Cat and Kitten Care

The following is a copy of what appears in the booklet handed out to people when adopting a cat or kitten from us.

Settling In

Traveling with your cat
The first thing you may notice about your new cat is that most cats don’t like to travel. Please keep it confined to the box or cage while in the car, for your own and your cat’s safety.

Letting your cat out of the box
Bringing your new cat home is exciting, but remember that your cat or kitten is likely to be confused, shy and scared. To make the change as comfortable as possible, select a quiet closed in area such as a small room, away from busy areas. Make sure the cat litter box is close to where you are keeping the cat. Close all windows and doors before you release your cat from the box. Let the cat become acquainted with a limited area for the first few days. Allow it to sniff some of your belongings and investigate some hiding places. Then over a few days, slowly introduce it to the rest of the house.

Meeting children and other animals

Introduce other animals or children to your new cat one at a time, slowly, quietly, and under supervision. Make sure your cat or kitten has a ‘safe place’ where they can go to sleep or just get some peace and quiet. This place should be always accessible to your cat, and be in a quiet, sheltered spot and out of reach of children.

Please follow any further advice we may give you regarding your particular situation or your particular cat.

Take care in the early days to ensure windows, doors and cat doors are securely shut.

When can I let my kitten outside?

Keep your kitten safe inside until 14 days after its last vaccination. When you let it outside, stay close by and keep watch. Kittens and young cats, if left alone outside, are more likely to get lost, follow strangers home, be killed or injured on the road or get attacked by neighbourhood animals.

Therefore keep your kitten inside with a litter tray when you are not around to supervise it.

When can I let my cat outside?

Well-adjusted cats may only need to be kept inside for one-two weeks. Others will need a lot longer. Please follow our advice regarding your new cat. Don’t be tempted to let the cat out earlier, even if it seems desperate to go outside. A new outside environment can be very scary to a cat, and if it gets a fright it is likely to run away and hide. Forcing a cat outside can be very frightening for it.

Cat doors

Your cat should have access to the inside of the house whenever it wants to. A cat door will provide easy access for your cat. Electronic cat doors are very useful, and will avoid the problem of other cats coming inside the house. It is safer to keep your cat indoors at night, because cats are more likely to be in fights, or involved in car accidents at night-time.

Please Note:
A similar length of confinement inside the house should be used every time you move to a new house.

Poos & Wees

Kittens and cats are instinctively clean and want to go to the toilet in a private area that is clean and tidy. All cats and kittens at the shelter routinely use their litter tray.

The litter box

A plastic litter tray is the best type to use. To make cleaning easier, line the tray with a sheet of newspaper. Place two-three cupsful of kitty litter into the tray each time you clean it. Change and clean it completely whenever it is dirty, usually two-three times a day for a young kitten or one-two times a day for an adult cat. Cats and kittens do not like to use a dirty litter tray.

Where should I place the tray?
Start by confining the animal to a small area of the house (e.g. bathroom, laundry or spare room). Do this until the animal uses the litter tray every time it goes to the toilet.

Encourage kittens to use the tray by placing them in the tray when they wake up and soon after meals. These are usually the times when they want to go to the toilet.

Why isn’t my cat using the tray?
There is usually a good reason for your cat or kitten not to use the litter tray.

Consider the following reasons:

• the litter tray is not clean

• the tray is kept in a noisy or busy area of the house

• the tray is too close to food bowls or the cats’ bed

• the tray has been moved and is not easily accessible or visible

• the cat is stressed

• The cat has a health problem, such as diarrhoea.

Accidents do happen
Most cats and kittens will have the odd accident, so be prepared to clean up. Clean the area well with disinfectant. Avoid using ammonia based disinfectants as they smell similar to cat urine. They may encourage the cat to continue to urinate in that area.

You may need to provide your cat with a litter tray for some months if it is too scared to go out by itself.

Please be patient as accidents sometimes happen.

Never punish your cat for going to the toilet in the wrong place.

Rubbing the cat’s nose in the mess does not work and is cruel.

Contact the shelter for advice if there are any toilet training problems. It is easier to fix the problem early on.

Feeding Kittens - 8 Weeks to 12 Months

What should I feed my kitten?
Kittens should only be fed a specific kitten food (not food for adult cats) that is designed specifically for their needs until they are 12 months old. A good kitten food contains all the nutrients a growing kitten needs, and nothing else needs to be fed for a healthy start to life. The food should have the words “Complete and Balanced” and the packaging should have an “AAFCO statement” printed on it. “AAFCO” stands for the American Association of Feed Control Officials, and is a quality assurance organisation that tests pet food.

