By Nomi Berger

Why adopt a rescue kitten or cat? Why not buy one from an ad on the Internet or from a pet store? There are many reasons -- all of them humane.
 
The growth of the Internet has spurred the growth of ads selling pets. But it also provides anonymity to a more insidious growth: that of kitten mills and “backyard” breeders, people who breed their own cats specifically for profit. It helps them avoid accountability when they sell unhealthy or mistreated pets to unsuspecting and overly eager buyers. And it only serves to confirm the axiom: “buyer beware.”
 
Each time a cat is bought from an ad on the Internet, a homeless cat is left without a home.
 
Many pet stores rely on kitten mills and backyard breeders for the pets they sell, and like the Internet, they too rely on impulse buying. A child ogles a playful kitten through a pane of glass, and few parents can refuse the insistent “Please! Please! Please!” of an excited, wide-eyed child.
 
Each time a cat is bought from a pet store, a stray or surrendered cat languishes in a shelter.
 
Although there are scrupulous and legitimate breeders throughout the country, there are also unscrupulous ones. Unfortunately, there are no laws regulating who can and cannot breed cats, and there are few inspections of their facilities.
 
Each time a cat is bought from an unscrupulous breeder, an abandoned cat moves closer to death in a pound.
 
Why, then, adopt a rescue cat?
 
There are tens of thousands of healthy and happy cats available from thousands of rescue organizations across the country. These organizations are usually the last refuge for abandoned and surrendered, stray and senior cats. They are often a cat’s only escape from a kitten mill, shelter or pound. Most, if not saved by those who run sanctuaries, are placed in loving volunteer foster homes, where they are socialized with people and other pets.
 
They are spayed or neutered, updated on all vaccinations, microchipped, and given whatever veterinary care they may need. And all of this is included in the rescue or sanctuary’s modest adoption fees.
 
Adopting a rescue cat is saving not only that cat’s life, but it is also saving the life of the cat that will quickly take its place.  It’s said that saving a cat makes that cat doubly grateful. By extension, then, anyone who saves a cat will be doubly blessed.  
 
What better reasons could there be to adopt a rescue cat?

by Nomi Berger
 
Like many cat owners, you may be fed up with finding scratch marks on everything from your floors and furniture to your curtains and comforters, cushions and clothes. And skin.
 
But before you consider resolving the problem by choosing declawing as your only solution, be advised that declawing your cat is NOT a matter of solely removing its claws. Nor is it as simple a procedure as a manicure, or in this case, a pedicure.
 
In fact, it is a serious SURGICAL procedure that requires a general anaesthetic. Commonly referred to as onychectomy, implying that only the claw is removed, the more appropriate term should be phalangectomy, which refers to the excision of the toe bone itself.
 
Why? Because a cat’s claw, unlike a toenail, adheres so closely to the bone that to remove the claws on a single foot is to remove the last bone of all five toes. In other words: amputation. Not only is the operation itself extremely painful, but so is the protracted period of recovery. If “recovery” is even the proper word.
 
A cat's body is uniquely designed, allowing it to move with agility and grace, and its claws are an integral part of that design. Amputating so vital a part of their anatomy drastically alters the conformation of their feet, and since cats walk on their toes, this surgery actually changes the way their bodies work. Because of this, their back and leg muscles may weaken over time, potentially leading to chronic back and joint pain. Other complications from the procedure may include postoperative hemorrhage, nerve damage, and displaced bone chips that prevent proper healing.
 
Post-operative care can be complicated and difficult, both for you and your cat.
Because a declawed cat must wear bandages on its paws until the incisions heal, exercise must be limited for at least one month and cat litter replaced with shredded newspaper to keep litter granules from embedding themselves in the healing tissue. Your vet may prescribe medications to help with the pain, and you must monitor your cat carefully for swollen paws, bleeding and a reluctance to walk, as well as any changes in appetite and behavior.
 
While some cats exhibit no changes in personality after being declawed, others may become anxious, shy, or show an increase in aggression. Feeling defenseless without their claws may cause them to bite if they feel cornered. And the pain associated with the procedure may result in urinating and defecating outside the litter box.
 
Because scratching is as innate to cats as purring, most experts recommend other alternatives to the trauma and dangers of declawing. Keep your cat’s nails carefully trimmed and direct its scratching behavior to inexpensive cardboard scratchers, scratching posts or emery scratching pads that dull its claws. Use remote aversion devices such as Scat Mats.
 
But if all else fails, the newest and most popular alternative to declawing is the application of vinyl nail caps, available through your veterinarian or pet store. Non-toxic glue binds the caps to the claws, and the caps are replaced when your cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks).
 
While declawing remains peculiar to the United States, an ever-increasing number of countries throughout the world consider it both “inhumane” and a “form of mutilation” (except in the most extreme cases or for medical reasons) and have banned the procedure.
 
In fact, a global online campaign declared March 29, 2014 as Declaw Awareness Day.

by Nomi Berger
 
Their bodies may be imperfect, but their spirit remains intact.
 
So it is said about the special needs cat. Although caring for one can be challenging, more and more people are opening their hearts and their homes and adopting them. For this reason, more and more cats that might otherwise be euthanized are being given a new lease on life.
 
Experts stress the importance of not viewing special needs cats as “handicapped.” Although they have certain limitations (including blindness, deafness or a combination of both, cerebellar hypoplasia and three-leggedness), they’re not “aware” of them, and can be as active, affectionate and playful as any other cat.
 
