Cat Blog 11a

What do I feed my cat?

For the next few weeks we’ll be chatting about how to care for our own pet cats. And of course the question ‘What do I feed my cat?’ is one of the most important we need to talk about.

Fortunately, it’s actually quite simple: Ensure that you feed your kittens or cats one of the balanced, nutritional and tasty dry cat foods that are supplied by our vets. This will meet all your pet’s nutritional needs, and will ensure that he or she enjoys a long and healthy life. Although these foods seem expensive, smaller amounts are needed compared with supermarket brands. And since these foods will keep our pets healthier, you will save on vets’ bills in the long run. Brand names that are recommended in South Africa are for example Royal Canin, Iams and Hill’s Science Diet. But if you would prefer to feed your pet a vegan diet, don’t be concerned. According to a top veterinary specialist physician I consulted, this is completely feasible. The important thing is that you do your homework well, and that you make sure your pet receives the correct kind of protein.

Also ensure that your kitten or cat always has fresh water. If you would like to give your pet treats, keep them small. And keep in mind that fish or dairy milk can give cats, especially kittens, diarrhoea.

Dry food or wet food?

The vets I’ve asked this question of all seem to agree: Feed your pet good quality dry food as a staple, and give her or him a little wet food once a day as a treat.

Scheduled feeding versus free-choice feeding

You’ve probably also often wondered whether free feeding is bad for your special feline. It seems the answer is that it depends on your cat. If your cat can regulate his or her food intake throughout the day, they can maintain a healthy body weight even when food is always available.

‘Many cats, however, benefit from a more structured feeding schedule, particularly cats on a wet or mixed food diet, those that are prone to overeating or those in households with multiple cats with differing nutritional needs. A cat’s feeding schedule can be divided into two, three or four meals spread across the day — whatever works best for your schedule. Just divide your cat’s daily amount of food into the number of meals you choose, and don’t go more than 12 hours between feeding times to help avoid upsetting your cat’s stomach’ (https://www.iams.com/cat/cat-articles/understanding-your-cats-eating-habits).

How do I change my cats’ brand of food?

Make sure that you introduce the new food very gradually by initially mixing very small amounts in with their existing food. Then gradually, over a matter of about a week to ten days, increase the proportions until you’re feeding only the new food. It’s also a good idea to pre-mix the food and keep the mixture in a container for a day or two. This will ensure that the new food takes on the smell of the old food. But the more slowly you do it, the better, else there is a chance your cat will reject the new food.

What foods should I not feed?

Don’t feed your pet dogfood, as it doesn’t contain all the nutrients she or he needs. Also be cautious of feeding human food, as not all human food will agree with your cat. And any additional food besides good quality cat food could disturb the balance of nutrients your cat needs.

What foods are toxic to my pet?

Daily Paws provides an extensive list. Check it out at: https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-nutrition/what-can-cats-eat/foods-toxic-to-cats

What do I do if my cat won’t eat?

I think every human cat companion worries when his or her cat suddenly stops eating. We know that this is probably not a good sign, and we fret about what could be causing it.

Your cat’s hunger strike could have a number of different causes, including health problems, anxiety, hair balls or other foreign objects – or the food itself.

You’ll find a good deal of insightful information at https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-nutrition/cat-food/cat-not-eating. Here’s wishing you simple solutions to all your cat food problems!

Feel free to send me your questions and queries, either as a comment to this blog or to anneke@ncat.co.za. And here’s wishing you solutions to all your cat food problems!

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See Cat Blog 2b at https://iamcat.blog/feral-cats-how-can-i-help-them-continued/ on how to feed community (feral) cats.

Cat fact of the week

Cats have over 400 taste buds, but none for sweetness.

Cat quote of the week

Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.

Jim Davis

Cat Story 16: For all the rescuers out there

This week I want to honour every single person who rescues cats in any way: the caregivers, the trappers, the fosterers, the sanctuary owners, the homers, the letter writers, the street protesters – and of course the wonderful vets and their teams. And I would like to do it by quoting this wonderful piece that someone Whatsapped me this week.

To Love A Rescuer

To love a rescuer, you must love all of them. You must love the scars covering their body from panicked and hurt animals they were trying to help. You must love their fractured heart, that has been broken so many times they no longer even take the time to mend the pieces.

To love a rescuer, you must embrace their grit and determination, and know that although they fight a war they can never win, they can and do win a few battles. You must love the tears they will shed over those they lost. You must give them comfort that they refuse to accept, as they blame themselves for things they could have never foreseen.

To love a rescuer, you must acknowledge the rage they feel towards the world at times, and know that anger is driven by a love of life too few have. You must give them space and room to cry and mourn for the losses that others have caused out of carelessness or cruelty.

