Category: Resource Library

QUESTION: This summer I found a mother cat & kittens. The SPCA told me that they couldn’t guarantee that the cats wouldn’t be euthanized so I was looking for a no-kill rescue to take them. Every single rescue I called was full and could not take the kitties in. Can you give me any advice about what to do to help these cats have a better life when the shelters and rescues are inundated?

ANSWER: This is a question that addresses the very heart of the dilemma that all animal rescues face every kitten season. The open-admissions SPCA’s want to have a positive outcome for each and every kitty that comes through their doors, but as the boxes of kittens and carriers of surrendered pets pile up, their options dwindle. The no-kill rescues want to take in every kitty in need that they hear about, but their foster homes swell to bulging very early in the spring, and the process of preparing hundreds of kittens for adoption and sending all of them to homes of their own is a slow one.

The five steps described below are actions you can take to help the cats yourself.

Step One:  Leave a message or speak to a representative from as many rescues in your area as possible. If you know that they are full, make it clear that you just need guidance (most shelters love to speak to people like this!). An effective way to get the names of a lot of these places is to go on your computer to Petfinder.com, which is an online resource people use to find a pet. Use this website AS IF you are trying to adopt a cat, typing in your zip code, and cats will be shown, INCLUDING THE NAMES OF LOCAL RESCUES AND LINKS TO THOSE RESCUES. It is a quick and easy way to learn of possible contacts for getting advice, borrowing traps & cages, getting the contact information for low-cost/no-cost spay & neuter clinics, and adoption tips. Once you have the names of three or more local rescues, call weekly, leaving polite messages requesting advice for your situation. Persistence does pay off. Rescues are stressed and over-worked at this time of year, and repeated respectful requests DO get results!

Step Two:  Decide whether it’s possible to bring the kitties inside or whether the only option is to work with them outside until it’s time for spaying & neutering. The common concern about bringing cats indoors is the health of the rescuer’s pets. In reality, if the rescued kitties are treated for fleas and are confined in a garage, small room, or the easiest option, a dog cage ( anyplace that is separate from the owner’s pets), there is very little risk to resident pets. Besides flea medications such as Advantage, Frontline Top Spot, or Revolution, the most common medical treatments given soon after rescue are dewormer and FVRCP (commonly called “distemper”) vaccinations.

Step Three:  Make arrangements for low-cost/no-cost spay & neuter. This is THE most important thing you can do in this whole process. Even if it’s the ONLY thing done, this alone will make a huge improvement in the lives of these cats. Most clinics will neuter kittens when they weigh 3 lbs or are 3 months old, and some places will do them even earlier. If the kittens aren’t ready yet, make every attempt to get the mother cat and have her spayed as soon as all the kittens have STARTED to eat on their own. Many people assume that as long as the kittens are doing some nursing, she can’t get pregnant again. This is false! A female cat can go into heat as soon as her kittens are weaned, usually by six weeks of age. Many kittens will continue to do some nursing while they are eating food from a plate, but this does not prevent the queen from going into heat and becoming pregnant again. Female kittens can go into heat as early as 5-6 months of age.

We are very lucky in this area to have access to a number of excellent spay/neuter clinics, almost all charging $70 or less per cat. Some charge $35 for a feral (wild) kitty in a trap. The price includes spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and an “ear tip.” An ear tip is a leveling of the left ear of a feral cat, so that there is an easily visible, universally recognized sign that the cat has been neutered.

Some local spay/neuter clinics are:

1. Forgotten Cats: clinics in Willow Grove and Trainer, PA ; www.forgottencats.org Price ranges from $35 up, depending on factors such as whether you are working through a rescue like CAN, spaying an individual pet cat or a trapped feral, etc.
2. The Spayed Club: clinic at 800 Chester Pike, Sharon Hill, PA 19079; www.thespayedclubclinic.org ; 484-540-8436; Price for cats is $60.
3. CCSPCA van to The Spayed Club:  one day each month the Chester County SPCA teams up with The Spayed Club to offer low-cost spay/neuter services to our local community. The Spayed Club performs the surgeries, with convenient same-day pickup/dropoff from CCSPCA. (Dropoff is 6:30 am, and pickup is 7 pm.) This service is available for dogs and cats, with limited space for female dogs. Price for cats is $60. Contact the CCSPCA at www.ccspca.org for the date of the next transport.
4. No Nonsense Neutering: clinics in Reading & Allentown, PA. The Reading Clinic is at 1500 Frush Valley Road, Reading, PA 19560; 1-866-820-2510; Wednesday, Fridays, & 4th Sundays by appointment; Walk-ins allowed for one trapped cat. $35 per cat
5. Fairchild Feral Friends: 3rd Sunday of the month at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County (58 Kennel Rd., off of Rt. 724, between Rts. 10 & 176); For Feral Cats Only; E-mail Dr. Fry for an appointment at fairchildfoundation@gmail.com ; Walk-ins allowed for one trapped cat; Minimum $35 donation

