Meet Junior

One of our clients just introduced a wonderful kitten named Junior into her household.  Her three adult cats have been very tolerant, and Junior has settled in to the family nicely.  He is still a kitten though, so he has a lot of energy.  If you’re introducing a new kitten into your household, here are some ideas to help give those older feline ‘siblings’ an occasional break.  As we’ve discussed, scheduling play sessions can give him a reliable outlet for his energy.  If you schedule play sessions for him, he can anticipate future fun instead of having to create his own entertainment at the expense of his housemates. 

Foraging toys filled with bits of food are also very popular with kittens.  These can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them.  For instance, if you have an empty egg carton, poke a few strategic holes in the top and fill the carton with dry food.  (You don’t even have to invest in special treats.  Kitty’s dry food will be more exciting because he had to work for it!)  If you want to search on-line, you can find foraging toys such as treat balls or treat dispensers for as little as five dollars.  Always remember the simple things such as rotating toys to keep them fresh and fun.  Use your imagination to stimulate kitty’s imagination.

Kelley Wagner, C.V.T.

Grandma and the Teenager

This month, one of our clients was considering adopting a sweet kitten named Mitzi.  He called to ask advice about introducing Mitzi to his 20-year-old cat Ella Mae.  We discussed all of the recommendations for introducing new cats like providing a safe room for the new kitten and introducing the cats very slowly under supervision so everyone can get to know each other without negative interactions.  We also discussed a few tips specifically for senior cats like Ella Mae.  We discussed that, at twenty years of age, Ella Mae is like a 100-year old person.  Imagine telling a 100-year-old grandma that she’s getting a new teenage roommate.   It takes some special consideration. 

First, we checked to see that Ella Mae had been in for recent blood work an exam, and vaccines (she is current on vaccines, and she had a blood panel drawn in February of this year).  We recommend that all cats and dogs be examined once a year, and this is especially important for our senior furry family members.  Many of our pets (especially cats) will hide problems as long as they can.  As we’ve discussed before, I find this frustrating because it makes it hard to catch problems early unless they get regular exams and blood work.  To me, it seems that these animals are balancing on a wire until some stressor (like a new kitten) tips them off balance, and a cascade of problems becomes apparent.  Luckily, Ella Mae’s blood work was clean as a whistle.  Still, her owner will be careful to minimize the stress on Ella Mae since she is such a senior girl and she’s used to her quiet routine. He’ll make sure he brushes her every morning as he’s always done and lets her sleep on his bed at night.   He’ll make sure he watches the interaction of his feline friends so that they’ll hopefully become lifelong friends.

Kelley Wagner, C.V.T.

Bringing Home Baby

Congratulations!  You and your husband have a new baby girl!  She's beautiful.  Everyone thinks she is wonderful....well the cat's not so sure.  To cats (and dogs), babies can be very confusing additions to the house.  New parents are excited but stressed.  We may forget to pet the cat, play with the cat or even feed the cat according to his regular routine.  As for the baby, it smells weird, acts unpredictably, and is the new center of the universe.  All of this can be very disconcerting for our loving companion.  How can we make this transition a little easier?

It's best to start preparing before you even bring the baby home.  When you start setting up the baby's room, let the cat explore the newly decorated room and it's scents.  If you'll want the cat to stay away from the crib (or out of the room entirely), set booby traps like upside-down carpet runner in the crib ahead of time.  By the time the baby is in that room, the cat will have learned that it's not a place where he should go.  If your husband takes home one of baby's blankets while you an the newborn are still at the hospital, the cat can get used to the baby's scent before the actual meeting of baby and pet.  When you bring the baby home, all interactions should be supervised and positive.  Give the cat attention and treats with the baby in the room so the cat knows good things happen around the baby.  Cats love routine, so try to keep his routine as regular as you can.  If your cat has a chance to get used to things gradually and knows that he is still loved, he will be (almost) as happy as you are about your new baby.

Kelly Wagner, CVT