Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

The Costs of Cat Ownership – Can You Afford a Cat?

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Adopting a new cat or kitten is exciting, but it’s important to understand the initial and long-term costs of cat ownership before you actually bring your kitty home. There are the initial expenses of purchasing supplies to prepare for your new cat, and there are recurring expenses that you’ll incur throughout the year and over the cat’s lifetime. In addition, there are often unanticipated veterinary costs that can happen at any time during the year that need to be factored in to your annual expenses.

INITIAL COSTS

Initial Expenses
Type of Expense Food – Wet & Dry (for 2+ weeks), Cheaper vs. Premium/High Quality Brands/Food $40 – $65
Spay / Neuter (Male vs. Female) $45 – $100+
Any Needed Vaccines, Deworming, Basic Routine Exam with a Veterinarian (Establish Baseline/Check Overall Health) $100
Microchipping $40 – $50
Food & Water Bowls $15 – $25
Litterbox $25 – $50
Litter $20 – $40
Cat Carrier $25 – $65
Scratching Post and/or Board (Tall is best) $25 – $70
Toys, Misc. Cat Supplies (replacing or adding cat beds, scratching posts, etc.) $25 – $40
Initial Total $360 – $600
 Cat Carrier

Cat carriers are needed for trips to the vet, emergencies, disasters, and for travel. It’s important to purchase a sturdy carrier, one that doesn’t collapse or fold, but provides structure and durability so your cat won’t be injured inside the carrier. The cat should have ample room to move and turn around and stand up in case they’re in the carrier for a prolonged period of time. It’s a one-time purchase so buy a quality carrier that will last. Never buy a cardboard carrier, cats can get injured or lost when using them. Good cat carriers will cost between $40 – $65.

Continue reading The Costs of Cat Ownership – Can You Afford a Cat? →

Library & Resources

How to Report Animal Cruelty

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One of the most important things you can do to help cats and pets in your community is to report animal cruelty or neglect. Don’t remain silent or be afraid to reach out—there are many resources and professionals who can help. Remember, the cat or animal being abused or neglected is a helpless, innocent, voiceless victim who has no ability or way of protecting itself, so it’s up to you to speak up and take action.

Notify the Police and County Animal Shelter

Even though every state and county is different, you can immediately call your local police department and your local county animal control to report the neglect or abuse. Provide them with a written factual statement of what you witnessed, and include the time and date. Take photos of the neglect or abuse, take as many as possible, to visually substantiate what you witnessed. If there were other witnesses, talk with them, and get their written accounts and include  their name, contact information, and date and time of the incident. Make and keep copies of all the documents you submitted for your own file, don’t give away all of your original documentation. Continue reading How to Report Animal Cruelty →

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Watch Out for Signs of Heat Stoke in Your Cat

WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF HEAT STOKE IN YOUR CAT

Heat stroke or heat exhaustion is a very serious, life-threatening condition for cats. It can cause permanent damage to multiple internal organs, and can cause kidneys and the heart to stop functioning or fail. It can be fatal if not treated with urgency by taking your cat to a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital. 

Heat stroke can happen anytime throughout the year, but it happens more often during the warm summer months. Cats are no different than people when it comes to tolerating heat. But it is even harder for cats to respond to heat and cool their bodies since they pant and sweat only through the pads of their paws to reduce excess heat. It’s much harder for cats to regulate their body temperature as a result. If they cannot cool themselves fast enough, they will quickly become overheated and suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be fatal. Don’t wait until the eleventh hour to seek treatment when it can be late. Watch out for signs of heat stroke and know what to do.

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Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

How to Afford the Cost of Veterinary Care

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When you adopt a cat, you aren’t thinking about the day when your cat may become ill, or get injured, or need emergency care. But cats do get sick and sometimes do require expensive diagnostic tests and emergency care. You may be faced with veterinary expenses far beyond what you can afford, or need unexpected medical care that you didn’t anticipate and don’t know how you’re going to pay for it. Of course, you want to make the best decision for your cat, regardless of the cost, but how to pay for it? Here’s how to afford the cost of veterinary care.

