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June is Adopt a Cat Month

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Each year during June is considered “kitten season,” and most of these adorable kitties end up in animal shelters. The American Humane celebrates June as Adopt-A-Cat Month to encourage people to adopt kittens and cats in animal shelters. Unfortunately, millions of cats are living in shelters right now. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has considerably decreased the foot traffic, funding, and supplies that covers have made it even harder to find these vulnerable cats their forever homes.

2021 is the 46th year of the American Humane’s “Adopt-A-Cat Month,” and they help you find all the resources you need to add a kitten or cat to your family.  It is a sad statistic, but the reality is 70% of cats that go into American shelters are never adopted and are euthanized – according to the ASPCA, that equals 860,000 cats per year.  Adopting a cat is saving a life.

Tips for Adopting a Cat

Two are better than one

Worried you won’t have enough time to provide your cat with social interaction, mental stimulation, and physical activity?  Adopt two cats, and they will provide all that and more for each other!  They are also less destructive and can share many of the supplies that you buy.

Will you click with your cat?

Shelters can help you find the right cat for you by helping you choose the kitty that is most likely to get along with your personality, high or low maintenance, and a cuddler or more of a loner-based cat your preferences.

June is Adopt a Cat Month

Prep the household

Bringing home a pet comes with great responsibility, and educating yourself, and everyone in your household about their needs is essential.  It is also necessary to prepare other animals in your home and any children for safe interactions with a cat. Here are some tips for getting your cats or dogs adjusted.

Prep your home for your new cat

If you are bringing home a kitten – see our previous blog post about a new kitten and everything you need to do. Make sure you cat-proof your home – especially for cords and wiring, plants that be dangerous if eaten, and any small items like coins, paper clips, or loose ribbons.

June is Adopt a Cat Month

Find a vet before you go

Having a vet take your cat after the adoption is important – especially if they are a kitten.  Ensure to save all medical records and proof of immunizations and boosters for the vet to keep on file.

Budget for a cat

Your cat will need a few supplies (especially if they are a kitten) before you bring them home, as well as booster shots and possible medical supplies – here is a complete list of everything your cat may need

The Weather and Your Cat

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We all know that a bad storm can put your cat on edge. Let’s talk about how and why different types of weather can affect your cat’s mood and behavior.

Noise

Noise is one of the main reasons your cats and kittens will freak out when a storm comes.  All of the heavy rain, thunder, lightning, and high winds can cause a lot of scary noise.  Cats have hyper-sensitive hearing and are good at pinpointing the direction they are coming. However, it can be overwhelming, especially if they are indoors and cannot quite see what is going on.  Storms give your kitty anxiety and put them in a very fearful mood.

Rain

Cats hate getting wet, mainly because wet fur is very uncomfortable and takes forever to dry.  Wet fur is heavy and makes it harder for a cat to naturally move around or run in the case of bad weather!  Some cats enjoy playing with water but will stay clear of a rainstorm.

Smell

Since cat’s sense of smell is so strong – they can tell the difference between water from the tap and natural water.  In other words, they can smell the rain coming.

Sensing the Future?

Humans have been curious and thankful for animals’ reactions to weather and natural disasters for thousands of years.  It meant a warning of what might come long before we could check the temperature on the news or our phones. Cats can sense impending earthquakes, and historically it has been documented that they have for as long as we have observed and domesticated them.  However, it is an unexplained phenomenon – though perhaps that they have a psychic ability.  Survival instincts also kick in, and cats tend to become anti-social and hide before a disaster.

The folklore of weather and cats

Superstitions have caused a lot of people to believe that cats have some control over the weather – unfairly including the following:

  • If a cat busily washed its ears in Britain or Wales, it was believed it would rain
  • If a cat clawed at carpet and curtains, that meant in Holland they were forecasting wind
  • In the early days of America – people thought bad weather was coming if a cat sat with its back to the fire or if it slept with all paws tucked under
  • Sailors believed that if a cat sneezed, it would rain, and if it licked its fur against the grain, a hailstorm was coming

As we know, it is more likely that the cat’s mood and behavior changed before a rainstorm because a cat’s senses are much stronger than ours – including hearing, sight, smell, and sensing things are changing in their environment.  In other words, your cat hears the thunder before you do and can smell the metallic odor of lightning before you see it.

How to help your cat during a storm

If you find that a storm has made your cat anxious and fearful – you need to remain calm yourself, which will help your cat feel calmer. Distracting your cat during a storm with stimulating games or a petting session can help as well.  Always have a safe place for your cat to retreat to anytime they feel wary of the world – but especially someplace to feel secure when a storm arrives.

Helping your cat lose weight – what to do if your cat is overweight

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You may notice that your cat looks bigger than usual, or your vet may have told you that your cat is fat.  What do you do to help your cat lose weight and maintain better habits to keep your kitty as healthy as possible?  Here is a rundown of everything you need to know about feline weight loss.

How do you know your cat is overweight or obese?

Vets use a body condition score or BCS to grade their cat’s weight visually.  The ideal body weight would score a 5/9 from the 1 to 9 scoring system used.

