This is why we are offering this advice and information to the caring public :
If you know of a cat that needs help, there are many things YOU CAN DO
IF YOU HAVE FOUND A CAT and it is friendly, look in the "Lost and Found" section of your newspaper, and in vets' offices for a "Lost Cat" notice. Call your local Animal Control officer (ACO) and/or pound ( look in the blue pages of your phone book under your town's listings, your town's website, or call your Town Hall.) Check everywhere -- you may have found someone's beloved missing pet. Cats can range 5 miles in a day, and can accidentally be moved miles away by hiding in a vehicle. CHECK EVERYWHERE !
Make a simple "Found Cat " flyer, put the cat's picture on it, and post it anywhere you can. Put it in places your neighbors will see, and the local vets' offices, grocery store, post office, etc.
Notify us at Kitty Harbor and other shelters as well. Please do this by email, and be sure to include a detailed description, and better yet a digital photo, of the cat you have found. To find a list of shelters in your area, go to www.Petfinder.com and enter your zip code. You can also post the cat on Petfinder under the "Lost and Found" section. This is a FREE service.
If you need help with feeding the cat while you look for the owner, Kitty Harbor may be able to help with that.
If you have made every effort to find the owner, and cannot, and have not fallen for the cat and decided to give him or her a home with you, or find a home with a friend or relative, you should contact every shelter you can and see if any have room for the cat. You must understand that many cats do not do well in shelters -- Kitty Harbor has a large open cat court -- they may become stressed, get hurt in a fight, stop eating, or worse. And usually shelters are full and overflowing -- that's just the way it is.
The waiting list at Kitty Harbor is long, and it may be several months or longer before there are enough adoptions to make room for more cats. Kitty Harbor reserves the right to take animals in the most dire circumstances ahead of others.
Before Kitty Harbor can consider putting a cat on the intake waiting list, you must get the cat to a vet. To be taken in, ALL cats MUST be tested for Feline Aids (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FeLV), called a "combo test". This is a simple blood test and can be done at the vet's office for anywhere from $25 - $40. The results are usually available in less than an hour. You need to get the cat tested, and get proof of negative test result in writing from the vet. Any additional vetting you can do, including shots, spay or neuter, flea or worm treatment, would help the cat greatly as well as Kitty Harbor. Other options, in addition to a vet, are :
PETCO IN WATERFORD
Every SUNDAY from 10 am to 12 pm, there is a walk-in clinic for cats and dogs at Petco, on Rt 85 across from the Crystal Mall, sponsored by www.Luvmypet.com. You have to bring the cat in a carrier, go to the back of the store, and sign in. You will be seen by a licensed vet, and the fees are much lower than in a vet's office. The combo test can be done. The test results will be mailed to you in a few days. They can also give rabies and distemper shots, and round and hook worm dewormer. The store phone number is 860-437-0212.
PETCO IN LISBON
Starting Sunday February 28, 2010, there will be a walk-in clinic every Sunday from 1:30 pm to 3 pm. The store phone number is 860-376-3700.
T.E.A.M. ( Tait's Every Animal Matters ) is a low-cost mobile spay/neuter clinic for cats. They are in a different town in Connecticut every day of the week. For only $77 they will spay OR neuter a cat, give him or her rabies and distemper shots, check ears and trim nails. You have to call TEAM at 1-888-367-8326 and find out when they will be in a town near you, and make an appointment. You will be dropping the cat off in the morning and picking it up in the afternoon. TEAM does not do FIV/FeLV testing. Their website is www.Everyanimalmatters.org.
There is also a mobile vet in nearby Rhode Island, Salmon River Vet Services, Dr.Ryan Loiselle DVM, that does a monthy low-cost spay/neuter clinic. Call 401-793-0092, or email salmonrivervet@yahoo.com, to find out when and where. The cost is $75 for a brief exam, spay or neuter, and rabies and distemper shot.
"OWNER SURRENDERS"
We get numerous calls from people who say they can no longer keep their cat, for various reasons.
IF YOUR CAT IS A PUREBRED, LOOK FOR A PUREBRED RESCUE ONLINE. There are many. These rescues appreciate your specific breed, and may be willing to go to great lengths to help. ALso contact the breeder you got the cat from - a responsible breeder will take the animal back.
