Do you have any questions about cats, kittens, cat or kitten care, rescue, fostering, adoptions, anything feline related?
Let us know what question you have and we will write a blog post to answer these questions!
Do you know what a cat rescue does?
Do you have any questions you have been too afraid to ask about felines?
Do you have any questions about cats, kittens, cat or kitten care, rescue, fostering, adoptions, anything feline related?
Let us know what question you have and we will write a blog post to answer these questions!
How do I keep my new cat from getting bored?
Cats and kittens have a need to play. While cats and kittens often sleep, they do have moments where they need to play, have the “zoomies,” or need something to keep them from destroying the things in your house. Having toys and other things to keep your cats engaged and playful is a great way to help your new cat and kitten adjust to your home, adjust to you, and not destroy your grandmother’s legacy quilt.
One thing to note is that if you own a cat or kitten do not let them play outside unless you have a specific outdoor structure for them, they are on a harness, or they have been trained to stay within a certain area. Cats who are outdoor/indoor have a much shorter lifespan than those who are indoor with supervised outdoor activity. Training on a harness will be addressed in a later blog.
All felines have a inherent need to hunt and they love sunny, warm places. Putting a sun catcher in a window is a great way to entertain a cat. As the sun shines through the class or glass beads and reflects on the floors and walls of your home, most felines will chase it until the sun moves and is no longer reflecting, or until they exhaust themselves. Hanging a birdhouse outside of a window is another way to help them feel as if they are using their hunting skills on trying to figure out how to catch the birds using the bird feeder or birdhouse.
If you have a job that takes you out of the house, cat TV is great to have on and there are programs that are several hours long. Of course, one thing to think about is if your television is stable in case the cat jumps on or at it. Another great toy is a laser toy that has a time limit and will turn itself on and off after certain amounts of time. One of our volunteers has a laser toy that is adjustable, so the time can be short (5 minutes) or longer (20 minutes). The toy will turn itself off and then after an hour it will turn itself back on. The great thing about the toy is that it also is rechargeable, so not batteries. There is also the jumping fish, that lasts for several days and will jump around when cats touch certain parts of it. The fish toy is also rechargeable.
Having several scratching posts will help keep a cat from scratching on your furniture. Also, make sure to have several toys available in case the cat suddenly gets the zoomies, which is when they will need something to play with and release that energy on.
Meet Poppy! This sweet boy is a little shy at first, but was the first one of his litter to start bossing the foster mom around at meal time! He loves snuggles and when picked up he sometimes snuggles himself with his head resting on your shoulder. He would love to be adopted with another kitten as he loves to play with his foster siblings, especially Morticia.
The Cattyshack Book Club is Coming!
Join us as we take a dive into the world of Basgiath War College at our inaugural event for the Cattyshack Book Club! We will be discussing the first two books in the ongoing Empyrean series – Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Next month we will be discussing the newest book!
The book club is January 17th from 7-9pm. You can bring your own drink as long as it is not in a glass container and has a lid. No food is allowed.
Space is limited to 15 people, so register soon. And do not forget to wear your rider black!
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
What Does it Mean when a Cat or Kitten is Sponsored?
Currently, Cattyshack, Inc, is running a sponsorship drive, but we have had a lot of people ask – what does it mean when a cat or kitten is sponsored?
When a cat or kitten is sponsored, it means that their adoption fees have either been fully paid for or partly paid for – most of the time they have been fully paid for. The sponsored cat or kitten then can be adopted without cost to the adopter, after the adopter has been approved of course. Cattyshack, Inc, does not allow for same day adoptions. If a potential adopter would like to adopt a kitten or cat they do have to apply and be approved, even if the cat or kitten is a sponsored adoption. We also do not allow kittens to go into homes without other cats as they can fall prey to single kitten syndrome – meaning they lose their social skills and often return to some of their feral behaviors. Unless otherwise stated, we always like our cats to have a friend in the home to play, communicate, and snuggle with.
Below are some of our sponsored cats and kittens.
Boo and Luna are sisters who have to be adopted together as they are a bonded pair.
Mork and Zim are brothers who have to be adopted together as they are a bonded pair. Zim only has one eye, but he gets around and plays perfectly. Since they are both sponsored you get two for the price of None!
Sleepy was sponsored and cannot wait for her forever home. She loves playing with feather toys and grew up in a foster home that has dogs.
Dr. Teeth came in as a pregnant momma, and all of her kittens were small little tabbies that, even now, can be hard to tell apart. She was sponsored and is happy to be free of her babies.
Lips is one of Dr. Teeth’s babies. She is a little shy at the lounge, but when she is in her foster home she is running and running and chasing her foster siblings until she tires out and plops down. She was sponsored to celebrate someone’s birthday.
Joey is another sponsored kitten and is fun to play with. He loves playing with other kittens and would do well with another kitten his age.
