Found a young stray cat- a couple questions?
I was at the car wash with my sister a few nights ago and I found a kitty peaking out from beside a dumpster looking very thin, very young (probably 3 months old) and VERY sad. It seems obvious that this cat has always been homeless. I got down on my knees and the kitty took about three minutes to inch over to me. When it finally got to me, I just fell in love- the kitty was purring and nuzzling me. I took him back to my house and brought him into my room. I gave him some dog food, because my step mom owns two Shih Tzus. The kitty’s eyes had black dirt in the corners, which I have since wiped off, and the kitty also has fleas, but we have Frontline Plus for him. I’m assuming this cat is a male, because there is a small set of what appears to be testicles beneath the tail. I could be wrong. He sat for about ten straight minutes drinking bottled water from a dish I set out for him, and ate a ton of dog food very quickly. Luckily, my best friend brought over a ton of cat food for the cause and he has since been eating that. The kitty had probably gone days without food, I mean, I found him crying by a dumpster, and he is VERY thin. But he has been eating well, his stools are solid, and he caught on to the litter box very quickly. He isn’t reacting very well to the dogs so far, but I read off of another answer that they will get used to each other. He’s getting playful and appears to be in good health as far as that goes. We’ve scheduled an appointment for my kitty at the vet. My questions are: First of all, although I am almost 100% sure this cat was always homeless, will the vet be able to tell me if he’s been neutered or received shots in case it was once a pet? The kitty wasn’t found in a neighborhood, he was found by a dumpster behind a car wash within five minutes of a very poor, ghetto neighborhood where a lot of stray cats probably run around and have stray litters in random places. It isn’t the kind of neighborhood where people are known for having healthy pets because they are so poor, they probably don’t take the cats to the vet, either. My second question is, do you have any advice regarding the cat and the dogs getting used to each other? The dogs are generally very nice, but they bark a LOT and they are very obnoxious… I can’t stand them, they’re always pooping all over the house and barking at all hours of the night, but they are very nice dogs in general. I’d love any advice you have to give about stray cats, just remember that we are a very loving household, we take great care of our animals. I’m not going to neglect this cat’s health, we’re getting him to the vet and have purchased CAT food, toys, litter, and all the other necessities.
The following reply is by : ♥♥Lizzy Kitty♥♥ :
First of all, Feeding dog food to a cat can in the long run, give the cat liver, bladder, and other problems. Once is fine. TO get the to used to each other, but the cat in one room and let it live there for a while. Give it attention. Let the dog sniff the cat under the dog and visa versa. When about 3 days past and the dog and cat know there is another animal in the house, let the dog see the cat, but have the dog on a leash so you can stop if they attack. Do it for longer periods until up to a week. Then they can both be let out around the house no restrictions. The vet can check to see if the cat is micro chipped, maybe they will reconize it.
Some other info
Preventing Bad Habits
A little training when your cat first comes home will help to prevent any bad habits from becoming established. If you try to “think like a cat” to discover why they perform a certain unwanted behavior, you can help to establish more acceptable routines. Here are some tips on the three most common bad habits:
Scratching. Scratching is a normal cat behavior to leave it’s scent on it’s territory, get exercise, and groom it’s nails. Most cats will leave your expensive furniture alone if you redirect their scratching instincts to an acceptable spot. Invest in a kitty condo big enough for your cat to stretch out on, and if you see him scratching, take him to the post. Rub a little catnip on the condo to enhance it’s appeal. You can also put strips of aluminum foil down the edges of your sofa during the training period as a deterrent. And have a spray water bottle handy to spray your cat while firmly saying “NO” if he scratches the couch. PLEASE DO NOT DECLAW YOUR CAT. Declawing is equivalent to amputating your own fingers at the first knuckle. It’s painful, leaves your cat defenseless, and often causes emotional problems that arise from the suppression of this very natural activity.