All of the above clinics do an outstanding job of spaying & neutering hundreds of cats per month at a small fraction of the usual cost of these surgeries. They are making giant strides at addressing the only real, long-term solution to the overpopulation problem.

If you have a number of rescued cats who need neutering and finances are an issue, contact CAN or another cat rescue to see if they can help.

Step Four:  Recuperate the cats or kittens after surgery by confining them to a dog cage or small room. One clinic, Forgotten Cats, does the recuperation on their premises by confining the cats to their traps. Male cats need at least one day to recuperate while females need three days.

Step Five:  Socialize and advertise! Handling the kittens and mother cat and interacting with them on a daily basis get them used to people. If the kitties enjoy this and can be easily petted and held, they will make good family pets. The ideal way to find responsible and loving homes is through people you know – your network of friends and acquaintances at work, church, school, among family and neighbors, etc.

An additional option is to advertise, using the newspaper, social media, posters at vet offices and pet stores, etc. This can be an effective way to find homes as long as you are careful.

First, never, ever, ever advertise the cats as “Free.” This can attract unsavory characters who look for unfortunate free animals for their own sick purposes. Free animals also give the impression that the care and medical attention that has been given is not worth anything and that the cats themselves are worthless commodities that are easily obtained and easily discarded. A true animal lover will never be upset about an adoption fee that reflects the valuable medical care that the kitty has received.

Secondly, ask the person for a vet reference and call this vet to make sure the adopters have actually had pets and have given them good care. What if the interested party has never had pets? Ask for a parent’s or other relative’s vet reference. If this isn’t available, use your own good judgment. If you feel uneasy during the interaction or notice “red flags” in some of their actions or words, don’t go through with the adoption. Innocent lives are in your hands, and it is better to be safe than sorry. You will feel very warm and fuzzy vibes when the right people arrive. They will be happy to provide their vet’s name because they are proud of the way they care for their pets, and they will be thrilled to find out the kittens are already vetted at such a reasonable rate.

Thirdly, rescues like CAN are usually very willing to post pictures and write-ups of the kitties of Personal Rescuers on their website, which is linked to Petfinder. This is called a “courtesy listing,” and it can be a very effective way to bring your kitties to the attention of people searching for a pet. CAN will also do the vet check and a phone interview with the prospective adopter, if you wish.

What if, after weeks of working with the kitties, they do not respond to interaction with humans and are still frightened and wary? These cats are truly feral and will be much happier as outdoor cats in a situation where they receive food, water and shelter. Ideally, they can be returned to the location where they were found. If this is not possible, they can be re-homed to a barn or other safe location where they can live out their days as the free “wild things” that they are. Most rescuers are pleasantly surprised after a feral colony of cats has been neutered and released, how happy, healthy, and cohesive the group becomes!

These are the five steps to making a difference in the lives of that mother cat and kittens you found. Is it easy? Quite honestly, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. Is it satisfying? That answer is more predictable – “Absolutely!”

QUESTION: About a month ago I took in a stray kitten that I found in my yard. Zelda is my first and only pet ever. She is absolutely adorable, but I have a big problem with her rough behavior. I am covered with scratches and wounds and am beginning to be afraid of my own pet! She lies in wait for me, attacks my ankles, climbs up my legs, leaps on me while I’m asleep and bites my feet, and chases me as I move about the house. Do I have an aggressive kitten? Is there anything I can do about it?

