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!

Preparing for the Holidays: Gifts

For some reason a lot of people thing giving a pet as a Christmas gift is a good idea. In some cases it can be a good gift, but usually not. If the recipient wants the pet and a lot of thought and consideration has been put into it, it can be a good idea. However, if a puppy or kitten is given as a surprise, they usually end up being returned. 
Puppies and kittens are cute, but they are a lot of work. Giving a puppy or kitten as a gift is like saying "here, take this pooping machine that is going to requre a lot of care and a lot of extra money." Unforunately most of the time these animals find their way back the the shelter after Christmas. 

I have a couple ideas that can give the gift of a puppy or kitten, but without the year long commitment. 
1. Volunteer at the Shelter! If you know someone that would love nothing more than to get doggy kisses and play with kitties Chirstmas morning, go volunteer! It's a perfect way to get your animal fix and also give the animals a special gift of love! 
2. Foster of Course! Why not foster over the holidays! There's nothing like waking up doggy or kitty kisses Chirstmas morning! It's also nice to be able to give a homeless animal the gift of a home on Christmas! I'll be spending my Christmas with my fosters Tinsel, Noel, and Stevie-- they even have their own stockings!
3. Donate! I love the idea of making a donation in someones name for Christmas. Some places even let you pick a specific animal to sponser and they will send pictures and information about the animal. When I was younger I "got a koala" for my birthday and it's still one of my favorite presents I ever got. I did this last year for my sister with a donkey rescue (she loves donkeys). She absolutely loved it and the rescue really appreciated the support. 

So please think it through if you are considering adopting an animal for the holidays. If you do decide to do not make it a surprise. Everyone in the family needs to be on board and prepared for the life long commitment.

Noel is Dreaming of Santa Paws!

Preparing for the Holidays: Food

This week's post is about making your holidays pet friendly is about food. It's pretty similar to the Thanksgiving post, but it's a good reminder! Remember, if you aren't sure if a food is safe for your pet just don't feed it! The best thing for your pet to eat is food properly formulated for them. 

So here's a list (it's almost identical to the Thanksgiving one) of foods to avoid feeding your pets: 
1. Turkey skin, drippings, bones, etc. 

The skin and drippings can cause inflammation of the pancreas and intestines from all the fat in it. Also bones are commonly swallowed and the animal is uable to pass it. That requires foreign body surgery which is not cheap or a good time for your pet.

2. Onion and Garlic- these are toxic to your pets! Avoid giving anything containing these products.

3. Rasins and Grapes- again these are toxic to dogs, so just don't 

4. Anything high in fat- mashed potatoes, candied yams, etc. animals shouldn't have a diet high in fat and it can cause issues like pancreatitis. 

5. Chocolate- again, toxic. Baking chocolate is the most toxic type followed by dark chocolate. If you are baking with chocolate keep your pets away from it!

6. Alcohol- Alcohol will cause toxicity 

7. Bread Dough- ok bread dough does two things in the animals body that makes it bad. First of all when it mixes with the warm temperature of the animals body the dough begins to rise. This becomes a problem and causes bloating and possibly impaction requiring surgical removal. Also as it rises a chemical reaction is happening causing fermentation which results in alcohol toxicity 

stay tuned for more Holiday tips! And wish me luck on my week full of finals coming up!

Preparing for the Holidays: Decorations

I've been a little absent from the blog lately but trust me, I've been very busy with foster kitten related things! But now I am back and ready to talk about all things Holiday related!!!

So the holidays are a super exiciting time, but it can be a little overwhelming for pets! For the month of December I am going to talk about preparing for the holidays with kittens including topics like decorating, food, and family. 

Former Foster Kittens Lily and Olive Love the Christmas Decorations

After Thanksgiving everyone is getting ready for Christmas and decorating! Some decorations that are pretty to us can be dangerous to pets. 

Here is a breif list of common decoratons that may be dangerous for kittens.

1. Christmas Tree: As you can imagine, a Christmas tree can be seen as a fun toy for kittens! If you have a kitten that likes to climb and scratch it may be smart to keep your tree out of reach of kittens or teather it to the wall. After you first put up the tree keep an eye on your kittens and see how they react. 

Olive Had to Check Out the Tree!

2. Tinsel: Avoid using tinsel for decorating if you have pets. Kitties LOVE to play with anything shiny, so tinsel is gold for them. Unfortunately ingested tinsel can be very dangerous for kittens and require emergency surgery. 

3. Ornaments: Be mindful of what ornaments you hang on your tree. Anything breakable should be placed closer to the top out of reach of curious kittens. I also recommend using ribbon instead of metal hooks for hanging them. 

4. Lights!: Again, it depends on the cat, some cats love to chew on wires, so cats don't care. If yours chews a lot them keep wiring out of reach!

5. Holiday Plants: There is a lot of confusion when it comes to what holiday plants are poisonous; here is the scoop. 

     Amaryllis: Toxic

     Christmas Cactus: Not Toxic 

     Poinsettia: Not Toxic (I know a lot of people think so but no they are not) 

     Holly: Berries- Not Toxic, Leaves- Toxic 

     Mistletoe: Toxic 

Although some plants are not toxic they can still cause some GI upset, so you should still keep all plants out of reach, but don't panic if they happen to nibble on a non-toxic plant. 

If you have any questions or tips on kitty proofing for the Holidays leave a comment! 

Olive Thought the Christmas Town was Missing Something!