Here are 10 Reasons to Adopt an Older Feline Family Member:

1. You know what kind of personality you are getting, whether you want a total lap cat, a more independent kitty, or something in between. A kitten could grow up to have a completely different adult cat personality.
2. You don’t need to do much to your house to accommodate an older cat- no locking down the wires or putting the breakables away, as you would with a new kitten.
3. You can leave an older cat alone at home and not worry about him or her getting into mischief or engaging in “maniac play sessions”
4. An older cat is not as inclined to bite and scratch like a baby kitten- definitely easier on your body!
5. You can sleep well at night with an older cat. No need for 3 am play sessions or getting your head pounced upon!
6. An older cat can make a terrific buddy for your adult cat. A kitten can often be too stressful for a middle aged or older resident cat.
7. An older cat is sturdier than a baby kitten if you have small children.
8. An older cat is “purrfect” for older folks who want companionship without having to engage in daily workouts or cleanups. Studies show that cuddling with a cat can actually lower blood pressure and stress levels!
9. Older cats now tend to live long lives with improved veterinary knowledge. They can easily live 15-18 years with vet care.
10. An older cat is so incredibly grateful at getting a second chance to have a permanent home, where he or she can feel safe and cherished. Prepare yourself for unending love, gratitude, tenderness, and loyalty! The look in your older cat’s eyes says it all.

Ivy is a 9 year old cat who was abandoned outdoors in Glendale, AZ. She is now living in a foster home, getting along well with the resident pets, and eagerly awaiting her very own home. She is feeling much better after having a dental, in which foxtails were removed from her gums. Ivy triumphs!

Of course, Emily the Expert Cat Toy Tester is a big fan of Kitty Glitter Puffs! What fun!
 

Kitty Glitter Puffs are now available at the MEOWness Store!

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/MEOWness-Store

Here are 20 kitten proofing recommendations:

1. Get down low and think like a kitten…oh yes, the spaces under the refrigerator and behind the washer look too appealing! Until the kitten grows to be 3-4 months old, you may want to block off all tiny openings under appliances and furniture, as a kitten could get wedged underneath or behind.
2. Keep the clothes dryer and the dishwasher closed at all times. Make sure you check both before using them, just in case.
3. If you have window blinds, take the cords and fasten them up high so that the kitten doesn’t get his or her neck caught in them. The same goes for drapery cords.
4. A baby kitten may try to bite electrical wires. They should be secured out of reach, or plastic electrical cord protectors can be placed over them.
5. Pick up string, thread, rubber bands, wire, shoelaces, yarn, and small objects and keep closed away. If ingested, string can wrap around a kitten’s intestines. Small objects can become lodged, cutting off the oxygen supply.
6. Don’t leave a kitten unattended with a toy on a string. The string could be swallowed, or it could wrap around the kitten’s neck, cutting off the oxygen supply.
7. Make sure that any pesticides or insecticides you have around your house are safe for pets. Be careful when you use cleaners where your kitten could be exposed.
8. Keep plants out of reach, as many are poisonous to cats.
9. Make sure that your kitten is in a different room when you open and close the oven door during cooking preparations.
10. Do not leave medications within a kitten’s reach (remember, they can climb to great heights!)
11. The garage should be off-limits, as antifreeze is poisonous to cats.
12. Keep the toilet seat closed.
13. Close off the fireplace.
14. Make sure that cabinets are securely closed; use baby locks if needed.
15. Cover all air vents.
16. Cover exposed electical outlets with covers.
17. Keep trash cans tightly closed or secured away.
18. Keep plastic bags away, as they are a suffocation hazard and also, the loops can become wrapped around a kitten’s neck.
19. Be careful when you lower a reclining chair or close a drawer, if you do not have your kitten in sight.
20. People often think that a kitten will not jump or fall from a second story apartment balcony. Not true!

You may want to set up a separate room for your new kitten that is a “safe zone” in which he or she can be placed when you cannot supervise. It is easier to kitten-proof a single room than an entire home! Here’s to tons of ”safe” wild and crazy times with your new kitten!
 

So many toys, so little time!

Check out Expert Cat Toy Testers Emily, Jessica, and Jacob- is it a bird or a Kitty Kopter?
 

The Kitty Kopter is now available at the MEOWness Store!

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/MEOWness-Store

Check out the expert cat toy testers Faith, Jacob, Jessica (all 3 are seeking great homes through Noah’s Ark Pet Adoptions in Glendale, AZ) and the top toy tester Emily also gives the Sparkler a whirl!

 

The Da Bird Sparkler is now available at the MEOWness Store!

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/MEOWness-Store

Basic Bottle Feeding Steps:

1. Purchase the necessities: KMR or similar kitten milk, kitten feeding bottles or 3 ML oral syringes, heating pad, nesting box. Prepare the nesting box (a cardboard box will do) with a heating pad on low setting with lots of towels on top. Purchase a small scale so that you can keep track of weight gain.
2. Mix formula per directions, or you can use the cans of already prepared formula. You may need to put a hole with a heated needed in the nipple of the bottle, or you can use a 3 ML oral syringe to deliver formula in very small amounts. You can warm the formula by putting the bottle into a bowl of warm water; do not directly microwave the bottle.
3. For kittens who are newborn to 2 weeks old, feed every 2 hours. At 2 weeks old, feed every 4-6 hours. At 3 weeks old and up, feed every 6-8 hours. Give 8cc of formula for every 1 ounce of body weight per day; divide this amount into a feeding schedule according to kitten’s age.
4. Put the kitten on his or her stomach and begin feeding. Kittens should suck the bottle; don’t force the formula down the throat. With a syringe, go slowly with small amounts so that the formula is not aspirated into the lungs.
5. Burp the kitten after feeding.
6. Use a wet, warm washcloth to stimlate the genitals to prompt the kitten to go potty.
7. Your foundling kitten will want a nap after feeding.
8. Keep track of weight gain using a scale. Your kitten should gain 1/2 ounce daily for first two weeks.
9. At 4 weeks of age, the kitten can begin weaning. Place a shallow dish of formula and a shallow dish of water out.  Gradually add canned food to the dish of formula and reduce the amount of formula until there is only canned food. You may need to encourage your kitten to eat by placing some of the canned food inside his or her mouth. The weaning process can take a few weeks.
10. These are the basic steps to get you started in helping your orphaned kitten right away. Here is a resource for more detailed information: How to Care for Orphaned Kittens

Calvin and Alex were discovered without a mom and needed to be bottle fed.

