cat – Page 3 – Town Cats

02Sep 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Enjoying the Outdoors Safely

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner

Enjoying the Outdoors Safely By C. M. Saracco It’s a dilemma many cat parents face: they want their cats to enjoy the outdoors while remaining safe and protecting wildlife. What if it wasn’t strictly an either/or choice? Leash / Harness Training Training your cat to tolerate a harness and leash can help your cat explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors while remaining safely near you. Combined pricing for both units is affordable, often $15 - $40. For more than a decade, I’ve used this option with my now 19-year-old cat Ezekiel, a rescue who had been accustomed to roaming outdoors and occasionally fought with neighbor cats or dashed across the street. He’s now indoors-only except when we harness him for a backyard sunbathing or garden exploration session. …

26Aug 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Growing Your Own Kitty Treats

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner

Growing Your Own Kitty Treats By C. M. Saracco The sunny days of Spring are a great time to grow cat grass or catnip for your kitties. Both are easy to cultivate in Santa Clara County, in containers or in the ground. And both are reputed to offer mild health benefits – for example, cat grass can aid digestion and help cats eliminate hairballs, while catnip can reduce anxiety and encourage exercise. Most cats like them. Growing these treats for your cat is actually quite easy. You just need a couple of sturdy containers and a sunny spot indoors or outdoors. If you’re impatient or just don’t want to get your hands dirty, many garden shops carry cat grass and catnip plants. But growing your own is fun and inexpensive and…

12Aug 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.1

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles

Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.1 By Cece Gu I adopted two orange tabbies when they were about three months old. In my experience, orange tabbies are generally very friendly cats and are really easy to bond with. While I bonded with one of them within about three days, the other one was extremely shy with me. But our bond started to form about after two weeks as he got more confident in his new environment. Here are some tips for gently and effectively introducing new cats to you and your home. Tip #1: Give them space (don't force anything). Give them personal space once they get home. That means letting them take the lead and not chasing them when they run or when they are trying to hide. Pay attention…

05Aug 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Summer Tips For A Bay Area Cat

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles

Summer Tips For A Bay Area Cat Summer in the Bay Area can mean a lot of different things in terms of weather. Within a single day, temperatures can soar to heatwave levels and then drop to the high 50s. At noon, you might need lots of sunscreen and a popsicle or two to keep you cool. But don’t be surprised if, by 3:00, you’re zipping your jacket up to your chin! Some days, the sun is blocked by clouds or an impenetrable fog layer. That is what you can expect from a Bay Area summer—in other words, the unexpected. For example, Morgan Hill, the home of Town Cats, averages a high of 88°F for the month of August, whereas San Francisco averages a breezy 67°. These temperature variances are…

29Jul 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Summer Parasites: Part Two

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Current "Mews", Vet's Corner

Summer Parasites: Part Two In our last blog, we covered fleas, ear mites, and ticks, external summer pests all of which can cause plenty of harm; at least these parasites can be removed manually and easily treated to an extent. Today’s vermin are a lot different in how they affect our cats. We’ll discuss ringworm fungal outbreaks, as well as heartworm and hookworm infestations which manifest internally in our cats’ digestive tracts. These parasites are lurking almost year-round, however they’re specially active during warmer climate conditions prevalent during Summer. With vermin like these, it’s important to stay up to date with medicating your pets with the appropriate monthly doses per your veterinarian’s advice. Ringworm knows no boundaries. It will spread to both humans and animals with ease upon close contact…

22Jul 2020 by Jilliann Matteucci

Keeping Cats Cool in Summer

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings

Keeping Cats Cool in Summer As the temperature keeps climbing throughout the summertime, we must remain aware of our cats’ heat exposure and be proactive in providing ways to keep our cats comfortable and cool. While our felines are agile and dexterous enough to survive some environments on their own, as humans we should aspire to do everything we can to keep our cats safe from any sort of harm. In this article, we’ll go over how a cat regulates their own internal heat, common symptoms cats may experience while overheating, and various ways to provide cool areas for our felines to stay safe & cool in this summer. Cats have such beautiful coats. Aside from their coats being visually stunning, a cat's coat plays a large role in protecting…