When the holiday season begins in November, many people are busy cooking and cleaning. Relatives will be visiting from out-of-town which means “Mr. Snuffles” may find himself shaking and hissing in the corner, trying to avoid your nieces and nephews. Gotta love family!

Keep your cats safe for the holidays. Family, friends, and their children may stay at your home; politely tell them that Mr. Snuffles does not like to be handled by small children. This will keep the children and Mr. Snuffles safe.

When you put up the Christmas tree, make sure it is secure. Cats love to climb trees, and they’ll think that you bought the tree just for them! Make sure you place a tree skirt around the tree and keep an eye on the water level. Cats may think that the tree water is another water dish for them. Yuck!

Tips and Tricks

• Keep holiday decorations away from cats. They could digest the garland from the Christmas tree and have to go to the veterinarian;
• Put food away in refrigerator so you cats do not feast on your meal; they could get sick;
• Make sure you tell family and friends that your cats do not like to be held;
• Give your cats plenty of toys to keep them occupied while you have guests visiting your home. They’ll probably run and hide anyway!

The holidays are a time to bring out all of the decorations from the attic or closet. From shiny Christmas ornaments to a Menorah. Make sure your decorations are out of reach; otherwise you may find it on the ground in pieces.

Cats love to climb Christmas trees. You may consider purchasing an artificial tree. This way you’ll have it for more than one Christmas, that’s provided that your cats do not take it down!

Rebecca

What are you doing to keep your cats safe for the holidays?

Before you adopt and rescue a cat or kitten from your local Humane Society or shelter, make sure you’re a responsible cat parent. Cats and kittens are no different than children. The only difference is that they don’t talk back to you. Then again, cats will be vocal if you’re late feeding them!

When you adopt and rescue a cat or kitten from a shelter be aware that they may require more responsibility and need just a bit more TLC than your cat or kitten. Animals in a shelter are stressed and susceptible to illnesses such as upper respiratory infection. Make sure you’re prepared to nurse a sick cat or kitten for about two weeks.

Tip: Make sure you feed your cat the proper nutrition. Like people, cats are becoming obese. It’s not uncommon to read about a 20 lb. cat. Yikes! Provide your cat with kitty condos he can climb and give him toys like a stuffed mouse he can chase. Consult your veterinarian on how you can keep you cat in tip-top shape.

Remember when you adopt and rescue a cat or kitten, it’s a long-term commitment. Make sure you find one that fits your personality. It’s not fair to the cat or kitten if he or she is too vocal. Write down the type of cat you’re looking for. What color will the cat be? What gender would you like, male or female? What about the cat’s personality, friendly or highly independent? What is your personality like? Knowing before you go to a shelter will help you help the adoption volunteers choose a cat that is purrfect for you!

When you adopt and rescue a cat he’ll become part of the family. If you’re personality is one that sees cats as just that and not a family member, you may want to forgo adopting a cat and get a fish instead. They’re low maintenance and just swim in a bowl or small aquarium.

Children need to be taught to respect and honor pets. Before you adopt and rescue a cat into your home, educate your children. Make sure they know the cat IS NOT a toy! Bring them to shelters and let them get acquainted with a cat or kitten. Tell the volunteers and employees that you’d like to adopt, but want to introduce your children before you bring a cat or kitten home. Perhaps the shelter has some kind of program where they educate children on pets. The more they know and can apply what is taught the better for the animal community.

Adopting and rescuing a cat from your local shelter is the best gift you can give. These animals are stressed out because one minute they’re with a loving family and the next they’re in a tiny cage. Their freedom is taken away and they don’t know why. Plus, they’re hearing new and strange noises they haven’t heard before in their life. Be understanding and patient with a shelter cat or kitten.

Cats and kittens are living creatures like you. They are alive and deserve to be treated with respect just as humans do. Make sure you’re ready for the commitment of being a cat owner. It takes more than time and money; it takes love and compassion as well!

Rebecca

How are you a responsible cat parent?

Claw covers or soft paws for cats and kittens can save your furniture. They’re like “fake nails” for cats and come in a variety of colors. Your cat may need some time to adjust to the covers. Ms. Fluffy may attempt to claw at your sofa, but she won’t do any damage to it.

Instead of declawing your cat, put claw covers on him. Many people don’t know how painful and barbaric declawing is. I was given some handouts from the AZ Humane Society that showed how a cat is declawed. It was not a pretty sight to see. They chop off the claw at the knuckle! Ouch! This is very, very painful. Just imagine how you’d feel if someone chopped off your finger right at the knuckle. I thought so…

Dr. Christianne Schelling: “Your cat’s claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw; the last bone of your cat’s claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s “toes.”

