A stressed cat owner cannot be a good cat owner

We know how competently even brilliantly domestic cats can de-stress their owner. It's one reason why we live with cats. They are great companions and they help stop us from getting too wound up because once they are on your lap you have to slow down a bit. And they get in the way when you are on your computer. You either accept that and work around it or you fight it and become more anxious and stressed.

A stressed cat owner may have a stressed as well and a stress cat owner cannot really discharge their responsibilities to a high level. The image is by Michael.

But the point is that if a cat owner is stressed by their lifestyle, by their work or by any manner of reasons, they are not going to be a great cat caregiver.

Stress leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to depression. You can't be a good cat caregiver if you are stressed and anxious although, as mentioned, there is the counter measure which is that although being stressed prevents you being a good cat caregiver, living with a cat makes you a better cat caregiver because it calms you down! 

The problem is that in the meantime you are likely to interact with your cat in a less than good way because of your anxiety. If you are irritated because of stress then you are going to be irritated by your cat at some point. And you might yell at your cat or behave towards your cat in a brusque and unsatisfactory way. There is no blame in this. It is just a simple fact.

I know for a fact that if I'm stressed, I'm not going to present the best side of me in terms of cat caregiving. I might be irritated because my cat brushes against my bare legs and at that moment in time I don't want to feel that. I want to get on with what I'm doing and my cat is getting in the way of achieving that.

But in having a cat we have to be prepared to compromise and to give way to our cat. We are sharing the same environment as our cat. The environment should be pleasant and mentally stimulating for our cat.

It's an interesting mix because on the one side there is the responsibility of caring for a cat well and this in itself can make a person stressed, and yet on the other side there is the pleasure of looking after a cat and the pleasures that flow from it which helps to de-stress a person.

A person stressed by the responsibilities of caring for their cat

There is an interesting post on the Reddit.com website about a person who adopted a cat and became very stressed because they wanted to do their absolute best in looking after their cat. They did everything possible to make the life of their cat as good as possible.

In striving for this state of affairs, the cat owner became very stressed. They went to the Reddit.com website to ask for advice because the person didn't even feel a bond to their cat after doing so much for them. And they asked, "How can I stop holding the bar up so high for myself and revolve my life around my cat?"

I think the ultimate answer as to how you relate to your cat and care for your cat is that you must simply love her or him. If you love your cat everything good flows from that starting point. You will find out what your cat likes and loves and what makes them happy and indeed what makes you happy. And you will find out whether you are suited to being a cat caregiver. You've got to actually like or even love cats to successfully live with a cat companion. That must be a starting point and it is common sense but some people might not think about that when they decide to adopt a cat.

There's no point in regarding cat caregiving as solely a responsibility and a duty. It should be a pleasure to look after a cat. Then you receive the pleasure of living with your cat. It should be entirely reciprocal with equal mutual benefit.

Human to human relationship

There is another quick point to make which is this: if you are in a relationship with a person which is not going that well and you both live in the same home as your cat, it's going to affect your cat negatively, which probably goes without saying. It is another source of stress for you and it will taint the ambience of the household. Domestic cats pick up on that. They demand, really, a calm and stable household.

Be the person that your dog or cat thinks you are!

Ricky Gervais, a well-known animal advocate, tweeted the above saying. Actually, he only referred to dogs but the same applies to cats in my view with a slight difference, which is why I have a section on cats as well on this page.

It is a very pertinent/important saying. If you aren't sure why, I will, with your permission, explain.

Dogs

The domestic dog regards their human caregiver as the alpha. The human caregiver's family is the wolf pack. The dog looks up to the alpha who is the leader of the pack. This accounts in part for their incredible loyalty. Loyalty which allows the human caregiver if they go wrong to abuse their dog and the dog to accept it. 

When that happens, it is something terrible to behold because it is a complete breach of trust and it must be incredibly confusing to the domestic dog to be attacked by the leader of the pack.

This is because the leader of the pack has duties such as guiding, teaching and caring for their pack members. The alpha wolf leads their pack to improved survival chances under difficult conditions. The pack members look to their leader for that kind of guidance.

The alpha wolf is a benevolent dictator if you like. But they must be benevolent. They must behave nicely towards their pack members.

Going back to the title to this post, it is saying that the dog's caregiver/owner should be benevolent towards their dog. It is what their dog is expecting of them. It is what their dog thinks that their human is like. 

The domestic dog's expectation is that their owner is going to be a decent person and in response to that known expectation the person MUST be decent. There is a strong obligation on dog owners to treat their dogs well in order to meet with their dog's expectations.

Gervais and dog. He is the person they think humans should be. Image: Twitter.

Cat

The domestic cat is not by nature a member of a pack. We know that domestic cats are essentially solitary although they have become very sociable creatures throughout the 10,000 years of domestication. This is because they live in human homes where there is often more than one person and pet.

But essentially, the domestic cat views their human caregiver as a surrogate mother. A parent. A mother who cares for them and looks after them. Who feeds them. Who keeps them safe. Who prioritises security.

The cat looks to their mother to provide them with warmth and tender loving care. In the wild, the mother also teaches their kittens how to hunt and survive. The human doesn't do that but in caring for them they keep their cat in a state of permanent kittenhood, in effect.

The domestic cat has a reliance upon the human and that reliance is dependent upon the human acting and behaving decently at all times. That is the cat's expectation. There is an obligation on the human to meet this expectation.

If they are cruel to their cat, once again the animal is confused, bemused, anxious and frightened. It would be a breach of trust once again by the human. It would be a breach too of the unwritten agreement between human and domestic cat which is one of mutual support.

Automatic cat feeder controllable by a smart phone is a bad idea

The Mail Online promotes what the author considers to be a wonderful device for a cat owner. It says that you can feed your kitties from your phone. The device costs about £80. It is an automatic cat feeder which will keep your pet happy but not hungry and it can even stop them from overeating! Great.

And they start off by saying that if you go out to work during the day and then after a hard day's work you like to have a pint with your pals in a local public house, and then get home around 10 PM, you can feed your feline during those long hours apart.

Automatic cat feeder controllable by a smart phone is a bad idea.

This must be a very poor idea for a cat owner and worse for their cat. The device promotes feline separation anxiety. It encourages people to stay away from their cat all day and long into the evening.

RELATED: How long can I leave my cat ‘home alone’?

And if their cat lives in an apartment with nothing to stimulate them throughout those long hours, what are you going to end up with? A nervous, anxious cat, stressed up to the nines. It is just not going to work.

Dry foods

This high-tech piece of kit feeds dry cat food all the time as it has to. It can only feed dry foods. The general consensus today is that you should feed dry cat food occasionally or perhaps at night for grazing but it is not a good idea to feed dry cat food 100% of the time because it is too unnatural. 