If you adopted the cat from a shelter or rescue, contact them and ask them to take the cat back.
Talk to your vet, and other vets. They may have a client who is looking for a new cat just like yours.
Some reasons people want to "get rid of" their cat :
LITTERBOX PROBLEMS -- the very first thing you need to do is take the cat to the vet. There may be a medical problem, such as a urinary tract infection. Proper treatment may solve the problem. Then, you need to look at the cat's environment. Have there been any changes ? Did someone move in or out of your home ? Did you get or lose another pet ? Did you move the litterbox, or change the type of litter ? Is someone in the house, human or animal, stressing the cat by chasing it or being rough with it ? All these things can stress a cat -- they are very sensitive. It may take some work on your part, but you can reduce the stress. You owe it to your cat to try.
If the cat is showing another undesired behavior, such as scratching or aggression, the above info applies. You can contact an animal behaviorist for FREE advice at CatsInternational.org or 1-262-375-8852. Another resource for FREE advice is Treehouse Animal Foundation at 1-773-784-5488 extension 300, or Treehouseanimals.org.
We have found that the corrugated cardboard box scratchers work very well for cats who need to scratch. They come with a little bag of catnip to attract your cat. They're sold at pet stores, but are less expensive at Ocean State Job Lot stores. Other solutions for scratching: spray the cat with a water bottle when he or she attacks your furniture or drapes. Or try shaking an empty soda can with a coin in it -- the noise should deter your cat. Remember, most cats need to scratch -- you have to provide the appropriate place to do it, and teach them not to do it in the wrong places. You can also look into "soft paws" -- plastic nail caps. Or just keep your cat's nails trimmed; your vet or groomer can show you how to do it.
If a cat is going somewhere off limits, like a sink, tub, table or counter, or in a houseplant : place a sheet of aluminum foil there. Most cats will touch it and jump right off.
You can call an animal communicator, Brenda Cunliffe, at 1-413-586-3381. Whether you are skeptical or not, we at Kitty Harbor can tell you from experience that Brenda does have a special ability. She may be able to tell you why the cat is doing the behavior, and what you can do to improve things for the cat AND for you. Her website is COMMISKEY.BIZ. Her fee is $35 per half hour for a telephone consultation, and is well worth it.
ALLERGIES --
WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR to find a solution.
Don't allow the cat to sleep in the allergic person's bedroom, and keep the door closed during the day as well as at night.
Wash blankets, linens, and anything else the cat lays on or attracts cat hair, in 140 degree water to eliminate dust mite and cat allergens.
Wash your hands, arms, and face after grooming or playing with your cat. Never touch your eyes afterwards.
Vacuum frequently -- there are HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaners specifically designed for pet hair, that filter the allergens out of the air they release.
Consider running a HEPA air purifier.
Clean your carpets and upholstery with a vapor steam cleaner to remove dust mites, bacteria, mold, and cat allergens.
Clean your cat ! Use shampoo from your vet's office which will neutralize the allergens found in their fur and saliva. Or use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down your cat's coat DAILY to rid it of dander.
If you have sinus problems because of your cats, use a nasal irrigator to clean out the allergens in your nostrils daily. You can buy a "hydro-pulse irrigation system" on www.AllergyBuyersClub.com, or use saline nasal spray from the drugstore.
DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN to coexist with the cat you have taken into your family, and who has come to rely on you for a home, and choose carefully if you decide to add a pet to your household. There is some evidence to suggest that short-haired light-colored cats cause less allergy problems than dark-colored and long-haired cats.
MOVING INTO ANOTHER HOME, NURSING HOME, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, OR DEATH OF THE OWNER -- you ( the family ) need to do all you can to find the cat a real home, not a shelter. That's probably all your cat has ever known. As we said before, many cats, especially older cats and those that have lived as an only cat or with just a few others, will be miserable in a shelter. Contact everyone you know, friends and family -- offer to pay for the cat's annual shots and buy its food, if that's what it takes. Post a flier at vets' offices, groomers and boarding facilities. Put your cat on your employer's bulletin board and in the newsletter at your church or school. Include a good picture and write-up about the cat's personality and health status (he or she should be up to date on shots and spayed or neutered). Be honest about any health issues --- maybe a person with diabetes, for example, would be willing to love and care for a diabetic cat.
Organizations that may help with special needs cats:
