Cats And The Environment

Cat Colony
Cat Colony

Cats And The Environment has become a headline lately. Cats are being perceived as dangerous predators that are killing natural species to the point of extinction. Are cats really the problem? Of course not, cats are doing what comes naturally to the cat. How did the world find itself overrun with cats?

Cats As An Invasive Species

Cat hunting
Cat Hunting

Australia has a cat problem. They also have problems with several invasive species. Please follow this link to Wikipedia for a complete article on Invasive Species in Australia. Australia is not the only country claiming problems with feral cats. What do you suppose is the underlying issue with too many cats?

People Are The Problem With Feral Cats

Cat and kittens
Cat with Kittens

On average a female cat can have 1 to 8 kittens per litter and 2 to 3 litters per year. During her lifetime, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. A single pair of breeding cats and their offspring can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.

I have eight cats living in my house. They have never killed a bird, rodent, or reptile. My females are spayed and the males are neutered. I have taken the responsibility to look after and maintain my cats. I do not allow my cats to free roam and the cats that want to go outside are monitored and on a leash. I hope soon to have a catio so the cats have some free time outside.

What I am implying is that people are the cause of any invasive species problem. Any time a species has introduced to control a pest or as a pet that has escaped or been abandoned it is the human element as the root cause.

When the target species has to be controlled, usually extreme measures are employed that causes great suffering to the target and can affect the whole environment. Poisons are the worst as it affects the whole food chain. Poisoning is a terrible way to die and no animal deserves this fate.

Humanity Has To Take Responsibility

Vet small animalsCertain members of the population should not have control of pets. Pets that are not maintained properly through diet or birth control or regular medical examination do not belong under the guidance of an irresponsible person. Animal hoarders and abusers should suffer the same criminal prosecution as child abusers. Animal dumping is another example of abuse that must be met with harsh penalties. Cats and dogs cannot survive properly on their own, especially if a dumped cat has been declawed. My latest rescue is a young pregnant dog that was dumped in the country on a viciously cold winter night. How can anyone do this?

Responsible Pet Owners

Responsible pet owners bring a cat into the family and the kitty becomes family. I want to reemphasize that this includes a proper diet, regular medical visits and above all BIRTH CONTROL. Birth control means a spay and neuter program that eliminates unwanted kittens. Back to my rescued young dog (yes Cat Care loves dogs too), We went from 3 dogs to 10 dogs in one day. Now there are puppies that require good safe homes. If you think one or two cats is a lot of responsibility, have a surprise litter of kittens will increase your workload and financial responsibility. After the litter comes it is too late for birth control and a responsible pet owner MUST raise the litter to be homed properly.

Feral Cat Colonies

Cats
Feral Cats

Feral cat colonies are blamed for environmental destruction. The reality is that people made them feral and now people must take responsibility for them. There are dedicated groups that feed and house feral cat colonies and with the help of professional veterinary staff conduct effective spay and neuter programs to these colonies.

The feral cats are live trapped and the surgically sterilized and after a monitoring period are returned to the colony. Some of these kitties are adopted, however, some of these cats will never be able to keep inside. MY Norbu is an example of a great kitty that was as wild a feral as you could imagine and has become one of the nicest house cats you could imagine. It just takes patience and time.

Feral cat colonies that are a part of a TNR program (Trap Neuter Release) benefit the community by keeping other strays out and if fed properly have no impact on the local wildlife. Volunteers provide winter shelters and in this, the cats do not suffer the cold weather. An inspirational movie is the documentary KEDI. It is wonderful to see how the whole city of Istanbul appreciates its cats.

Adopt A Feral Cat

Norbu
Norbu

How can the average person help? I think that if the TNR program was supported with financial and volunteer assistance the problem with stray cats would be greatly reduced. Feral colonies need food and shelter as well as medical assistance. The next step would be to adopt a feral cat. All of my eight cats are rescues. They have been removed from the wild environment and live a safe life in a loving home. My Norbu was the wildest and with patience and compassion has become a wonderful inside cat. He has been in the house for ten months at this writing. He is still cautious but becomes calmer every day. Feral cats need their space and will calm down at their own pace. The process can not be rushed. The rewards are priceless.

Perhaps a person could adopt a feral colony. Putting up shelters and providing the necessities of life is a start. There will be people that do not appreciate the effort and be prepared for a backlash from individuals or governments. Be sure to check with local regulations before starting a big project.

In Closing

Any invasive species has a human element behind it. Then the target species has to pay with its life. Humanity has to take responsibility for its actions.

I do not believe in free-roaming cats. My cats are indoors only except two that go out on leads. There are just too many hazards out there for my kitties such as wild animals, vehicles, and cat haters. I could not sleep at night if everybody was not in the house. That goes for my dogs too.

That’s my story for today. Please hug a kitty and do something green for the environment. Don’t forget to check my Cat Care Products page for something for that special kitty.

How Long Is Cat (Pet) Care? It Is Forever!

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below

Trevor

Rolling Plains Veterinary Consultants Inc

Rolling PlainsLocated in southern Manitoba, Rolling Plains Veterinary Consultants has three locations to serve all of your veterinary needs from pets to livestock.

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Happy Easter With Cats

Cats and easter

 

 

Having a Happy Easter With Cats is easy, however, there are some precautions that are necessary so everyone can enjoy the holiday rather than being at the vet office. Seasonal decorations, foods and plants are the cats biggest threat. Here are some examples. Some of this post is a reprint from my post Toxic Plants for Cats written on April 03, 2018.