Domestic cats do not compensate adequately for the unnatural dryness of the food which means that it keeps longer and therefore is more convenient for the owner but in terms of pure feline health it is not as good as a good quality wet cat food.

Cystitis

This is the kind of arrangement that could lead to the cat suffering from cystitis because there is not enough liquid in their diet and too much stress in their life. A recipe for this well-known bladder infection.

Voice recording

It seems, however, that the manufacturers have, to a very minor extent, taken on board what I mention above about separation anxiety. A nod to the problem and a weak attempt to deal with it. 

They allow the cat owner to record their voice into the machine which then plays it back automatically. This allows the cat to at least hear their owner's voice.

Is that going to be enough? No, is the short answer. I am sorry for being so negative but I do not believe that these sorts of devices are useful. They may be worse than that. They encourage poor cat caregiving.

Lifestyle unsuited to cat caregiving?

They encourage people to believe that they can work all day and go out all evening while believing that they are doing a good job in looking after their cat companion. I am afraid not. There is no substitute for being with your cat. With making contact with your cat. With playing with your cat. And with petting your cat.

Domestic cats like contact. They need physical contact. They want to feel the hand of their owner. They want to touch the hand of their owner. They want to sit on their lap and so on. All this is obviously impossible if the man or woman is in a wine bar chatting with his or her mates after a hard day's work.

Firstly, I don't think a person should have a cat companion if they habitually work long hours and then go to the pub afterwards. This person should suspend the idea of being a cat owner and wait until their lifestyle is more suited.

And don't believe what the bumf says about this device. It misses the most important aspect of the human-to-cat relationship: direct contact with your cat and being in the presence of your cat on a regular and substantial basis.

Domestic cats are not selectively bred to live indoors 24 hours a day

Some people might find the title provocative. There is a movement towards confining cats to inside the home 24 hours a day. I'm told that in the US about 40% of cats are now full-time indoor cats. I'm a fan of full-time indoor cats because it's peace of mind for the cat owner, safety for the cat and wildlife is not attacked. It's a triple winning method of cat caregiving.

Domestic cats are not selectively bred to live indoors 24 hours a day. Bored 24/7 indoor cat snoozes his life away. Photo:Pixabay (modified by MikeB).

The only problem is how domestic cats adapt to full-time indoor living. Domestic cats are adaptable, we know that. Therefore most do accept confinement 24/7. The question is: what are they feeling? What's going through their mind? As mentioned, they are not selectively bred to live like that.

They are made to roam over up to 100 acres or more. In Australia feral cats can have home ranges of 500 acres and more. Indoor domestic cats have to adapt to living in 1/4 of an acre.

The weakness I see in this method of cat caregiving is that cat owners don't really realise the responsibilities that they have to counteract the mental problems that can emanate from confinement. You won't notice those mental problems, probably. They may be manifested in signs of boredom and the cat crazies as they are euphemistically called.

RELATED: Cat breeders should selectively breed for cat confinement.

There may be signs of stress sometimes with inappropriate elimination. There may be cystitis causing inappropriate elimination. All may seem well. But cats are very good at hiding their mental state.

I think I can say with complete certainty that 99% of the inside of homes of full-time indoor cats have not been modified in any way to make it more suited for a domestic cat. In short, there's been very little environmental enrichment. 

RELATED: Extreme breeding of cats creates misleading facial expressions.

But cat confinement demands environmental enrichment. Can owners really have to dispense with the usual notions of what the inside of their home should look like. It should look like a cat jungle of some sort. It should be an amalgam of what a human wants and what a cat wants and needs. But they aren't. They never are. They are human homes designed for humans to live in and the cat has to adapt to it whether they like it or not.

In the UK, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is based upon a cat owner's duty of care. Anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure their animal's welfare needs are met. When you confine a cat to a home you have to consider their welfare needs.

The life of a cat is centred around hunting. It's in their DNA. It is inherited as part of their memory. The do it instinctively. The need to hunt to be whole. We know that. How is a cat going to hunt inside a three-bedroom semi-detached home? There is only one way: play-hunting. And a cat owner has to set up that form of play. If the owner doesn't, they are not meeting the welfare needs of their cat. And 99% of cat owners don't meet those needs. I'm painting a black picture but I'm convinced that I am correct.

Health tip: checking your cat for gum disease

A lot of cat owners are understandably unaware of the state of health of their cat's gums and teeth. You might get a glimpse of your cat's gums when they yawn but it might not be enough. And the upper outside area of the gums, at the back, is where gum disease can often start. The same, by the way, applies to people. 

If you want to reduce bleeding gums when you brush your teeth you should always focus strongly on the outside upper at the back of the mouth and eventually the bleeding will go away. In addition, you should use a good mouthwash occasionally. 

I'm digressing but the same problem exists with domestic cats and it is perhaps the single biggest reason why domestic cats are put under a general anaesthetic. In fact, Dr. Bruce Fogle in his book Complete Cat Care states that "I anaesthetize more cats to treat the tooth and gum disease than for any other single reason".

Use cotton buds to check for blood on cat gums. Photo: Pixabay.com. Words added.

Certainly, gum disease and dental health is in the top 10 or perhaps top five of all domestic cat health problems. It is, therefore, important to check gum health from time to time. Bruce Fogle states that an easy way to check your cat's teeth and gums regularly "is by running a cotton bud around the gum line". This means gently placing a cotton bud under the cheek against the gums around the upper teeth at the rear of the mouth, as mentioned. A cat should accept this especially as it can be done quickly. If you encounter blood or signs of pain you should take your cat to your veterinarian.

Sometimes veterinarians say that you can check oral health by bad breath but this is rather vague. Also, bad breath can be caused by kidney, liver disease, feline leukaemia or by a bowel infection. Indeed a foreign body such as a bone stuck in the mouth or on oral tumour and older cats can cause bad breath. So the cotton bud check is a good one. I would recommend it.

How do I clean my cat's ears?

I guess the first point to make is that cats don't need their ears cleaning routinely. In fact, you might never need to do it and probably won't need to do it throughout your cat's entire life. I would argue that it is only under exceptional circumstances when there is an excessive amount of wax, dirt or debris visible in the ear that you should consider cleaning them. It would be unlikely, in my view, for ears to be this dirty under normal circumstances. Seeing some wax in the ear is not a reason to clean them because the wax is there for a purpose i.e. to maintain ear health and to capture bits of debris which head towards the eardrum.

Cleaning a cat's ears. Screenshot.

