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How to: Source somebody to care for your cat whilst you’re away

Planning to travel this season? ✈️ You may be wondering who can care for your feline... Take a look at our guide to evaluate the best option for you and your moggie! Home cat sitter 🏡 Cat sitters are probably your moggie’s favourite option - they do love their home comforts! Any sudden change can be scary and hiring a sitter allows your kitty to stay in their preferred spot, with all their familiar smells and toys. Just make sure that you meet the cat sitter in advance to discuss requirements - this cat-sitter checklist is super useful to cover all bases. Stock up on sufficient cat litter, their normal food and any medication. ICE: Note down your emergency contact and local vet details! Family member, friend or neighbour 🙋 Another option is to recruit a family member, friend or neighbour to lend a hand…or paw! Who doesn’t enjoy some pet therapy?! They could drop into your house twice a day to make sure your kitty is safe, with fresh food and water. Some friends might suggest bringing your cat to them, however this change can be stressful for your cat. Note that your pal may be concerned about potential accidents! You’d be surprised - they happen to even the most dignified of furries. Cattery 🐈 Sometimes called cat ‘hotels’ or boarding; catteries are a common option where your cat gets a holiday too?! Our advice would be to always read the reviews and try to visit the site before booking - it can be reassuring to meet the people who will be caring for your kitty and see where they’ll be living in advance. It’s always a good idea to get a recommendation from someone you trust. You can ask your local vet or use websites to use to find ‘tried and tested’ services. If you pop in, consider these priorities: Catteries are required to have a licence issued by the local council - ask to see this when you visit. Nobody wants an escapee! Keep an eye out for safety measures including double doors or safety corridors. EEK! Catching sight of other cats on the block can be scary - ensure there is no direct contact or sight between cats. Is the site clean and organised? Do the cats seem content in their surroundings? If your cat is on meds, check to ensure that there is a member of staff competent to do this. If you book in, ensure that: Your furry friend is up to date with their vaccinations: plus evidence of these with dates, many practices offer a vaccination card which vets can easily fill out. Book far in advance: catteries tend to fill up pretty quickly, especially at busy times of year such as school holidays. Remember to bring a sufficient supply of your cat’s regular food, litter and a toy or blanket that smells like home (this can help your moggie settle in a home away from home). Bring them with you 🚗💨 Journeys can be stressful for our cats, even if they appear to enjoy them. If you do decide to bring your cat on holiday with you - you will need to transport them in a cat carrier (zip up cat carriers are their ideal method of travel)! Spray the blanket in their carrier with some feline pheromone spray to help settle any nerves. If taking your pet abroad, additional considerations including a pet passport and extra vaccinations need to be carried out. We recommend that you contact your vet for more info.

May 11, 2023

How to give your cat medication

Does the thought of giving your cat worming tablets or medication make you sweat? Read on to learn the tips and tricks to get your kitty to take their tablet without you getting battle scratches. 🐾 Giving cats medication is a daunting prospect for most cat parents. 💊 Here we guide you through tips and tricks to ensure you can accomplish mission impossible... Things to consider before attempting to give medication 💊 Can the tablet be crushed/divided or be given with food? Check with your vet or on the medication leaflet. 💊 Think about your cat’s personality: which method is most likely to be successful? For example, is your cat a good eater and therefore likely to eat medication in food? If your cat is a fussy eater, putting medication in food is unlikely to be successful and may put them off eating. 💊 Is there a second person who can help you and who ideally knows your cat? Giving medication in food 🍚 Once you’ve established your cat’s medication is ok to be given with food, plan for your cat to feel hungry. Take up any food that is left in a bowl during the day and give medication just before their main meal. 🍚 Before offering your cat their main meal, hide the tablet or liquid in a small amount of your cat’s usual food in their normal bowl. If they are usually fed dry food, it is best to offer medication with some wet food which will disguise it better! Other options include cat pâté, jelly from the wet food, a tiny amount of soft cheese or butter or a small piece of fish/meat. 🍚 Once your cat has finished the small portion of food with the medication, offer the rest of their meal. 🍚 If your kitty is super clever (or extra suspicious!) and eats around the tablet even in the small portion of food try crushing the medication and mixing it with their favorite treat or strong smelling fish. Some treat pastes that work well for giving medication include Webbox Lick-e-Lix, Arden Grange Tasty liver paste, Easypill Cat putty and Cosma jelly snacks. Giving medication into your cat’s mouth If the medication cannot be given with food or your cat will not take it in food, the remaining option is to gently restrain your cat and pop it to the back of their throat. If your moggie is quite docile you can try restraining them without wrapping them in a towel: Pop them onto a table or work-surface which is non-slippery. Sit them upright, facing away from you. Gently hold at shoulder level with both hands (like hugging them from behind). This is so you can keep hold of their front legs if they try to swipe. If your moggie is a ‘wriggler’ and likes to use their back feet to kick out (!)😽 then using a towel will be the safest method: Put a medium-sized towel onto a flat surface such as the floor or table and pop your cat onto the middle of it, facing away from you. Wrap each side of the towel over the top of your cat, leaving just their head out to make a cat burrito (a purrito!). Once your cat is gently restrained you are ready to give the tablet! OPTION A: A two-person job One person holds the cat facing away from them, the other person holds the tablet between thumb and index finger (of their dominant hand) Person holding tablet approaches from the side; their non-dominant hand holds the head from above between thumb and fingers which extend down to either side of the jaw, at the corner of the mouth Gently pressing the corner of the mouth will make your cat open their mouth. Keep their head tilted slightly back and drop the tablet in your dominant hand as far back in the mouth as possible (to the base of the tongue) - the further back it drops, the harder it is for your cat to push it back out with their tongue Gently hold your cat’s jaw closed and rub their throat in a downwards motion to encourage swallowing - watch for lip licking or a swallow which indicates success OPTION B: A one-person job Have your cat burrito tucked under your non-dominant arm, with your cat facing away from your body Use your non-dominant hand to hold your cat’s head from above with thumb and index finger at corners of mouth on jaw (as above) Use your dominant hand to hold the tablet and drop it to the back of the mouth and gently close the mouth, rub throat to encourage swallowing Other tips and tricks Use an empty gelatine capsule if you have more than one pill to give at the same time Use a pill-crusher to make tablets into a powder which can be easier to mix with food. Alternatively the powder can be mixed with some fish or meat juices and sucked up into a (needless) syringe to give by mouth. A pill-giver is a tool that can make administering tablets to the back of the mouth easier, especially if you are worried about putting your fingers in your cat’s mouth! If you really can’t get tablets into your cat with any of the above methods, contact your vet practice as they may be able to book your moggie in for medication to be administered!