Babybel is no relation to Joey. She had her cheese litter and is not ready to find her home. Babybel is also a sponsored cat, and she would love a gentle home as she needs a moment to get used to you. Once she does get used to you she is a purr-fest and does not stop!
Chandler is a beautiful girl who wants to find her forever home. The rest of her siblings have been adopted and she has been sponsored so she too can find an awesome home.
Mary Shelley and Octavia E Butler were recently sponsored so they can be adopted together. These girls love chasing each other around the house (and their foster siblings) and when they tire they love snuggling with each other, and will snuggle with you too. Octavia is a little shy at first, but once she comes around she is the sweetest little girl.
Charles Dickens is still a somewhat skittish young man. He’s not so sure that the lounge is the safest place… yet. He is going to be an amazing ginger kitty when he’s ready to show someone that he trusts and loves them, and we hope to find him the right family to do just that! Anyone who wants to adopt him is going to need to be patient as he learns that people are safe. But, look at those amazing airplane ears! They are so awesome and cute.
Come Relax at Cattyshack this Friday and Saturday!!!
Cattyshack will be closed on Thursday, but we will be open this Friday and Saturday! We’ll even be doing some fun giveaways!
Need a break from the madness that is black Friday? Come to Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment and visit some kitties for an hour and lower your blood pressure! You will also help us raise funds for our cats. We will have several black, black and white, and black-ish (okay grey, but that’s just light black!) cats on hand for you to pet and play with! And they’re all adoptable!
Some of the cats that will be there this weekend (in case you are also looking for a new friend) are Mary Shelley (grey) and her sister, Octavia E Butler (grey), Dr Teeth (black), Mork (grey and white) and his brother, Zim (grey and white), Pugsley (black), and Wednesday (black)! We will also have some non black cats like – Ram, Boo, Luna, Zoot, Floyd Pepper, Animal, and Babybel (a sweet orange girl)!
So, take a break from the stress of holiday shopping, and slide on over to the “Lounge Reservations” tab to make a reservation!
Have A Purrfect Thanksgiving from the Cattyshack Cats!
We want everyone to have a great Thanksgiving, but we also want to say thank you. We Appreciate everyone who supports us, who adopts from us, our fosters, anyone who has or plans to visit the lounge, and everyone who helps get the word out about the lounge! We could not do it without you, and our cats and kittens appreciate being given the chance to live a happy and loved life in their furrever homes!
Why Do Some Cats Have Their Ears Tipped?
When you see a cat out in the wild, you might notice a lot of things about them, depending what stands out to you. You might notice their coloring, or their fur, in fact this might be the first thing you notice about them. Other things you might notice about them are their eyes, their body shape, if they look healthy or not, if they look pregnant or skinny, or if they look like they are being taken care of. Something else you might notice is if a cat has the tip of their ear missing. So, why do cats get their ears tipped?
Well, first let us discuss when ear tipping started. Ear tipping began in Europe in the 1970’s as part of program Denmark started through their Society for the Protection of Cats. They were tipping the ears to identify cats that had been neutered. In the US the program Alley Cat Allies popularized ear tipping cats to identify cats that had been neutered or spayed. When this program started, most of the cats at the time were part of a Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program. These programs would trap the cats, neuter or spay then, then release them back into their communities, hoping to help keep the cat and kitten population down.
Of course, none of this will make sense if you know nothing about ear tipping. When a cat or feral kitten is neutered or spayed, a very small portion of their ear (usually the top tip) is surgically removed. The removal is done while the animals are under anesthesia for their spay or neuter, so no pain is felt. After they wake up, the animal does not feel pain in their ear and they are safe to release back into their communities. Often, vets will want the animal to be kept in seclusion (especially females) for a few days before releasing them into their communities – only so no one has to worry about infection or injury and the cats can heal up.
Ear tipping tells anyone looking that the animal has been spayed or neutered. Sometimes, these animals are not let back into the wild and it is found that the animal might actually make a good house or barn cat. Every now and then you will meet a cat or kitten who is living in a house, and if their ear is tipped, it generally means that they have already been neutered or spayed.
Neutering and spaying is very important, not only for cats, but also other animals like rabbits, dogs, and ferrets. The animal population is huge, not just across north America, but in a lot of countries. Being part of a TNR program is important to keep populations down so that the populations do not become a problem in areas where the animals might be injured or killed. TNR programs, like shelters and rescues, have one goal – help animals.
If you are interested in helping fund TNR programs you can donate to Cattyshack for spays and neuters (not all of the cats we help are cats that can become house cats). Or you can donate to Alley Cat Allies at https://www.alleycat.org/our-work/trap-neuter-return/ to help pay for the spays and neuters of cats. If you cannot donate, you can also learn how to help by conducting a trap-neuter-return yourself.
