Keeping your cat happy and healthy in Autumn

I am really pleased to be able to introduce a guest blog to you this week.

Our kind contributor is Debbie who is the Feline Behaviour Advisor at Blackwater Valley Vets and a wonderful supporter of Cats Protection…

Well, autumn seems to be upon us and already the leaves are falling and turning colour.
With the changing season comes inclement weather especially more rain and wind so our cats may not want to venture outside as much due to the change in temperature. 

Providing an indoor litter tray will help enormously and give your cat a choice. Position it in a quiet private corner and fill with enough fine grain, soft litter as cats need to be able to dig and bury their deposits. If you have a multi cat household then it is important to provide a couple or more trays in order to accommodate each cat. When our cats are more reluctant to go outside in bad weather then they are more susceptible to retaining their urine and as a result this could trigger a urinary tract infection, another good reason to supply a litter tray indoors. Our elderly felines will really appreciate this valuable resource too as they often suffer with stiff joints and mobility problems which can be esca bated in the damper weather. Getting in and out of cat flaps can be challenging and they don’t always feel so confident outside as their younger counterparts so bear this in mind. 

Providing a handy shelter and bolt hole to retreat to near to the exit of the cat flap will allow your cat to survey the outside territory more securely. A piece of garden furniture works well. Look at your garden or outside space from a cat’s point of view and supply densely stocked flowerbeds, high vantage points, a suntrap for those odd warm days and a handy shelter in case of rainy weather. Providing a near to home private latrine site outside will be welcome so save your cat going too far in the rotten weather.

Our cats mark, spray and chin objects in their outside territory to leave behind scent messages and visual markers, if your cat is more reluctant to go outside when the weather is bad, provide resources within your home to allow for this important behaviour. Scratching posts and activity centres work well for this as scratching not only conditions the claws but the stropping leaves behind scent messages. Placing a post or activity centre near to French or patio doors will allow your cat to survey their outside patch and to watch the birds especially if you have a bird feeder in the garden. If you have a multi cat household then provide a few scratching posts to accommodate each cat.

Cats like to chew on grass to help their digestive system and to alleviate hair balls so in the autumn and winter you could provide a tub of grass on a kitchen windowsill. Cocksfoot grass seed is available from some garden centres and larger pet stores it is high in minerals and vitamin C and is easily grown. Catit Senses which have a good website sell a real growing grass garden which rests in a bowl and the Cat Gallery sell a grow your own cat grass in a ceramic bowl.

**Please take a look at the ISFM website as this gives a detailed and comprehensive list of poisonous plants that pose a risk to our felines in the home and outside. **
In the damper months your cat will feel the cold more, even more so if the your cat is elderly so providing a soft warm fleece in a basket, cardboard box or bed will help them snuggle up. You can get heat pads like the “Snugglesafe” one which you can warm in a microwave and place in the fleece or blanket. There are fleece lined radiator beds which attach to a radiator which some cats really enjoy. For older cats there are orthopaedic fleeces that have an inbuilt layer to conduct heat and help ease stiff joints.

Keeping our cats more mentally stimulated in the colder and damper months when they choose to stay indoors more, will help keep them be more active and a great way of doing this is by playing with them or giving them toys to investigate and to express their natural predatory behaviour. Popular and inexpensive toys are rolled up bits of paper or tinfoil or ping pong balls. Other fun toys for cats are laser pens just be careful not to shine the laser in their eyes, the Frolicat bolt laser toy from Pet Planet is one that is free standing and runs off batteries it fires a laser beam in different directions for 15 minutes at a time and then switches itself off. “Cat TV” which you can select from your laptop, phone or IPad shows birds chirping and jumping about or fish swimming on and off the screen this keeps cats entertained for ages. A sensory style toy from Catit Senses is available which is a food maze and a boredom beating game. ** Remember to never leave your cat or kitten unsupervised with any toys that can be eaten or shredded. Young children should be encouraged to play with the cat using fishing rod style toys so that their body parts can be out of reach from an exuberant cat who may get over excited when playing.
I hope that these tips help and may I wish you all a happy and enjoyable autumn.

Check out the Blackwater Valley Vets Facebook page for more updates and advice from Debbie.

Keeping your cat safe during bonfire night

Remember, remember…your cat during fireworks season

I am not a great fan of fireworks to be fair.  Although I understand that the celebrations can be great fun for people, cats (and other animals) can be left stressed out, confused or injured by fireworks.

Apart from the obvious physical damage suffered through accidental contact with fireworks, cats can be badly affected by fireworks noise and lights.  Possible behavioural problems as a result of fear and stress could include house soiling or excessive grooming, whilst there is also the danger of a pet cat running away and never returning home.

Try to find a list of local public firework displays as these can run for a couple of weeks over the 5th November.
 
Once you know when to be prepared, a few simple precautions can help you to keep fur babies out of harm’s way:

•    Keep your cat in after dark and ensure he/she has access to a litter tray.

•    Try to reduce outside noise by keeping windows shut and curtains drawn. Playing soothing music or having the TV on may also help. Try not to reinforce fearful behaviour by soothing and reassuring a cat that is looking anxious.

•    While cats like to be settled in a cosy, familiar territory such as a comfy bed or favourite chair, when feeling scared they need safe places to hide. Ensure they can exhibit this natural behaviour by providing access to a hiding place, such as under the bed, an igloo-style cat bed or something simple like a cardboard box.  Let them hide in their uninterupted for as long as they need.

•    Make sure all doors and windows are securely closed to prevent your cat from escaping the home.