My reference manual for this article is Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook by four American veterinarians. They say that for small amounts of waxy debris a damp cotton ball or a cotton tipped swab works well. A cat should tolerate it. The vets stress that you should not put any cleaning solution in the ear but use a special cleaning solution from your veterinarian. In America this might be Epi-Optic but just check with a veterinarian first; I would. This is applied to the external ear canal and after application you massage the base of the ear to loosen the dirt, debris and ear wax. You then gently wipe out the ear with a cotton ball.

In the ear flap that there are ear folds and creases and these areas can be cleaned with a cotton tipped swab moistened with oil or a cleaning solution. You don't push the cotton-tip swab into the ear canal under any circumstances as this will make matters worse by jamming the debris towards the eardrum where it will be impossible to get out. You'd have to go to a veterinarian to have that removed professionally.

They also say that you should not use ether, alcohol or other irritating solvents to help you clean your cat's ears. They can cause pain and inflame the tissues inside the ear. Cats will probably object in this sort of ear cleaning so you may have to restrain them. You should try and keep calm and quiet while doing it and provide them with a treat afterwards.

Restraining a cat is quite difficult, I think. Cats can generally struggle against restraint. I also think that you have to work quickly because there will be a time limit based upon how long your cat accepts it. Some will be more pliable than others. 

I think if you hold a cat by the scruff of their neck it will restrain and subdue them but only for a certain period of time perhaps around 15 seconds which sounds very short but this is the kind of time-limit one has, I think, for doing these sorts of procedures. Perhaps two phases of 15 seconds might be the way forward.

The alternative is a towel wrapped around them. This is probably better provided the cat accepts it. It will provide more time.

Here is a video on the topic. I have not seen it except for the first 20 seconds or so. The advice may differ to that provided here.

Is it okay for a single person in the military to have a cat in America?

The question arose because I've just written about Sergeant Rode who fell in love with a ginger tabby cat in the Middle East who was injured and struggling to survive. She brought him back to America with the help of generous donations and a friendly organisation (PAWS OF WAR). But what will happen next because Sergeant Rode is in the military and it occurred to me that it might not be ideal to be a single person in the military and be a cat caretaker at the same time? And I am thinking about the cat, of course.

Sgt. Rode and Bubba the cat she rescued from the Middle East and shipped to America. Photo: PAWS OF WAR.

We know that cats like stability and routines. Even if a single military soldier or officer is stationed in America, they may be transferred to a different location or unexpectedly they may be deployed to a war zone even though that was not on the cards. I don't know how deployments are worked out but it seems to me that they could happen to anyone in the military perhaps even at short notice.

And under these uncertain circumstances it would seem that their domestic cat might become unhappy. And good caretakers do not want their cat to be unhappy. Good cat caretakers don't want to be stressed with the thought of making their cat unhappy because of reasons beyond their control. And when they bond with their cat being separated if stressful for both.

There are some good stories about this on the Reddit.com website which shed light on these difficulties and conflicting emotions. Some people say that you can be in the military as a single person and have a cat companion because if you are away from your home in the barracks for a while you can place your cat with a foster parent or with family and so on. That's all very well but you can't do it for a long time in my opinion. So I don't think it's particularly good idea unless the relocation is for a short time such as a max. of 2 weeks.

The average military deployment is between six and 12 months, as I understand it, for American military personnel. You can't really kiss goodbye to your cat for this sort of time. It undermines the whole purpose of having a cat in the first place. It's a question of providing the best caretaking for a cat and if a person can't do that they should let somebody else try. No?

One commenter on Reddit.com said that he or she was in the military, single and "got a cat". There was little chance of deployment for the person but notwithstanding that it did not go well. They ended up being sent to Korea for a year. She asked family to take care of her cat. When she returned he/she was stationed in a small town where it was impossible for her to find a rental which allow pets. It was very difficult and stressful to find suitable accommodation. And she had to move every 2-3 years. She found driving across country with their cat to be stressful and of course a cat would have found it stressful, at least potentially, too.

She felt terrible leaving her cat behind with friends and also felt that her cat would be miserable being boarded. Also she did not like leaning on friends to check in on her cat to feed her when she went away training for a couple of weeks. She realised that cats need people around and it will be too hard on a cat that had bonded if you are going to be away all the time. As a result, she eventually gave her cat to her father  "so it could have a stable life". I agree with everything this person says. But the situation is not black-and-white.

Others suggest that if you adopt two cats you will be okay but this is not a particularly good answer, sometimes. It is quite difficult to ensure that your cats get along, and anyway you can't just leave 2 cats alone for many weeks with a neighbour popping in to make sure that they are fed. It is simply not going to work and it is not good cat caretaking. It's a question of standards and if a person knows that they are unable to provide care to a sufficient standard they should pass up the opportunity to look after a cat and let someone else, better suited, try.

Another commenter said: "I knew of soldiers that had a pet while on active; it never ended well for the pets. It would seem that their life would be tossed to the wind and most just started to have behavioural problems."

Conversely, there are people that say it is workable. Another commenter said: "I am AD Army with three cats. I would say that it's pretty easy to have cats minus [sic] just having to arrange for someone to watch them while you're in the field or whatever as long as you're committed to making sure that you have a plan for your kitty in the event of your unexpected deployment (think family care plan), I think cats are great military pets. There are more challenges finding housing...."

Others say that "a cat will be perfect". You make up your own mind. I think it's about standards of cat caretaking. You can make alternative arrangements and have a support system which allows your cat to be cared for when you are away. But this is not ideal, far from it. There's no shame in rejecting the idea of having a cat companion if you think you cannot be an excellent guardian to your cat.

It is hard to not be drawn to the conclusion that sometimes some military personnel might adopt a cat, despite their circumstances being far from ideal, because they need to adopt a cat to benefit themselves and they have temporarily brushed under the carpet the needs of the cat. That said, a cat living with a military person whose life is not particularly stable is probably in a better position than a rescue cat in a shelter. On that assessment you have to go along with those who support the idea of military personnel having cat companions.

What cats can't eat

Cats can't eat (a) dog food regularly and (b) some plants that are poisonous or (c) plant matter all the time - cats are not vegetarians - or (d) too much grass or (e) anti-freeze or (f) moth balls (g) food that is deficient in required nutrients such as taurine and arginine. Cats might want to eat all of these but they can't. We have to make sure that they don't.

Cat will eat dog food and dogs will eat cat food. Both are carnivores but cats are obligate (strict) carnivores while dogs are less strict carnivores and some people say that they are omnivores. Cat food is too rich for dogs and dog food not high enough in protein for cats. Dog food will not contain the correct nutrients and supplements such as taurine that is required by cats for their health and survival.

Cats like the taste of anti-freeze but it kills them by causing kidney failure. Cats like the taste of moth balls that they kill cats too. Laying down these poisons to kill cats is a serious criminal offense in developed countries. Don't do it please.