To love a rescuer, you must understand their passion to heal and save is a calling, not a choice. You must accept that to save animals is part of their soul and without that they could never be happy.

To love a rescuer, you must be patient. You must accept their work comes first. They will forgo sleep, forgo food, forgo their life for animals in need. They will work tirelessly until their body and mind fail them completely and they cannot go on.

To love a rescuer, you must be strong. You must not be threatened by their focus and love of animals. You must accept that the things you love about them, the strength and convictions and loyalty, are also what drives their sense of duty to animals in need; you cannot have one without the other.”

Author unknown

Cat Blog 10

Confining a cat or not

Like me you’ve probably been thinking about whether or not you should somehow be confining your cats. I have no definitive answer about confining a cat or not either, but I thought I could present you with some of the pros and cons. And perhaps you could send me your thoughts as well to add interest to the debate. Together we will figure it out and even begin formulating some guidelines.

Catios

I can think of a few cons regarding the use of catios:

• Many cat lovers feel strongly that their cats should have complete freedom to live as nature intended them to live.
• They also worry that their cats will become bored in confinement, and may even acquire one of the disorders that understimulated cats can develop.
• Some of us can’t afford the cost of having a catio built or a cat-proof fence erected.
• Apartment dwellers may feel that they simply don’t have the required space.

According to Alan Breslauer, aka The Catio Guy and owner of Custom Catios in Los Angeles, there are even more pros (https://pasadenahumane.org/5-benefits-to-investing-in-a-catio/):

Images: Metairie Small Animal Hospital, New Orleans

• The health and safety of the cats, which are probably self-evident. Cats that are confined are not exposed to cars, dogs, cat fights, irate humans or poison. Breslauer cites Jackson Galaxy in referring to catios as ‘the great compromise’, allowing cats ‘to have access to fresh air and sunshine, to see birds and bugs, and to experience a little bit of what comes with outdoor living’.
• Breslauer also mentions the fact that human cat companions tend to sleep better when their furballs have access to the outdoors at dawn.
• In addition litter boxes can be moved outdoors, which cats seem to prefer in any event.
• And then a biggie: protecting wildlife. Estimates of the number of birds and small mammals killed by cats tend to be wildly exaggerated. However, it stands to reason that cats that can only watch wildlife from a safe distance cannot add to the number of prey.

Fencing

I think most of us would prefer to keep our cats on our premises – especially if we have ample space. Cat guardians the world over make use of a number of different methods to achieve this:

Roller-type fencing such as the Australian Oscillot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-8x22Ce55I&feature=endscreen&NR=1). If you live in Gauteng, Morné from Pet Safety Solutions (079 045 6185 or http://petsafetysolutions.co.za) will be able to install this – and any other safety system – for you. (See more on them in Cat story 15 below.)

Alternatively you could install something like the Pet Stop solar-powered kit along your fence (https://www.nemtek.co.za/equineandpet/Pet-Systems/pet-stop-solar-powered-kit.aspx).

Non-electrified fencing bent inwards, wires closely spaced, keep cats inside property. (You could use a greater inward angle to make it more difficult for cats to negotiate.)

So in conclusion, what are your thoughts about confining your cats – or not? I would love to hear from you!

Cat quote of the week

         Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.

James Herriot

Cat Story 15: Pet Safety Solutions, Gauteng

Five years ago, in 2018, Morné Combrink decided that he wanted to commit himself to helping pet owners keep their pets safe. And so Pet Safety Solutions was born, and their slogan says it all: ‘Their safety is our concern’.

He was more qualified than most for the job. In addition to having all the necessary skills to do the job, he had been supporting partner Charlene in her tireless work with community (feral) cats in Pretoria for many years. He was also the long-time Chairperson of the Pretoria based NPO Be Wise Sterilise.

But nothing tells us more about Morné than the long record of imaginative and meticulous work he has done at the homes of countless pet owners, mostly in Gauteng and the Western Cape but also further afield.

Aluminium catio, window catio on stilts and gumpole catio by Cat Safety Solutions

See their website at http://petsafetysolutions.co.za/ for more examples of the many services they offer, including catios, window catios, enclosures, fencing and roller-fencing, and even cat traps for feral caregivers! And needless to say, it is all bespoke: especially designed and built for your pets in your particular situation.

There really seems to be nothing that Morné and his team can’t do or won’t do to ensure your satisfaction and your pet’s safety.

The interior of a catio created by Pet Safety Solutions

Contact them at office@petsafetysolutions.com or at +27 79 045 6185.

Cat Blog 9

Homing a kitten or a cat

Homing a kitten or a cat is of course a serious responsibility. If you’re feeling anxious about finding the right home, that’s to be expected because you care! There are a number of ways you could go about it.

