Cats need to be Spayed and Neutered if they are not to be
bred.
This is so important that I will say it again:
Cats need to be Spayed and Neutered if they are not to be
bred.
There are just too many unwanted litters and kittens and
cats being killed each year that it is staggering. I am not sure if it is just
the Humane Society in my neighborhood or it is the policy of all Humane
Societies that they euthanize cats and kittens if they have not found a home in
5-7 days. The proper term is Euthanize, but it is killing--plain and
simple...they kill them. It's not their fault, but the fault of all the owners
who just can't get their cats or kittens de-sexed. There are many programs out
there that will help you if you just ask. The main ones that I deal with are
Spay Today and Allie Cat Allies. Both have main websites that you can go to to
get lots more information. They will be in the links section of this hub. Allie
Cat Allies has such information about how to build an outdoor shelter and
feeding centers from basic and simple and inexpensive to elaborate and costly.
It depends on how much you think your cats are worth. Some Spay Today programs
across the country have FREE Spaying and Neutering while others, such as mine,
have low-cost. Contact the Spay Today in your area to see what other fees and
services they offer. Rabies Vaccinations are mandatory in some locals, so it is
best to check on those. Some have nail clipping and many other services such as
testing for FIV and Feline Leukemia. Vaccines include: feline panleukopenia
(distemper), feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, and rabies.
feline leukemia (FeLV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), ringworm, and
chlamydia. The choice to use chlamydia and ringworm vaccines is based on how
common the disease is in your area. It
is best to call your local Vet to see which vaccines are appropriate for your
local area.
Feline AIDS
I had a cat that died of Feline AIDS. He got it from licking
the tears off a cat that was just thrown into our yard in a towel. That cat
died a week later and our cat was a very nurturing cat. We didn't know that
this other cat had Feline Aids (FIV). Our cat lost 12 pound in like two week’s
time. We finally had to put him to sleep. It was the hardest thing that I have
ever had to do. He was my baby and he was only 11 years old. If you have any
idea if the cat has ever been outdoors around other cats or you are going to
have this cat outdoors, get those tests done and get them their booster shots.
What exactly is Feline Aids?
You will want to read my article on this:
Helping Other Cats
If you are like me you will just want to help any cat that
comes in your yard. Well, it is law in this state that if you feed a stray or
feral cat then it becomes yours. I think that is ridiculous and lets the real
owners off the hook of responsibility for those cats. They use circular logic
with that saying that no one should feed them then. Some people around my
neighborhood just leave their cats there when they move or many people drop the
off thinking that they can survive on their own in the woods. They think that
they can but most times they will die a very slow agonizing death. I have seen
two do that and I even tried to help them but they were at the stage of eat or
be eaten and were very mean. They were not feral; they were just at their wits
end and didn't trust anyone. I was able to touch and hold this cat sometimes,
not all the time, but sometimes. That cat came to a horrible end by getting hit
by a car. I buried it when I found it on the road. She would have been a very
loving cat if someone would have taken her to a NO-KILL Animal Shelter.
So you want to help the cats that come to you and don't seem
to have a home of their own. You feed them and water and give them some kind of
shelter. You want to stop them from having more kittens and making unwanted
litters in your area. If you are not sure if it is feral or stray then by all
means get that animal de-sexed. First of all call your local Spay Today and ask
them if they rent out traps for cats that you cannot catch on your own. Most
will rent them out to you at a nominal charge and they will even have carriers
to rent if you do not have enough for your own kittens or cats.
Alley Cat Allies, the national feral cat resource defines a
feral cat as "either a cat who has lived his whole life with little or no
human contact and is not socialized, or a stray cat who was lost or abandoned
and has lived away from human contact long enough to revert to a wild state.
Feral cats avoid human contact and cannot be touched by strangers."
Alley Cat Allies explains the difference between feral and
stray cats: "A stray cat is a domestic cat which has been abandoned or has
strayed from home and become lost... because stray cats once knew human
companionship, they can usually be re-socialized or re-homed. Adult feral cats
usually cannot be socialized and are most content living outside. Feral kittens
up to 8 or 10 weeks of age can often be tamed and placed in homes." (Used
by permission from Alley Cat Allies).
Most litters of feral cat in colonies die before their first
year. Tom Cat's fight and transmit many diseases and illnesses throughout the
colonies as well. If you decide that you want to de-sex the feral cats in your
area, please do not remove any males or females from the colony. Studies of the
TNR (Trap Neuter and Release) program has shown that if you remove a male that
this only produces a vacuum effect and new males and female will move in. The
Vet will do what is called ear tipping. They cut just the tip off of the ear of
the cat while they are getting de-sexed. It is harmless to the cat and most
Vets offer it for FREE. This is like a marking that anyone can see and it lets
them know that this cat has already been de-sexed. It saves them time and money
and you too. Young kittens can be tamed and placed in new homes.
From personal experience kittens that are raised outside and
are partially feral and are about 3 months of age are hard to socialize and
will be indoor/outdoor cats. I have two cats from a mother who had them in a
tree in my yard and I took them in. She was very domesticated and was not being
cared for so I gave her up for adoption along with three of her other litters.