Cats can't eat too much plant material. Cats like to eat vegetation to a certain extent but some plants are poisonous (and here) Cats eat vegetation as a supplement it is thought. It contains folic acid.

The ideal cat food tells us indirectly what a cat can't eat. The ideal cat food is a mouse. All of it. The material in the stomach and gut will be plant material and useful as well as the mouse is a herbivore and eats plant-based foods. See best cat food for more.

Cat Safety Collar With Bell

Is the cat safety collar with bell a product that is fair to the cat? Now, to those people who will go ballistic reading that simple and I think reasonable question, please calm down and read on.

Photo by Frana Blaylock (Flickr)

The reason I ask is because the argument for putting a cat safety collar with a bell on a cat is to prevent the cat preying on what might be described by some people as native wildlife that needs to be preserved and protected. I think that that argument needs to be tested and challenged.

The first point to make is that in a study it was found that putting a collar with a bell on an outdoor or indoor/outdoor cat is effective in slowing the rate of predation.

I am referring to a study entitled: Bells reduce predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) by Graeme D. Ruxton, Sarah Thomas and Jessica W. Wright - Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K. It is published by Cambridge Journals Online. I have only read the abstract as you have to buy the full document and I don't think it will add much to what I want to say.

The study found that over a four week period without a bell cats brought back to the home an average of 5.5 dead prey items. When the collar with the bell was worn the same cats over the same period brought back 2.9 items. The number of prey brought home had nearly halved (53%). An undoubtedly successful experiment if you want to stop cats behaving normally!

Update three hours later!: A study in Australia: Predation by house cats, Felis catus (L.), in Canberra, Australia. II. Factors affecting the amount of prey caught and estimates of the impact on wildlife concluded that "Nor did belling...have a significant influence on the amount of prey caught..." Well there you have it. This highlights the difficulty in achieving really solid so called "facts" through scientific studies.

On the basis that bells do curtail successful preying, should we stop our cat companion behaving normally and enjoying what comes naturally to them, if no harm is done? I am sure you would agree with that.

The only question that remains therefore is whether a domestic cat preying hurts the populations of wildlife such as birds and mammals, usually mice and rodents.

This is where things become murky and statistics from studies are used to support almost any argument so I'll simply report on a study in Bristol, England and a report by the RSPCA in the UK. Please remember that "estimates" and "projections" are essentially guesses and to be ignored.

Both support the view that wildlife populations are not harmed and in respect of birds, for example, domestic cats tend to catch the ill and dying, birds who would die anyway. Cats will always prey on the easiest animals to catch whether they are big cats such as the lion and tiger or the humble domestic cat. And mice, ground living animals are much easier to catch than fit and healthy birds.

There are the studies:

• Domestic cat preying unlikely to effect population size of prey species
• Domestic Cats Do Not Decimate Bird Populations

Also please see: How Feral Cats Affect Wildlife

Conclusion: lets not be too hasty in deciding to curtail our cat companion's natural behavior. We have a duty to allow our cats to behave as naturally as possible consistent with modern life and the cat's safety. Natural behavior promotes contentment. Cat contentment is our ultimate objective.





From Cat Safety Collar With Bell to Home Page

AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats

The AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats is shameful and deplorable. It is criminality transformed into normality through deep seated denial and deceit. It is made all the worse by the fact that this association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, professes to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior. The criminality is perpetrated by the pillars of American society, the ever reliable, homely and charming veterinary surgeon. To quote the AVMA, "Veterinarians are members of a scholarly profession who have earned academic degrees from comprehensive universities or similar educational institutions." On their AVMATV webpage they have a logo that reads:

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Please note: this is a duplicate of another identical post. This post was made by some computer glitch! I have no idea what happened. Sorry if any confusion has or will be caused. I can't delete it as Google finds them both depending on the search terms.

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Yes, I agree. It is a lot more than we think. In respect of declawing of cats it is criminal behavior dressed up as a professional health service. There is little doubt that it is a crime under animal cruelty laws but no one is every prosecuted. It is also a lot more than the vets think because a lot of them as mentioned seem to be in denial at what they are doing. This denial is a creation of years and years of subtle psychology that the vets and organisers of the AVMA have practiced on themselves and employees of veterinary surgeries. Even the name of the procedure is a deception: "declawing", when it is, in fact, the removal of the tips of all the fingers of cat. New laser surgery is probably sold as being "almost painless" with "quick recovery times". "Your cat will up on his feet in no time" the cosy vet says. Always denying that the whole thing is quite unnecessary and shockingly cruel from the patient's point of view. I sometimes wonder if the vet thinks the patient, is the client. The client being the person who comes in and says, "I need a declaw, I can pop in next Tuesday". Vet's answer, "That's fine Mrs Doe, have a nice day..."

The language of the veterinary surgeon is designed to disengage the veterinarian and the staff from what is a grievous assault on an innocent animal that looks to us and depends on us for its care and wellbeing. The procedure is described as follows:

"The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest. The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated, and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised. . . . Both techniques effectively remove the entire third phalanx" [this means the amputation of the distal phalanx or part of the toe]

In plain language this procedure is:

The removal, with a knife, of the top joint from all the toes of the cat.

The language of denial and disengagement does not stop there. It is everywhere in the American Veterinarian's literature. Take the AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats. The following heads the page on the AVMA website:

Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s) {revised 04/2009}

This clause, as I said is the header clause and the clause that underpins the whole policy actively encourages declawing when it should do the opposite. It is an attempt to ease the guilt of the AVMA by pretending that they have a policy on declawing. These are my concerns with this defective clause:

The first sentence of the clause says that if a cat (for example) damages a piece of furniture and the owner can't stop it happening, the cat can then be declawed. That is what it says. If the owner comes to a vet and says, "Mr Vet, I've tried to stop my cat scratching my new furniture but it hasn't worked, please declaw him". The vet can under this AVMA policy on declawing cats, say, "Yes, fine". It is an open invitation to cat owners who do not know better to get their way against the interests of the cat. When people adopt a cat, they know there will be some damage. So, declawing will be on the cards before the cat gets home. It is nothing less than an open invitation to declaw. It should be a barrier. In fact, it blatantly contradicts the veterinarian's oath and principles of ethics of the AVMA on the same website (see my posting on this: American Vets are Unethical Towards the Cat), which states, "Veterinarians should first consider the needs of the patient....". The AVMA policy on declawing pursuant to this statement considers first the client (the cat's owner).

As to the second sentence this refers to the transmission of disease from cat to human (zoonotic diseases). All cats present this risk but it is an extremely tiny risk. So under the AVMA policy on declawing cats all and any cat can be declawed. Once again it presents an open door to an assault on the cat. If people are worried about their furniture or the extremely rare risk of contracting a zoonotic disease they should not keep cats. We should not customise the anatomy of cats. We do not customise children beause they bring colds back from school or damage the furniture. A further point; a cat's teeth can transmit zoonotic disease: Declawing, why not detoothing as well?