A combination of moist and dry food may be used for your kitten.

Your kitten has been fed solely on Hill’s Science Diet Feline Growth since being at the shelter. We strongly recommend you continue this diet for at least three weeks after you get your kitten home. Any sudden change in diet may result in diarrhoea or vomiting.

Wellington SPCA recommends Hill’s Science Diet Feline Growth for kittens. This is a very good food and is available from Wellington SPCA, other vet clinics and pet shops.

How much should I feed my kitten?
Wellington SPCA feeds all kittens by free choice i.e. by leaving dry food available all the time and allowing the kitten to eat when it wants to. This is a good regime and works best when dry food is used (for kittens over eight weeks). Another option is to feed three times a day until four months old. When over four months, two meals per day are sufficient. Kittens tend to eat only as much as they need.

Only leave enough canned food out that can be eaten in one sitting. Otherwise it goes off or may attract flies.

Should I give my kitten milk?
No, because your new kitten has been weaned from its mother and no longer needs milk. The lactose contained in cows milk will often result in diarrhoea.

Should I give my kitten any supplements?
You do not need to add calcium supplements to their diet. It is better to use a food that has all the right ingredients in the right amount, such as an AAFCO approved food. Too much of any one nutrient can upset the overall nutrient balance in the body and cause problems.

Have fresh drinking water available at all times.

What if I want to change my kittens diet?
Any sudden change in diet may result in vomiting and diarrhoea, so change foods gradually. Mix the new food in with the old food over the period of a week.

Feeding Adult Cats - 12 Months and Over

What should I feed my cat?
A good cat food should contain all the nutrients that your cat needs in the correct amounts. Check the label to ensure it says the food is “complete and balanced” or it is “AAFCO approved”. At least 70% of the meal should be one of these good quality foods. This can be a mixture of dry and canned. The other 30% can include things such as treats, leftovers and bones to give your cat some variety.

Should I give my cat milk?
Cats do not need milk when fed a complete and balanced diet. It may cause diarrhoea in some cats. However if you choose to give your cat milk, we recommend you mix it with an equal volume of water. Discontinue giving milk if it causes a tummy upset, such as vomiting or diarrhoea.

There are a variety of lactose free pet milks available in supermarkets. These avoid the risk of diarrhoea.

Always have fresh water available for your cat. Cats fed mostly a moist diet will have a small water requirement, as 60-80% of canned food is water. A cat fed solely on a dry diet will have a much greater water requirement.

How often should I feed my cat?
It is fine to leave a constant supply of dry food available for your cat because most cats are grazers and would prefer lots of small meals throughout the day. However dry food does contain a lot of energy and some cats may put on too much weight with this feeding regime. For these cats it may be best to feed twice a day, or use a reduced calorie diet. Contact us or your local vet clinic for advice.

A suggested feeding regime

• feed a small amount of tinned food morning and night, only enough that can be eaten in one sitting e.g. Chef or Whiskas

• leave some Hill’s Science Diet Feline Adult freely available throughout the day

• make sure fresh water available at all times

• give raw gravy beef cut into strips or frozen chicken necks given twice weekly to reduce tartar build-up on teeth. Discard any leftovers, which may attract flies.

Health Care

What if my new cat gets sick?
Your cat or kitten may receive free veterinary treatment at Wellington SPCA Veterinary Care Clinic for a contagious disease it may have contracted while at the shelter. This service is available only for the first two weeks of the adoption. Please telephone to make an appointment to visit the vet clinic on 04-389-8044. The SPCA will not accept liability for any debts incurred for treatment at any other vet clinic. Wellington SPCA provides a 24 hour emergency veterinary service if urgent treatment is needed.

For cats or kittens adopted from the Kapiti Shelter who become sick within 2 weeks of adoption, please contact the Kapiti Shelter on 04-293-4292.

Wellington Spca Veterinary Care At The Newtown Shelter

We offer veterinary services for any member of the public. A low cost service is available for community service cardholders. We run a 24-hour emergency service for clients of our vet clinic and for emergencies involving lost, injured, sick or stray animals.

Diarrhoea

Kittens have sensitive tummies and a poorly developed immune system, and as a result may get diarrhoea. Young kittens with diarrhoea can rapidly lose weight and become quite sick. If your cat or kitten has diarrhoea for longer than 2 days, or if there are any other symptoms such as lack of appetite, lethargy or vomiting, contact us as soon as possible.

