Did You Adopt a Cat Over Christmas?

How to Adopt a Cat and Live Peacefully Afterwards

If you are ready to adopt a cat or recently adopted a cat we bet you know cat adoption is rewarding, fun and life saving. Congratulations on bringing that kitty home with you! Here are some tips to get everything off to a great start.

adopt a cat

Chester getting a drink

Socialization  First of all recognize that cats do like human companionship. Although they like to hunt alone they are not the solitary creatures we once envisioned them to be. Be sure to take time to teach your cat to play and interact with you. Pam Johnson-Bennett offers great advice in her book CatWise regarding socializing with other cats, with dogs and with humans.

Declawing  If your new family member has not been declawed we urge you to forego that procedure. Declawing is the amputation of the first joint of all the cats’ digits and is extremely painful. Some cats suffer tenderness in their paws forever. If your cat has been declawed, please don’t let him outside.  He can no longer protect himself without claws.

Scratching  So what to do to protect your furniture from being shredded after you adopt a cat? Recognize that cats scratch to get good shoulder stretches, when excited about something pleasant and to displace tension.

Purchase or make a sisal covered scratching post. Make sure the scratching post is tall enough for your cat to fully stretch his shoulders. You may find it helpful to place the post near the corner of a sofa so it’s handy for your kitty. There are also scratching pads that hang from a doorknob and corrugated cardboard scratching pads that sit horizontally on the floor.  

Litter Boxes  If you live in a multi-level home be sure to have at least one litter box on each level. It’s also a good idea to have one more litter box than you have cats.  Recognize that cats are fastidious creatures and don’t like to use dirty litter boxes.  It’s ideal to scoop the litter two times a day, but please scoop at least one time each day. Remember that cats’ noses are sensitive so unscented litter is the best idea.

Exercise and Nutrition   A fat cat is not healthy so give your cat opportunities for exercise. Did you know you can even clicker train your cat to walk in a kitty harness on a leash? Think vertically so your cat has places to climb and to feel safe. Jackson Galaxy in his book Catification offers lots of innovative solutions. 

Arden Moore writing in her book Fit Cat reminds us that cats need encouragement to remain hydrated. Bubbling water fountains encourage cats to drink water. Canned food or sodium free broth added to kibble will encourage cats to get greater water intake. Cats are obligate carnivores so need protein from chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, turkey or tuna. Avoid meat or poultry by-products.

adopt a cat

This is a cool product

Indoor Happiness In addition to vertical spaces and scratching posts, consider adding a kitty garden and toys to your cats’ space. There are multiple options available but we like SmartCat Kitty’s Garden. Toys run the gamut from crinkled foil and cardboard boxes to tunnels and feather wand toys and laser pointers.  Allow your cat to “catch” the prey to provide satisfaction. Remember to provide a variety of kitty beds and leave her carrier out. If she can go in and out of her carrier at will she will be less likely to hide when it’s time to visit the vet.

Veterinary Care Cats need routine veterinary care for a variety of reasons. Your cat can live a long healthy comfortable and happy life with regular check ups, necessary vaccinations, and dental cleanings. It’s a lot less expensive to be proactive than reactive too. 

Pet Sitting  When you initially adopt a cat it’s best to let your cat become accustomed to her new environment and comfortable in her surroundings. Try not to travel too soon after you bring your new kitty home.  But eventually we know you will need to travel for business or pleasure.  We recommend you hire a professional pet sitter so your cat can stay in the comfort of home.

We offer cat sitting in your home. Our service area includes all of Mooresville 28115 and parts of Mooresville 28117, parts of Mt. Ulla, Davidson and parts of Cornelius. If you reside out of our service area check out the pet sitter locators in Pet Sitters International and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.

adopt a cat

Where to Adopt a Cat

If you are ready to add a cat to your family please choose adoption. If you live in the Lake Norman area we recommend the following places to find sweet and needy cats.

Iredell County Animal Services

Catering to Cats and Dogs

Lake Norman Animal Rescue

Lake Norman Humane

Cornelius Animal Shelter

December Happenings around Lake Norman

These December Happenings Around Lake Norman are Making it Look a Lot Like Christmas

December Happenings Around Lake Norman

We are never without fun things to do around Lake Norman in December or any other time.  There’s something for the entire family, just for the kids and just for the pets. Enjoy!!

We hope you enjoy all the December Happenings Around Lake Norman!

Christmas Happenings Around Lake Norman

Are You Ready to Adopt a Shelter Cat?

How Are You Celebrating Adopt a Shelter Cat  Month?

It’s Adopt a Shelter Cat Month so what better time to consider the necessary steps. If you have been thinking about adopting a cat, prepare and dive in.  You will be richly rewarded.

Many of the steps for adopting a cat are the same as those for adopting a dog. The common considerations are the needs of the pet, proper nutrition, choosing a vet, groomer and pet sitter and over all considering the true financial costs of pet ownership.