I have been in this situation countless times with our many rescue cats. So often, I have needed to pony up and pay for complicated dental care, full-mouth extractions, multi-day emergency hospitalizations, or treating kidney failure to the tune of thousands of dollars—and I had no idea how we were going to pay for it.

Continue reading How to Afford the Cost of Veterinary Care →

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

How to Determine Your Cat’s Age in Cat Years

Ever been curious how old your cat is in cat years versus human years? Well, there’s no absolute or reliable scientific calculation for determining exactly how old your cat is in cat years, but there are good calculations that come close to estimating your cat’s approximate age. So here’s how to determine your cat’s age in cat years.

What Factors Determine How a Cat Ages?

There are many factors that go into a cat’s aging and lifespan including how well they have been cared for, whether they are indoor or outdoor cats, their daily diet and quality of food, whether they have received good veterinary care and annual wellness exams, whether chronic diseases and short-term illnesses have been treated in a timely manner, if they have received good dental care, the environmental stresses they have been subjected to, and their genetic predisposition to disease. Continue reading How to Determine Your Cat’s Age in Cat Years →

Cat Care Tips

10 Important Considerations in Preparing to Adopt a Cat

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10 Important Considerations in Preparing to Adopt A Cat

Adopting a kitten or adult cat is a long-term responsibility and commitment. It’s a decision you want to give careful thought to and be prepared for, not one to take lightly or impulsively. Owning a cat is a large financial and emotional responsibility lasting anywhere from 14 to 22 years, typically. Your cat will depend on you for its health, happiness, safety and well-being, so here are 10 important considerations in preparing to adopt a cat.

Renting Your Home? Check with Your Landlord First

If you live in an apartment or rental property be sure to confirm with your landlord beforehand that cats are allowed and know whether a pet deposit is required. Avoid adopting a cat and bringing it home, only to find out the landlord does not accept pets.

Lifetime of Costs

Adopting a new cat is exciting, but the reality is there is a lifetime of expenses associated with caring for a cat. Be aware of and ready to commit to spending money for regular weekly expenses like buying quality cat food and litter, but also for annual routine veterinary care and unexpected veterinary emergencies.  Annual checkups are highly recommended to keep your cat healthy and address any medical problems as they arise. During an annual checkup, your veterinarian can determine if your cat has oral disease or needs dental surgery or cleaning, which is important for good oral and overall health. But if your cat gets sick, he will need to see a veterinarian for medical care. As cats age and get older health problems can arise, so it’s important to be prepared for when that time comes. Like people, cats get sick and sometimes develop chronic illnesses as they age, which is why annual checkups are so important and can address medical problems before they get worse.

Cat-Proofing Your Home

There are many potential risks and hazards in the home for cats. To cat-proof your home, be sure to put away and store all medicines, household cleaners, and personal care products in cupboards and cabinets safely out of reach. Cover any outlets and electrical cords that cats can bite and chew. Remove live plants, as many are toxic to cats and can make them sick. Make sure to keep small objects that cats can swallow or ingest off the floor, tables and countertops. Keep string, thread, yarn, and ribbon off the floor and out of reach. Table scraps can make cats sick, so be sure to remove plates with leftover food and remove any leftover food from counters that cats can find and nibble on.

Keeping Cats Inside

Unlike dogs, cats don’t need to go outside. Cats are safest, healthiest and live the longest staying indoors. There are many risks to letting your cat outside—exposure to diseases and viruses, poisons and toxins, cars, getting lost and not returning home, and bites from wildlife or other cats. You can make your cat happiest living inside by investing in a tall scratching post, cat tree, balls, catnip toys, and giving them ample play time.

Microchipping your cat is a good safety measure in case of disaster, emergency, or if your cat accidentally escapes outside. If your cat is microchipped, you have a much better chance of having them returned to you.