May 6, 2023

My cat has gone missing - what should I do?

Every cat parent’s worst nightmare! Keep calm and follow our simple guide to take the first steps towards being reunited with your furry bestie. 💞 Take a deep breath 😮‍💨 First and foremost, keep calm! Many cats roam and can be gone for a while, it’s in their nature (unfortunately for us)! Check their usual spots and talk to neighbours 👀 Does your furry friend have a favourite place to catnap? Check all of their usual kitty hideouts to make sure they’re not right under your nose! Your neighbours may have seen them about and so make sure to touch base with them too. Contact local veterinary practices ☎️ No success? Start calling local vet practices. Often, if somebody finds your cat, they will take them to a vet practice for advice and to scan their microchip. Your contact details registered in the microchip would allow any vet practice to contact you directly if found. Alternatively, if your cat is not chipped, alert your local vet practices to keep an eye out. Try to describe your cat with unique or defining features - for example ‘they have dark brown spot in their right eye’. The more specific the better as this will support the claim that the cat actually belongs to you. Contact local cat rescue centers 🆘 Cat rescues are also common spots where finders may take your cat. Get in touch with the rescues in your area to check whether they recognize your furry friend from photos. Stick posters up in your area📍 Pin up posters in your local area and post on community Facebook groups - you can even get your friends to share the post on their page to increase the reach. Remember there’s a chance that they’ll come back 🤞 Mealtimes! Most kitties love their food and will come right back for a snack (and love from their favorite humans)! Keep your patience and paws crossed. How to future-proof any incidents 👀 Microchip your cat - this will soon be a legal requirement in the UK! Purchase a GPS tracker to attach to your kitty’s collar! If on the receiving end or you think you’ve found a stray cat, follow our tips on do’s and don’ts!

April 28, 2023

Do’s and don’ts: stray cats

Suspect a stray cat in your neighbourhood? Or have a regular visitor to your garden? 🐈‍⬛ Read on to find out what the next steps might be if you’re concerned… Do’s: Observe 👀 - Wait and watch! Monitor the cat visitor and their behaviours - how frequently do they visit your house? Is their coat in good condition? These are good indicators of whether they are being cared for. Check for a collar 🪪 - most cats who are owned by somebody will have a collar. This usually has a telephone number on it, which can be called to check that the cat is not lost and in fact just roaming your local area normally. Talk to your neighbours 🏘️ - Pop round and have a quick chat about the moggie with your neighbours - they might know who the kitty belongs to. Call your local animal shelter 🫶 - for example Cats Protection. They can help you find the kitty’s original owner, or search for a new home if an owner cannot be found. Contact the vet 🆘 - Your local vets will be able to scan for any microchip of your furry intruder! Microchips are usually located between a cat’s shoulder blades and contain the details of their owners. Most veterinary practices will offer this service free of charge. Put up posters and Facebook posts 📬 - If the above are unsuccessful, engage with your local community through posters and social media, both powerful ways to raise awareness. RSPCA 💙 - If you suspect that your feline visitor is owned by somebody, but is being cared for inappropriately or has been abandoned, it may be a good idea to report the cat to the RSPCA. Reunite 💕 - Reconnect the lost kitty to their owners, but remember you may never see them again. Don’ts: Don’t feed them 🥛 - especially not milk! This will just encourage your new furry acquaintance to return, even if they are owned by somebody Don’t pick them up 🧤 - you don’t know if the cat on the block is friendly - if not, they could cause harm. Don’t approach a feral cat 🐈‍⬛ - feral cats are different to stray cats. Stray cats are socialised to people, whereas feral cats are unfamiliar to people and tend to have closer bonds with their feline friends. Feral cats have not been domesticated and therefore are usually better suited to living a more ‘wild’ lifestyle! Unless they appear injured or sick, avoid any intervention. Don’t introduce them to your own pets 😼 - you don’t know if they have any fleas, diseases or unfriendly habits that may put your own furry friends at risk. Alternatively, if you’ve lost your furry friend, follow our tips on the first steps to take.

April 28, 2023