat. On his own or with me, he loves to play with specific toy mice (we have at least 7 of them, and his favorite is still the green one). Mufasa also loves wand toys to chase after. Twyla loves wand toys, also. She also seems to prefer toys that are snake-like. Try not too buy to many at once, and alternate toys so your cat doesn't get bored with them.

Cat beds are fun to buy, also, but don't be surprised if your cat doesn't use it. It does happen. Mufasa has only ever used a cat bed when he isn't feeling well, which is rarely. He prefers the floor, couch, our bed, or one of our window ledges. Rupert usually is on our night table, but he also likes to climb into his cat bed that is shaped like a cave. He also loves boxes! Twyla prefers a lap, one of the cat towers, anywhere the sun is, and in the evening, my husband's chair. So, my recommendation is to either buy 2 different styles of a bed, or, wait a week or so to see what your cat might prefer. Be sure to have something for the cat to be able to hide in, though, while he or she adjusts to the new home environment. A hooded style of bed, a tunnel, or even a box would be ideal.

 

Cat Towers & Scratchers

                           

Cat Towers are important to have for any cat, but especially if you have more than 1 cat, or have other pets. Cat Towers placed near windows provide enrichment for your cat, as they can look outside and watch birds, squirrels, etc... Towers are comfortable enough that your cat might sleep in them. Your cat might enjoy the climbing aspect of going from one ledge to the next, depending on the style and height. The taller the better, but make sure to buy one that is sturdy enough that it won't topple over when your cat is climbing and playing on it. Online reviews are very helpful in choosing a cat tower.

Mufasa loves his sisal mat

Cat scratchers are a necessity in your home! The most commonly used style is one made of sisal (rope). Your cat must have a scratcher that is taller than him or her when standing up. Cats need to be able to really stretch up or out when using their scratcher. We have a variety of them for our cats. We have vertical towers, sisal, cardboard, mats, triangular, you name it, we probably have it. Of course not only does this provide the cat the opportunity to perform a natural behavior on an appropriate item (and not your furniture), it can be a stress reliever as well. The SmartCat Pioneer Pet Ultimate Scratching Post is quite popular with a lot of cats. 

Location and Set Up

Location, location, location. Just like people, cats have preferences for where their things are located and how they are set up.

Before you bring your new cat home, have 1 room set up to give your cat a place to take its time in adjusting to a new environment. Some cats will adjust immediately, and some could take days or longer. Most of the time, the adjustment period might be a day or two.

Set the room up with at least 1 litter box, a food and water bowl, a couple of toys, a scratcher, and a towel/blanket/bed. It will be important to offer something for your cat to have the option to hide in, so even a box instead of a bed would be fine.

Place the food and water bowl away from the litter box. No one wants to dine next to the toilet! Try to place the food and water bowl a few feet apart, if space allows. Some cats are finicky about having their water close to their food. They might be concerned with food being in the water and the potential for bacteria.

Time and Patience

Give your cat as much time as it needs to adjust to the room he or she is in. If he or she is walking around comfortably, and not slinking around or hiding, and also interacting with you, it is probably time to let your new cat out to explore the rest of the home. Leave the room with the cat's belongings in it for a few more days. Once your cat has adjusted completely to its new home, you can start to move things to their permanent spot. As always, do things according to your cat's preference and comfort level to ensure a happy cat.

 

 

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Cats Saving Other Cats

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Meet Sir Henry Snugglebutt, retired blood donor cat.

Sir Henry Snugglebutt

 

Sir Henry Snugglebutt is my best friend's cat. Lynn adopted Sir Henry Snugglebutt in 2015. Henry was 6 yrs old at the time and was getting ready to retire. He is now 12 years old and spoiled rotten. Henry had been a blood donor cat at the Atlantic Veterinary College based in Prince Edward Island, Canada since he was 2.5 years old. He helped save the life of many other cats. 

Sir Henry at AVC before his adoption

As long as I have known Lynn, she has always had a cat and she was looking to adopt. Lynn learned of the blood donor program and that some of the cats were retiring. That meant they needed a forever home. Turned out that Lynn and Henry had a lot in common. Lynn works in the Blood Bank Lab at one of the PEI hospitals where they provide blood for people needing a transfusion. Lynn and Henry were a purrfect match!

The Atlantic Veterinary College adopts cats from the local shelter for this program. The AVC requires that the cats be healthy, friendly, and have a calm temperament.

The Process

When the new blood donor cats arrive, they are quarantined for 8 weeks. During that time, blood tests are run for each life-saving cat to ensure they are healthy and have negative results for feline diseases. Therefore, the cats are able to provide blood transfusions with suitable hemoglobin levels to injured or sick cats. Without the donated blood, cat patients would have died.

Each cat's blood test also determines which Blood Group they are in.  Sir Henry and his 2 cat pals were Blood Group A.  A cat requiring a blood transfusion must be a match to that Blood Group. Cats have naturally occurring alloantibodies to red cell antigens and severe reactions can occur with type-mismatched transfusions.  Group A is the most common blood type in cats (approximately 73% of cats are A). Other blood types are B and AB.