ANSWER: Actually, what you have is a normal kitten! Mother Nature has us kitties born into a litter for good reason – we learn everything that we need to know as adult cats from the interaction with our moms and siblings. We learn to stalk and attack prey, run and climb to escape danger, and defend ourselves from foes. At the same time, we burn off TONS of explosive kitten energy in a harmless way by chasing, wrestling, and play-fighting with our sibs.
What you are experiencing with Zelda is a common phenomenon known as “Single Kitten Syndrome.” SKS occurs when a kitten does not have an outlet for pursuing natural instincts and therefore uses a substitute, i.e., YOU! She is chasing, attacking, and pouncing on you exactly as she would with a littermate. The only difference is that with her mom and littermates, a kitten learns boundaries. When she plays too rough, the other kitten screeches and runs away, ending the play. So kitty learns to play gentler so that the others will include her. When she bites too hard suckling for milk, her mom gives her a disciplinary but harmless “bop” with her paw and moves away. We kitties hate when that happens, but it does teach us that “when Momma’s not happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

What’s the quickest, easiest way to redirect Zelda’s behavior? Get her a kitten friend as a playmate! That’s probably not what people expect to hear when they’re having trouble with one kitten, but it’s the reason why adopters of kitties are advised, “Two kittens are easier than one.” A solitary kitten gets into all kinds of mischief that includes both the behavior you describe AND getting into your stuff. When all that youthful zest is directed into the natural, normal outlet of play, Miss Ferocious Lion becomes Miss Frolicking Lamb, exhausted but happy after a day of running, wrestling, & leaping with her own kind, enjoying soccer games with a ball and stalking competitions with a toy mouse. And is there anything more heartwarming than the sight of two kittens curled up together, snoring peacefully with their arms around each other after a session of rough-and-tumble?

If getting a second kitten is not a possibility due to lease restrictions, you must take on the role of the other kitten, only this time you will be setting up the play with your safety in mind. First, you need several interactive toys that will keep your hands away from the line of action. Fishing pole type toys, fake birds suspended on a wire, and the laser light are three excellent ways to engage your kitty’s stalk-and-attack drive. If you have never watched a cat franticly chasing the little red dot of a laser toy, you have missed a hilarious opportunity to see just how much energy and persistence is packed into your kitten’s compact body!

Second, keep your kitty’s nails trimmed so that they are short and blunted at all times. Practicing this grooming routine every other week will remove the sharp points that have been making you an unwilling blood donor! The Cat Angel Network volunteers will clip your kitty’s nails free of charge any weekend at the Pottstown or Downingtown Petsmart stores. Watch closely and you will learn a few secrets that make nail clipping a cinch!

The climbing behavior that has Zelda trying to scale you and every other tall object in the house with her claws will gradually extinguish until, by about eight months of age, she will be able to jump everywhere she needs to go. Throughout her life, though, she will need to stretch and scratch at her tree substitute. What’s a tree substitute? It’s a nice, tall, sturdy scratching post or cat tree covered with deliciously rough sisal rope or natural bark, and every cat-friendly home needs one! Here she will do her isometric stretching after a nap, pulling off the old nail sheaths, and marking the post with her scent. Happy work for us kitties – it feels great and we will gladly stay away from your possessions when we have something so much better suited for our instinctual scratching needs

Lastly, NEVER allow the kitty to play with your bare hands as this will teach her that your hand is a plaything which, I assume you agree, it is not. Often the root cause of aggressive play in adult cats is that a person in the family thought it was cute to play roughly with the kitten, using his/her hands, sometimes even touching the cat’s sensitive underbelly. The kitten clamps down on the hand and thereafter views a person’s hands as something to be wary of and attack. Then when Aunt Tilly visits the home, she does not find this behavior cute at all and wonders why, oh why, you have such a mean cat. ‘Nuff said.

So, enjoy Zelda and let her teach you all the joys and wonders of living with a being who is only one small step away from the ways of the wild. By knowing and respecting her needs, and learning day by day how to work WITH them and not against them, you will see her predatory relationship with you disappear, and in its place will grow a deep and satisfying friendship between you, Zelda, and, hopefully, that second kitten we hope you’ll adopt.

QUESTION: I have a beautiful, loving cat that I adopted as a kitten many years ago. She is now 10 years old. The kids no longer pay any attention to her, and I am so busy with work that I’m beginning to think she would be better off in another home. She is a sweet cat and enjoys sleeping in sunny windows or sitting on laps. I think she would make an older person or couple an ideal companion. Wouldn’t she be happier if I surrendered her to Cat Angel Network so she can find another home?

