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Adoption

Adoption can be a truly rewarding process, but it can also lead to some confusion. We’d like to make it as easy as possible to understand by addressing some issues that may arise.

Making the choice to adopt a cat in need of love, companionship, and care is a wonderful decision. Cats can bring lifelong joy and fulfillment. Before adopting a pet, there are some things that you need to consider.

Are you ready for a cat?

Cats are loving, devoted and amazing pets. They are an endless source of companionship, fun and entertainment for you and your family. However, they are a life-long responsibility and commitment. Before adopting, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I ready to make a long-term commitment? Adopting a cat means being responsible for his or her health for 15 to 20 years.
• Can I afford the cat? The cost of a cat is more than just the adoption fee; remember to include the cost of food, litter, basic and emergency veterinary care and supplies.
• Will the cat be a family pet? Cats are family pets - not a pet for just one of your children like a hermit crab or fish. Make sure that the cat is wanted and will be loved by every member of your household.
• Are there any restrictions on pets where I live? Make sure your landlord allows pets prior to bringing any new animal home.
• Who will take on the daily responsibilities of caring for a cat? Although cats are easier to take care of than dogs, they still require daily care, such as feeding, exercise and scooping a litter box multiple times a day. You should designate an adult primary caregiver for your cat to make sure that caring for your cat’s basic needs doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of your hectic lives.

How does the adoption process work?

Once you are certain that adopting a cat is for you, complete Cat Tales’ Online Adoption Form. Someone will contact you within 3 business days to review your application. The reviewer will attempt twice to make contact with you using the phone numbers that you have provided. If the reviewer does not hear back from you within 48 hours, your application will lapse. While every attempt will be made to match you with the cat of your choice, if that cat has already been adopted, Cat Tales may suggest another cat for you.

Your new cat

Before bringing your new pet home, how do I get my home ready for my new cat?

• Establish the rules. Decide who’s responsible for what: grooming, feeding, exercising, cleaning, play-time, and so on. Also establish whether or not there will be areas that are "off-limits" for your new pet. For example, you may not want your pet to sleep on the counters.
• Make sure that you have everything you need to bring your new pet home. You should make sure that you have: litter box, food and water bowls, food, scratching posts, cat carrier, toys, collar with ID tags.
• Pet proof your home. Think about these items as you pet proof your home:
• Lock away household chemicals. Chemicals are extremely dangerous for your cat.
• Place houseplants out of reach. Many houseplants, like poinsettias are poisonous to cats.
• Have separate areas ready for your new pet and any existing pets, at least temporarily. Pets need to be introduced to one another slowly; be sure you have an extra room or a kennel so your pets can be separated until they have grown accustomed to each other.
• Tie electrical cords out of the way and make sure lamps and other electronics are stable in their current location. Cats can chew on electrical cords - or get caught on them while walking (or running!) around, causing lamps, TVs, radios, etc. to fall.
• Keep doors closed. The doors to your washer and dryer or your closets can be a dangerous curiosity to your cat. They can squeeze in just about anywhere!

How do I budget for my new cat?

Considering a budget for the new member of your family, you will have three types of costs - one time costs, reoccurring costs, and unforeseen costs. Prices may vary from area-to-area and store-to-store, so you will need to visit a store or online-shop to determine your budget.

One time costs:

• Kitten vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery (if not already taken care of)
• Collar, carrier, cat bed
• Litter box and scoop

Recurring costs:

• Food, treats and toys
• Cat litter
• Annual vet visits and vaccinations
• Grooming (for long-haired cats)
• Boarding/Pet sitter when you go away

Unforeseen costs:

• Emergency medical costs
• Dental care
• Re-upholstery/furniture repair

How do I choose a veterinarian?

Take the time to search for a veterinarian BEFORE you really need one. According to the Humane Society of the United States, you are looking for a veterinarian “to meet your needs and those of your pet, a doctor who has people skills as well as animal skills.”

