Dog Care | Cat Care | Spay & Neuter Information

The Pet Lover’s Guide to Your New Cat

What You Need | Getting Acquainted | Care and Feeding | Keeping Them Healthy | FAQ

Thank you for adopting a rescued cat! Not only have you just helped save a life, you are about to learn that sharing your life with these wonderful creatures is one of life’s great joys.

What You’ll Need
Litter box, litter and scooper
Food dish
Water dish or dispenser
Cat food
Cat carrier
Scratching post
Cat toys
Cat brush

Getting Acquainted
Cats have a well-earned reputation for being curious, independent and sensitive. They are so sensitive to their surroundings, in fact, that they require a great deal of adjustment to new environments. You can do a lot to help your cat feel secure in his/her new home.

Your Cat’s New Home
Keep the cat in her carrier until you have brought the carrier into a quiet room where the cat can be confined for a day or two. (Kittens adjust quickly and generally don’t need to be confined.) This will be your cat’s “safe” room. Have a litter box prepared in that room, as well as a scratching post and bowls of food and water. If you want your cat to feel especially at home, buy a cozy cat bed ahead of time and put it in the safe room. Be sure that all windows and doors in your house are closed.

Once in the safe room, open the carrier and let the cat come out in her own time. Keep noise in your house to a minimum while the cat orients herself. Stay quietly in the room while the cat explores, offering attention and gentle stroking if she seems to want it. If there are no other animals in the house, it is all right to leave the door to the cat’s room slightly open when you leave, but don’t be surprised if your cat stays in one spot for several days before going exploring.

Hiding
Hiding is normal. Some cats spend their first days or weeks in a new home hiding, usually under beds or in closets. Hiding is how some cats adjust to their new surroundings, and it does NOT mean she is unaffectionate, unsocial or sick. Few cats can repress their curiosity enough to stay under a bed for more than a few days, but if your cat requires more hiding time, make sure she’s getting food and water and is using the litter box. Do not attempt to force her out from a hiding place, as this will only increase her fears. Spend time every day in the room where she is hiding. Sit on the floor, and speak softly and gently. Let her get used to your voice and smell.

Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets
If you have other pets, it’s best to kept the new cat in the “safe” room for a few days, while your established pets get used to her smell, and vice versa. When you bring cats together for the first time, try to choose a day when you can be around the house, encouraging friendly behavior with praise and affection. Remember, your other pets may feel jealous and threatened by the newcomer. Be careful not to neglect your old friends in your excitement over your new cat.
A dog meeting a new cat should always be leashed. Watch your dog for signs of aggressive behavior. Curiosity is normal, but a dog who lunges at a cat is not safe to be off-leash with the cat. If the dog gets on well with the cat, but the cat shows signs of feeling threatened, let her retreat to her “safe” room until she is ready to try again.

Kids and Cats
Young children and cats can be the best of friends if your kids understand some simple facts about cats. Read the next two sections to your children.
* Cat do NOT like to be squeezed, picked up by the neck or have their tails pulled.
* Cats are sensitive to loud noises and sudden movement, and will feel threatened if they are chased or lunged at.
* Cats do NOT like to be disturbed while eating.
* Most cats DO like to be scratched gently under their chins or behind their ears, and enjoy having their coats brushed.
* Cats may feel threatened when someone new approaches them. To make your
* introduction go smoothly, always
* approach a cat slowly and politely.
* Talk to the cat first. Cats are soothed by quiet, gentle voices.
* Sit down and wait for him to come to you. Hold out your hand for him to sniff.
* See if the cat will let you scratch him gently under the chin
* Don’t pet his tummy; this is threatening to many cats.

Even a friendly cat will scratch or nip when anxious or over-stimulated, so it is important to recognize when a cat is irritated. Most cats will give you signals that they have had enough.
Signs of irritation to watch for are a hiss or long, drawn-out meow, and a twitching tail. Watch out if he tightens or flatten his body, walks away, or refuses to sniff your hand. These signs mean give him some space!

