Tag: cat adoption

How to Make Peaceful Introductions When Adopting a New Cat

Posted on June 17, 2021 - 2:55 pm by
Taste of the Wild

Owning cats is like eating potato chips: It’s darn near impossible to have just one. In fact, the average number of cats per household in the U.S. is about two, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

As part of National Adopt-a-Cat month, perhaps you’re thinking about joining the ranks of multi-cat households (and who wouldn’t?). If so, be advised that simply depositing your new cat in the middle of your living room could result in ongoing feline squabbles including hissing, growling, yowling or worse.

To help make the transition easier, here are some tips for introducing your new cat to your current feline housemate(s):

• First stop: the veterinary clinic. Even if you adopt your kitten or cat from a shelter, these organizations can’t always afford to test for every type of parasite or infectious disease.

To make sure you don’t bring anything into the house that could infect your current cat, your veterinarian can check for parasites including fleas and ear mites, as well as contagious diseases such as feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Making sure your new cat is neutered or spayed will help minimize the risk of urine marking in your house, as well.

• Give your new cat time to get acclimated. Prepare a room where the new cat can stay on its own for at least a week. Provide a litter box and toys as well as food and water bowls.

Place the new cat’s carrier on the floor of the room, open the carrier door and let the cat explore the room on its own. Using a feline pheromone spray or diffuser in the area may help your new cat feel calm. Keep the door to the room shut, but allow your new cat and current cat to sniff each other under the door.

• Help your cats swap scents. Rub a towel on your new cat and bring it out for the other cat to sniff, and do the same with the other cat. You can also switch litter boxes and food bowls, so they get used to each other’s smell.

• Time for the new cat to explore. Once your cats have had about a week to sniff each other under the door, place your current cat in a separate room and close the door. Now let the new cat explore the rest of the house.

• Hold short, supervised meet and greets. Place your new cat in a carrier in the middle of the room and allow your other cat into the room. This allows your cats to see and sniff each other without potentially swatting each other. Provide lots of treats and encourage calm behavior.

Another option is to have one family member play with a cat at one end of the room, while another plays with the other cat on the opposite side of the room. Make sure to lavish them both with treats. Start with 5-minute play sessions, and over the course of several days, increase the play time and gradually reduce the distance between the two cats.

If they still appear calm after about a week, you can allow them to approach each other for a bit.

• Provide an escape hatch. Once your cats start to mingle more, make sure to keep a room where each cat can get away from the other and feel safe, if needed. Keep a litter box in that room, as well as food and water bowls.

• Count the litter boxes. You should have one litter box for each cat, plus another one. That means you need three litter boxes if you have two cats. Put them in quiet, low-traffic areas where each cat can have some privacy, and scoop litter daily.

• Keep an eye on your cats. During the first few weeks, if you have to leave the house, place cats in separate rooms. You’ll want to supervise all their interactions until you’re confident they feel comfortable with each other.

It may take a few weeks for your cats to become friends. By making gradual introductions, paired with positive reinforcement, you can help them grow to enjoy each other’s company.

Indoor Cats vs. Outdoor Cats: Which Is Right for You?

Posted on January 21, 2021 - 4:00 pm by
A long-haired cat walking through a front door from outside.

When adopting a cat, pet owners have a choice to make about where their cat is going to live. For some people there’s no question — they’ll be an indoor-only cat and that’s that. But some people may like their cat to have a hybrid lifestyle inside and out. To help you make the choice of what’s right for you and your cat, we’ve got the pros and cons of both lifestyles.

How Long Do Indoor Cats Live?

An indoor cat’s lifespan is typically around 10 to 15 years, which is significantly longer than the life expectancy of an outdoor cat (more on that later). This is mostly due to the safe environment that life indoors provides. Indoor cats are protected from inclement weather (e.g., rain, snow and temperature extremes), other cats and animals carrying diseases and parasites, and physical dangers like cars, predators and, unfortunately, cruel humans.

Are Indoor Cats Happy?

It’s likely a common question for cat owners — is my cat happy? Many cats thrive on an indoor lifestyle; others don’t. Indoor-only cats may be protected from the dangers lurking outside, but their confined life means they can be restricted in their ability to express natural and essential behaviors like stalking, catching prey, scratching and urine marking.

To keep indoor cats happy, it’s important that your indoor cat has the opportunity to express these behaviors and for you to — as much as possible — make the indoors as interesting and exciting as the outdoors. Some of the ways you can help enrich your cat’s lifestyle indoors include providing:

  • Scratching posts
  • A private sanctuary
  • Perches
  • Cat toys that provide physical and mental stimulation
  • Appropriate litter boxes
  • Toys that provide an opportunity to hunt

Keeping cats indoors does have a potential downside. Indoor cats are more likely to develop behavioral problems, which can put them at risk of being surrendered to animal shelters or euthanized. Providing indoor cats with enrichment activities and ensuring their needs are being met can help reduce behavioral problems.

How Long Do Outdoor Cats Live?

The lifespan of outdoor cats is typically less than 5 years. This decreased life expectancy is due to a variety of reasons, including a greater risk of injury from cars, dogs and wild animals, like coyotes, foxes, raccoons and birds of prey. Additionally, outdoor cats face increased exposure to serious diseases such as feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus from stray or feral cats who aren’t vaccinated. They also have increased exposure to diseases from other animals such as avian influenza A (H5N1, also called bird flu) which can be fatal to cats. Outdoor cats can also be exposed to poisons like antifreeze and rodenticides.

Cats are territorial, so if they come across a stray cat or other free-roaming cats from the neighborhood, territorial fighting can occur. This can result in severe injuries, infections from bite wounds and disease transmission. Fraternizing with free-roaming community cats can also increase the risk of your cat coming home with fleas, ticks, ringworm or ear mites — some of which can be a risk to the health of you and your family, too. And of course, if you have a female cat that isn’t spayed, there’s a chance of unexpected kittens.

If you’re considering adopting a cat that has spent most or all of its life outside, the good news is that with patience and slow adjustments, many outdoor cats can become indoor cats.

What Do Outdoor Cats Eat?

Cats are carnivores (meat eaters) that excel at hunting. So don’t be surprised if your outdoor-roaming cat proudly presents you with a dead mouse or bird as a “gift,” or if you find them devouring said gift on the kitchen floor. If you allow your cat to go outside but don’t like the idea of them hunting, you can try adding a bell to their collar to help announce their presence before they pounce — although this isn’t always effective. Keeping them well-fed with cat food may also help reduce their hunting urge, but remember that hunting is a natural part of a cat’s behavior.

Do Cats Need to Go Outside?

Ultimately, it’s your choice. A cat owner’s decision on whether their cat should live inside or outside depends on the cat’s health and personality and whether the cat owner can provide an interesting indoor environment or a safe outdoor environment.

If you would like to provide your cat with a hybrid lifestyle, consider building or buying an outdoor cat house, cat run or catio that keeps them safe while enjoying the outdoors. It’s also a good idea to take pets inside at nighttime so they are protected from wildlife or other nighttime hazards.