Claw covers such as Soft Claws can be purchased at pet stores such as Petco and PetSmart. Check with your local Humane Society as well. Some of them may have a store where you can purchase the claw covers. You’ll be helping out the animals because the money goes back to the Humane Society.

Make sure you test one of your cat’s claws before you put covers on each claw. My cat Benny has sensitive claws. He’s managed to take-off the majority of his Soft Claws. When I put the covers on him he yelped. I’m working with him so he ONLY scratches the kitty furniture. It takes time and patience; he’s getting there.

Cats like to scratch. Before you adopt and rescue a cat make sure you’re ready for the entire package which includes scratching at furniture. It’s a possibility that your cat will leave your furniture alone. My cat CeCe doesn’t bother with the furniture. She has her moments, but I catch her in time.

Your cat may have sensitive claws like my cat Benny. Check with your veterinarian to see if there’s something else you can do besides claw covers. You can spray your furniture or put sticky tape on it but that’s not very attractive. You could cover your furniture to protect it. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to deter your cat from clawing at your furniture. He may need to go to cat training. Is there such a thing? Good luck!

Rebecca

What color are your claw covers?

Read your lease before you drive to your local Humane Society’s shelter because you may not be able to adopt a cat or kitten. Many leasing companies have pet restrictions which include the number of pets and types of breeds. It’s better to know before you go!

Avoid heartache by reading your lease agreement before you adopt and rescue from your local Humane Society’s shelter. When I adopted CeCe from the AZ Humane Society, they called the leasing office to verify that I could have a cat. Lo and behold, I later found out that the HOA (apt. complex that also has condos) changed the criteria for pets.

It’s a good idea to review your lease agreement each quarter. Check with your leasing office and inquire if anything has changed. Make sure you get a copy of any rules and regulations that changed since you signed your lease.

Adopting and rescuing a cat or kitten from the local shelter is the best thing you can do. These animals need love and affection. They’re confused and stressed because they don’t know what’s happening to them. One day they’re running around in the house and the next day they’re in a cage surrounded by other animals. Just think how you’d feel if this happened to you!

Most apartment complexes will allow you two pets but some are changing the rules and limiting you to one pet. Make sure you find the right cat or kitten for you. Spend time in an adoption area and give the cat a chance when you bring him home. Expect a period of adjustment because your new friend will have to adjust to the new surroundings and you. Remember, shelter cats and kittens are susceptible to upper respiratory infections. When they develop this you’ll give them medicine for about 10 days and they’ll be as good as new. It could take a good month or two before your cat becomes comfortable, especially if there’s another cat in the house.

Before you go out the door and visit your local Humane Society’s shelter, call your leasing office to make sure you’re allowed to have a cat or kitten. Inquire about the breeds and the number of pets you can have. Once you do this you’ll be on your way to adopting a wonderful cat or kitten who will love you every day in every way!

Rebecca

What does your lease agreement say about pets?

Before you decide to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten, make sure you’re a responsible cat parent. You may want to adopt a kitten but may not have the time to spend with it. Kittens need lots of play time and attention. Maybe your job will not allow for much time to spend with the kitten. You may want to think about what it means to be a responsible cat parent.

Adopting and rescuing a kitten or cat is a huge responsibility. They are like having children. You’ll have food and medical costs, provide shelter, engage in play time, and provide lots of love and affection. Assess your life and ask yourself, “…How will this extra responsibility fit into my life?” This will help you decide whether or not you’re ready for the additional responsibility of owning a cat.

Questions to consider before you adopt and rescue

Think about these questions before you adopt and rescue a cat or kitten.

• Who will be the main caretaker?
• What is your personality?
• What is the right age of a cat for you?
• How much time do you have to spend with a kitten?
• What is your estimate of veterinarian costs?
• How much do you think it costs to provide for a cat/kitten?
• What is your living situation? Rent? Own? Roommate?
• When you travel, who will watch your cat or kitten?
• What breed of cat and personality are you looking for?
• What types of allergies do you have?

These questions will help you make the best decision for you. Being a responsible pet parent means you’ll put aside some of your interests to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten. When you adopt from a shelter there’s a good chance that the kitten or cat may develop an upper respiratory infection. You’ll be responsible for dispensing the medicine which can be tricky. Remember when you were a kid and your mom had to give you cough medicine or penicillin? The label may have stated bubble gum flavor but it really wasn’t! Try opening the mouth of cat or kitten to get the medicine in them, it’s not that easy.

Before you drive to the animal shelter to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten, make sure you’re ready for the added responsibility both financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s not fair to the cat if it doesn’t work out. Returning her to the shelter will be stressful for her and you. Avoid this situation by being ready for a pet. Do this and you’ll have a happy ending!

Rebecca

How educated are you about cats?