Cat Blog Articles – Page 10

11Jan 2019 by Megan Hasenauer

Our Hoarding Cats Find Homes for the Holidays!

Hoarding is one of the worst forms of animal cruelty, affecting thousands of cats across the United States. Town Cats has a long history of assisting with hoarding cases and we recently stepped in to help with a local situation. A man in San Jose was keeping 40 cats in a deteriorated home until authorities were contacted and intervened. The house was in disastrous condition and authorities had to wear hazmat suits with breathing apparatus in order to enter and evaluate the scene. All of the cats found were in poor condition and most were extremely feral. Once animal control safely removed the cats, Town Cats immediately offered to help in any way possible. We eventually took in four of the cats needing medical care. These four cats were transported…

07Jan 2019 by Megan Hasenauer

The Success of Cat Pawsitive Pro on our Legacy Cats

Cat Blog Articles, Current "Mews", News & Happenings

Cat Pawsitive Pro is our quintessential socialization program. From GreaterGood.org and the Jackson Galaxy Project, Cat Pawsitive Pro is an in-depth clicker training program designed for hard to adopt cats (yes, cats can be trained too!). By clicker training cats through the program, it provides mental stimulation and socialization to cats otherwise "shut down" in the shelter environment and improves their quality of life while at the shelter. At Town Cats, we knew we needed this program, but it is not an easy program to get into. We competed with shelters across the nation waiting a year or two to get one of the six available spots. Being fortunate to enter the program the first time around, we were very excited to be a part of the program, but we had our…

07Jan 2019 by Megan Hasenauer

Vet’s Corner with Dr. Tiva: How to Transport Cats Fear Free

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles

Does your cat hate going in their carrier? Does your cat shut down when they go to the vet? If so, you’re not alone. Unlike dogs, cats tend to be housebound, living most of their lives in a familiar place with familiar people. Think of how we socialize puppies: we ensure they meet lots of people, are exposed to umbrellas and vacuum cleaners, and go lots of places in the car. Dogs learn from an early age how to deal with various circumstances, especially travel in the human world. Compare that to a cat, who maybe only leaves the house once in a blue moon to go the vet. A carrier means getting car sick, going outside their comfort zone, and having terrible time getting poked at the vet. This…

19Dec 2018 by Town Cats Communications

Christmas with the Kitties

Cat Blog Articles

By Becky Reape Do an online search for “cats” and “Christmas” and you will find an endless supply of adorable pictures to make your heart swell with cuteness but can cats and this winter holiday truly mesh into a happy pairing? In addition to playful frolicking kitties who are drawn to shiny ornaments there so many hidden dangers to your beloved cat lurking with the season. And, trust me, cats have a way of finding trouble in large part due to their inquisitive natures. I have 3 cats myself. All boys, all uniquely independent and sassy. Smitty, the oldest of the trio, is my regal-looking black cat. He is largely disinterested in Christmas decorations and pays no attention to them. My middle cat, a fluffy tuxedo names Bugsy, is an…

11Nov 2018 by Town Cats Communications

Mellie the Master Frogger

Cat Blog Articles

By Alexis Meehan Edited by April Jones My cats Mellie and Sheila were indoor cats, but some friends helped me build a secure area outside that the cats could access. We put up some two-by-fours and stapled chicken wire to them to create a cage that went from the ground to the roofline. Then we covered the ground inside the cage with gravel and added some good-sized tree branches for the cats to climb on. We took a screen out of a bedroom (aka the cats’ room) window, cut a small square out of it, and fashioned a swinging cat door in it. With the window partly open, they could hop onto the window sill, push the little door open, and hop outside into the cat cage. Once they got…

03Nov 2018 by Town Cats Communications

Should I Take My Cat to the Vet?

Cat Blog Articles

By Tom Hewitt Sometimes it’s clear when your pet cat needs to be taken to a veterinarian, but other times the clues are more subtle. If your cat shows a change in their typical behavior—such as eating less, sleeping more, becoming shy or hiding more, scratching or sneezing more, or becoming much more or less vocal—it might be a sign that your cat could be ill or injured and they should be examined. It’s an inherited instinct for cats to want to hide physical weakness because in the wild, predators might identify signs of illness or injury as signs of an easy prey. If your cat displays such changes in behavior, make sure they have plenty of food and water, a clean litter box, and a comfortable, quiet place to…