Anything helps.
Sweet and shy Ivy is available for adoption and wants nothing more than to have a family to call her own. It took her several days to get comfortable but once she decided she liked having all the kitties around that were just her size, she settled in quickly. We are not sure how she is with dogs, so we will go ahead and say she needs a dog-free home. She definitely prefers other cats her size to play with! We will NOT adopt a single kitten into a home with no other cats unless it states in their listing that they are not good with cats and need to be an only cat. We prefer our little kittens are adopted in pairs or at least have another cat in the home to bond with. If interested in Ivy you can make a reservation to visit her at the Cattyshack Lounge in Lowe Mill, or you can fill out the adoption application to adopt her or ask for a meet and greet. You can find her information under the “Our Kitties” tab, or make a reservation under the “Reservations” tab.
Cat Boxes – Not Simply a Box Anymore
Cat litter boxes are an essential tool for the indoor and sometimes the outdoor cat owner. They provide a place for cats to go about their business, and sometimes cat boxes can be used to toilet train a cat (not discussed in this post). Often, choosing a cat litter box seems like a simple idea – go to the story, buy a plastic box, and voila. However, as homes have developed and technology has developed, cat litter boxes have changed as well. There are so many different kings of litter boxes, and we suggest trying to find one that will suit the needs of not only your cat, but also yourself. Most cat litter boxes can also be used with any kind of litter.
Open Litter Boxes – Open litter boxes are the traditional option for cat litter boxes. Open litter boxes are exactly what they sound like. They have no lid, top, or cover, and help cats feel relaxed. Often cats prefer open litter boxes as they do not like feeling closed in when going to the bathroom. They often prefer these types of litter boxes because as apex predators they like being able to keep a watch on their surroundings. Open cat boxes are very easy to clean and easy to use as there is nothing that needs to be done before scooping them. Open litter boxes also provide really good ventilation since they have no covering to trap smells. If you have a big cat or a high peeing cat, you can get larger ones, but these may not be conducive to your home environment or the placing of the cat box.
Covered Litter Boxes – A covered litter box is great if your cat prefers privacy when using the litter box. Covered litter boxes are enclosed spaces with a lid, often they have a door or opening that the cat can enter and leave from. A covered cat box can help prevent odor form wafting through your house and keep it contained, but it also can prevent a cat from using it. Cats do not like strong smells and if the litter box is not cleaned often enough then they might start refusing to use it. Cats might also not like having to use the bathroom is a small enclosed space, so some cats will not use a covered cat box. They do provide some convenience as they can be built so that they look like a natural part of the furniture. Covered cat boxes can also help prevent the spread of litter. One you know your cat you will have an idea if a covered cat box is the right kind of cat box for them or not.
Self-Cleaning Litter Box – As this post is being written there is some debate about self-cleaning cat boxes. There have been a few recalls due to issues when and how the cat boxes clean themselves, so we will not be discussing these types of cat boxes at the moment. We will let you do the research, make an informed decision, and see where the recalls stand.
Plastic or Stainless Steel Litter Boxes – Stainless steel boxes are relatively new as of this posting and are gaining in popularity. Plastic litter boxes are much cheaper than stainless steel litter boxes, so they are good if you live on a budget, or if you have multiple cats. Plastic litter boxes are often easier to find in small and very large sizes, which is helpful for kittens and houses with either large cats or multiple cats. The biggest benefit to stainless steel catboxes are that they help keep the spread of disease low, are incredibly easy to clean, and last for a really long time without getting scratched or damaged. Either is a good choice, and both plastic or stainless steel work for most cats.
Whatever cat box you choose be prepared to adapt to the needs of your cat or kitten. Sometimes things change, especially as a cat gets older, so you might have to get a litter box that has a ramp, is low, or is simple a short cardboard box with a liner, so be prepared to adjust your life to the needs of your cat.
Look at this silly little guy! His name is Gomez Addams and he is quite a character, if you cannot tell from the picture. He is very playful and runs around the lounge like he is on a long racetrack. He sometimes likes to hide and jump out at the other cats, and people. Gomez love to play and cuddle with his siblings, even his foster dog, Mama. You know what this means – Gomez is great with dogs! Sometimes he fall asleep sitting up, which is such a kitten trait. He would love to be adopted with one of his siblings: Morticia, Wednesday, or Pugsley (who is a girl). Cattyshack prefers our little kittens are adopted in pairs or at least have another cat in the home to bond with, and we do not often adopt out a single kitten on their own. If interested in Gomez, please make a reservation by going to the “Reservations” page and make a reservation. The Cattyshack Lounge is located in Lowe Mill and is open Thursday through Sunday. A reservations is $10 per person, and we also allow birthday parties to be held (check it out, you know you want a birthday party with cats!).