With a light sedation, blood was drawn from Sir Henry's jugular when an immediate transfusion was needed, but never more often than every 28 days. This allowed time in between blood draws for Sir Henry's body to replenish that volume. The amount drawn is about 20% of their blood volume.

Care and Enrichment 

The blood donor cats were the responsibility of dedicated Vet Technicians while in their care.  Feeding them, cleaning up after them, and most importantly, providing attention and playtime. The cats were given plenty of time to roam around the room, look out windows, enjoy a sun puddle, and to interact with staff.  The cats participate in the program for 3 years.

Time to Retire!

When it was time for Sir Henry to retire, Lynn was interviewed to ensure it was a good match. Once Lynn was approved, she had to wait 3 months while the next group of blood donating cats went through their quarantine. Then, Sir Henry was able to go to his forever home!

To help Sir Henry with his transition into a new environment, Lynn did a few things to help him feel at home. She bought him a scratching post exactly like the one at the vet college so it would be familiar; before he came home she brought toys over and a hair brush to be in the cats' room to get all their smells on it. To this day his most favorite ball is one that came from their room. She also brushed all 3 cats, and then brought some of the combined fur home to place in Sir Henry's new cat bed. 

Sir Henry in his forever home

Happy Cat

"Henry walked out of the pet carrier when we arrived home, walked to the food bowl and had a snack, went and laid on both beds, both sofas, and checked out his toys and litter box all within the first 20 minutes or so,  as if he lived here his whole life. He almost immediately relaxed. I noticed it around the food right away that he was used to having to wolf down his food otherwise the other boys would get it. He enjoyed being able to pick at his kibbles at will with no pressure. He crawled up on top of me on the couch and had a cuddle and snooze right away. It was a joy to see how happy and at ease he was right away."

Sir Henry is a very happy boy, and loves his Mom very much.  He enjoys watching birds, having the occasional zoomies, and also watching videos on the laptop.  He always makes an appearance when Lynn and I FaceTime with each other.  He even watches my cats if he can see them.  Retirement is looking good on you, Sir Henry Snugglebutt!

 

 

all photos courtesy of Sir Henry's Mom

 

Want to Learn More?

By the way, dogs can donate blood, too.  If you are interested in volunteering your cat or dog to be a blood donor, be sure to do plenty of research to understand all that is involved.  Contact your own Veterinarian as well.  

For more information:

Interested in Volunteering Your Cat to Donate Blood? Click on the following link to learn more.

https://icatcare.org/advice/blood-donor-cats/

2021 ISFM Guidelines

ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Collection and Administration of Blood and Blood Products in Cats

 

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Going Back to Work? How It Might Affect Your Cat

 

 

Going Back to Work? How it Might Affect Your Cat.

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Going Back to Work? How it Could Affect Your Cat.

Photo by Sam Lion of Pexels

Cats love routine.  Just ask our 9 yr old, Rupert.  He can tell you when each of his meals are served.  He will also let you know if you are late, by knocking the tv remote off of the end table.

Gonna share, Mom?

More people are heading back into the office now that the Covid vaccines are available.  For some people, this will be an easy transition back to an old and familiar routine.  However, have you considered how this will affect your cat and its routine?

Cats are known for not liking change.  That's true for a lot of cats, but certainly not all cats.  When offices started closing down due to Covid this was a big change for people and everyone in their home. Including pets. Some people and their pets likely adjusted to the change of working from home rather quickly.  Others might not have.  

These were stressful times and still continue to be.  Cats can be very sensitive to change, but also to how we are feeling and dealing with things.  Unfortunately, this can often go unnoticed until your cat "tells you".  Meaning, their behavior changes.  Sometimes with unacceptable behavior. Hopefully, your cat was happy and content with having you home more often.  I also hope that you found some stress relief by spending more time with your cat.  

Now, with offices bringing people back, this is another change in routine for your cat.  But wait, isn't this just like when you are home on vacation or the weekend?  No.  Those are shorter periods of time, and most likely, your cat is used to the weekend routine.  Yes, vacation time might be longer than a weekend, and your cat might feel it needs to do some adjusting. But, not nearly the same as you being home for a year.

Your cat could have 2 different reactions when you go back to the office on a daily basis.

The first reaction would be that he or she will miss you! You might have spent more time cuddling or playing with your cat.  You might have slept in more and/or stayed up later.  Your cat likely adjusted to that new routine. 

I miss you!

Photo by Marko Blazevic from Pexels

Or, the other reaction is one of relief.  Yes, your cat might be happy to go back to the old routine, as much as he or she loves you.  Some cats prefer having more time to themselves and less noise or stress in the home.

Finally, peace & quiet again

Photo by Francesco Ungaro from Pexels

So, before you head back into the office on a regular basis (or if you have already), be sure to help your cat with this transition.

How?

If you had been playing more often with your cat, continue to have fun play sessions when you are home.  You may have less time, but having a fun play session is a great way of spending time with your cat and sealing that ever so important bond.  Playing with your cat can also serve as a stress reliever for your cat (and you too!). Kind of like exercise can help people shed stress.  An active round of play can do the same for your cat.

