by Nomi Berger
 
Notoriously inquisitive, known for nosing around indoors and out, cats continuously court disaster, and it’s incumbent upon their conscientious owners to keep them safe from harm.
 
That said, consider these seven backyard threats to your own kitty’s health and wellbeing.
 
Toxic Plants: Famously fond of chewing on plants, curious cats should never find these toxic plants in YOUR garden – azaleas, chrysanthemums, daffodils, foxgloves, gladioli, hydrangeas, irises, lilies, marigolds, tomato plants and tulips. For a more complete list of potentially lethal plants, please consult your vet.
 
Unlocked garages and sheds: Both are paw-tential “breeding grounds” for disaster -- from sharp tools when stepped on to toxic chemicals when ingested. If your house has a garage, a shed or both, ensure that they’re always closed and locked when not in use to keep your cat from wandering around them unsupervised. Make certain beforehand, though, that all of your tools have been safely stored away and that your cat isn’t hiding some place inside to keep her from being trapped there.
 
Uncovered swimming pools: Attempting to drink from an outdoor swimming pool can prove fatal to any curious cats should they fall into the water. To spare them this fate, either use a pool cover when the pool’s not in use or ensure that there’s a low edge to it. This way, cats can easily climb out if they happen to lose their balance and take a tumble.
 
Chemical herbicides: Far too many dedicated gardeners use chemicals -- herbicides and/or insecticides -- to keep their gardens free from unsightly weeds and plant-eating bugs. But these chemicals can make cats violently ill if licked, chewed and swallowed. The solution: if you do use such chemicals, restrict your cat’s access to the garden until they’re fully dried or, better still, switch to natural alternatives that are deemed safe for pets.
 
Rat poison and slug pellets: Not only is rodent poison fatal to rats and mice, it can also be fatal to cats -- if they ingest the poison itself or if they eat a poisoned rat. To keep your cat safe, avoid using rat poison in your own garden and speak with your neighbors about their own, possible use of this toxic substance. Slug pellets, shaped like small cylindrical bullets, can also be appealing to cats and should be replaced with harmless alternatives – from copper tape and egg shells to sea shells and recycled wool waste pellets.
 
Fruit stones from trees or plants: The downside of having fruit trees or fruit-bearing plants in your garden is how quickly they litter the ground with fruit stones, berries and seeds. If cats swallow a fruit stone, it can often cause an intestinal obstruction that, if not resolved promptly, can be fatal. In some cases, these stones, along with the berries and seeds, can also be toxic and should be removed from the ground on a regular basis.
 
Compost heaps: While cats may enjoy digging about in compost heaps, dangers lurk deep within them -- from sharp sticks, moldy food and coffee grounds to cat-toxic fruits and vegetables such as raisins, onions and avocados. If there’s a compost heap in your garden, enclose it with a pet-proof fence or use a specially designed bin to keep the compost safely out of reach of your cats’ paws and mouths.

by Nomi Berger
 
Since cats are both predators and prey, they are programmed to perpetually assess their environment. As creatures of habit, territorial and tenacious, they must feel safe rather than sorry before relaxing their guard and revealing their sociable side.
 
That said, giving your new kitty companion some space before greeting her is key to earning her trust and winning her heart. Why? Because this affords her the opportunity to decide if she feels comfortable enough to interact with you or if it’s best, temporarily at least, for her to keep her distance.
 
Always allow HER to approach YOU. If she senses that she has a choice, she’s far less likely to run off.
 
Avoid looking her in the eye. Since a direct stare is considered a challenge in the animal world, use brief, soft glances – much like repeated slow blinks -- to reassure her that you’re not a threat.
 
To seem less imposing, never stand (read “tower”) over her. Instead either kneel down or sit on the floor. Meant to put her at ease, this should also encourage her to come closer, paw step by paw step, and begin her scent investigation of you.
 
Because cats rely so heavily on their highly developed sense of smell, you can use this to your mutual advantage. Slowly extend your index finger to see if she’ll venture even closer for that all-important first sniff. This is akin to two cats meeting one another for the first time and “going nose to nose” as each sniffs the other’s unique scent.
 