Curious Cat

Curious Cat

Too often new cat owners think that because cats are less social than dogs that they require very little attention. But we need to pay special attention to the needs of cats and have a basic understanding of why they do certain behaviors.

What Do Cats Need?

Cats need items to scratch. It’s best to provide both horizontal and vertical scratching posts to see which style your cat prefers. They dislike soiled litter boxes and need sufficient litter to cover their pee and poop. That’s why it’s so important to follow the general rule of thumb for having one more litter box than cat, and a litter box on every level of your home. It’s important to scoop the litter box at least daily to assure they don’t go outside the box.

Cats need to sleep in a quiet area where they can feel safe and secure. This may be on a cat hammock, under your bed or on a cat bed all curled up. They need elevated perches where they can see the world around them. Their version of “cat tv” is a perch in front of a window with a view of a birdhouse.

Toys they can interact with are important. Cats love to pounce on moving objects like balls or moving wands because this brings out their instinct for hunting prey. Cats prefer to approach us rather than let us approach them. They like play time to be short, but frequent. Keep that in mind to avoid being scratched or bitten.  When kitty is through playing, he is through!!

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The cat may benefit from cat calming spray to help him feel more comfortable around the humans.  And the humans may appreciate an enzymatic cleaner for those inevitable kitty “oops.”

Where Can I Find a Cat to Adopt?
We are blessed with great adoption agencies throughout our region. Check out Catering to Cats and Dogs, Iredell County Animal Services, Lake Norman Animal Rescue, Cornelius Animal Shelter and the Humane Society of Iredell for your next cat adoption. There is no better way to celebrate Adopt a Shelter Cat Month!

Presents 4 Pets 2014 Was a Huge Success!!

Presents 4 Pets 2014 Results

Wowee!! Yippee Skippy! Presents 4 Pets 2014 has been a huge success thanks to you the members of our LKN community.

Items such as toys, treats, blankets, towels, rugs, pet beds, leashes, collars, harnesses, crates, kitty litter, pet shampoo and pet food were collected. We will be making deliveries to the beneficiaries in the next few days:

The goal for the community collection was a minimum of 300 items. Over 470 items were collected with an approximate value of $1270 during the Presents 4 Pets 2014 campaign!!


We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who donated to this worthy cause and helped to make the “Presents 4 Pets” campaign a success.
We are 
especially grateful to the businesses that sponsored donation boxes in Davidson, Cornelius and Mooresville:

The Veterinary Hospital of Davidson was a donation site for Presents 4 Pets 2014

The Veterinary Hospital of Davidson was a donation site for Presents 4 Pets 2014

 

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Many thanks to the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) for providing the guidance for this project.

NAPPS is the only national nonprofit trade association dedicated to serving the needs of professional pet sitters. The Association aims to help the pet owning public, those interested in pet sitting, and professionals engaged in the in-home pet care industry by fulfilling its vision statement, serving as “the most respected authority in professional pet sitting.” It does so by providing the tools and support to foster the success of its members. NAPPS recently launched a membership designed with the pet parent in mind—the NAPPS Pet Parent Membership is the ultimate resource for pet lovers; offering guides, education opportunities, networking and exclusive discounts and deals to help pet parents care for their animal companions.

To find a pet sitter in your area, check out NAPPS’ nationwide “Pet Sitter Locator” at www.petsitters.org. For more information on NAPPS, please follow @TheNAPPS on Twitter or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNAPPS.

Presents 4 Pets

English: dog in a wire crate strapped into a c...

English: dog in a wire crate strapped into a car for safe traveling Taken by Elf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Presents 4 Pets in Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius

 

We are getting ready to start our first annual collection drive for Presents 4 Pets in Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius.  We invite you to a be a part of this gift giving opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

Starting November 1 and running through December 15, we will be coordinating a collection of items needed for dogs and cats in foster care or in local shelters. Presents 4 Pets is an annual project sponsored by members of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS).We have contacted the organizations that we have selected to be the beneficiaries but need to finalize details before listing them by name.  Later this month we will reach out to local veterinary hospitals, groomers, pet supply stores and other interested businesses regarding serving as a collection location.We will collect the items the rescues and shelter identify as most needed.   As a general rule the most needed items include canned and dry dog and cat food, stainless steel cat and dog food and water bowls, kitty litter, pet sized fleece blankets, towels, dog and cat toys, Nylabones, dog and cat collars, dog leashes, dog and cat flea and tick preventatives, Kongs, baby food (for the sick or injured little ones), formula for newborn kittens and puppies (when mommas are weak, sick or injured), cat towers, cat carriers, dog crates, puppy training pads, dog beds, cat nappers,and cleaning supplies.

If you happen to see these items on sale it would be a great time to buy some for donations. Stay tuned for further details in our October newsletter and on our social media sites.