Playtime!

Photo by Wendelin Jacober from Pexels

If you spent more time hanging out with your cat, cuddling, watching tv together, etc...  continue to do that as much as you can.  You can always scale back on that gradually, but please don't stop completely. 

Some cats might even experience separation anxiety, which could potentially cause behavioral problems such as not using their litterbox correctly. Try to spend quality time with him or her before and after work.  Try to do this at the same time of day each day, so your cat will know when to expect this special time with you.  

If you have not yet started working from the office, but know you will be soon, start the transition now with spending less time with your cat.  Go out for an hour or more each day, to give your cat more time on its own.  If your cat appears relaxed and has not shown any behavioral issues, reward him or her when you come back with a special tasty treat or extra cuddles. 

If there are other family members in the home, include them in the new/old routine. Your cat won't understand that you might feel tired or not up to playing with him or her as often as you were, so if others can fill in, that would be ideal.

If your cat is experiencing a change in behavior, please contact your Veterinarian to arrange for an exam.  If your Veterinarian rules out medical issues, please contact me at realworldcatconsulting@gmail.com or fill out and submit the Behavior Consultation Form.

Help Your Cat Cope During Fireworks

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The 4th of July is coming very soon and it is a time for celebration and gathering of friends and family. While we enjoy socializing, eating, drinking, and watching fireworks, it is often a very scary and stressful experience for our furry friends. Of course, there are some that it won't seem to bother at all. Most of our own cats aren't bothered by it however, we live out in the country and fireworks aren't going off in our yard. However, some cats will feel anxious and scared during this time.

So, what can we do to help them cope?

Watch a firework display on tv rather than setting them off in your own yard. But, what about neighbors or if you do choose to set off fireworks in your yard? Please read on.

Providing a stress-free environment will be essential for your cats. Since noise is what will most likely create anxiety or fear, keep your cat or cats where they feel safe. If you have company over, you may want to place your cats in 1 room with access to their litterbox and a "den" type bed or box to hide in. Some cats might want to be up high, so a table or a cat tower might be helpful. Make sure they have access to a water bowl, and if they will be in there for several hours, a food bowl as well. Put some familiar and favorite toys in the room and bonus if you can include a cat scratcher. They can use the scratcher to relieve stress. Some cats might even enjoy it if you create a tent or fort by draping a bed sheet over some chairs. If you are the only ones home and planning a quiet evening, you can still do the above however, you may choose to do it without confining the cats to 1 room. If you have a white noise machine, playing that can help drone out the noise from the fireworks. Cats sometimes enjoy classical music, so you could provide that for them if you don't have a white noise machine. Play the music or white noise at a comfortable level. You may even want to try this with your cats a few times before the holiday to make sure this doesn't cause more anxiety.

 

If the lights from the fireworks cause your cats anxiety, cover all windows until the nearby fireworks are over.

Providing a fun play session before company arrives and/or before the fireworks begin can help your cat to relax. Get out their favorite toy, and get them running and chasing. Wand toys are great for this. Give them a good workout, then a light snack afterward. Just like people, after exercise and a bit of food, they might feel relaxed.

There are products available to help ease a cat's anxiety. Please note that not every product might work, but some do. Be sure to follow the instructions provided for any product. Some popular products are:

Comfort Zone Calming Collars

Nature's Miracle Calming Spray

Thundershirts/Thunderwraps for Cats

Even if your cats are comfortable with all the commotion of people around and fireworks, placing them in their own room might still be worthwhile. This prevents any escapes out the door as people are coming and going. At the very least, keep an eye on your cats and ask your family and friends to do the same.

Another really important thing to do is to ensure your cat is wearing a break-away collar with it's tags on it. In case your cat does escape your home, it's a good visual to anyone that spots your cat that it does belong to someone. You definitely want to make sure your cat is microchipped. A week before the festivities, contact the company the microchip is with to ensure the information they have is up to date. Also, it is always a good idea to have your vet scan your cat's microchip at each visit to ensure it is still working.

Some cats can become reactive or aggressive when they feel stressed. They may think that when someone pets them, that it was actually that "loud scary noise". Your cat might react by swatting, scratching or biting someone (or another pet). If this is the case, your cat should be kept in it's own safe place until your company leaves. Some cats can take up to 24 hours to calm down.

If your cat is reactive or shows signs of stress and fear, help them. Don't punish them for their behavior. Do not force your cat into being pet or held, by anyone and especially by strangers. We all love for our family and friends to meet or interact with our furry friends. But, during a time when your cat might be feeling more stressed than usual, it is a better idea to show them the millions of photos on your phone instead.

If your cat's history of dealing with fireworks, storms or loud noises causes your cat to have an extreme reaction such as aggression, or eliminating outside the litterbox during this time, please reach out to your veterinarian for advice. Please do so weeks in advance of an event you are aware of in case medication is prescribed and needs time to work.

 

 

 

 

Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels