By Carol Stack
Spring is here, and with it lots of kittens. If you have an animal shelter near you, perhaps you want to consider asking if they send mother cats and kittens to foster homes and opening up your home to foster a family of kittens.
Many shelters have found that sending the mother cat and her kittens to a foster home is a great way to save shelter money and a great way to keep the kittens away from diseases that are found at animal shelters.
Offering your home as a foster home for kittens is a great way to help the animal shelters, and a great way to be involved in helping your community. But there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, if you already have cats, be sure to get them vaccinated for the most common cat diseases. The kittens and their mother that you take in could be carrying diseases such as feline leukemia and Feline Infection Peritonitis.
You will also want to make sure your cats do not have anything that could be harmful to the mother and her kittens. Having your cats tested for worms and given a health exam would be helpful in keeping the kittens healthy while they are at your home.
Another thing you want to consider is the responsibility. During the weeks you have them, until they are old enough to be altered and adopted out, you will be responsible for their care. If they get sick, the shelter will probably cover the expense, but you will be the one administering the medicine.
You will also be responsible for taking care of the mother and keeping the kittens safe. With a mother cat and her kittens visiting your home you will not be as free to go away, especially not on any overnight trips.
Those are the difficulties of being a foster home for kittens. What are the benefits? First, the enjoyment you get from helping these little creatures. Many kittens kept at shelters do not survive because of disease. It is not the fault of the shelter, but with all the animals coming and going there is little chance kittens won't get ill. Depending on how weak or strong they are, these diseases can kill them or weaken them for the rest of their life.
Second, you will enjoy watching these kittens as they get old enough to play with each other. Kittens are so cute, and you will get to enjoy them at their cutest until they are old enough to be adopted out (which in some areas is at about three months).
Third, if you want to get one or two kittens (or more) this is a great way to get to know their character before making any decision. And if you do keep any, you will have the pleasure of having known them since they were very tiny, which is a lot of fun.
All these are great reasons to host a homeless cat and her kittens if you are a cat lover.
Filled with information about cat breeds and how to take care of your cat, http://www.catloversportal.com is for cat lovers around the world. Learn about different cat breeds, how to care for your cat, and how to care for your elderly cat.
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Canine and Feline Senility
By Elyse Grau
Just like us, our cats and dogs grow old. When they do, they have some of the same problems, including senility.
Some dogs may exhibit a number of behavioral changes linked to senility. This condition is now commonly called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, or Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. While this syndrome is recognized in dogs, it has not been scientifically established in cats.
There are four main areas where CCD symptoms appear. They are disorientation, interaction with people, activity level and sleep, and housetraining.
Disorientation can be seen as an animal that wanders aimlessly, gets stuck in corners, stands at the wrong side of a door or appears not to recognize people or familiar commands and words.
Interaction with people may change. You may notice more (or less) attention seeking, a reluctance to be petted or touched, or lack of response to names and commands.
Activity level and sleep changes show in such behaviors as sleeping more during the day and less at night, barking for no reason, forgetting meal times, and wandering aimlessly.
Housetraining changes are obvious – urinating in the house, not asking to go outside or forgetting why they are there when they do go out. Incontinence is a physical problem, and should not be confused with forgetting due to senility.
Cats may show some of these same signs, though they are often more subtle. There are also a number of other reasons for behavior changes in both dogs and cats.
Chronic pain can be responsible for behavior changes such as pacing or insommnia. Hyperthyroidism in cats is often a reason for some of the odd behaviors older cats may exhibit.
Other hormonal disorders can also cause changes, especially those involving eating patterns or aggression. Medications can also cause changes in behavior, as can many other diseases and medical conditions.
Cats are also prone to small strokes, which can cause changes such as walking into walls, or appearing disorientated.
A thorough medical exam with blood work will be necessary in order to determine if your pet has a cognitive disorder due to aging.
A loss of hearing or sight can cause a similar syndrome, known as societal disassociative disorder.
You can help your pet through these times by being aware of the causes and not taking it personally or punishing the animal for inappropriate behavior. You can offer extra attention and reassurance.
Try to keep a consistent schedule, and to not make a lot of physical changes in the dog or cat's environment.
The use of flower essences, aromatherapy, herbs and touch therapy can all be helpful in keeping your dog or cat free of anxiety.
Elyse Grau is an herbalist and a long-time pet owner, well-versed in pet nutrition and feeding. She is the author of Pet Health Resource, your web guide to a healthy, happy dog or cat. For more information on this subject, visit: http://www.pethealthresource.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Just like us, our cats and dogs grow old. When they do, they have some of the same problems, including senility.
Some dogs may exhibit a number of behavioral changes linked to senility. This condition is now commonly called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, or Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. While this syndrome is recognized in dogs, it has not been scientifically established in cats.
There are four main areas where CCD symptoms appear. They are disorientation, interaction with people, activity level and sleep, and housetraining.
Disorientation can be seen as an animal that wanders aimlessly, gets stuck in corners, stands at the wrong side of a door or appears not to recognize people or familiar commands and words.
Interaction with people may change. You may notice more (or less) attention seeking, a reluctance to be petted or touched, or lack of response to names and commands.
Activity level and sleep changes show in such behaviors as sleeping more during the day and less at night, barking for no reason, forgetting meal times, and wandering aimlessly.
Housetraining changes are obvious – urinating in the house, not asking to go outside or forgetting why they are there when they do go out. Incontinence is a physical problem, and should not be confused with forgetting due to senility.
Cats may show some of these same signs, though they are often more subtle. There are also a number of other reasons for behavior changes in both dogs and cats.
Chronic pain can be responsible for behavior changes such as pacing or insommnia. Hyperthyroidism in cats is often a reason for some of the odd behaviors older cats may exhibit.
Other hormonal disorders can also cause changes, especially those involving eating patterns or aggression. Medications can also cause changes in behavior, as can many other diseases and medical conditions.
Cats are also prone to small strokes, which can cause changes such as walking into walls, or appearing disorientated.
A thorough medical exam with blood work will be necessary in order to determine if your pet has a cognitive disorder due to aging.
A loss of hearing or sight can cause a similar syndrome, known as societal disassociative disorder.
You can help your pet through these times by being aware of the causes and not taking it personally or punishing the animal for inappropriate behavior. You can offer extra attention and reassurance.
Try to keep a consistent schedule, and to not make a lot of physical changes in the dog or cat's environment.
The use of flower essences, aromatherapy, herbs and touch therapy can all be helpful in keeping your dog or cat free of anxiety.
Elyse Grau is an herbalist and a long-time pet owner, well-versed in pet nutrition and feeding. She is the author of Pet Health Resource, your web guide to a healthy, happy dog or cat. For more information on this subject, visit: http://www.pethealthresource.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