Care and Feeding

Feeding
We recommend brand name dry food. Store brands are cheaper, but they have a lot of filler in them so the cat has to eat more to get adequate nutrition. You can keep dry food out all day. Don’t feed your cat table scraps, chicken bones, raw meat or sweets. Keep fresh, clean water out all the time for your cat. Dirty water can give your cat
parasites that cause diarrhea.

Using a Litter Box
If the litter box is kept clean, your cat should use it without any training. Cats are very tidy creatures and would rather go to the bathroom on almost any clean surface than go in a dirty litter box. Clean the litter box at least twice daily, and empty it once a week.
Clumping litter does not need to be changed as often, and has much less odor. If your cat stops using a clean litter box, he may have a urinary problem, which are common in cats. See your vet. Also read the section on “Unhappy Cats.”

Spaying or Neutering Your Cat
Having your cat spayed or neutered early in life reduces the risk of urinary problems and cancers, reduces roaming, fighting, and spraying urine to mark territory, and makes the urine smell normal. Being altered early in life will make your cat healthier. Over 6,000 unwanted cats and dogs had to be killed at our shelter every year! Please be a responsible pet owner and get your cat altered. Local vets drop their prices 20% twice a year. The Humane Society
offers low-cost spay and neuter (704 636-5700).

Letting Your Cat Outside
An indoor cat is less likely to get lost, injured or killed. On the other hand, if you live in a safe area, the great outdoors may increase your cat’s happiness. Use your common sense.

If you are going to let your cat outdoors, wait about two weeks to let him get used to his new home. If you let him out right away, he is likely to wander and get lost. A note of caution: Declawed cats should never be allowed outside, as they cannot protect themselves or climb to escape danger. A rambunctious cat can be perfectly happy indoors as long as he gets plenty of attention and exercise. Play with your cat every day. Plant some catnip for him to nibble on. Buy cat toys. Get him another cat playmate!

Unhappy Cats
Cats are not mean-spirited. When a cat “acts up,” the cat is trying to tell you that something is wrong. Telling ourselves that our cat is acting ”guilty” is not true; we are just trying to justify our anger. The cat is just acting nervous because of the way we are acting! If there is one rule in the world of cats, it is that physical punishment does not work and can quickly lead to defensive and fear-based aggressive behavior.

Correcting behavior problems like litter box problems, should ONLY be done with positive reinforcement. Even yelling at the cat will make the problem worse because the cat is already reacting to some kind of stress — medical or environmental. The important thing is to find out what is troubling the cat and then to change the situation. In many cases, the answer is simply avoiding the things that cause the cat’s behavior.

Whatever the problem, get advice right away from your vet or Faithful Friends. The longer the unwanted behavior goes on, it may become a habit.

Keeping Your Cat Healthy
Your cat is entirely dependent on you for his health and well-being. A cat who gets good nutrition and regular vet examinations will be healthier. Rabies vaccination is required by law. The first rabies shot gives immunity for a year. The second shot will last 3 years. Local vets offer rabies clinics twice a year with $7 shots. Normal price is about $18. Distemper is a viral disease that is almost always fatal. The virus can stay in your house up to six months. The cat initially needs three distemper shots, about a month apart, to achieve immunity. After that, vaccinate again a year later, then every three years after that. You can buy the vaccine at feed stores for about $4. The shots cost about $20 at the vet.

Cats get tapeworms from biting fleas and eating birds. They look like grains of rice on the cat’s rear end or on its stool. Roundworms come from contact with the eggs in the soil. Nearly all kittens and up to 75% of adult cats have roundworms. They look strands of spaghetti in the stool or vomit. Roundworm medicine does NOT work on tapeworms and vice versa. WalMart carries tapeworm medicine; you can buy it by catalogs like Drs. Foster & Smith too. You will need to worm more than once to kill any eggs that hatch out. Remember, worming medicine is poison. Follow directions!

If your cat has dark brown gunk in her ears, she probably has mites. These are little bugs that crawl in and out of the cat’s ears and skin. See your vet for medication or look at ear mite medication at stores like Walmart.