•    A Pheromone plug-in diffuser such as Feliway® can be used to decrease anxiety and spraying, and can have a beneficial effect in calming a cat during fireworks. However, you must start using it a couple of weeks before 5th November to maximise the benefit. It should be sited in the room/s in which your cat chooses to rest.

If you are having your own bonfire night celebration this year, then why not consider:

•    Buying hand-held cascading fireworks rather than the noisier varieties.

•    Holding a ‘silent’ fireworks display – many companies now offer quiet or almost silent fireworks – giving you the same spectacle without the loud bangs.

•    Keeping fireworks and bonfire displays as far away from homes as possible, to minimise any adverse effects on animals indoors, although bear in mind the effect these displays will have on wild animals.

•    Always check bonfires before lighting them to ensure that no small animals are sleeping inside.

Funny Feline Sayings

When out and about on Cats Protection business I hear some brilliant cat stories and some great cat sayings so thought I would share some...

• Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives.
• There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.
• I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.
• Never feed your cat anything that doesn't match the carpet.
• Cat's motto: "No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look as if the dog did it."
• Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
• For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.
• These aren't my thoughts, they're my cat walking on the keyboard.
• Cats are better than any vice. They're not fattening, dangerous, or expensive. However, they can be addictive.
• I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted, but his or her entertainment value.

I don't know where any of these came from (and I am too lazy to find out) but most cat owners will relate to all of them!  Number 6 is my favourite :-)

Moggy Mythology

I have just read a really interesting article in The Cat Magazine which is all about the Mythology of Moggys.  There are so many superstitions and fables in different countries around the world, I thought I would share some with you.

Holland - The fable goes that you should make sure your cat is not in the room if you are having a private conversation because the cat would spread your secrets throughout the town.  Mind you, MellyBoy has been privvy to many private conversations and has never given away my secrets - as far as I know!

Norway - The Norwegian Forest Cat was often called "the fairy cat" because it was said that if you looked deep into it's eyes, you would see visions of the fairy world.

Scotland - Folklore used to say that if a stray tortoiseshell cat chose to stay with you, you would be sure to have good luck.  I know a few of our tortoiseshell adopters would agree with this one!

China - One Chinese belief is that the older and uglier a cat is, the luckier it is!  I love this one!

Abyssinia - Girls who had a cat in the home were considered wealthy and so found themselves much sought after by suitors.  This one particularly interested me as so often, woman joke about being left on the shelf and living as a spinster with a cat, which really irritates me, so I will start sharing this little nugget next time I hear a comment like that!

Olde Worlde Britain - In rural areas, it was thought that kittens born at the end of blackberry season would be particularly mischievous.  The reasoning was the belief that Satan was thrown out of heaven at this time of year and landed in the brambles!  MellyBoy was a rescue cat so I don't know his date of birth but I would bet good money that he is a blackberry kitten!

Russia - In Russian mythology, the cat was seen as a house guardian, protecting the home and bringing good luck into it.  I think this is very true!

So you see, there are many fables that relate to our feline friends and I am sure there are many many more out there, I would love to hear if you know of any others!

Poisons in the home

We want to do everything we can for our cats but sometimes we might be harming them without realising it. There are poisons in our homes that could make our furry friends sick and, even kill them in the worst cases.

Human foods

As most of us know, chocolate can actually be lethal to cats (and dogs). The caffeine and theobromine found in chocolate cause the damage in cats. Milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and baking chocolate can be especially dangerous.

And other foods, which seem harmless can be very harmful. For example, if a cat were to eat garlic or onions it can destroy red blood cells and cause a form of anaemia.  Sultanas are another seemingly harmless food that is in fact a poison.

The best way to avoid the danger from foods is to keep cats away from any food you are preparing, and ensure nothing is left out for your cats to nibble on, even if it is just for a short while. Keep all food covered or in the fridge.

Plants and flowers

We see a lot of publicity about lilies being toxic to cats, but remember this isn’t just if they eat the flower directly, a cat might brush past the flower get pollen on their coat and eat the pollen when they groom themselves later. This poisoning can cause renal failure, which is a serious condition.

But lilies are not the only flowers that can trigger illness in our cats – aloe vera, avocado, daffodils and eucalyptus are all toxic. You can find a full list of harmful plants here.

Ensure you keep all household plants up high and out of reach of cats, and tidy up any fallen leaves. Outside of the house, ensure there are no poisonous plants within the areas of access to cats and keep any plants away from the cat’s drinking water.

Cleaning products

Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of household cleaning products that are dangerous to cats. Phenol is a chemical commonly found in cleaning products which is dangerous to the health of cats. For this reason, all cleaning products should be kept in a cupboard away from cats. Substances such as concentrated washing liquids can burn the paws and skin if cats walk through them, and even beauty products such as nail polish and suntan lotion can cause harm.

But it is possible to buy cat-friendly cleaning products from pet stores and some of the big cleaning brands such as Mr Muscle now sell a pet friendly range.

Other toxins

Other poisons include human medicine (such as paracetamol), antifreeze and dog flea treatment.

Symptoms your cat has been poisoned

• Confused/uncoordinated movements
• Drooling
• Vomiting/diarrhoea
• Difficulty breathing
• Fitting/seizures
• Swollen paws or face
• Depression

If you think your cat has been poisoned

• Stay calm – remove your cat from the source of the poison
• If the poison is on the cat’s fur prevent your cat from grooming himself and try and wash the poison off with shampoo
• Call your vet immediately

If you want to know more, here are some useful sources on the subject:

A list of plants that are harmful to cats
More detail on toxic substances for cats