Daily Feeding

Discuss in advance who will be responsible for daily feedings. Cats do best when fed twice a day, morning and night, so you’ll want to maintain this schedule daily at approximately the same time every day. Cats are happiest and do best when there is routine, consistency and predictability with feeding schedules. Your cat’s health will benefit when they are fed quality, nutritious cat food. The best cat foods have no meat by-products, meal, grains, or dyes, so always check the ingredients on the label.

Daily Litterbox Cleaning

Litterboxes should be cleaned daily as cats are very finicky about being clean and don’t like stepping into a dirty litterbox. With kittens up to 4 months old, you want to use a non-clumping litter like Johnny Cat; after 4-months you can use any clumping litter. Cats don’t like fragrance so it’s recommended to use litters that don’t contain fragrance or any smell. If you switch to a new type of litter, do it slowly over several days so they can adjust—again cats like consistency. Clay litters are not recommended because they can cause intestinal blockages and urinary issues when cat’s lick their paws and ingest clay dirt.

Have an area identified for your litterbox that is easily accessible for them and is located in a private, quiet area. If you live in a multilevel home, you will want one litterbox on each floor. Easy access is the key.

Daily Fresh Water

Cats need plenty of clean, fresh water available in an easily accessible place. If you live in a larger home or have multiple floors, consider multiple water bowls. Using stainless steel and glass are preferable to plastic bowls, as plastic can leach chemicals into the water that can cause chronic illness later. Keep bowls scrubbed and clean using soap and water at least every couple of days to avoid the build up of germs. Here’s more information about safe cat bowls.

Veterinary Care

Like people, cats can get sick too. Recognizing when your cat isn’t feeling well or is behaving differently and taking them to the vet is critical. You are their guardian and need to be willing to get veterinary care as often as needed. It’s important to be aware of the financial responsibility you’re making when you adopt a cat, and be committed to them for the cat’s natural lifetime. Be prepared for your cat’s annual checkup with a veterinarian for a routine exam, dental well checks and cleanings, and basic blood and urine tests when needed. Like with people, cats get cavities and need their teeth cleaned under anesthesia, so getting good dental care is important and can prevent chronic health problems that are more difficult to treat. Your cat’s happiness and well-being is dependent upon keeping them healthy over the course of their natural lifetime.

When end-of-life does come for your senior or elderly cat, work with your vet on providing good care with the goal of keeping your cat comfortable, pain-free and as healthy as possible to the very end. Remember the commitment you first made to your cat is caring for them all the way to the end of their natural life.

Cat Health & Grooming

Make sure your cat is spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering will contribute to your cat’s good long-term health, happiness and longevity.

Never declaw a cat! Declawing is considered amputation of a joint, is extremely painful, causes great suffering and distress, and can alter your cat’s behavior and personality forever making them fearful, timid, lack confidence and feel more vulnerable.

Cats are big groomers and healthy cats will groom themselves daily. Cats do not like to be bathed, and should not be bathed unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian to treat a specific skin disorder.

A Loving, Stress-Free Environment

Cats are smart creatures. They are also social animals, but it’s important to understand your own cat and when they want to socialize and when they don’t, and respect any personal limits they may have.

Learn to know your cat and keep any stress factors away from them. Stress affects the quality of a cat’s mental and physical health and many medical problems are often caused by underlying stress, so keep your home environment as stress-free as possible for your cat. For some cats stress can be caused by other cats they don’t get along with, a newborn baby, loud voices, or even new furniture may do it. If you find your cat is trying to communicate with you about these stress factors through their behavior, reach out to your veterinarian or local cat rescue group for answers—they are knowledgeable and can provide good suggestions. Make sure your home provides good environmental enrichment for your cat, and your cat has outlets to express his natural behaviors.

Lastly, don’t forget to make time every day to give your cat the love and attention they look to you for! 