FIV and Leukemia
Feline leukemia virus is responsible for more cat deaths than any other infectious agent. It is transmitted from one cat to another by infected saliva. Cat bites and sharing of food bowls spread the virus. There is no effective treatment. Signs of illness are listlessness, weight loss, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. The vet can test for it, and there is a vaccine to help prevent it. Feline immunodeficiency virus, similar to the HIV virus in people, is thought to be spread through cat bites. FIV is not contagious to people. There is no treatment and no vaccine. The vet can test your cat for it. Getting your cat neutered reduces fighting & the chance of infection. This virus is NOT highly contagious and a positive test does NOT mean that the cat will go on to develop the disease. If they do, their immune system doesn't fight off disease and infection well, but they may live for a long time.

Keeping Your Cat Flea-Free
Flea collars don't do much. Your vet can recommend products that can be applied monthly to eliminate fleas, such as Advantage. Frequent vacuuming of your household and washing your cat’s bedding can go a long way to reducing fleas. Insecticides applied to your yard can help too. Don’t let your cat get the insecticide on her feet, where she might lick it off. NEVER combine flea products, such as a shampoo and a topical insecticide. NEVER use dog flea products on cats. You can kill your cat!

FAQs

“ Why is my cat missing the litter box?”
Cats are very fastidious creatures. Make sure the litter box is kept clean. We recommend two litter boxes in the house for one cat, three for two cats, etc. NEVER yell or hit your cat, or rub her nose in the urine. This may actually make her do it more. See the Unhappy Cat section.

Many litter box problems are due to medical problems such as urinary tract infections, constipation, diarrhea, or cystitis, so take your cat to the vet. She may be having pain that you are unaware of, and this is the only way she can tell you. Cats in heat and unneutered males may spray urine. Getting your cat altered takes care of that and vastly improves the urine smell.“Why does my cat vomit sometimes?” Usually these are hairballs created in your cat’s stomach from hair he swallowed while grooming himself. Brush your cat often to reduce the amount of loose hair on his coat. You can also get hairball gel and special food to allow the cat to pass the hairball through elimination.

A cat may vomit for other reasons. If your cat persistently retches or coughs, take him to the vet.

“Should I declaw my cat to get her to stop scratching the furniture?
No. Cats are declawed by looping a wire or thread around the cat’s toe that is tightened until it chops off the toe at the first joint. It is very painful, and if not done properly, the nail grows back and has to be surgically removed. Declawing is easily botched up and may make it painful for your cat to walk. Declawed cats are almost certain to bite since you have taken away their ability to defend themselves. You will likely see a personality change too. Scared cats are unhappy cats who hide. Don't mutilate them for your convenience!

Cats scratch to maintain their nails, to stretch and exercise, and to mark their territory. This natural behavior just needs to be directed toward scratching posts. Cats particularly like sisal rope to scratch on. The key is to notice where the cat is scratching. Usually it's around the place he’s napped (they stretch and claw when they awake), around the food & water bowls, after he uses the litter box, etc. A little catnip or favorite toys can help motivate her to use the scratching posts.
You can buy a trimmer for their nails for about $5. It’s easy — just trim the sharp claw tips off.

If your cat scratches something inappropriate like your sofa, try these solutions: Squirt them with water while they are acting out the behavior and respond with a firm no. Cats hate being squirted with water. Another way is to shake a can of pennies and say no. They associate the bad behavior with the unpleasant noise or squirting and they stop. To make your furniture unattractive for scratching, you can also use citrus sprays, cover it with a cloth, or use 2-sided clear tape.

“What if I get allergies?”
Only about 15% of people are allergic to pets. Allergies are cumulative; you may be reacting to cigarette smoke, dust, pollen, mold, a down comforter, insecticides or household cleaners, as well as your cat.

Here are some hints:
* Bathing your cat weekly will reduce the dander (shedding dead skin) that cause allergies by as much as 84%.
* Keep your cat out of the bedroom.
* Clean and vacuum regularly.
* Install a good "HEPA" air cleaner.
* Close the ducts to the bedroom and use an electric heater.
* Brush your cat daily.
* Wash your hands after handling the cat, his toys, or bedding.
* See your physician about possible medications. Treatments for allergies include nose sprays and pills.