You could contact your local humane society. You would need to do this a few weeks before the kitten(s) are old enough, as you may need to place them on a waiting list. If you would like to home the kitten(s) or cat yourself, you post ads with clear pics on the animal welfare pages. You would also need to screen prospective owners yourself. This can be quite nerve-wracking, as you know that the little creature’s future will depend largely on your decisions.

You could ask interested parties the following sorts of questions:

• How many animals do you have? (If they have too many, they may be ‘collectors’ or ‘hoarders’.)
• Do you have any dangerous dogs? (Be especially wary of German Shepherds, who have been known to be cat killers, and dogs like staffies, who may be too boisterous.)
• How old is your youngest child? (Children younger than two may harm a kitten without meaning to, and it is almost impossible to supervise kids 24/7. Also beware of people who want to adopt a kitten ‘for my little girl/boy’. The child may lose interest after a few days, and if the parents were not interested to begin with, the kitten may become a neglected cat.)

Images: RearFront

You could also ask questions about where the kitten or cat will be sleeping and what food the prospective owner will give him or her. And simply chat to the person to get a ‘feel’ for the kind of person you’re speaking to.

If possible, have the kitten or cat adopted through an ‘adoption package’, which most rescue organisations can arrange. Then you will be able to rest assured that the new owner will take the kitten or cat for its important shots, deworming and a microchip. It’s also vital that the new owner should have the kitten or young cat sterilised at the correct age.

It’s very important not to allow new owners to collect the kitten or cat from you. Rather deliver them to their new home yourself. That way you’ll be able to check whether everything is above board. You’ll also be able to help settle the cat or kitten in safely. Ensure for example that a kitten cannot get out of the house or flat for the first few months, and an adult cat for the first month. See Cat Blog 5a and 5 b (beginning at https://iamcat.blog/introducing-a-new-kitten-or-cat-to-my-existing-pets-part-1/) on how to introduce a new kitten or cat to a home. If possible, have the new owner read it too!

Cat quote of the week

When the cat you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Anonymous

Cat fact of the week

The oldest cat in the world was 38 years and 3 days old!

Cat Story 14: Stevie’s Cat Haven

Stevie’s Cat Haven 

If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to visit John Bonnard’s wonderful sanctuary Stevie’s Cat Haven near Pretoria, you’ll understand why I describe it as heaven on earth for cats. And I don’t use those words to describe many places. Visit John’s Facebook page to view a photo trip around the sanctuary at https://www.facebook.com/john.bonnard.

John began the haven 8 years ago, when he took in a number of cats from another sanctuary that lacked suitable housing for the cats.

And that was the beginning.

Today the haven comprises 2 large enclosures – one for adoptable tame cats and one for non-adoptable community (‘feral’) cats.

John usually leads visitors to the enclosure for community cats to begin with. And one’s first sensation is that of delight, as all the semi-tame cats and even some of the ‘wild’ cats come rushing to the entrance to greet you. No doubt they believe that dinner time has come early!

Next you become aware of space, and of trees (with cats on the higher branches), and of numerous cosy kennels, Wendy houses and other shelters. The grass is kept long in some areas to afford the cats additional hiding and snoozing spots.

The visitor’s general feeling is one of upliftment, as all the cats seem healthy, happy and calm – except for a few warning hisses at pushy fellow residents.

After spending some time taking it all in, the guest is invited to the tame enclosure.

Here new delights await the cat lover. A number of cats clamour for attention, tails very straight up in the air. As we settle down, several cats jump onto the table, and a few press up against us, purring loudly in anticipation of our stroking.

Again it becomes evident that these cats have everything a healthy, happy cat could possibly want. After much caressing, ear fondling and jaw tickling, we come to the end of the visit. And we take our leave with joyful hearts.

Some of the cats in the ‘tame’ enclosure

Of course there are difficulties here too. Some cats arrived with FeLV and have to be kept separate from the healthy cats and given special care, which is costly.

Caring for the healthy ones also doesn’t come cheap, especially since John uses the best possible food. And he’s been funding it almost entirely from his own pocket. We learn that only a few of the people who have brought cats to the haven, have continued to contribute towards their upkeep. The result is that John has been shouldering a heavy load almost completely by himself.

We would like to change that. If anyone reading this has ever taken cats to Stevie’s, won’t you consider now beginning to contribute? It’s never too late!

Or if you haven’t taken cats there but the haven’s story has touched your heart, perhaps you would consider contributing R50 or R100 or R500 monthly?

Any contributions can be paid into the NCat account (we’re a registered NPO) using the reference ‘Stevie’s’. We’ll may sure they reach John asap!

And if you live in Gauteng or visit the area, won’t you add Stevie’s Cat Haven to your itinerary?  You’ll be glad you did! You can contact John directly via his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/john.bonnard.