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Cat Care Tips, Elderly Cat Care, Medical & Health Care

How to Provide the Best Care for Your Senior Cat

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Getting older is a normal, natural part of life for all of us. Today domestic cats are living longer than they ever did in the past—thanks to improved nutrition and better food, improved medical care, and more people keeping their cats indoors. But advancing age does not necessarily mean automatic degeneration. And aging does not necessarily mean inevitable disease. Many cats do grow old remaining relatively healthy into their geriatric years, while other cats in their senior years develop chronic or degenerative diseases. And know that even cats that do develop chronic diseases can live well into their late geriatric years—or 20+ years old—given excellent care and attention.

Never assume that changes in your older cat are simply due to “old age,” then write it off as normal aging for them. Most likely there is an underlying medical condition that is causing the changes you are observing in your cat’s behavior or physical appearance. That should always be the first consideration. The main thing is to give your cat the healthiest and best quality of life possible—by watching them closely, noticing any changes that take place, then getting them to a veterinarian to get the medical help they need.

Continue reading How to Provide the Best Care for Your Senior Cat →

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Signs of Dehydration in Cats

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Your cat’s body is made up of 70-80% water or three-quarters of your cat’s body weight is water, so it’s critical that your cat gets enough fluids daily to maintain good health and prevent dehydration. Water is essential for cat’s urinary and kidney health, circulation, digestion, and waste removal. With hot summer days now upon us, it’s even more important that your cat has access to and drinks enough water, as dehydration can lead to a number of serious medical problems and even death. Here are the signs of dehydration in cats and why it’s so important to treat dehydration immediately.

Why Hydration is So Important

Dehydration happens when your cat loses body fluids faster than he can replace them, and it can happen when your cat is either not drinking enough water or is losing too many fluids. Fluids lost through daily urination, elimination and respiration all need to be replaced to normal levels everyday. But if your cat hasn’t been drinking enough water; has been vomiting or has diarrhea; or has been ill or had a fever; or your cat is old, then rehydration is even more critical as all of these can leave your cat severely dehydrated.

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Elderly Cat Care, My Rescue Cats

Cat Hospice Care Has Prolonged Our Cat’s Life

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The decision to give cat hospice care to our cat Pumpkin has prolonged her life significantly. Now a year and half later after almost euthanizing her, she’s still alive and still enjoying life. Today she’s going to our vet for a checkup to see where her general health is and to understand if we need to make any adjustments to her medical regimen.

I wrote about Pumpkin over a year ago when our vet had recommended euthanizing her to relieve her obvious pain and suffering. She had declined quickly, had lost a significant amount of weight, and was diagnosed with possible lymphoma. But I wasn’t ready to make that decision to end her life and wanted to give Pumpkin another chance, so we worked with our vet to create a palliative care plan for her that would make her as comfortable as possible, address her symptoms, and possibly extend her life. Continue reading Cat Hospice Care Has Prolonged Our Cat’s Life →

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Tips for Buying a Pet Health Insurance Plan

Planning ahead for your cat’s health care is no different than planning for our own health care. We never know if or when we’ll get sick and need insurance, but having it gives us peace of mind. Knowing your cat will need medical help at some point is inevitable, so it’s good to plan ahead and be able to provide the care your cat will need. Here are some tips for buying a pet health insurance plan that will meet your needs.

Pet health insurance is just one of the many options available to help pay for emergency or unexpected veterinary bills. If you’re worried about being able to pay for your cat’s chronic illness or life-saving care, an accident, or an emergency—it may be good to know there’s a safety net under you. As with any insurance, you may never need it, but if you worry about affording those one-time emergencies or unexpected expenses that you feel could cripple your finances—having pet insurance may be a good option.

Continue reading Tips for Buying a Pet Health Insurance Plan →

Stories and tips about providing the best possible cat care—from 20 years experience rescuing, fostering, and caring for my many rescue cats.

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