Nail caps are easy to apply and they can last for up to 6 weeks. It is a good idea to also implement scratching training, as a nail cap or two can fall off in the course of a cat’s daily routine.

1. Assemble what you need for the job: 10 nail caps, nail adhesive, adhesive tip, and nail clippers.
2. Trim just the very ends of your cat’s claws. You need enough nail length for the nail cap to adhere to.
3. Fill 5 of the nail caps with the adhesive, about 1/3 full, using the adhesive tip to get it into the tip of the nail cap. Do not overfill.
4. Either straddle your cat or sit your cat on your lap and put the 5 filled nail tips onto one paw. Hang on to your cat for a few minutes for the adhesive to dry.
5. Do the same with the remaining 5 nail caps: fill them 1/3 full with adhesive, slide them on your cat’s other paw, and hang on to your cat for a few minutes for the adhesive to dry.
6. Your cat may try to dislodge a nail cap or two at first until he or she is used to them. Keep an eye out and quickly replace any bare nails with a new nail cap.
7. The caps should last for 4-6 weeks. Your cat’s claws will start to grow, making the nail caps look a bit ragged.  To remove nail caps, use the nail clippers and trim off the very end of the nail cap. That should loosen the adhesive, making removal easy. Then, you can apply new nail caps- in just about any color imaginagle- for a fresh start.

Jessica really turns heads with her pink manicure and matching ensemble. She is available for adoption through Noah's Ark Pet Adoptions in Glendale, AZ!

1. Acetaminophen: Just one tablet of Tylenol can be fatal to cats. Signs of toxicity include panting, swollen face and paws, lethargy, anemia, and liver damage.
2. NSAIDS: This includes ibuprofen and naproxen (Alleve) and can cause kidney damage in cats, even in very small doses.
3. Aspirin and Salicylates:  Aspirin can be used in small amounts and only under strict veterinary instructions because it stays in the blood stream longer in cats.  Overdose is serious and symptoms include vomiting with blood, liver damage, seizures, coma, even death. Do not use medicaitons with salicylates such as Pepto Bismol (hidden aspirin) because they can be very toxic to cats.
4. Local Anesthetics: Topical ointments that contain “pain relief” can have lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine or pramoxine. These cannot be used as topical salves for cats, and they can result in poisoning from being absorbed into the skin and also by licking the area following treatment.  Symptoms of toxicity include seizures, tremors and cardiac arrhythmia.
5. Cold medications: Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can be toxic to cats. Symptoms include vomiting, tremors, seizures, dilated pupils, and cardiac arrhythmia.

For External Bleeding:

1. Use gauze, a towel, or a tissue to apply pressure to the wound for 10 minutes.
2. Add more gauze or tissues if the blood soaks through, but do not lift the bandage to check the wound, as it may start to bleed again. If the wound is on a limb, you can wrap it with a bandage.
3. Keep your cat calm and immobile. Elevating the wound can help to slow the blood flow.
4. Get your cat to the vet as soon as you can.

For Internal Beeding:

1. Internal bleeding may not be noticeable, but it is life-threatening if not treated promptly.
2. Signs of internal bleeding include coughing up blood, cool-feeling arms and legs, pale gums, lethargy, pale gums, rapid bleeding, distended belly, collapse.
3. Keep your cat warm and calm and seek emergency vet treatment.

• Trap-Neuter-Return results in healthier cats.
• Neutered cats fight less and make less noise.
• Managed colonies keep other cats out; the size of colonies decreases over time.
• Removing cats only creates a vacuum effect- new cats will just move in.

If you have a sizeable number of feral cats in your general vicinity, you need some neighborly support. Reach out to your neighbors and ask for like-minded help. Here are some ideas:

• Knock on doors and pass out educational material so that your neighbors can be informed about the benefits of TNR . You can make the fliers yourself using information from Alley Cat Allies or you can order some to distribute: TNR Literature
• Post a ready-made website or include a link on your facebook profile and invite your neighbors to check it out: About Feral Cats, and Trap, Neuter, and Return
• Get all of the basic details about a local spay/neuter program and the TNR process ready to present to your neighbors. SpayUSA is a place to start for low cost spay and neuter information. Depending upon where you reside, you may even have a TNR program that you can access. For example, Spay Neuter Hotline in Phoenix, AZ works with local veterinarians and loans traps to participants, making for a smooth process.
• Present ideas for fundraising to cover the TNR surgeries, such as a neighborhood garage sale, bake sale, sales on eBay, and teens can help by lawn mowing or baby sitting to raise funds to help the community cats.
• Outline the steps for TNR. If you have a large colony of feral cats, here is a video: How to Trap an Entire Colony
• Establish a plan for ongoing support of the cats. You can share the feeding duties with your neighbors, and as such, share in the success of your effort to improve the lives of the feral cats in your neighborhood and your impressive contribution toward reducing cat overpopulation!