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! 

Cat Body Language

Cats can be confusing. They communicate with us all the time through body language but how do you know what they are trying to say? Well, I'm going to touch on some basics to help you understand your kitty a little bit better. 

Cats say a lot with their body language. Knowing how to read them can tell you a lot about how your cat is feeling.

First you can look at overall body position. The the left is a good chart showing increasingly fearful and agressive cats. The top left is a normal content cat. A cat that is a combination of fearful and agressive are the most dangerous kind. It is best to leave them alone to let them calm down. 

It's important to look at other specific body parts for clues on how they feel. The key things to look at are their face (eyes, ears) and tail. Other things can give clues too but those are the main ones that are easy to remember and focus on. 


Eyes
The pupil size is one of the first indicators a cat is fearful/agressive. This is due to basic physiology. As a cat gets stressed their sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) kicks in which causes dilation of the pupils. So if you see a cat with super dilated pupils (in a well lit room) they are stressed. Don't just look at the pupils though, also look at the spae of the eye and eyelids. A cat with wide eyes is alert and more likely to be fearful or agressive. A calm cat usually has their eyes half closed. One of my favorite forms of cat communication is the slow blink. Some call it the cat "i love you." You can slow blink at a cat and if they slow blink at you that means they are comfortable and content! It may take time to get a cat to reciprocate the slow blink, but be patient- it's really rewarding when they do! 

Check out Ariya's eyes. You can see she is very relaxed based on her normal pupil size and her eyelids are partially closed. 

This is former foster Hazel. She was terrifed the first day she came home with me. You can see her pupils are dilated and her eyes are very wide. Also her ears are pointed to the side (see below about ears)

Ears
The ears are also used a lot to indicate how a cat feels. Erect ears are a sign of a content kitty. A more fearful or aggressive kitty with have their ears straight out, pointing back, or pinned back on their head. These are all signs to go slow and be cautious. 
Tail
The tail is another good indicator. The most content cat will walk with their tail up and a slight swaying of the tip. This is a confident happy cat! The lower the tail is dropped, the more fearful the cat is. They may hold their tail closer to the body and toward the ground. An aggressive cat will typically fluff out their tail. This is called piloerection (the hair stands up). This is a big indicator that a cat is angry and likely to be aggressive. 

Minnie had a big scare when her little foster brother (literally 1/2 her size at this time) jumped out from behind a shoe and startled her! This is a good picture showing piloerection.

So thats a super basic review of kitty body language. Next week I am going to continue the behavior theme and answer common questions about what certain behaviors mean. If you have any that you would like for me to answer leave a comment and I will be sure to include it in next weeks post! 

Cat Toy Tuesday: Go Cat Go!

This weeks cat toy is the Go Cat Go! collection! I have 2 toys from the brand and they are some of the kittens' favorites- even Merlin loves them! 

I have "da bird" which simply looks like a feather wand, but it's super awesome! it is weighted so when you make it "fly" it actually resembles a bird flying. All the cats I have use it with go CRAZY for it! 

The other one I have is the "cat chaser" which again looks like a super simple toy. I don't really understand it but the cats can't get enough of this one! I have found Merlin on several occasions stealing the toy and playing with it on his own! 

So if you are looking for a toy to tire your furbabies out I absolutely recommend da bird or the cat chaser! 

They are sold online or you can visit Petco! 

Keeping Pets Warm in Cold Weather

It has been ridiculous kinds of cold here in Indiana. When it gets this cold out I can't help but think of all the homeless animals, ferals, and pets that are stuck outside. So if you have outdoor pets or a feral colony here are some tips for keeping them warm: 

Bring Them Inside!!- I know this doesn't work for feral animals but if you have a pet that spends time most of it's time outside please consider bringing them inside your house when it is this cold. You may think its cruel to keep them inside because they love being outside but trust me, in this weather  they're better off inside. 

Insulated Shelter- If bringing an animal inside is not an option please give them a warm shelter they can stay in. This could be a warm/heated barn or garage or simply take a box and insulate it with another layer and  straw (picture below). 

This design uses 2 thick storage boxes and straw. You can also use a syrofoam cooler or insulation instead of an inner storage box. 

Heated Water Bowls- If you have animals outside that you are feeding please get a heated water bowl for their water. In cold temperatures the water in regular bowls will freeze and the animals will not be able to drink. Severe dehydration is fatal so it is crucial they get their water!
Heated Blankets/Mats/Anything- A good addition to the insulated shelter is heated blankets or mats. This can give them an extra warm place to sleep and stay safe and comfortable. 

So when you are inside snuggled up in a blanket with your hot chocolate don't forget about the animals suffering in this cold weather, too.
Tip: dogs and cats make excellent cuddles buddies when it's cold!  


***Don't forget- your car can seem like a warm shelter to outdoor animals. Before starting your car check for any sleeping kitties! Also make some noise- bang on the hood of the car- to encourage them to get out. Turning your car on with kitties using it as shelter is deadly to them. 

New Year=More Blogging

I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus, with the holidays and moving I have been super busy! But now I am all settled into my new place and ready to get back on track! The plan is to have new posts Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays will continue to be Cat Toy Tuesday (and other types of cat products) while Thursday will focus on a variety of topics. I am excited to get back into blogging and hope you all enjoy! 

If you have any reccomendations of topics you'd like me to post about or any awesome toys you recommend please comment on here or Instagram/Facebook!

So Today's Cat Toy Tuesday isn't so much just one toy. Some of you may not know I just moved to Indianapolis at the begining of the year to start my job at the Humane Society of Indianapolis (I still have one more semester of school left and am commuting once a week for classes on campus- the rest are online). So when looking at apartments it was super important for me to have a extra room for-you guessed it- KITTENS! So the apartment I have is super awesome and has a loft that I have turned into Kitten Playground! 

I made this sign that is now hanging at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Kitten Playground!

Panoramic View! Hard to tell but all the pictures on the back wall are of all my former foster kittens!

I love having a separate room to keep all things kitten! There is space for multiple kennels and of course tons of toys! I love that I can let kittens out to play more often and not have to worry about them getting into stuff they shouldn't. Being a loft as opposed to a closed off room I had to do some kitten-proofing. One of the walls is actually a 1/2 wall and looks down to the stairs. As you can imagine this could be dangerous if kittens get curious and decide to jump onto the ledge. So I (with help from my awesome mom) came up with an idea to seal it off. It's pretty simple- we just got some fabric and nailed it to the ceiling and the wall- and voila no tempting ledge to kittens to jump onto. Another problem was that there is no door. Currently I am using a tall pet gate to block off the stairs when kittens are out. Eventually I plan to install a more permanant gate/door. 

Kitten Playground also doubles as my office! You can see the fabric "wall" behind my desk

There's also a 1/2 bath and big storage closet attached which is super handy! I love the storage closet, it has lots of space for all my extra kennels and other supplies. 

I got an awesome storage shelf for in the closet for all my kitten supplies!




For all of you wondering about Merlin- don't you worry! He is loving his new home, in fact he has his own "room!" Check out Merlin's Man Cave located under the stairs!