You can find a list of veterinarians in Bucks County on Bucks County Alive or try your local yellow pages. As you evaluate each veterinarian consider:

• The cleanliness and comfort of the facility for you and your pet
• The qualifications, competence, treatment of animals and people skills of the front office staff, veterinary technicians, veterinarians, and anyone else from the practice.
• Are veterinary services like x-ray, ultrasound, or blood work offered or would you have to go somewhere else?
• Is its location close and convenient?
• Is it within your budget?

The more thought and effort you put into choosing your veterinarian now, the less likely you are to have an unpleasant experience later.

What is the best way to add a new cat to the household?

When you introduce a new pet to your household, you want the transition to go as smoothly as possible. You may have spent days or even weeks deciding on the perfect companion. You have all of the supplies necessary to make your new friend feel at home. So what now?

It is important to remember that cats are very in tune with their environment. Subtle changes that don’t have a direct impact on a human require a major adjustment for a cat. For an animal as small as a cat, the world may seem very large and scary. Here are so steps to ensure that the adjustment goes smoothly.

1. Start your cat out in one room of the house. Set the litter box up in a quiet room away from too much noise and commotion. Pick a spot where you’d like the litter box to stay. It is important not to move your litter box around too much as this will confuse your cat.

2. When you arrive home with your new pet, place the carrier next to the litter box to allow your cat to see the litter box immediately upon exiting the carrier. If your new pet is grumpy or frightened upon arrival, sit quietly and allow him or her to come out of the carrier on his/her own time. For outgoing cats, remove the cat from the carrier and place it directly in the litter box. If your new friend is a kitten, dig his/her feet around in the litter and periodically remind them of the box’s location. Most cats will instinctually use a litter box.

3. It is recommended that you begin the introduction of your house one room at a time. Your cat may need to be confined in one room of the house for a period of two weeks before he or she feels completely comfortable. This can be considered equivalent to crate training a dog. Animals feel more secure in any environment if they have a “safe place.” Keeping your cat confined to a one room of your house during the first two weeks will not hurt your cat’s feelings – in fact, many cats will hide in a tight or dark spot until they feel secure enough to come out. You can judge your cat’s progress by its behavior. Some cats progress more rapidly than others. Keeping them confined to one room for a short adjustment period will encourage litter box.

Cat behavior

Dealing with feline behavior problems can be difficult and stressful. We’d like to provide information to make these situations less stressful and easier to understand.

How do I keep my cat from biting me?

It may be cute watching two kittens tumbling around in play, but the first time your kitten pounces on your toes, you may be in for a shock! Cats rely very heavily on instinct. Wild cats use their nails and teeth to hunt and ward off predators. As young cats are developing, they learn these valuable skills by playing. Most kittens learn when it’s “too rough” from their litter mates, who will mew in a high pitched tone to express their displeasure. Interestingly, if you try this same technique, your new pet will usually look up at you in surprise!

Kittens rely on you as the “parent” to teach them right from wrong. There are several techniques you can use to correct their bad behavior. It is very important to not play “hand games” with your new kitten (i.e., rolling it on its belly and waiving your hand over its head to get it to pounce!) This game is fun when your kitten is 8 weeks old, but it’s not easy trying to convince your seven month old kitten that the game isn’t fun anymore!

If your kitten or cat pounces on your feet while you walk, or tries to scale you like Mount Everest, start carrying a spray bottle filled with plain water around with you. A squirt or two may just do the trick to teach kitty to play nice.

Another approach is distracting your cat. For example, when your cat starts biting your fingers, find a replacement for your fingers in the form of a toy. Catnip filled cat toys offer a great distraction, and can help redirect your pet’s attention appropriately.