Another, perhaps overlooked, point about the above clause is that is refers to, "domestic cats". It is clearly open season on tame wild cats and there are many Servals, for instance, that are automatically declawed because they are a big cat. Some escape their unsuitable conditions and are killed because they have no defense. See Serval Cat Escapes.

If this leading clause were to be written in compliance with the American Veterinary Medical Associations code of ethics it might read like this:

"Declawing of all cats must not be carried out unless it is under the most serious and unlikiest of conditions and where it is exclusively in the best interests of the cat's health and wellbeing. It is considered by the board of the AVMA that these circumstances will only very rarely apply. The reasons for carrying out the operation must comply with the veterinarian's oath and principles of ethics.

That clause is in the best interests of the patient. As I mention on the Americans are Unethical Towards the Cat posting, the reason why the AVMA has drafted such an open clause is to present to the world "concern" while actually promoting declawing. The clause contains "weasel words". These are words or phrases that are intended to say one thing while the true intention is to do or promote something else. Politicans use them frequently.

The AVMA policy on declawing cats is an example of American short-term thinking. I mean policies that seek to create immediate benefit at any cost while disregarding the future consequences. It is a reflection of the consumer society. However, far greater financial benefit would be accrued in the long term if a truly ethical approach was adopted by the AVMA as it would encourage people to see a vet who currently resist because of cost and distrust. It would also mean that cats were treated earlier. Many cats are probably suffering indirectly through the AVMA's policy as people stay away from veterinarian's surgeries.

The AVMA policy on declawing cats should be redrafted and while that was happening the code of ethics should be properly policed as numerous vets in its association are flagrantly in breach of its policies (see this website for example: The Declaw Hall of Shame). The AVMA must lead in the interests of the cat and all animals as that is the underlying reason for its existence.

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Please Note: I like America and Americans but strongly dislike the acceptance by many Americans of the declawing of cats.

Update: I have been reliably told that the AVMA has no authority over the veterinarians in their association. Can this be true? And if so what it the point of the AVMA? How are rogue vets dealt with?

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• From AVMA Policy of Declawing Cats to Cat Health Problems
• To Home Page (main site)
• To Home Page (this site)
• See Declawing Cats (main site)

AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats

The AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats is shameful and deplorable. It is criminality transformed into normality through deep seated denial and deceit. It is made all the worse by the fact that this association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, profess to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior. The criminality is perpetrated by the pillars of American society, the ever reliable, homely and charming veterinary surgeon. To quote the AVMA, "Veterinarians are members of a scholarly profession who have earned academic degrees from comprehensive universities or similar educational institutions." On their AVMATV webpage they have a logo that reads:

Yes, I agree. It is a lot more than we think. In respect of declawing of cats it is criminal behavior dressed up as a professional health service. It is also a lot more than you (the vets) think because a lot of them, as mentioned, seem to be in denial at what they are doing. This denial is a creation of years and years of subtle psychology that the vets and organisers of the AVMA have practiced on themselves and employees of veterinary surgeries. Even the name of the procedure is a deception: "declawing", when it is, in fact, the removal of the tips of all the fingers of the cat (usually the front). New laser surgery is probably sold as being "almost painless" with "quick recovery times". "Your cat will be up on his feet in no time" the cosy vet says. Always denying that the whole thing is quite unnecessary (when done for the usual non-therapeutic reasons) and shockingly cruel from the patient's point of view. I sometimes wonder if the vet thinks the patient is the client. The client being the person who comes in and says, "I need a declaw, I can pop in next Tuesday". Vet's answer, "That's fine Mrs Doe, have a nice day..."

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See an umbrella page on cat declawing where there are more links etc.: Declawing Cats

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The language of the veterinary surgeon is designed to disengage the veterinarian and the staff from what is a grievous assault on an innocent animal that looks to us and depends on us for its care and well being. The procedure is described as follows:

"The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest. The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated, and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised.. . . Both techniques effectively remove the entire third phalanx" [this means the amputation of the distal phalanx or part of the toe]

In plain language this procedure is:

The removal, with a knife, of the top joint from all the toes of the cat.

The language of denial and disengagement does not stop there. It is everywhere in the American Veterinarian's literature. Take the AVMA Policy on Declawing Cats. The following heads the page on the AVMA website:

Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s) {revised 04/2009}

This clause, as I said is the header clause and the clause that underpines the whole policy actively encourages declawing when it should do the opposite. It is an attempt to ease the guilt of the AVMA by pretending that they have a policy on declawing. These are my concerns with this defective clause:

The first sentence of the clause says that if a cat, for exampe, damages a piece of furniture and the owner can't stop it, the cat can be declawed. If the owner comes to a vet and says, "Mr Vet, I've tried to stop my cat scratching my new furniture but it hasn't worked, please declaw him". The vet can under this AVMA policy on declawing cats, say, "Yes, fine". It is an open invitation to cat owners who do not know better to get their way against the interests of the cat. When people adopt a cat they know there will be some damage. So declawing will be on the cards before the cat gets home. It is nothing less than an open invitation to declaw. It should be a barrier. In fact it blatantly contradicts the veterinarian's oath and principles of ethics of the AVMA on the same website (see my posting on this: American Vets are Unethical Towards the Cat), which states, "Veterinarians should first consider the needs of the patient....". The AVMA policy on declawing persuant to this statment considers first the client (the cat's owner).

As to the second sentence this refers to the transmission of disease from cat to human (zoonotic diseases). All cats present this exceptionally slight risk. But once again it opens the door wide to mutilation because under the AVMA policy on declawing cats all and any cat can be declawed. Once again it presents an open door to an assault on the cat. If people are worried about their furniture or the extremely rare risk of contracting a zoonotic disease they should not keep cats. We should not customise the anatomy of cats. We do not customise children beause they bring colds back from school or damage the furniture. A further point; a cat's teeth can transmit zoonotic disease: Declawing, why not detoothing as well?

Another, perhaps overlooked, point about the above clause is that is refers to, "domestic cats". It is clearly open season on tame wild cats and there are many Servals, for instance, that are automatically declawed because they are a big cat. Some escape their unsuitable conditions and are killed because they have no defense. See Serval Cat Escapes.

If this leading clause were to be written in compliance with the American Veterinary Medical Associations code of ethics it might read like this:

"Declawing of all cats must not be carried out unless it is under the most serious and unlikiest of conditions and where it is exclusively in the best interests of the cat's health and wellbeing. It is considered by the board of the AVMA that these circumstances will only very rarely apply. The reasons for carrying out the operation must comply with the veterinarian's oath and principles of ethics.

