Animal Services Home Page
Care of Your Cat
Housing
It is recommended that cats be indoor pets. Cats live longer,
healthier lives when they do not face outdoor dangers. Cars, other cats and animals
fighting for their territory, sickness and disease prevalent in the outdoors, and sickness
and death from spoiled foods and poisons all pose threats to the outdoor cat.
Outdoor cats are exposed to ticks, fleas and other parasites. Plan to spend more on veterinary bills if you let your cat outside. Outdoor cats are also likely to get lost. On average, indoor felines live 15 years versus a mere two to five years for outdoor cats.
Cats need a well-padded shallow box or basket in a warm, draft-free location as suitable bedding. However, they may prefer to choose their own spot!
Handling
The proper way to lift a cat is by placing your hand under its
chest while supporting the hind legs with your other hand. If your cat struggles or
assumes a stiff position, she does not want to be handled. Some cats love to be
handled and others prefer that you do not pick them up.
Cats typically sleep more than humans. The saying, ‘let sleeping dogs lie,’ is also true of cats. Do not disturb your pet when it is sleeping.
When traveling by car be sure your pet is always in a carrier.
Health Care
When you adopt a cat from Lee County Animal Services, it will
receive its first set of shots and a test for feline leukemia. It is the owner's
responsibility to see that regular veterinary care is maintained. Your veterinarian
will vaccinate your cat according to an age appropriate schedule. This will include
a rabies vaccination when your cat is four months of age or older.
Adult cats require yearly vaccinations. Your veterinarian will protect your cat from feline panleukopenia, viral-rhinotracheitis, pneumonitis, feline leukemia, and rabies. Cats are susceptible to respiratory infections. Ask your veterinarian to describe the warning signs. It is also important to protect your pet from fleas and ticks. In addition to your veterinarian’s phone number, you should keep an emergency number handy.
As part of the adoption fee at Lee County Animal Services, your pet will be spayed or neutered before going home. Between 10,000 and 15,000 animals in Lee County are euthanized each year because there are not enough homes for them. Millions are also euthanized across the country. Urge your friends to spay or neuter their pets to avoid contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. Spaying and neutering also decrease an animal’s chance of developing several types of cancer. You will see fewer veterinary bills with a healthier pet. Spaying and neutering also help prevent behavior problems.
Cleaning, Grooming, and Identification Place litter about two inches deep in the box. The two main types of
litter are clay and clumping. The clumping type forms clumps when soiled making it easier
to scoop out the solid and liquid waste. Cats naturally scratch to bury their waste.
While it is recommended that you keep your cat inside, cats do sometimes escape through an
open door. It is very important for your cat to have a collar with an identification
tag. Lee County Ordinance 98-10 requires that cats now wear their county license
tags on their collars at all times. Animals may also be implanted with a microchip
ID. This microchip is about the size of a piece of rice and is implanted between the
shoulder blades by injection. The procedure is quick and relatively painless.
However, its benefits are enormous. Even if your pet has no identification tag or if
the tag is lost, a scanner can read the microchip number. Lee County Animal
Services implants nationally registered Avid chips. Avid can identify you as the owner
through its database even if your pet leaves Lee County or the State of Florida.
Training and Behavior
Cats are most active in the morning and again in the evening.
They will sleep a good portion of the day. Cats are not always laid-back and
independent, however. You may find your cat could benefit from some behavior
modification. Sadly, sometimes we see animals brought to our shelter because they do
not behave the way their owners would like. Retraining can be a benefit to both cat
and owner.
If your cat plays too rough it could be because you are away from home a good part of the day. When you do return, it may be over anxious or aggressive. Redirect this aggression by supplying your cat with toys to play with while you are away. Things that roll, dangle, and can be batted around are good choices. Remember though, during this play period the toy may be chewed, torn into small bits, and swallowed. Select toys carefully for safety.
Encourage him to play with the toy by himself or he may ignore it while you are away. Handle the object enough to impart your scent. If he associates the toy with you and is reminded of the fun you’ve had playing with it, he is more likely to focus on it when you are gone. During your time together do not wiggle fingers or toes in his face. He must know that body parts are not toys. If you send mixed signals by allowing him to nip and claw sometimes, but not others, your cat will become confused.
Vary toys to prevent boredom. Toys with a catnip scent are very alluring too! Homemade toys such as old socks tied together can make great toys. You need not purchase everything from the pet store.
Many owners soon discover that cats love to claw the furniture. They especially like fabric that is rough or bumpy. If your sofa or chairs seem to attract attention, try some decorative throws to keep your cat away.
Place a scratching post covered with a rough textured material and sprinkled with a little catnip beside the furniture she likes to scratch the most. You can gradually move it to a more preferable location. If the post is to be effective, it should be at least three feet tall and have a wide sturdy base so that it won’t tip over.
Divert attraction from your house plants by switching to hanging plants or keep plants in rooms where the cat is not allowed. Try spraying them with a plant-safe anti-chewing spray. Silk plants are also an option.
Cats are known for climbing. Therefore, do not tempt fate by leaving your treasured possessions where they can be knocked over. Trash and other dangerous substances should also be kept out of reach. Make sure your pet does not have access to the following:
Cats can squeeze into tight places. Make sure doors and windows are securely closed.
As mentioned before, removing temptation can solve many problems but, not all. Cats are very intelligent and can be trained to behave appropriately. Although, training cats is somewhat different from training dogs, cats do respond to praise and rewards. Unacceptable behavior should never be rewarded with positive attention. Consistency and timing are everything in training. Punishment has almost no effect, except perhaps to teach your cat fear. Never hit your cat! Instead, keep a spray bottle of cool water handy. When your cat does something undesirable, such as scratching the sofa, spray the cat with a little water. The cat will get the message and you will continue to enjoy a trusting relationship with your feline friend.