If all else fails, try a “time out.” If your cat is playing too rough, he may just need to spend a few moments by himself. Pick a quiet room to confine him to for a brief period after rough play. Cats do not respond well to harsh correction. Never hit your cat. Use a simple one word correction and place your cat in its &lduo;time out” space (some people use large dog crates, while others prefer a small, quiet room). Your cat will get the hint if this is done correctly. The goal is quick isolation which the cat will associate with the behavior it just performed. The key is to begin your correction as soon as the behavior starts.

(Cat behavior continued)

If your pet has been repeating this behavior for a long time, it has developed a “conditioned response.” In these cases, you may notice your pet will frantically repeat the behavior, and it may get worse before it gets better. This is due to your pet trying to get the response it once did. For example, if your pet begs for food every day and gets rewarded by being hand-fed table food, you may notice an increase in this begging behavior if you withhold food. Eventually, the behavior will go away, but many people give up when the behavior increases and go back to rewarding the bad behavior. The same is true for behavioral problems such as play biting and scratching. These behaviors are fun for your cat, and your cat views it as a game. Even the yelling and chasing are part of the fun! If you are patient and consistent, these behaviors will diminish over time.

How do I keep my cat inside the house when he wants to run out the door? I know it’s not safe.

One of the most frustrating things to cat owners is trying to keep their new pet indoors. The average life span for a strictly indoor cat is approximately 12 years, while the average lifespan for an indoor/outdoor cat is closer to 4 years. There are many risks for outdoor cats, including poisoning, traffic, wild and domestic animals, and some humans! Because of this, many people elect to keep their pets safely indoors. Most cats do not have a problem with living inside. Cats develop a territory, and most are comfortable within the confines of a house if given adequate stimulation in the form of toys and human/animal interaction. In fact, most indoor cats are afraid of the outdoors, and won’t try to venture out on their own.

However, there are exceptions. Cats which were rescued as strays or have escaped once or twice to the outside world may be inclined to keep trying. In these cases, they may take to trying to dart out-of-doors between people’s legs, or take opportunities to find any opening. It is a myth that friendly stray cats are naturally street smart. Most strays do not survive very long without human intervention, and they have usually not been street smart enough to find their way back to their original homes.

Door-running cats need to learn that the front door is scary. If your front door has a screen, have someone sit outside (unseen) and wait for the cat to venture near. The screen door should remain closed to prevent your cat from escaping. The outside person should be out of your cat’s line of vision, perhaps at an angle. The idea is for your cat to think the door is scary and not realize a human is involved.

The outside person should have an empty soda can. Place a few coins inside – enough to make some noise but still be light -- and tape over the opening. When your cat gets close to the door, throw the can at the screen... the noise should be enough to startle your cat away. You want your cat to think the front door explodes every time he or she goes near it! Again, it is very important that your cat does not associate you with this correction, or they’ll just learn to be cautious of you.

If you do not have a screen door, you may need to set your cat up in a different way. Some people have a water bottle outside and inside the front door, ready to spray any cat that comes near. Different cats require different techniques.

My cat is urinating outside his box. What should I do?

Failure to use a litter box is one of the most common reason for cat surrenders to shelters. Unfortunately, many of these cats have a simple medical problem related to their inappropriate urination or defecation. It is very important to rule out any medical problems before beginning behavioral modification. Do not assume your cat is doing something “out of spite”; take the appropriate steps to determine if a medical problem could be causing your cat’s problems. Cats are very good at masking outward signs of illness. Not using the litter box may be one of the first signs you’ll see for one of the following problems:

• Urinary tract infections
• Urinary blockage (fairly common in male cats – this is a medical emergency!)
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes

There are many other illnesses which that can affect your cat’s litter box habits that are not mentioned here. A check up with your veterinarian, as well as submission of a urine sample, will help you determine if your cat’s problem is medical or behavioral.