If she does, indeed, sniff your finger, pay close attention to what she does next. If she rubs against your finger, this is a friendly sign. If she moves in closer to rub against your arm, it’s an even friendlier sign, showing that she obviously feels comfortable enough to share this almost immediate, more intimate contact with you. But if she sniffs your finger and either stands still or backs away, it means that she’s still not quite sure of you. Resist the impulse to make any further moves in her direction. She may return for a second sniff or she may simply choose – for the moment -- to retreat altogether. If she does, don’t think of this first experience as a failure. By being patient, giving her the choice and not pressuring her, you’ve established that all-important initial bond of trust. Hopefully, she’ll feel more comfortable the second time – or the third -- and engage with you sooner and go farther.
 
If, on the other hand, you’re actually able to pet your new kitty, don’t push her tolerance level, particularly when she’s just learning to trust you. The same rule applies if she settles down beside you or curls up in your lap. If she decides, at any time, to move away, don’t grab her or try to lure her back. As long as she knows that she’s free to leave, she’ll feel that much more comfortable getting closer to you the next time.

by Nomi Berger
 
Alley Cat Rescue of Maryland has marked March 3rd as the start of the Feral Fix Challenge, an annual global event that brings together veterinarians and communities throughout the word in an effort to save the lives of feral cats.
 
The Challenge, currently in its 11th year, asks veterinarians to get involved with trap-neuter-return (TNR) by providing either low cost or free spay/neuters and rabies vaccinations for free roaming cats. Since its inception, over 130,000 cats have been spayed and neutered by more than 1,500 participating vets worldwide.
 
And because approximately 860,000 cats are euthanized in American shelters each year -- many of them newborn kittens or free roaming cats – the most successful way to lower this staggering statistic is to slow the breeding cycle among the feral cat population.
 
What, then, is TNR?
 
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a program through which feral (unsocialized to people) cats are humanely trapped, spayed and/or neutered, vaccinated and, when necessary, medically treated before being returned to their original outdoor locations where neighborhood caretakers provide them with regular food and shelter.
 
Should these spots be considered unsafe or otherwise inappropriate, however, many of the feral cats will be moved to rural and/or farmyard locations. Kittens still young enough to be socialized, and friendly, adult cats will typically be placed in foster homes, then eventually adopted into loving fur-ever homes as cherished kitty companions.
 
TNR has many advantages. It immediately stabilizes the size of the colony by eliminating new litters. The “nuisance” behaviors often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced, including the yowling and fighting that come with mating activity and the odor of unneutered males spraying to mark their territory.
 
The returned colony also guards its “turf”, preventing intact cats from moving in and starting the vicious cycle of overpopulation and problem behaviors all over again, while in urban areas, these spayed and neutered cats continue to provide a natural form of rodent control. 
 
Another significant advantage of the program, when practiced on a large scale, is that it reduces the number of feral kittens and cats entering already overcrowded local shelters. This not only lowers the shelters’ euthanasia rates it increases the number of adoptions of cats already there. 
 
Endorsed by such well respected groups as the ASPCA, the American Humane Association and the Humane Society of the United States, TNR is considered to be the most humane, effective and financially sustainable method of controlling the growth of free roaming cat populations. Trying to “rescue” feral cats and place them in permanent homes is, quite simply, impossible, given their numbers and the futility of trying to socialize most of them.
 
On the other hand, “Trap and Remove”, the more traditional technique used by most Animal Control Services across the country, isn’t only ineffectual, it’s counter productive. If ALL of the cats aren’t caught, the unneutered males left behind will continue to breed until the colony’s previous population level is reached. Even more frustrating: if every cat IS removed, new intact ones – both female and male -- tend to move into the area and take advantage of the available food sources, and the entire breeding cycle begins again.
 
How can YOU help?
 
Alley Cat Rescue asks you to support and promote this global challenge by visiting
www.saveacat.org/the-feral-fix.html and asking them to send your vet an invitation to participate or for a sample invitation if you would rather approach your vet personally.
 
Vets can sign up for the 2021 Feral Fix Challenge and pledge to provide free or low cost spay/neuter services to as many free roaming cats as is feasible for their individual practices.
 
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic and stray, abandoned and feral. For more information, visit www.saveacat.org.