That clause is in the best interests of the patient. As I mention on the Americans are Unethical Towards the Cat posting, the reason why the AVMA has drafted such an open clause is to present to the world "concern" while actually promoting declawing. The clause contains "weasel words". These are words or phrases that are intended to say one thing while the true intention is to do or promote something else. Politicans use them frequently.

The AVMA policy on declawing cats is an example of American short term thinking. I mean policies that seek to create immediate benefit at any cost while disregarding the future consequences. It is a reflection of the consumer society. However, far greater financial benefit would be accrued in the long term if a truly ethical approach was adopted by the AVMA as it would encourage people to see a vet who currently resist seeing a vet because of the cost and distrust. It would also mean that cats were treated earlier. Many cats are probably suffering indirectly through the AVMA's policy as people stay away from veterinarian's surgeries to avoid getting into the clutches of a financially greedy vet and any veterianrian who declaws cats for non-therapeutic reasons is greedy.

The AVMA policy on declawing cats should be redrafted and while that was happening the code of ethics should be properly policed as numerous vets in its association are flagrantly in breach of its policies (see this website for example: The Declaw Hall of Shame). The AVMA must lead in the interests of the cat and all animals as that is the underlying reason for its existence. It is time that the AVMA served the interests of the cat not their wallet nor the callous cat owner requesting declawing.



Further valuable reading.

• Declawing Cats - lots of links
  
• From AVMA Policy of Declawing Cats to Cat Health Problems
• To Home Page (main site)
• To Home Page (this site)
• http://clawsforever.blogspot.com - a blog about declawing
• http://clawsforever.ning.com/ - The Claws Connection
  
• http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Savingcatsclaws/- Savingcatsclaws · Troops Taking Action To Save Cats' Claws
• Putting straight some facts about declawing
• Help us ban declawing in the USA

Savannah Cats with Nice Characters

Bringing into the world Savannah cats with nice characters is at the core of the Savannah cat breeding business and the number one cattery in the world in that business is A1 Savannahs managed by Kathrin and Martin Stucki. I made a short post about Kathrin Stucki. She is a talented person. One thing that the Stuckis focus on is socializing the cats that they breed. All new born Savannah cats stay with them in their home for a time and one thing they have to do during that period is feed them, day and night:

This is part of the process that leads to Savannah cats with nice characters or in cat fancy language, cats that are well socialized. This is particularly important for wildcat hybrids as they can be demanding and a bit intimidating for some people. Here is the Stucki's own little F2 Savannah kitten playing with a tamed Serval kitten, demonstrating the excellent work that A1 Savannahs do of socializing their cats:

These cats were awesome. You can hear Kathrin talking to Ken and Helmi Flick in the background. You can use this video in HD mode.



From Savannah Cats with Nice Characters to Home Page

Oh My Cat Loves to be Hoovered

God, I wish! I wish my cat liked to be hoovered. Think of the benefits. You could even groom your cat at the same time so all the dead hair got hoovered up. Even just hoovering without grooming sounds great.



Hey, got the best idea I have had for a while. Hoover should manucfature an attachment for their hoover (!) that has a Furminator head. Furminator make probably the best grooming tool as it gets to the undercoat and weeds out the dead and loose fur. This may take off.



The only downside is that most cats don't like the noise. But if we put the vacuum cleaner in a room, close the door (partially) and use a long hose maybe this could become the normal thing to do to groom our cat. And it is so satisfying for us to as we know we are getting rid of that damn hair.........Oh my cat loves to be hoovered, like hell she does.



Oh My Cat Loves to be Hoovered to Home Page

Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La

Please help Tony the tiger. Boycott Sandlin's truck stop. I, for one, am on the side of the decent, thoughtful and caring people who want to remove the tiger from Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La. I don't care if "Tony" is a "pet". The owner (Mr. Sandlin) of Truck Stop argues these points in favor of keeping his pet tiger in a cage to enhance business:

1. "The tiger enhances business" - yes but the tiger wouldn't enhance business if people didn't come to your business to eat and that might be achievable if the people who cared about animals made a lawful protest on public property outside your place. If I were there, I would. And in thinking as he does, Mr Sandlin gives us a clue as to what is his true love. It is not Tony that is for sure, it is money. We normally keep companion cats because we like indeed love and care for them (and they for us, in their way). But how can this be the case with Tony? This tiger is forced to breathe diesel fumes day in and day out. These fumes contain very small particles. A particle is called PM10. They are less than 10 micrometers in diameter. This allows them to penetrate deep into the lung, where they can aggravate respiratory disease. Tony is very close to a ton of PM10 and Mr Sandlin doesn't care. He thinks he is caring for Tony. He is deluded.
2. "Tony is my pet" - yes but the tiger doesn't know that and the better phrase is "companion animal" and in any case if you cared about "your pet" you would not keep him locked up in a cage all the time. I can only presume (I actually know, as do us all) that you care more for financial profit. Profit is always the overriding reason why the tiger suffers and is becoming extinct in the wild in this world. Tony's owner is fooling himself if he thinks he is treating his Tony well.
3. Sandlin says it is an infringement of his rights to remove Tony to a reserve. We share the planet with other animals Mr Sandlin and in a better world they have rights too. At a basic level Tony has the right to live as near a natural life as possible. He cannot be returned to the wild as he never was in the wild, as I understand it, but he can have more space and tigers need plenty of space. The Amur tiger, for instance, requires up to 40 square kilometers of territory to be able to feel natural in. I believe your cage is about 20 meters square. That .000025% of the desired amount of space. Mr Sandlin, you have no idea what is going through the mind of this tiger but it is probably a kind of slow torture.
4. Mr. Sandlin makes other unsupportable arguments.

The best we can do is this. To make the point to Mr Sandlin that it is not commercially profitable to keep a tiger outside his establishment and for that matter it is also bad for business to keep a stuffed one inside as well. The video below shows the 4 year old stuffed white tiger that apparently died of unknown causes. Far for me to suggest that Mr Sandlin killed the tiger so he could have one inside the restaurant as well as outside!!



This is a comment made in relation to the above video on YouTube showing Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La:

"and YES i have visited tony 4 times and i know that he gest the right amount of treatment medical , food, and playtime! you shouldve seen how he was when he was being fed the loudest purr i have ever heard! doesnt a purr mean they are content? seriously people wake up! seriously ppl if you feel guilty about being born privliged then maybe you should start your charity/activism at home and free your cat(s) LOL in the mean time leave the rest of us alone! tony included!!"