Easter Plants

Lilly
Easter Lily

Easter Plants such as the Easter Lilly are extremely TOXIC to cats. Every part of this plant is toxic even the pollen. This plant will cause kidney failure and survivability rates are low even with immediate medical care.

The Lilly’s that are of the greatest interest to the cat owner are the Easter Lilly, Asiatic Lily and Tiger Lily plus day Lily.

Calla or Arum Lily contain crystals that irritate the mouth and cause drooling, diarrhea and vomiting but do not affect the kidneys.

Lily of the Valley will affect the heart causing low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. This could progress to coma or seizures.

To prevent all  problems with Lilys just don’t bring them into the house.

Poisonous Plants for Cats

Amaryllis
Amaryllis

Here is a list of Non-Pet Friendly plants. Norfolk Pine, House Pine, Croton, Jade Plant, Dwarf Rubber Plant, Azalea, Geranium, Aloe, Dracaena, Corn Plant, Ribbon Plant, Dieffenbachia, Giant Dumb Cane, Daffodil, Paper White, Calla Lily, Trumpet Lily, Yucca, Caladium, Elephant Ears, Cutleaf Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Golden Pothos, Devils Ivy, English Holy, Amaryllis, Belladonna Lily, Tulip & Tulip Bulb, Peace Lily, Horsehead, Heartleaf Philodendron, Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Mum, English Ivy, Sweetheart Ivy, Snake Plant, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, Anthurium.

It is a good idea to Google search every plant a person brings into the house to check for animal toxicity. A person should be cautious with outside plants too. Should your cat have roaming outside privileges your garden should be as free from toxic plants as the house. Please follow this link to my post Toxic Plants For Cats for a list of safe plants for your home.

A good alternative to your cats chewing the houseplants is to plant Cat Grass for them. It is easy with seed from the pet store or purchase this example from Amazon. My cats love the grass and chew on it all day long. It takes about 3 days to sprout and within the week it is tall enough to eat.

The Kitchen Hazards

The Kitchen

Regardless of the holiday, most duties of any special day fall on the mummies of the house. It is nice if the chef gets enough help to prevent accidents and injury to anyone. Our cats enjoy everything in the kitchen especially the smell of food or just watching and participating by just standing on the cupboard or stove. Whenever anything comes off the stove and the elements are hot I always put a pot of cold water on the empty element to prevent burnt feet.

Sharp objects like knives should be stored to prevent being pushed off the cupboard. I never store sharp objects with the sharp side up as cats walk around the whole house when we are not looking. Because our cats are always underfoot please be careful not to get tripped by your nosey kitty.

Dangerous Foods For Cats

Turkey Dinner

All the great cuisine we humans get to enjoy are not good for our cats or our dogs. Foods to avoid for your pets are chocolate, tea, coffee, grapes and raisins. Uncooked yeast dough can be fatal. Any raw meat should be avoided because of salmonellosis. This is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the salmonella type. Do not let cats munch on onions in any form. An ingredient called thiosulphate contained in onions which are toxic to cats and dogs.

Cooked turkey and other poultry is not a problem for cats unless it is too hot. The spices and bastings applied to a cooking poultry product can give your kitty an upset stomach. One of the hazards of cooked poultry is that cooked bones if eaten will splinter and pierce your cat’s insides. Meat wrappings such as plastic, aluminum foil will be licked and ingested by cats with disastrous results.

Meat soaked string is a lethal hazard to your cat. Should your cat eat string don’t pull it regardless of which end of the cat it is sticking out of. The string will tangle around their tongues and intestines and will require surgery to remove. Because of the serious damage string can cause I never leave any string, thread or yarn lying around. Take your time, get some help and spent time enjoying your day rather than sweating at the vet.

In closing this topic I must mention that the most common cause of home fires is unattended cooking. If you need a rest shut off the top of the stove.

Your Guests

When receiving guests I would recommend putting coats and other clothes in a closed room so that your kitty does not pee on the scents of other animals. It would be a good idea to set ground rules on the handling of your cats especially if there are undisciplined children present. I always feed my cats and dogs before the guests arrive so they are not tempted to hang around the table.

Holidays and Giving Pets

Flower

Many pets are given during holiday seasons and then many pets are abandoned because the people involved were not prepared for receiving a pet. Cats, dogs and bunnies are abandoned to often. If you want to give a pet to someone have a sit-down and explain the responsibilities of owning a pet with children and parents before giving an animal to anyone.  A cat is a lifetime commitment!

Spring And Summer

Temperature Chart

During this time of year as the outside temperatures climb we must remember that animals, babies and seniors must not be left in cars or hot rooms. The following chart will show how hot it gets inside a car. To experience this I suggest going to a parking lot, roll up the windows and shut the car off and see how long you can sit there.

In Closing

That’s my story for today. Be careful this holiday season and enjoy yourself by taking your time and getting help as necessary. Making your home safe for everyone including our furry family is important. Remember that no internet advice is better than the advice of your trusted vet.

If you have a moment please have a look at my Cat Care Products page for something for that special kitty.

Do You Need A Vet

Do you need good veterinary services in Manitoba.

Rolling Plains Veterinary Consultants Inc.

Rolling Plains

This service in southern Manitoba has three locations to serve you. They provide services for small animals and all farm livestock. Please follow this link for more information – Rolling Plains Veterinary Consultants Inc

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below

Trevor

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