Feline Respiratory Disease (commonly called snuffles)

What is feline respiratory disease, and why are animals from shelters so susceptible?
Feline respiratory disease is the cat equivalent of a human cold or flu. This disease is common in animal shelters because shelters take in so many animals every day. Some have never received proper health care and many are already carrying infectious diseases such as snuffles. This disease cannot infect people.

Snuffles is usually a mild disease that can be easily treated. Without treatment, an animal can get severely debilitated. Cats and kittens are vaccinated against only some of the agents that cause snuffles as soon as they enter the shelter. Vaccinations however, may take up to six weeks to provide protection from disease. Some animals may also be infected by an agent not vaccinated against.

What symptoms should I look for in my new cat or kitten?
The signs of snuffles may include sneezing, coughing, runny nose, red or watery eyes, a blocked nose, drooling or open-mouthed breathing, ulcers in the mouth, lack of appetite or thirst, depression, and fever.

What should I do if my new cat has these symptoms?
See the vet as soon as possible (immediately for kittens or cats that stop eating).

What can I do to help my sick cat get well fast?
Follow your vet’s advice closely. Use all medications as prescribed, even if your cat's condition seems to have improved. Encourage your cat to rest as much as possible by providing a quiet, warm place. Encourage your cat to eat by feeding it smelly fish or warming the food to increase its smell. Gently wipe away any discharge from the eyes and nose with a damp cotton wool ball.

Vaccinations

Your cat or kitten has had one or more vaccinations while it was at the shelter. It may need another booster after adoption. Check the vaccination card for the date that this is due. You may make an appointment with Wellington SPCA Vet Clinic for this to be done.

Vaccinations are the best way to prevent certain diseases, but animals are not fully protected until three-four weeks after the last booster injection is given. Keep your cat or kitten away from unvaccinated cats or kittens for at least 1 month after the last vaccination.

Once the booster series are given, yearly vaccinations are advised to keep your animal healthy. The vaccination provides protection against the Herpes and Calici viruses, which are two causes of Feline Respiratory Disease and the Parvovirus, which causes Feline Enteritis.

Worm treatment

Young kittens and cats need to be treated regularly to prevent problems such as vomiting, diarrhoea and intestinal blockage in severe cases.

Kittens (8 – 12 weeks old)
Treat the kitten against roundworms every 2 weeks until it is 12 weeks old.

Kittens (12 weeks – 6 months old)
Worm against roundworms and tapeworms every month until it is six months old.

Cats (6 months and older)
Worm against roundworms and tapeworms every three-six months for the rest of the cat’s life.

Wellington SPCA uses and recommends ‘Cancare’ tablets for roundworm treatment in kittens and ‘Drontal Allwormer’ tablets to treat roundworm and tapeworm in cats.

Flea treatment

A flea problem is much easier to prevent than to treat when they present in large numbers. Flea prevention is best provided all year round. There are many flea products available from a variety of outlets. Choose carefully, as not all treatments are safe or effective to use on cats, and many are not safe for kittens. Never combine different flea products due to the risk of poisoning your cat.

Wellington SPCA recommends Frontline as a safe and effective flea treatment for your cat or kitten.

Wellington SPCA does not recommend the use of flea products that contain organophosphate insecticides such as ‘Spoton’ due to the high number of adverse reactions seen.

Wellington SPCA does not recommend the use of flea collars because they are not very effective and can also get caught in the mouth or under the armpit.

Your kitten (if under 12 weeks of age) has been treated with Frontline Spray while at the shelter. This treatment lasts for 6 weeks.

Your adult cat (or kitten over 12 weeks of age) has been treated with Frontline Topspot at the shelter. This lasts for 5 weeks.

Frontline is most effective if used all year round.

Handling

Lift cats and kittens by placing one hand under their chest and the other around the hind legs to support all of the weight. The scruff, the loose skin over the top of the neck just behind the ears, is an effective area to grasp and restrain a cat.

Not all cats enjoy being held, and sometimes even affectionate cats are just not in the mood. Forcing a cat to be handled may make it more reluctant next time. Usually your cat will let you know if it wants to be left alone by putting ears back, growling, wriggling, scratching or running away.

Teach children the correct way to handle cats. Never leave young children unsupervised around a cat or kitten. Cats and kittens should not be expected to tolerate everything that a young child may want to do to them. This may result in the animal or the child being injured. Children should also be taught to care for and respect animals.