This is what we are up against. This person is very short sighted and I don't mean in respect of his eyes. He makes a bizarre statement (I guess intended to be an insult) by claiming that people who care about the welfare of animals are "born privileged". Perhaps he is saying that people who are rich can afford to have animal rights and those who are poor have to use whatever means possible to make money. That might carry some merit but it does not support Mr Sandlin's cause because he is not poor, he is probably quite wealthy. In short in relation to most of the world's peoples he is very, very privileged. And purring does not necessarily signify contentment. Cats sometimes purr when frightened. See cats purr. The argument about Tony receiving medical treatment is valid (if true) but is completely overridden by the wholly inappropriate conditions under which he is kept. Tony probably needs lots of medical treatment as a result!

Mr Sandlin of Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La., is driven by the god money, play against him on that field of play and you will eventually win. Boycott his damned business...........Here is a video of a hearing. The people presiding look as if they have made up their minds and are disinterested:



Here is on of many comments from BanWolfHunting on the video:

Sky Williamson is my new hero. And what a pathetic bunch that committee was, to do nothing. They should be voted out of office.
I just wish you could have videoed the tiger and his crummy little cage up close, to better show people how disgraceful and shameful keeping him captive is.
What a sad, pathetic place this truckstop must be. I just may have to stop by there and film it myself and help these white trash truckstop owners lose their "family" to a better place like BCR.

Here is another video at another hearing:



And here is an example of the comments generated (this is just one):

djbethell Shame on these blind people. That poor, poor animal. How slow they are in seeing what is right in front of them. It's times like these that I despair at the stupidity and unconcious actions of some people. Keep fighting the good fight. Truth will out.

Update 14th April 2009: The local Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr, has, I understand, met with Mr Sandlin to discuss improvements to the tiger's living quarters. Well, that is something and I hope it results in action. But it is no where near enough. However Mr Ourso deserves a medal as he was going against the wishes of his council in trying to improve the tiger's living conditions.

Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La to Wild Cat Species

Pet Care Costs

Cat Rescue - a different type of cat rescue - photo by -murilo-

Pet Care Costs are causing people to abandon their pets in the recession. Some people consider cats a luxury. It seems to be a basic case of survival for humans if they are giving up their cat or dog. But is it? It might be a case of using the recession and financially difficult times as an excuse to abandon a cat or dog. After all when we choose to adopt a cat we should always ask ourselves if we can do it for the life of the animal, no matter what. In the West it is highly unusual if a person is so destitute that he/she cannot look after a cat, dog or other companion animal.

Sometimes people will keep the car and get rid of the cat. Often the poorest have the most pets. I am not sure therefore if the recession is truly having an impact but some rescue centers are filling up to capacity. To compound the problem the centers are getting less money in charitable donations. This is a potentially grave situation for abandoned cats and dogs.

Anyway, is there anyway to keep pet care costs down? The biggest cost is probably food. Yet, you know, cat food, for example, is actually cheap. The quality is certainly, in general, not good. You could argue that cat food is too cheap as it encourages irresponsible people to keep cats.

Anyway, dry cat food is cheaper than wet. Although there are strong arguments that a pure dry food diet is not good (see cat food recipe or click on the cat food label on this site), it is better to feed a cheaper and poorer diet than give up your cat to a shelter as there is a very high chance that your cat will be euthanized. This is more so today than before as not only are more people giving up pets less people are adopting pets. Pure practicalities dictate that rescue center cats are euthanized. 10 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the Unites States alone.

Dry cat food is one answer (with plenty of water). Litter is an expense. Good litter management can minimise cost. Buying large bags is cheaper and scooping out the used portion with care and replacing with new may reduce costs if the usual practice is to use a tray and replace the entire tray. In theory, at least, there is no reason why our cats cannot go to the toilet in a prepared area in the garden. This needs to be supervised to a degree and managed as a lot of cats in the States are indoor cats. But a well managed outdoor litter using what is free, earth, will suffice.

Relative luxuries such as toys and scratching posts can be made up by hand. There is no need to buy these. Substantial savings can be made with a different mind set. Far better this way, keeping pet cat costs down to a minimum (perhaps the harder way for us) than the easier route (for some) of giving up our cat.

Update 22nd December

The cost of keeping a cat for the lifetime of a cat (say 14 years) can be near £10,000 (GBP).

Cat food over that period can amount to over £3,000. If you take out insurance the cost can be over £1,000 for the lifetime. Litter will add about £2,000, cattery charges about £1,200, vet's fees about £1,300 and equipment and toys etc a further £100.

Some of these costs can be managed however. In addition to the above, I do not think that insurance for vet's bills is money well spent. After all you are paying another business in addition to the veterinarian. What I mean is two businesses have to come out with a profit, the insurance company (and they makes lots, it's like printing money) and the veterinarian. It is all about risk. I made a post on this: Insurance for Cat Health Problems. Insurance is widely promoted especially by those on a commission. Some say it is cheaper to take out insurance. It might be and it might not be.

Pet Care Costs to Home Page

Trim Cat Claws

We should trim cat claws carefully or not at all. Cat claws are wonderfully useful tools for the cat. They have a wide range of uses including, climbing, getting purchase on the ground for efficient running, defense (yep they are great defensive weapons), kneading (when a kitten - this stimulates mother's milk flow) and catching and grabbing hold of prey and digging etc.. Cats scratch to remove an outer layer from the claw.

They are retractable making them useful when required only. The Cheetah's claws are in fact semi-retractable so are out more than usual probably because this cat needs them more than usual to hunt at great speed and turn with dexterity (see Cheetah speed)

The claw itself is made of a hard protein called keratin and it has a soft interior called the quick and blood vessels and nerves supplying the claw.

To trim cat claws safely without cutting into the soft interior and without fuss is not easy, in my opinion. Sometimes we get lucky and our cat gets used to it quickly by most often a cat will not settle for a sufficiently long time to allow us to trim cat claws with accuracy. And accuracy is needed is we are to avoid cutting into the soft interior and/or shattering the claw and yes to avoid us getting scratched a bit in the process.

I've just seen a product for which I am not getting commission, which seems to get around the weaknesses of the conventional approach of using nail clippers. Even specialist claw clippers with depth restrictors can be problematic if we are honest. They need some expertise and most of us don't have the time or patience to practice to acquire the expertise.

Anyway, the product is called PediPaws. It uses a depth restriction system but uniquely it files the claw down using what seems to be a little grinding wheel driven by a battery. It looks a nice product with which to trim cat claws. Particularly so as it seems almost impossible to hurt our cat (or dog) when used. In other words it is fool proof and our cats should accept its use more readily. It is made in the USA so I would expect it not to be available elsewhere - is it?

With a new product and procedure, especially one that makes a bit of noise, I'd try and introduce it gently to help my cat get used to it.