ANSWER: Can I tell you the honest truth, from a cat’s point of view? The truth is, NO, she wouldn’t be happier. The fantasy most people have is that there are many potential adopters for a friendly senior cat like theirs. They believe that their “nine-year-old-or-older” kitty will soon leave the comforts of the shelter to be taken home by a lovely retired couple who will lavish her with the time and attention she craves.

The reality for a kitty like yours is more likely to be an experience like the following. Upon entering the shelter, she’ll go into a cage so she can feel safe until she acclimates. She will probably not want to come out of her carrier so it will be placed in the cage with her. Being in an unfamiliar room, approached by unfamiliar people, and surrounded everywhere by unknown cats, she’ll huddle in her carrier, some cats for days, others for weeks and even months. Most refuse food, requiring days of persistent prompting by the volunteers so they don’t succumb to liver damage. The adjustment period can take months, and some, especially former “only cats,” never adjust to a life surrounded by other kitties. Aggression is very common in a cat under such stress, and even the nicest cat can lash out at anyone or anything approaching the sanctity of her cage. As nice as our shelter looks to a visitor, it is a terrifying place to a cat leaving the only home she has ever known.

Once kitty adjusts, she is available for adoption. Here’s where that loving older couple puts in an application for her and takes her home, right? Unfortunately, that is not likely. Although your kitty WOULD make a wonderful pet for them, they are most likely to request…. a kitten. At least 90% of the applications we receive are for the youngest kitten possible. Whether it’s because adopters don’t want to go through the loss of another pet too soon, or they’re afraid of vet bills for an older kitty, adopters most often choose kittens, while wonderful older cats wait on the sidelines, passed over again and again.

Sometimes adopters will state that they don’t want a kitten, but an “older cat.” Asked specifically what they’re looking for, most reply, “Oh, everybody wants kittens so I’m looking for an older cat, somewhere between one and three years — definitely not older than five.”

The sad reality is that only one or two cats that are nine years old or older get adopted from Cat Angel Network each year. Those days on which a senior kitty goes home are very, very happy days for everyone at CAN. So, please, please, let your kitty live out her golden years in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her family and enjoying the simple, familiar rituals that cats love so much. Believe me, she would NOT be happier having to join the ranks of the many, many homeless cats competing for too few homes. That competition leaves senior kitties at a distinct disadvantage, most living out their last years in the shelter, waiting for an adoption application that never comes. May she never be in the position that so many of us are, of watching the shelter door, praying, 

“Please, God, may the next person who comes in to adopt not say ‘Too old, too big’ when he looks at me.”

QUESTION: I have three cats who do not get along as well as I’d like. I had always hoped for a harmonious group, but there is definite tension among them which sometimes erupts in hisses, spats, and chases. The oldest, Cleo, is quite the diva, and does not want to be bothered. She hisses at any cat who gets in her personal space, and her overreaction spurs on the youngest, Spanky, who loves to ambush and chase the other two. He’s just rambunctious and doesn’t mean any harm, but he terrorizes the middle kitty Lola who is something of a “fraidy cat.” She sometimes doesn’t use the litterbox, and I think it might be connected to her nervousness around Spanky. How do I improve the relationship among the cats and create a peaceful, safe environment for myself and my cats? I love them all and do not want to part with any of them.

ANSWER: Visitors to our shelter and multi-cat foster homes are often amazed at the number of kitties who live together harmoniously. Baskets and beds by the windows frequently contain multiple cats curled up together, and mealtimes reveal dozens of cats, each going to his or her own bowl, with no arguments or competition. The question often asked of our caretakers is “How can so many cats get along together in ONE ROOM, when my couple of cats at home can’t coexist peacefully in an ENTIRE HOUSE? Well, the answer lies in our “P-A-L-S” Principles.

The “P” stands for “PLENTY,” plenty of everything that’s important to cats -litterboxes, beds, sunny window seats, toy mice, water bowls, etc. Abundance eliminates competition over scarce resources. The size of your home does not matter as much as the availability of the things cats need and want.

An examination of the conflicts and problems in a feline family will almost always reveal where there is a lack of abundance. In your household, for instance, there is a definite need for more litterboxes in several different locations. Lola is telling you, by her behavior, that she is not always comfortable using the litter box when Spanky is in the vicinity. Very likely he has ambushed her while she was in or leaving the litterbox, and now she is avoiding it rather than risk being jumped. By the way, covered litterboxes should be outlawed in any home where there are inter-cat tensions resulting in litterbox lapses! (See “Ask Angel” article on litterbox problems on our website).

