Showing posts with label rescue shelter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rescue shelter. Show all posts

Saturday, February 03, 2024

Signs of stress in the shelter


 Many of my feline friends have found their forever homes after a spell in a cat shelter. Otherwise they would have continued to live rough on the street.

So shelters are good - but they are also very stressful for some of us. Most of us cats settle in fairly well and start to feel at home once we have rubbed our scent on the shelter surroundings and got used to strange noises, strange people and strange smells.

Most but not all. Some of us cats are particularly prone to stress and for us stressy cats time in a shelter can be hell - unless we have somewhere to hide.

So we do the best we can to hide. We close our eyes and pretend to sleep. Most humans think we are sleeping.

But the most intelligent humans can see that we are not - our bodies are tense and uptight, not relaxed and spread out, our feet are under our shoulders and firmly on the ground ready to run away, our ears are pointing downwards from anxiety, and every now and again we open an eye.

Here is a video of a cat pretending to sleep. Show it to your human, so that they can spot the signs. If they work in shelter, a cat who copes by pretending to sleep needs a hiding box.



Saturday, November 25, 2023

Winter's here and cats need more than food.


 It's cold outside in the UK. Very cold. And there are homeless cats that may not survive the winter - unless humans help them.

I get impatient with humans that feed stray cats, but do nothing else. It's OK to feed my feline friends on the street. That's great. But stray cats need shelter too.

If you can't take in a cat to your home, and many humans can't, then feeding is not enough. If the cat is entirely feral, then put a cat flap into your garden shed or even put outside something like a dog kennel. 

We cats need a dry place urgently. We can survive the dry cold but we can't survive wet cold. So, humans should make sure we can shelter in the dry.

Better still - humans should take one more step. Find your local cat rescue people who can trap cats. Help them do this. Then the cat can either find a new home with humans or at least be neutered and spayed - this helps them survive better.

Don't just feed. Do more. Give dry shelter. Neuter and spay to help survival.

And for homeless pets, help them find a new warm home. Don't  let them freeze to death.

Saturday, November 04, 2023

Careers for cats - archeology.

Want a career in archeology? Felines can apply in Italy. These are jobs for cats that earn their food by rat catching. Not just strays, but cats with a career.

Take Augusto of the Coliseum, for instance. Augusto is so popular that he got too fat. Visitors would forget the ruins and start photographing and feeding him too many treats. His fat photo (taken by guide Carmelo Carubba) can be seen here.


Then there is the tabby and white cat of Pompeii. Much photographed near the restaurant, where she finds her daily cat food. And of course the cats in the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary.

Among Temples A, B, and D they can be found snoozing in the sunlight, or getting visitor attention on the walkways. They are the cats that have special needs which make adoption difficult and they can be "adopted" at a distance here.


As a much loved cat with a pet human, I don't fancy archeology. Though the rats sound great, and the visitors show proper admiration, I prefer lying under a radiator than lying under a Roman column!

Not for me the marble floors of a ruined temple. Give me the carpets of a human home! It's a pity that there are rarely rats, but the armchairs and beds make up for it.




Saturday, August 26, 2023

Techie help for lost cats


 At last... we cats are getting the same techie help as dogs. A microchip for all of us.

The law is changing in the UK and after June next year all pet cats must be microchipped by law. Why? So that if they get lost they can be more easily reunited with their humans.

Of course, I am microchipped. So is Jimmy, whose photo I used at the top of this blog. All responsible humans give us cats a microchip.

But there are still unthinking or old fashioned humans who don't bother to do this. And there are some humans that save a little bit of money by not doing it.

What will happen? Well, the unthinking humans may now be reminded by a vet to do this.

The truly unsatisfactory humans, the ones that don't bother to neuter us, still will not bother. But at least they will be liable for a fine.

It will make life easier for rescue shelters. A quick check for the chip... Easy. Cats with responsible human pets go home. 

Cats without responsible owners can be adopt better human that make better pets.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Black cats matter too.


There is something odd about humans and thier attitude towards colour. They don't seem to like the colour black - which is why beautiful black cats stay longer in rescue shelters.

This colour prejudice means that my fellow cats, who just happen to be black, are ignored or even passed over by would-be human adopters.

Let's be clear. Black cats are as beautiful and mysterious and affectionate as any other coloured cat. They deserve a loving home. So help them get it.

Don't let your human be part of the problem. Puursuade them to spread the word and become part of the solution.

Black cats matter!


  • My human is being boring and insisted on adding this pictures of "her" book. She just typed the manuscript when my paws got sore. All the worthwhile content is mine.


Saturday, October 01, 2022

An appeal ...adopt or foster. Don't buy.



We cats need human help during this difficult winter.  As humans decide they cannot afford to feed us or neuter us, because of heating bills, there will be more homeless cats and kittens.