I think if I could lay my hands on one I'd buy it. They are cheap by UK standards at under $20 USD.

The picture of the colored claws shows an alternative to the need to trim cat claws. It is sticking plastic covers over the claws (SoftPaws). They are quite popular in America as far as I know. I am not sure about them myself. I'd rather our cat use his paws normally but hopefully a little less destructively and the gentle filing down by the PediPaws device, I think, is one answer.

Also see Trim Cat Claws

There is no doubt that the preferred thing to do is to trim claws.

Trim Cat Claws safely to cat anatomy

Photo of claw sheath heading picture: by Alice Wiegand, (Lyzzy) under a Wikimedia commons license.

Photo of SoftPaws covers by .robbie and published under a creative commons license.


A safe way to trim claws.

Newborn Kitten Care

SORRY -- This page has been moved to the main website for the purposes of trying to make it more visible as it is a good page which required a considerable time to create:

PLEASE CLICK THIS TO GO TO THE PAGE.

Thanks for your patience.

Building a cat enclosure

photo copyright SHamEy jo reproduced under CC

Building a cat enclosure cannot be that complicated and in any event there are a lot of businesses now who make them for a fairly modest price. I have been banging on about them for months. A cat enclosure must be the best solution to the eternal dilemma of keeping a cat safe in a world that is frankly hostile to cats (well it's also pretty hostile to humans too).

It is appropriate to think of a cat as a child when making arrangements for accommodation. When we think of having a child we should make lots of plans and even buy a new home sometimes to ensure the correct facilities are in place. A cat gives as much pleasure yet very few spend a few hundred pounds or dollars to construct suitable accommodation for a new cat. Anyone with a decent amount of DIY ability could make one for themselves. The truth, though, is that a lot of people are rather careless and selfish when deciding to have children. This mentality carries over to keeping a cat I am afraid. People acquire a cat for themselves or the children and not for the cat. A little more altruism would help massively.

The obstacle for many is having sufficient space in the garden so that the enclosure integrates well and doesn't dominate. But the biggest obstacle must be the aesthetic issues. How do you knit an enclosure into your property without it looking horrible. A lot of people are very concerned about the appearance of their home. I think that that problem can be overcome with a bit of careful planning. Anyway it is a test of commitment. If we are not prepared to build an enclosure we should ask ourselves if we have the right set of circumstances in place to allow us to keep a cat.

At the basic level an enclosure can be built without the need for a professional supplier/installer. You'll need a cat flap through a wall or a window (or a door; but a door is unlikely to be suitable as the cat flap leads directly to the enclosure so there will be nowhere for a human to go - unless you have a door and space beyond that is hardly ever used, which would be ideal).

The actual enclosure could be almost any size and built of pretreated 4x2 wood (max) and chicken wire or some kind of fencing. Its size should be about a minimum of about 7 feet square I think but the manufacturers make them a smaller and bigger (I'd prefer about 15-20 feet). There should be a roof as well. That's it at a basic but effective level. The peace of mind for the cat keeper is substantial. And your cat, if she is used to being imprisoned, will be eternally grateful and she'll probably lose some weight. You can also build some climbing stuff in the enclosure and perches.


Building a cat enclosure for an apartment is not impossible. Well done this person. Photo copyright Digitala Bönder.

Some middle aged ladies from England built their own enclosure and a gentleman from the Netherlands built his catio. It ain't difficult.

There are businesses supplying either "flat pack" build your own enclosures to custom built ones. One called the Cat's Den (USA) uses a mesh that it heavy duty so that it is largely self supporting - a good idea as it makes it easier to install and it can be dissembled when you move home.

A manufacturer in Maine, USA (Safekitty) makes a simple wooden framed enclosure about 8 feet square, meshed on all sides. The pictures show the enclosure next to buildings and the entrance to the enclosure from a window, which leads to the top of the enclosure with steps down in the enclosure; simple and effective and the chance of injury is lessened (if you currently let your cat out). These enclosures are priced at about $450. Building a cat enclosure need not be expensive.

It may even be cheaper to build a cat enclosure as it may result in less vet's bills (less chance of injury if you let your cat go out). If you live in a flat (apartment) you won't be able to do this as the lease won't allow it. That means for people living in flats on the first floor or higher their cat will have to be an indoor cat with the occasional excursion outside, supervised. I feel that cats shouldn't be in these kind of apartments unless they are very big with plenty of exercise toys/climbs/wheels etc. But see the enclosure above!

I live in an apartment on the ground floor. I let my cat wander out but she asks me to go with her and never goes far so she is completely safe. She'll go on her own sometimes but no further than about 20 feet from the cat flap. If she was less defensive and more adventurous I wouldn't be here in an apartment. Building a cat enclosure is the best solution to modern life with a cat.

Here's some more USA manufacturers: outbackbarneys.com, bandobi.com, playscapesforpussycats.com, cdpets.com, catfencein.com, purrfectfence.com, ultraliteproducts.com.


Building a cat enclosure to indoor/outdoor living

Taunton cat hospital

 

Cat at veterinarian surgery - this is not at Taunton cat hospital - photo copyright Mirandala Taunton cat hospital is one of two cat hospitals in the United States that is searched for on the internet much more than others. The other cat hospital that is searched for is Houston Cat Hospital. The Taunton hospital does not have a website, which is strange considering that it is popular and it is very easy to build websites these days. If they ask me I'll do one for them for free. I reckon that I could build a website for them in about 1 hour that was found by Google within the day. Anyway, this is the location:-

   

 This is the phone number: Phone: (508) 824-2287 I have little in the way of details about this cat hospital, but am pleased to promote it. I have just noticed that Louise Collins DVM seems to be the chief veterinarian at the hospital. They care exclusively for cats, have boarding and grooming. They feed with Purina, Hills and Royal Canin and accept Mastercard and Visa payments as far as I can see. If I am wrong I apologise. Taunton cat hospital to Warrior Cats - they need care from time to time!!

Houston Cat Hospital

Photo copyright cattoo

The Houston Cat Hospital is a searched for term. There are many cat hospitals, of course. But only two come up when doing a keyword search that stand out from the rest. The other is Taunton Cat Hospital but they do not as far as I can tell, have a website. The Taunton referred to is the one in the USA (MA).

The The Houston Cat Hospital is located at:

11169 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77042




View Larger Map

As you can see from the map it is near the Royal Oaks Country Club and about 8 miles or so from the center of Houston. The road that the hospital is on appears to be a major road running east and west from the center of town.

If you go to their website http://www.houstoncathospital.net/index.html you can print off a coupon and get a 10% discount on your first visit.

It's a really simple website but it does the business and gives them a web presence.

Houston Cat Hospital to Warrior Cats (they need hospital treatment living in the wild as they do!)