“Plenty of play” is another element you should add to your cats’ daily routine. Spanky’s behavior is indicative of a young cat whose need to play is so great that he is desperately trying to engage any available kitties, whether they’re interested or not! Now, out of boredom and excess energy, he’s made a game out of their resistance. If you don’t have a laser light toy, you need to run, not walk to your nearest Petsmart and get one! These inexpensive gadgets can wear out even the most high-energy kitty in one or two 10 minute sessions per day!

An even better solution, believe it or not, is to adopt another young male as a playmate for Spanky. The last thing most people with inter-cat problems are looking to do is add another cat to the mix, but it almost always works beautifully. The rambunctious kitty has a willing and able buddy that is available for wrestling, chasing, and ambush games, and the pressure is off the older party poopers.

The “A” of P-A-L-S stands for “ALTITUDE.” Have you ever noticed that the top of the refrigerator is a popular spot for cats? The reason is its altitude. The fastest, easiest way to make less-social or timid cats more secure is to offer them plenty of high places on which to perch. From a cat’s point of view, height is safety, security, power, and, yes, just plain fun! Visit our “Sweet Kitty Suite” room at the shelter and you’ll find the cat-walk, high placed shelves, and tall cat trees filled with serene kitties! For the most part, these are the more timid or aloof cats. When something happens that upsets them or they just want to be alone, they literally “run for the hills!” A cat tree is a great investment for any multi-cat home. Store-bought or hand-made, they offer lots of natural refuge and are worth every penny in terms of peace and harmony in a fur-filled family.

The “L” of P-A-L-S stands for “LOVE,” “TOUGH LOVE”, that is. Although cats are not pack animals in the traditional sense, they do look to their favorite people as the hub of the family wheel. If their most significant person cuddles and coddles them when they’re behaving badly, you’re encouraging more of the same. If, for example, Cleo hisses at and bops the other cats when she’s on your lap and wants you all to herself, you should quietly stand up and end her monopoly on your time and attention. You can reward her with treats at future sessions if she tolerates the presence of the others. Most cats are bright enough to realize that every time they behave badly, something unpleasant happens and every time they behave well, something GOOD happens!

If Spanky is about to pounce on one of the females, make a distracting noise to interrupt the behavior. If he persists, use a squirt bottle. If he jumps on one of them, give him a 15 minute TIME-OUT in a cat carrier. By the time you let him out of the carrier, he’ll have forgotten what he was up to, and the other kitty will have found a safe haven.

These “Tough Love” strategies should be carried out calmly and confidently. No yelling, screaming, or roughness. They will not make your cats hate you. Cats thrive on consistency and respect consequences that are predictable. The more you discourage bad behavior and reward compatibility, the better your cats will get along.

The “S” of P-A-L-S stands for “SOLITUDE.” Sometimes the only solution to a situation where one cat has grown to dislike or fear another is to offer her a room of her own for all or part of the day. It’s a very effective solution that many cat owners fight “tooth and nail,” excuse the cat metaphor. The idea of closing off a beloved kitty in a separate room is an option that some owners won’t even consider. Look at it this way. If a senior citizen were surrounded by high-energy toddlers all day, don’t you think she’d appreciate some peace and quiet in a secluded spot for a while? That’s how your oldest kitty Cleo may feel. If an elementary school child were being harassed by the school bully during recess, wouldn’t he jump at the chance to enjoy the play yard at a different time? That’s how Lola may feel! Giving the cats a break from each other while you are at work or during the night is an easy and effective answer that often results in more peaceful interactions when the kitties ARE all together.

At Cat Angel Network, large cages outfitted with perches and cozy beds are used to give cats an opportunity to get to know each other gradually and safely. Cats who are having disagreements can be separated and reintroduced. One lady who was having trouble with her kitties was reluctantly talked into borrowing a cage to help restore peace. A few weeks later she said she was returning the cage. It worked so well she was buying one of her own! Her pestered kitty loved it, and even after being released, was going into her “private apartment” on her own!

So give our P-A-L-S Principles a shot in your home. You have nothing to lose (except some hisses and growls), and so much to gain. Watching mistrust s-l-o-w-l-y turn into tolerance and eventually even friendship is one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences you will ever know. It is well worth the effort!