'Tis the Season

OK, it's been over a year since I've posted. But, I have good reasons. Well, not really, but KITTENS. 

So it's kitten season again and it has hit hard this year! As some of you may know, or not know, I am now the Foster Care Veterinary Technician at the Humane Society of Indianapolis, so this time of year I am basically the professional kitten lady. This past month we have set a new record with 250 animals in foster homes at one time, with the majority of these animals being kittens. That is insane! Kittens are practically falling from the sky!! (actually some co-workers rescued kittens stuck in a tree the so they really kind of are falling from the sky)

Just a few of the kittens I had the other day at work

Since we are seeing orphaned kittens turned in at an alarming rate I just wanted to throw out some quick reminders if you find kittens:

 WAIT! mom is probably around somewhere. Moms usually don't neglect their babies (unless they are super sick, stuck somewhere, or she's a new/young mom and doesn't know what she's doing). Please, please, please wait and see if mom comes back before taking a kitten away. Chances are she is in the process of moving her babies to a safe location and will be very sad if she comes back to find them gone. Kittens are so much better off with mom for at least the first month. Not to mention if you leave mom out there she will continue to have babies. We need to get mom cats spayed!! More spays this year means less orphaned babies next year!

If mom does not come back or you have reason to believe she will not come it's important to know the basics of kitten care. Warmth, food (kitten milk replacer/kitten food, please do not give them cow's milk!), and pottying (if too young to go on their own) are the key components. *There is more detailed information in a previous post about how to do all of this. 

If you are unable to care for the kittens and need to surrender them to a shelter please contact or research the shelter first about their policies. Unfortunately, not all shelters are equipped to care for neonates. They require constant care and will typically need to be placed in a foster home until they are old enough to be spayed/neutered. If you want to keep the kittens shelter workers would be happy to educate you on proper care and point you in the direction of the necessary resources needed. 

Luckily this litter of newborns came into the shelter with their mom

Ok, so maybe that wasn't necessarily quick, but it's all super important. Together we can end animal suffering and overpopulation one kitten at a time!



Until next time (and I promise it won't be over a year from now)

Holy Kitten Season!

Well, I think it's offically here...it's 

Kitten Season!

So Kitten Season, it sounds adorable and fun and I can't lie, obviously I adore kittens. BUT Kitten Season is a serious issue. 

What is Kittens Season? Kitten Season is typically April through September/October. However, it seems that Kitten Season has been starting early and ending later! Basically Kitten Season is a time when shelters are FLOODED with kittens. All the boy and girl kitties have been spending a lot of time together and now the ladies are having all their babies. 

The problem with Kitten Season is the central problem for animal shelters overall: OVERPOPULATION. Basically there are more kittens than there are resources and adopters. Also Kitten Season is often a time where shelters, especially the foster programs, see a lot of fatalities. This is because of all the disease potential for little babies. They don't have a fully developed immune system so they are more likely to contract fatal diseases.

Kitten Season is a cructial time for fostering. Shelters without a strong foster program are often forced to euthanize any bottle babies and their kittens are more likely to contract diseases. Fostering allows the kittens to receive the full attention and care they require and a safe home with less potential for diseases. 

So, here's what you can do to help. #1- SPAY AND NEUTER. Your pets, your friends pets, your neighbors pets, the feral cats in you neigborhood, EVERYONE! #2- If you are capable consider fostering for your local shelter! There is always a need, espeically this time of year! 

If you find any kittens alone, wait before you grab them. It is possible mom is nearby and is in the process of moving her babies. Wait a little bit and keep an eye on them to see if mom comes back. Kittens have their best chance if they stay with mom (considering mom is healthy and taking proper care of them). Make sure momma gets good nutrition and once the babies are weaned and independent, SPAY THE MOMMA CAT! 

My First Litter of the Season! 4 Little Kittens!

Cat Toy Tuesday: Scratching Mat

Today I went to Petsmart. I had the urge to go and spoil all of my current furbabies! I came back with a wheel and some chew toys for the ASF rats, some new treats for the foster babies, and a new scratching mat and snake toy for Merlin! It was a successful trip for all! 
So for I figured why not feature one of today's purchases for this week's Cat Toy Tuesday! 

Here it is, Merlin's new scratching mat and snake. He already loves the mat! It has 2 different scratching surfaces and a pocket with a hidden mouse! Merlin has been spending a lot of time playing with the kittens lately, but I know he appreciates having some toys that are just for him!

Pet Dental Health

February is Pet Dental Health Month! Unforunately a lot of pet owners don't realize their pets need dental care. It's more than just clean teeth and good breath, dental health is super important to the animal's overall heath. Dental disease can lead to infections throughout the body including the heart! These disases can be life threatening. 

The best thing to do is prevent this from occuring! How do you prevent it? Regular dental care! This ranges from providing food and treats that help with cleaning teeth, brushing your dog or cat's teeth daily (Be sure though that you use toothpase specially made for pets), and of course veterinary visits. Every animals is different so how often they need a dental cleaning varies, but typically you should schedule their first appointment when they are about 3 years old (your vet should always examine your pets teeth at all wellness visits and will let you know when it is time- but don't hesitate to ask!). Regular dental cleanings helps to prevent severe tarter buildup that leads to infections; and it's much easier, healthier (and cheaper) to prevent disease than try to treat it!

Cat Toy Tuesday: Kittty City

This week's toy is pretty unique because there's actually lots of different pieces you can get and build your own "kitty city". 

I only have one piece now but I plan to get more and build onto it over time! 

I've seen the sets at Target and Walmart, they're not too expensive either! I love all the different options- you can change it up every once in a while to make it feel new for your kitty!

Why Do Cats Do That?

It's no secret, cats are weird. They do a lot of things that can seem strange and hard to understand. So, I have put together a small list of strange things cats do and why they do them. 

Purring: Typically the thought is a purring cat is a happy cat. Well, purring can actually mean a lot of different things. Most commonly purring is associated with happiness and being calm but other times cats may purr due to nervousness and stress. This is why it's super important to understand body language (as I discussed last week) so you can determine what a purring cat is really feeling. Purring has another interesting function. Research has shown that purring can also be used as a healing mechanism. This means a cat that is really sick may purr more as an attempt by the body to heal itself. Pretty cool! 

Kneading: (Or as I like to call it "making buscuits.") A kneading kitty is typically a happy, calm kitty! When a kitty is kneading they are getting comfortable. It's the same action a kitten does when nursing from momma. 

Suckling Fabric: I'm sure I'm not the only one with a cat that does this.  Merlin does this all the time with fleece blankets. He does it for a little bit and then falls asleep. Typically it is also paired with kneading. Again, this is a calming behavior mimicking nursing. I have read that it is more common is kitties that were orphaned at a young age. 

Bringing You "Presents": If you have a cat that spends time outside you may have experienced this. After a kitty has hunted it may present you with it's prey. This is actually a good behavior, the kitty is literally giving you a present. So take it as a compliment, even though it's really gross! 



That's a super small list of some strange things cats do and why. If you have any particular behaviors your cat does that you think is strange leave a comment and I will do another post with even more strange cat behaviors! 

Cat Toy Tuesday: Cheese Chase

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday was one of the many gifts brought by Santa Claws! It's the Petstages Cheese Chase! 

It has a tube on the outside that has a ball to chase around as well as on the inner circle, and topped with a mouse! 

The kittens seem to have a lot of fun playing with it!