Grooming

Longhaired cats should be combed once a day to prevent matting of the coat and fur balls. The grooming sessions may help to build the relationship between the cat and owner. Shorthaired cats should be brushed once a week. Get kittens used to grooming when they are young. If matting becomes bad, or if your cat won’t let you untangle some areas consult a professional pet groomer or your vet.

Collars

Collars with your phone number attached provide an effective form of identification for your cat. This is helpful if your cat is involved in an accident or wanders away from home.

It is important that a collar is fitted correctly to avoid injury. If the collar is too loose it can get caught around your cat’s mouth or a front leg may be trapped in it. A collar that is too tight may cause skin abrasions or restrict breathing. Fit the collar so you can place two fingers snugly under it. Remember to update your phone number when you shift.

Use a safe collar that has some sort of quick release in it, either with an elasticised portion or a snap open catch. Check the fit of the collar regularly to ensure you can slip two fingers under it.

Lost Pets

If your animal goes missing it may end up at one of our shelters. Always check with your local animal shelter, pound and vet clinic if your animal goes missing.

If you have access to the Internet you can visit Pets on the Net at www.petsonthenet.co.nz

This website will advise you on what to do if you animal goes missing. You can also search for found animals and place your lost animal on their database.

Understanding Cats

Cats are fairly complex animals which most of us have some difficulty in fully understanding.

We expect a cat to fit into our lives and homes without any problems. We need to consider how we can change our way of thinking and manage our environment to benefit the cat.

Most behavioural problems are normal behaviour expressed in ways we don’t like. Effective solutions can be found by understanding the behaviour of the cat and anticipating its needs.

Cats are not like dogs and do not form social groups based on respecting the “top animal”. Many mistakes are made because people think they will react like dogs or small children.

Cats have good reasons for the things they do. To say that “he is being naughty” or “she knows she is doing wrong” is to incorrectly think of your cat having human thought patterns and behaviour.

A cat that is spraying urine inside the house may simply be reacting to a threat and it shows anxiety by spraying. It is quite acceptable for a cat to spray outside on a tree, but not suitable for it to spray inside. We often expect the cat to understand the difference.Try to encourage your cat to avoid inappropriate behaviour.

Making certain behaviours very difficult is one way. If the cat jumps up on the bench and you want to discourage this action, don’t leave food on the bench.

If this doesn’t work, give the cat some gentle discouragement. Every time you see the cat on the bench, simply lift it down and say ‘No’. Another method is to make a loud noise, such as clapping your hands, or stamping your feet, or saying loudly “no” as the cat jumps onto the bench.

Please note that loud noises could be detrimental to shy or nervous cats.

Never hit a cat or use any form of physical punishment. You will only teach your cat to fear you.

Offering the cat alternatives is another method of changing behaviour. If a cat scratches the furniture, you could provide it with a cat scratching pad scented with catnip. Place the cat scratch pad at the place where the cat scratches. Cats normally scratch a vertical surface to sharpen their claws and to mark their territory.

All cats are different and what works for one may not work for another. Please phone us for advice should you have a problem.

Please contact the shelter for advice if your cat has any behaviour problems.

When you are away

Many independent cats are fine if a reliable person comes to check on them every day, especially if you are gone for only a few days. Ensure that the cat has access to adequate shelter by leaving it inside or providing a cat door for free access to the house. It is also a good idea to put an ID tag on your cat. Make sure you leave your contact details and your vet’s name and telephone number with the cat sitter.

The other option is to place your cat at a good boarding cattery. You will need to arrange this in advance, especially during school holidays. Make sure vaccinations are up to date. Most catteries are happy to show you around before you decide where to board your cat. Catteries are a good option if you are going away for a long period, and for cats that are young, old, shy or on medication. They also give owners peace of mind.

Microchipping

A small microchip can be implanted under the skin. Each chip has a unique number that can be stored in a database along with the owners’ details. This provides a form of permanent identification for the animal.

Backup caregivers

It is a good idea to ask a friend or family member if they would be willing to take over care of your cat if need be. Ideally, you should arrange this before you even consider getting a companion. Make sure that the person you ask is willing and able to provide for the health, welfare and cost of looking after your cat. If anything happens to you, your cat will be well looked after.

Never abandon an animal because this is illegal and a cruel way to treat a cat. Abandoned domestic cats have a tough time surviving on their own and also contribute to the destruction of our wildlife and overpopulation problems if not desexed.

If you are no longer able to care for your cat, it is your responsibility to arrange for someone else to take over full care. Animal shelters may take unwanted animals, but they are usually crowded, especially at holiday times. Your cat will get very stressed if you abandon it.