Purlease do not even think of buying a cat. We need adopters to step forward and give a homeless cat a home.

If a human wants a pedigree cat, then look online, find the cat breed club, and look for the rescue section. You might have to wait a little but pedigree cats become homeless too and you should be able to find the breed you want.

And if they can't afford to adopt, then foster. Most cat charities will pay the cat food and vet bills for cats that are fostered in a human home rather than a pen. And for many frightened cats, older cats or just cats that have never been in a pen, being fostered in a human home is emotionally much less upsetting.

We cats don't like to rely on human charity: but for once, we need you.



Saturday, July 23, 2022

I'm a street cat: don't rescue me to be a house cat


We, the street cats of the world, don't want to be tamed. We don't want to be put in a pen and forced to adapt to human society. We don't want to be made into house cats.

Yet some cat "rescuers" are trying to do just that. They think it's the right thing to do.

Or, if they don't try to tame us, they confine us to some kind of enclosure where we are fed regularly but we don't have the kind of freedom we used to have.

Being a street cat is a rich and varied life. If we are lucky we get fed by passersby, and there are always thrown out take-away wrappings, often with food in them. We can forage and hunt. We can lie in the sun. We can burglarise food left out for house cats.

All that is lost if we are stuck in a cat pen or confined to an enclosure - a so called "sanctuary." Only it can be more like a prison. Are two meals a day worth the loss of freedom? 

So please don't. Trap us and neuter us. We will be healthier without fighting and kitten bearing. Then let us go back to the streets where we live.

Oh, and appoint a regular feeder. Freedom and food. That's what we want.


P.S. Go to International Cat Care Cat Friendly Homing.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

So many are homeless

 


There are so many homeless cats. One estimate says that one in every two cats living in the world do not have a human home. Even in the UK about five percent of cats are homeless.

Of course some of them live reasonable lives as farm cats, working cats or cats that have a regular feeder. These are the lucky ones.

Others have lost their homes and have to learn to live on their wits. Some are just abandoned when their owners move house. Others leave home if the home is unsuitable or frightening.

They may be able to live out of refuse bins, restaurant waste, thrown-away take away food, or break into human houses with a cat flap and steal another cat's food.

Purrlease spare a little money for your local cat rescue. There are a lot of homeless cats around at the moment and not enough money for the rescuers.

Saturday, June 04, 2022

Sensitive ears in the shelter


 We cats can hear far more and far better than humans. We can hear the tiny ultrasonic squeak of a mouse behind the skirting boards. We can hear the ultrasonic whirring noises of machine, which you humans cannot hear at all. Yet for us it is screaming in our ears.

So no wonder we don't like it, if the litter tray is placed near the washing machine in the utility room. Would you like to have to sit on the lavatory right by the noise of men drilling through the tarmac? That's what the machine sounds like to us!

We learn to ignore the TV noises most of the time - even though they are far louder in our ears than in yours. We can hear the  faint scrabble of a rat or the tiny hum of a very small grasshopper. They are clear as a church bell to us.

When we are put into a cat shelter, one of the awful stresses are the noises. We can sometimes hear the barking of frightening dogs in the kennels nearby. We hear the clash of the food bowls being washed and the noise of the grass outside being mown -- and we can't get away from the din.

We nervous cats suffer most. Please put us as far away as possible from noisy machinery or the rattle of food dishes. Cats in pens need as much silence as they can get!

 


Saturday, February 05, 2022

Give me a kitten before 7 weeks....


Give me a kitten before the age of seven weeks, and I will show you the adult cat. This is adapted from the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said  - "Give me a child before the age of seven and I will show you the man."

It's true. What happens to a kitten before the age of about eight weeks, defines much of its future life. 

  • If it grows up in the wild for the first two months of its life, without any human contact, it will become a wild animal rather than a pet.
  •  If it grows up as a single bottle-fed kitten for the first two months of its life, it may be socially awkward around other cats in later life.
  • If it is born to and brought up with a highly stressed mother cat, it is likely to grow up to become a stressed cat.
  • If it grows up with a good mother cat, lots of play with its siblings and lots of gentle interaction with humans (and maybe a friendly family dog) it will become a confident and loving pet.

Yes, feral kittens can be rehabilitated in the next three months of their lives so that they are suitable as pets. But they need careful and intensive rehabilitation. Yes, feral cats can be tamed - over a number of years.

But kittens should be born into a home, not a pen, wherever possible. Or fostered in a home as soon as possible.

Cat rescuers take note....

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Disabled cats have special talents

 

Minty, National Cat of the Year 2021 c. Cats Protection
At last! 

Disabled cats are being recognised, not just for their disabilities, but for their virtues and strengths. Cats with disabilities have something special to offer in the way of caring for humans. 