Adopters of special needs cats insist that the rewards far outweigh the work. Many use social media to share their experiences, to interact with owners like them, and to encourage others to adopt. They don’t see their cats’ medical or physical problems as shortcomings, and don’t believe they make them any ”less” of a cat.
 
Those interested in adopting a special needs cat should first fully inform themselves about that cat’s condition and limitations, requirements and maintenance. This should also include meeting with their vet, requesting a tutorial on administering any necessary medications, and openly discussing any concerns they might have.
 
Sadly, cats who are blind or deaf (or both) have been characterized as aggressive and unpredictable, prone to other health issues, even a shorter life span. Studies, however, have proven otherwise, showing that despite their obvious deficiencies, these cats are generally quite healthy and capable of living long, otherwise normal lives. And that, whether blind or deaf, they are no more aggressive or unpredictable than sighted or hearing cats.
 
Blind cats are trained through the use of both sound and scent cues. By relying on their highly developed sense of smell, their noses let them know where and what things are, and when combined with their owner’s reassuring voice and touch, helps them live easily and comfortably.
 
They quickly learn and “map out” their surroundings, and for added protection, have a “go to” place, where their food and water bowls, cat bed and toys (squeakies, crinklies and ones with bells inside are best) are placed on a distinctive mat and never moved. A runner or large area rug provides them with a safe play area because the traction is good and the edges clearly discernible. Sharp edges on furniture can be padded with bubble-wrap or foam pipe insulation to help prevent injury.
 
Deaf cats, who sleep more and meow loudly (they can't hear themselves) watch their owners more closely, taking cues from their behavior. They also pay closer attention to vibrations and air currents, while their “internal clocks” let them know when it’s mealtime. Deaf cats can be trained by using hand signals or the beam of a flashlight with treats as reinforcement. And because they startle easily, if their attention is elsewhere, owners should always approach them by walking with a “heavy foot” to get their attention and avoid being accidentally nipped.
 
Cats with cerebellar hypoplasia will be wobbly and uncoordinated to varying degrees and have characteristic head tremors when they try to focus on something. At times it may seem as if they’re heading in two directions at once, but they DO adapt to these challenges. Given a safe environment and barring any accidents caused by their lack of coordination, they live as long as “normal” cats and barely seem bothered by their condition.
 
Tripods (cats born with a limb missing or amputated) can live long, healthy lives with minimal adjustments (from special ramps and stairs to new litter boxes) in order to compensate for that limb. And because cats are both ingenious (such as adapting to new ways of self-grooming) and nimble, the loss of a leg usually doesn’t stop them from enjoying life to the fullest.
 
As the owners of special needs cats agree, their own lives have been irrevocably changed. By the endearing personalities, grace and determination of the cats they have adopted. By the gift of their cats’ contented meows and purrs, licks and cuddles. But most importantly, by the example they have set and the inspiration they have provided.

by Nomi Berger
 
A cat-proofed home is a cat-safe home whether your new pet is a newborn kitten or a fully- grown cat. Before that first front paw crosses your threshold for the first time, your home must be a health zone, not a hazard zone. Be especially attentive to the sensibilities of former “outside” cats, who may never have walked on wooden floors, carpets or tiles, or been exposed to so many unfamiliar sights before.  
 
Begin the process of cat-proofing by walking through your home, room by room, searching for things a kitten or cat might climb, knock over or pull down, and either secure, remove or store them. Keep all trashcans behind closed and latched doors and wastebaskets (covered if possible) out of sight. Ensure that all heating/air vents have covers. Snap specially designed plastic caps over electrical outlets. Tie electrical cords together and tuck them out of reach.
 
Install childproof latches to keep inquisitive paws from prying open cabinet doors in kitchens and bathrooms, and ALWAYS keep toilet lids down. In bedrooms, keep all medications, lotions and cosmetics off accessible surfaces such as bedside tables. Store collections – from buttons and coins to marbles and potpourri – on high shelves, and keep breakables on low surfaces to a minimum.
 
Most chemicals are hazardous to kittens and cats and should be replaced if possible with non-toxic products. A partial list includes: antifreeze, bleach, drain cleaner, household cleaners and detergents, glue, nail polish and polish remover, paint, varnish and sealants, pesticides and rat poison.
 
Many indoor plants, however pretty, can prove poisonous to kittens and cats that are, by nature, explorers, climbers and lickers. A partial list of these plants includes: amaryllis, azaleas and rhododendrons, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, kalanchoe, lilies, oleander, peace lily, pothos, Sago palm, tulip and narcissus bulbs, and yew.
 
Seemingly harmless “people” food can often be lethal for kittens and cats. These include alcoholic beverages, bones from fish or poultry, canned “people” tuna, chocolate, grapes and raisins, liver (in large amounts), macadamia nuts, milk, mushrooms, onions and garlic, potato, rhubarb and tomato leaves and stems, raw eggs and fish, and yeast dough.
 
Although prevention is the key to your new pet’s wellbeing, accidents can and do happen. The truly protective pet parents are prepared pet parents and know to keep a list of vital numbers handy:

• Veterinarian
• 24-hour veterinary emergency clinic
• ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435
• Pet Poison Help Line: 800-213-6680

 
Hopefully, these are numbers you’ll never use. And as long as you remain vigilant, both you and your new, best furry friend can rest, assured.