  • A skinny cat would grade a 1/9 and would display visible ribs and spine.
  • An extremely obese cat would grade a 9/9 and would have fat deposits over the ribs, front of the hips, neck, and abdomen.

How did my cat become overweight?

Cats can become overweight when they use fewer calories than they consume.  The excess calories are stored as body fat.  Your cat’s fat cells were pre-determined as kittens.  Once the fat cells form, they are permanent.  That is why it is so essential to develop good habits early on when your cat is a kitten to prevent obesity when they are young.

Reasons your cat can become obese:

  • Early on-set obesity
  • Old age
  • Owners are overweight
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Competing for food
  • Free-fed diet vs. a meal-fed diet
  • Females are more prone to obesity
  • Genetics

Health risks due to obesity in cats

Some risks come with obesity or being overweight:

  • Skin infections
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Immune suppression
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Orthopedic and arthritic disorders
  • Certain cancers
  • Hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease)
  • Urinary tract issues

Can losing weight help my cat?

Above all, your cat will have a better quality of life and a longer life if they are not overweight or obese. Weight loss can also help by creating less stress on the joints, help the vet perform an exam or surgery easier, improving heart function, and decreasing the number of medications your cat may have to take.

How can I help my cat lose weight?

Also, speak to your vet and coordinate the best plan for your cat to lose weight – considering any underlying medical conditions your cat has.

Basically, your cat needs to use more calories than he or she gets from food.  You can do this by increasing the exercise your cat has each day, changing the way you feed your cat and limiting calories.

Helping your cat lose weight – what to do if your cat is overweight

Exercise and your cat

If you want your cat to be more active, you need to help – gradually increasing daily activity is the best way to approach it.  Exercise your cat 10 minutes per day a few days a week – increasing this gradually to 30 minutes per day.  You can do this with:

  • Cat toys like feather teasers and laser pointers
  • Catnip – to encourage them to play
  • Environmental enrichment

Helping your cat lose weight – what to do if your cat is overweight

Your cat and food

  • It would help if you always fed your cat from their bowl only – this way, you can prevent overfeeding.
  • Don’t give your cat “people food” as tempting as that may be
  • Separate your cat from other pets during feeding time to avoid competitive eating or sharing food
  • Give your cat smaller, more frequent meals, so begging stays to the minimum
  • Cut down on snacks or treats – instead reward your cat with playing or petting sessions
  • If you do give treats, they should be low-calorie and used sparingly
  • Use a measuring cup when feeding to avoid overfeeding
  • Ask your vet for a recommendation for a lower-calorie cat food

DIY Cat Toys – Easy Toys for Your Kitty

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Toys may seem like just a fun thing to give your cat, but they are essential for your cat’s development.  Most cats sleep most of the day, and when they are awake, they are natural hunters that instinctively crave play!  Play can keep you from being bored and destructive, give you an opportunity to bond with them, and help them remain active and their brains sharp.

Make your toys and save money and the environment.  You would be surprised at how many things you throw away that can repurpose as a cat toy.

1 Paper towel or toilet paper rolls

It can’t get easier than this!  You have an endless supply; they require almost no work except to hand to your cat, and you can make them more interesting by putting treats inside and folding down the edges.

2 Cat scratchpad for the door

This one is a little more complicated but rewarding in the end.  A plus for being visually appealing!  Head over to Designsponge.com for step-by-step instructions to create this DIY cat toy.

3 Feather toys

Cats love feathers, wands, and toys because they engage their hunting instincts. If your cat pines to prey on birds when looking out the window – this may satisfy her longings.

DIY Feather Wand Tutorial

4 Cat dancer toys

These are easy to make, and you can be creative by incorporating a range of materials.  Cat dancer toys keep your cat engaged, active, and entertained for a good while.  You can use catnip, faux leather, pom-poms, and more.

DIY Cat Toys – Easy Toys for Your Kitty

5 Crumpled paper

Don’t recycle that piece of paper!  Crumble it up and watch your cat have a ball with it.  Nothing more to do!

6 Cardboard box

Another Amazon delivery?  Give your cat the box.  Cats love boxes as a hideout, a safe place, a way to have me-time in a multi-cat household, and a warm spot to lounge.

DIY Cat Toys – Easy Toys for Your Kitty

7 Paper bag

The same thing, open the bag lay with the opening on the floor – let your cat enjoy. Just remember to remove any handles that they can get caught in.

8 Mouse toy

This may take some sewing to achieve, but it is worth it.  Appealing to their hunting skills and using catnip to attract them to the mouse – this toy can entertain your cat for hours.

DIY Cat Toys – Easy Toys for Your Kitty

Toys that aren’t safe for your cat

  • Pieces of loose string, yarn, ribbon – they can swallow these and get them caught in their intestines and possibly require surgery to remove
  • Rubber bands – same as strings
  • Plastic bags, bubble wrap, or packing peanut – they can suffocate or swallow these
  • Tiny beads – avoid allowing them to have these or purchasing toys with them – they could swallow these