This is Minty, who was honoured by the human charity Cats Protection, for her valuable work caring for Connor, a boy with learning difficulties and cerebral palsy. Minty has only three legs but has nevertheless helped Connor learn to climb stairs. His empathy and calmness aids Connor when he suffers an emotional meltdown.

His adult female human says: "Having only three legs never stops Minty enjoying life, and I think that rubs off on Connor. Together they are unstoppable, whatever comes their way.  Minty's a really inspirational cat and we love him to bits."

Cats with disabilities in cat shelters are just waiting to adopt a suitable human. Don't pass them by.



Saturday, February 20, 2021

Adopt, don't buy. Older cats have more serenity.

 

Humans in lockdown have been paying silly prices for puppies and kittens. Just for the fun of caring for an exciteable cute companion.

As a qualified human behaviour counsellor, this fills me with despair.

Some, perhaps many, of these furry babies will end up in an animal shelter when their owners get bored or have to go back to work outside the home. 

Meanwhile there are plenty of beautiful adult cats needing homes. How do we get the message across to dumb humans, that these need homes too and have plenty of love to give. If the human goes  back to work, most adult cats can cope very well as long as they have a cat flap. 

The advantages of adoption are obvious. It costs less. If a human adopts an adult cat, it will know more about the cat's individual temperament (you can't tell with a kitten). There is a greater choice. The cat has already been spayed and neutered. She/he has been vet checked and should be free of disease.

Humans should check out the animal rescue before adoption. Charities will be registered with the UK Charity Commission and can be checked online. If the rescue is not among these, don't go to it.

Rescue places that have rabbit hutches, old cages or crates with cats should be reported to the RSPCA. So should any human who is operating from a house with more than 20 cats in it. Report these to the RSPCA so that the cats can be rescued and rehomed via a reputable charity.

 


 

Saturday, December 05, 2020

In-between cats - how to help

 

These are in-between cats... I know them from my neighbourhood. I enjoy living with humans. I let them sleep in my bed (they think it is their bed) and I even doze on their lap.

In-between cats don't enjoy too much human contact.  These two cats have homes in Maunsel St and they get regular meals there. But they like to spend most of their time outside, living the live of a free cat rather than a pet cat.

They would be miserable shut up all day inside a house or harassed by human rescuers that want to keep touching, petting and picking up. Or stuck in a cat pen waiting for a human that doesn't want a cuddle cat.

Get your human to listen here and learn how to help these cats.  https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Stand up for rescue kittens - in the home.


 These are rescue kittens in a rescue pen. Not an ideal start in life, if you want a cat that is confident around human beings. I am sad that so many rescues are still keeping kittens (with or without a mother) in a pen.

Kittens need human contact - a minimum 20 minutes daily preferably from a series of different humans. Not just women, but also men and sensible children. But that is the minimum.

I was lucky I was brought up in a home, with all the noises and smells of a human home, with people coming and going, and with a friendly dog. The ideal education for a pet cat.

I was used to all these things before I went to my new home, so I settled in quickly. Kittens that are in a pen miss out on the smells and noises of a human home, and some of them don't get enough human contact.

Purrlease tell you human to get their rescue kittens fostered in a home, not a pen. 


Saturday, September 05, 2020

Stand up for rescue cats - feigned sleep stress

This cat is not asleep. Rescue cats that pretend to sleep like this one are highly stressed. But humans often do not recognise this. They describe the cat as "quiet" or "shy."

If you look carefully at this video you will see that the cat has its ears lowered, a sign of fear. Its back is humped not relaxed. And it turns its head away from the human videoing it - another sign of fear. It also blinks rapidly.

Feigned sleep is found in rescue catteries and among wild animals in zoos. Humans do not recognise it. It is a sign of chronic stress and unhappiness.

This cat needs help. It needs a box to hide in and if it has one it will be more likely to come out and look around, knowing that it can retreat if need be. No rescue cat should be without a privacy area.

If a privacy area doesn't help enough, then it needs fostering in a home.

Stand up for rescue cats. Pass this information on.

Saturday, August 01, 2020

Stand up for rescue cats..... give affection

It's horrible in a cat pen, yet we have to be there if we need homes. Humans feed and water us, but do they do enough? Do they give us affection?
Just putting in food or water, or cleaning the litter tray, with perhaps a quick stroke, isn't reassuring. If that's all, we are more likely to get sick or withdrawn.
We need at least six minutes of gentle stroking, head to tail, tickle under the chin, and then more stroking every day, by a familiar person not just a passing stranger. Don't talk, just do this silently - which is the feline way. We don't like constant human jabber.
If rescue shelters made sure this was done, we cats would come to the front of the pen in hope of more affection. And cats that come to the front are adopted quicker.
So please, workers and volunteers in the shelter, please stroke more. Affection is as important as food.




  • Want to know more? Read my book here.