If your cat is not using the litter box, try evaluating the following things:

• Has the litter box location changed?
• Has the type of litter changed? Some cats like certain textures and smells better than others
• For multiple cat households, is there one litterbox for each cat? Veterinarians suggest one litterbox per cat plus one extra. More litter boxes if the cats live on multiple floors.
• Is the litter box covered? If so, try it uncovered.
• Did you add a litter pan liner recently?
• Is the litter box cleaned daily?
• Are there any disturbances near the box? Air conditioners, vacuums, another cat’s ambush or washer/dryer changing cycles are things that might be scary to a cat.
• Has anything in the household changed?

How do I keep my cat from scratching the furniture?

Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. Through scratching, cats mark their domains with more than just visible signs of claw marks. Cat’s paws also have scent glands that leave their own special scent on their territory. It also provides exercise and just feels good.

For cats, scratching is as natural and instinctual as breathing – something you can’t stop. What you can do is stop your cat from scratching inappropriate things and damaging them.

The first step is to provide your cat or kitten with an appropriate scratching post, not your favorite arm chair or morning paper. But how do you create an appropriate scratching post?

• Cats like rough surfaces which they can shred to pieces, or at least feel like they are shredding to pieces. The reverse side of carpet sample squares provides a good, satisfyingly resistant texture for clawing and can be placed right over a place where kitty is already scratching – and they are often free or extremely cheap from home improvement stores or carpet warehouses.
• Whatever post you choose, it must be tall or long enough for him to fully extend his body.
• Most important, it must be secure. If it topples over even once, your cat won’t go back to it, ever. If you are using a flat scratching surface, secure it so it doesn’t move by duct taping the edges or placing it under furniture. You can also staple pieces of rug to a wall or post.

The next step is to encourage your cat to use the scratching post instead of your favorite piece of furniture. Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat’s desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that’s used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to another part of the room, but you’ll need to do this gradually. Start with the post right next to or on top of the item your cat has been scratching. Entice your cat to the post by dragging toys over it, spray the scratching post with catnip or Feliway or even pretending to scratch it with your own “paws” to encourage the cat to us it. After your cat has been using the new scratching post for a few days, you can begin moving the post to where you want very gradually.

Don’t punish your cat if they attempt to go back to their favorite scratching post from before, simply make the area unattractive by placing loops of tape sticky side out on top of the area or securing pieces of tin foil over the spot. Your cat will go back to using the new post as soon as the old area is no longer pleasant to use.

Surrendering your cat

What do I do if I need to surrender my cat?

Cat Tales provides care for cats that are surrendered to our organization until a suitable home can be found. The only time animals are euthanized is when a veterinarian deems it medically necessary. We try to help as many homeless pets as possible, but we do have a waiting list for cage space.

Owner Surrenders

Surrenders from the general public require the following:

• The cat must be up to date on vaccinations (Rabies and FVRCP) within three months of being due (this protects your cat and the others when it enters the adoption center with other cats).
• Cats must be spayed/neutered if over 6 months of age.
• Cats must be tested negative for FeLV/FIV.
• For cats 7-years and older that are being surrendered, we ask that the cat get a “senior blood profile” or “senior blood screening.” This test is to check kidney and liver function as a means to qualify the health of the “senior” kitty. We request the test be performed prior to admission because a healthy cat can easily live 18 years. The results should be faxed to our volunteer veterinarian for review. Once approved, the cat can be placed on the “approved waiting list” for an available cage in one of our adoption centers.
• A $100 surrender donation is requested in order to provide for ongoing care while awaiting adoption. Some cats are adopted within a week, others stay with us for months until the perfect home can be found. This fee assists us in caring for ALL of our cats.

Strays

Cat Tales has helped many stray cats find loving, permanent homes. It is helpful if the public can provide foster care until we are able to take in the cat. Any medical care is greatly appreciated and helps speed up the process of finding a new home for a stray.

Ferals

At this time, Cat Tales is reluctant to accept feral or barn cats. If you need assistance placing ferals or barn cats, please call or e-mail us for numbers of groups that may be able to assist you.

For questions about surrendering your cat, please click here to send us an e-mail.