Jumping on the kitchen counter and table. Cats love high places, so the kitchen counter strikes them as a great place to watch the world go by. If your cat also finds food up there, they’ve just had major reinforcement for this bad habit. Best solution: find another spot in the kitchen where it’s ok for your cat to hang out from on high, like the top of the refrigerator. Then persistently move your kitty there every time she jumps on the counter. Repetition and consistency are key here, but eventually your cat will get the idea.
Not using the litter box.First, have your cat checked by your vet to rule out a urinary tract infection. Next, try changing the type of litter, for many cats are very sensitive to particular litters. Try unscented litters, removing hoods from boxes, moving the box to a more private location, or cleaning the box more often. Provide multiple boxes in multiple cat households. Also, if you have a kitten, be sure it actually remembers where the litter box is! Sometimes in a big house a small kitten can get lost, in which case it will look for the nearest unobtrusive corner to go!
Food Recommendations
Many people ask us what we consider “the best” brand of cat food. Most of us have different preferences (usually dictated by the whims of our own cats), but there are some universals we have discovered through experience and consultations with our vets.
The key in choosing a good type of food is to read the ingredients. With wet food, you should avoid meat by- products. With dry food, you should not only avoid by-products, but consider how much of the protein comes from meat and how much from grain, as cats cannot process grain protein nearly as well. In general, for both wet and dry, the more meat ingredients in the first few positions in the ingredients list, the better the food. In addition, many dry foods use corn to bind the food, and corn can lead to obesity as well as trigger allergies in your cat. The best dry foods have no corn in them at all, and ideally no soy or wheat.
What you may have heard about “supermarket” cat foods being the equivalent of “junk food” for cats is not just a ploy to get you to buy the more expensive brands. Just as there is a range of how people food is made, different brands of cat food are made with different standards. Relying on supermarket brands of cat food is analogous to feeding your children fast food for every meal. These foods may be fine for an occasional treat but should not be fed every day. The best bargain wet food is Trader Joe’s Premium cat food, as it has no meat by-products and is priced similar to grocery store pet food.
Most food you buy at a Petco, Petsmart, Centinela Feed or a similar local pet store is a superior brand. We recommend the following based on our experience; there are also other excellent premium brands: Premium High Quality
Wellness Avo Derm
Natural Balance Royal Canin
Felidae Nutro Natural Choice & Nutro Max
Nature’s Variety Prairie Pro Plan
California Natural Advanced Pet Diets’ Select Choice
Artemis Innova Regular (red bag)
Innova Evo
Kittens should be fed kitten food, both wet and dry, until they are at least eight months old, then they can move to adult food. Always have plenty of fresh water, changed at least once a day.
Recent studies suggest that cats that are only fed dry food can develop urinary and kidney problems due to insufficient water in the diet. In addition, dry food is high in carbohydrates so if your cat is overweight, feed more wet and less dry. Many vets now recommend always feeding wet food.
Current research from vets also suggests changing your cat’s brand or flavor of food at least every 6 months, or feeding it a few varieties of food. This is in case your cat ever needs to go on a veterinary special diet. If it has only eaten one kind of food for 10 years it will resist the new food.
Is It Okay To Let A Cat Go Outside?
Some people say it’s cruel not to let a cat go outside. Based on our experience at Kitten Rescue, we’ve put together this list of all the things an indoor-only cat misses:
Being hit by a car
Being eaten by a coyote
Being attacked by a bird
Exposure to FIV (Feline AIDS)
Exposure to Feline Leukemia
Exposure to Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Exposure to upper respiratory infections
Fleas, Ticks, Worms
Fights
Abscesses
Dog attacks
Becoming lost
Being stolen for profit or research facilities.
Tortured by cruel people
Poisoning by food, pesticides, or anti-freeze.
And here are just a few of things you gain by loving your cat enough to keep it indoors: fewer fleas - cleaner furniture - lower vet bills - a pet that’s more closely bonded to you - peace of mind knowing your cat is safe and happy.
The fact is, outdoor cats live an average of 6 years, while indoor cats live an average of almost 20. Isn’t that the dealmaker right there?
SO IN SORT! KEEP YOUR CATS INSIDE!!!