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Stand up for rescue cats.... when to neuter

Every kitten should be a wanted kitten. But there are too many cats without homes in this world. One way to reduce overpopulation is to reduce the number of cats that have kittens - but that needs human co-operation.
In the UK, cat rescues are beginning to change their methods. Till recently, they found home for their kittens and asked the adopters to make sure these were neutered. Some rescues handed out vouchers to help pay for this.
Adopters are only human (dumb animals) and so some forgot. Some decided they would like to cash in and sell kittens. The rescues had to follow up and make sure the neutering happened.
It was a mess. It cost time and money. Even veterinary humans were slow to realise that they had got it wrong and females needed neutering faster than they thought. We can get pregnant from 3 months onwards.
Now these rescue humans are beginning to wise up. They have realised they cannot rely on humans to do the right thing, so they are neutering their kittens before giving them up for adoption.
It's safe (researchers have looked into it) and it stops human error. Purrlease spread the word.
Prevent human error. Neuter kittens before adoption.

  • Is it safe? Read 'Help Stop Teenage Pregnancy! Early-age neutering in cats,' Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, (2011), 13, 3-10

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Stand up for cats in rescue.... hideaways

Cats in a rescue shelter or a vet's surgery need a hideaway. They shouldn't be left without privacy, on a shelf being stared at by passing humans. Staring is very intimidating to us cats.
If we have somewhere to hide, we feel happier about coming out to interact with humans. And then we are more likely to be adopted.
So why don't humans give us a hiding place? Because they don't think like a cat. And they don't bother to find out what we need or read up on the topic.
It doesn't cost much. There is an excellent Feline Fort which should be in every vet surgery. It's got a perch and a hiding place. And for rescue shelters who have too little money, a box will do just as well.
Better still, it can go to the new ho
me with the cat, so that the new home has a bed with a familiar smell. Smell matters.
Educate your local rescue....


  • For more information on human management techniques buy this book here.

Saturday, June 06, 2020

Stand up for Cats in Rescue.

Fear and frustration in a rescue
It's time somebody stood up for cats in shelters. Big rescue organisations often treat cats like second hand kittisens. Dogs get all the attention. Cats are just an add on. Humans, purrlease do something.
What is the worst?
Well the worst is the smell and sound of the premises. The scent of dog wafts everywhere - on the hands and clothing of the staff, on the clothing of the would-be adopters, in the veterinary surgery, and in the offices of the manager
Nobody remembers that most of us cats are scared by dogs.
Then there is the constant sound of barking. We cats have the widest range of hearing of almost all animals. We can hear a mouse's footfall. But do shelter staff care? Do they even think of the constant stress of the constant noise of barking?
Nobody remembers the noise of dogs scares us.....
Purrlease, humans, do something.
Educate yourself and others about what we need and want.
Stand up for cats in Rescue!
Share this post!

  • Read more on feline rights here.

Saturday, October 05, 2019

The blessing of a cat

Humans occasionally show their gratitude. This week, my human finally wrote something which I can fully appreciate, even if I longed to get my paws on it and change some of the sentiments... 






My book not hers.

May you be blessed with a cat...


May you be blessed with a cat,
A starving stray from the street
Or a scruffy kitten from a shelter,
Who hides under the bed
For the first few days

May you be blessed with cat fur
On the new carpet,
On your best clothes,
On your bed and
In little balls in the washing machine

May you be blessed with scratches,
Happy scratches on the sofa,
Exploring scratches on wallpaper,
Greeting scratches on the door mat,
And sometimes even on the scratch post.

May you be blessed with a warm body
Close to you on the sofa,
On your lap while watching TV,
Spread out on the bed asleep
Or even snuggled under the duvet.

May you be blessed with purring.
Loud purring requesting food,
Happy purring when stroked in the right places.
Gentle purring during the night,
While both of you sink into sleep.

May you be blessed with that look,
The urgent look requesting food,
The look that says: “Play please,”
The look of loving contempt
That says “You are not my superior.”

You may not know if you own or are owned
But this love too is stronger than death.
                        c.. Celia Haddon
-->

Help for cats whose humans show behaviour problems.

This blog is devoted to the study of human behaviour. We cats, who live with this sometimes unpredictable and always feeble minded species, can benefit from seeing their behaviour in its proper scientific context. The study of feline dilemmas, training problems, and difficulties with humans, can only benefit all of us. All of us train our humans - to buy the right food, for instance, but many of us do not have knowledge of how to improve our training methods. The human species is obviously not as intelligent as the cat, but nevertheless can learn quite a lot - if properly managed. Topics of interest include the use of claw and order, purring as a human reward, rubbing your human up the right way, when to bite, spraying as a method of making our wishes known, ignoring the human, human harassment, human inattention and sheer human stupidity. I welcome your questions. Photos can be sent via my secretary's website, www.celiahaddon.com This blog has been chosen as one of the top 50 feline blogs by Online VetTechprogramms.org