These two that she brought to me were at least 3 months old and took about 6
weeks of feeding them outside to get them near enough to me so that I could
pick them up. Then when I did get them inside it took another 5 months for them
to stay out in plain view of everyone--or at least me. Shadow is a female and
we thought she was a male--exhibited all the male behavior and all. When we got
her de-sexed is when they called and told me that she was a female. I don't
think she knows that she is a she because she will spray if I do not let her go
outside when she wants to go outside. Her sister just has a high-pitched whine.
I don't like her outside because she gets mean, but she will sneak out with the
other cats. Everyone else, even Shadow will come back in at night, but this one
will not and it takes me about 4 days until she comes to the door wanting in.
So just a friendly warning, if they have been outside they may not be total
indoor cats.
Flea Control on a large scale!
There are many things a cat can get from Fleas. Some are:
Flea allergic dermatitis or what's commonly known as FAD.
Tapeworms
Fleas also cause anemia in cats.
There are many ways to get rid of fleas. Frontline and
Advantage are some of the chemical based ones. These are easy to administer to
the cat. There are generic brands that do well also. Read the labels to see
what the ingredients are and if they match up to the same on the name brand. I
also have a more organic way of preventing fleas. Garden Lime works to rid
fleas out of your yard and also to sweeten the earth from dog feces and urine.
Diatomaceous earth is another. When you use this don't allow it to get into
your eyes or the animals eyes and don't breathe it. That is the only
precaution. It is the consistency and color of finely ground floor. Eating it
will not harm cats or kittens because animals are too big. It only kills small
insects and is natural. Don't get the kind you put in your pool or have any
other additives. Diatomaceous earth is made up of the fossilized remains of
diatoms, single-cell organisms. The glass-like nature of diatomaceous earth
makes it one of the oldest forms of insecticide. The sharp surfaces cut through
the insect cuticle and the insect dies of dehydration. I have used it with
great results. I just spread it with my garden spreader in my yard where cats
and other animals walk on and let nature take its course. I also use it on my
carpets and floors. Scuffle across your carpets to get the while stuff down
into the fibers of your carpet and let it stay there for a few days. Then
vacuum it up. On the label it states that when it gets wet it becomes
non-active. I think this is due to the particles in the substance becoming
soft. And not sharp on the edges. It also says the best results are if you
leave it on the ground for several days to get the best results. This would
also go for the Lime too. Be careful with the Lime though as it can burn animal
paws if they walk on it for more than 10 minutes.
Another product that has excellent results in keeping bug
off of your animals and you is Avon's Skin So Soft. You can find many uses of that product and
some recipes to spray on your Horses, Dogs and Cats that are effective in
ridding fleas on my hub: Keeping Annoying Bugs of You and Your Animals
Animals Right and Animal Welfare are opposing forces.
Animal Rights is a political movement that opposes all
animal use including working dogs (for blind, etc.) and breeding companion dogs
(i.e., pets) These Organization endorse this stance: People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), Doris Day Animal League, Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS) (but not local Humane Societies)
Their beliefs are:
The agenda is taken from The Politics of Animal Liberation
written by Kim Barlett, Editor of the Animals' Agenda, Nov. 1987 but a
minimally Modified version was part of the Green Party Platform for 2000
1. Abolish by law animal research.
2. Outlaw the use of animals for cosmetic and product
testing, classroom demonstrations and weapons development.
3. Make vegetarian meals available at all public
institutions, including schools.
4. Eliminate all animal agriculture.
5. End herbicides, pesticides, and other Agricultural
chemicals. Outlaw predator control.
6. Transfer enforcement of animal welfare legislation away
from the Dept. of Agriculture.
7. Eliminate fur ranching and end the use of furs.
8. Prohibit hunting, trapping and fishing.
9. End the international trade in wildlife goods.
10. Stop any further breeding of companion animals,
including purebred dogs and cats.
11. Spaying and neutering should be subsidized by state and
municipal governments. Commerce in domestic and exotic animals for the pet
trade should be abolished.
12. End the use of animals in entertainment.
Animal Welfare is
a stewardship of the Companion Animals and many other uses of Animals. Their
beliefs are:
1. Supports raising and using animals humanely and
responsibly for food, fiber, labor, and medical research.
2. Manages animal populations by hunting; keeping animals in
zoos and other educational venues.
3. Requires humane treatment and responsible use of animals
on farms, ranches, circuses, rodeos, homes, kennels, catteries, laboratories,
and wherever else animals are maintained.
4. Endorses a scientific approach to commercial use and
management of wild animal populations and a quick death when death is
inevitable.
5. Celebrates human/animal interactions and works to improve
animal well-being.
6. Enjoys animal sports and animals in movies, circuses, and
on stage.
7. Rejoices in the bond between humans and pets.
The main Advocates for Animal Welfare are: The American
Kennel Club (AKC), National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), and Responsible
Pet Owners Alliance (RPOA)
I am on the side of Animal Welfare. Animals are not going to
go away and they are our friends and as such they are our companions and do
look to us for food, shelter, companionship, love and sometimes their very
life. I will always take in an animal or help one if they need it and come to
me for such.
Ways to Keep Annoying Bugs from You and Your Animals
Our animals are so important to us. We want to keep them as
healthy as possible and that includes keeping nasty insects from doing harm to
them It is estimated that the major cause of disease transmitted...
Links for Information
SPAY/USA has over 1,000 sterilization programs and clinics
nationwide with 7,000 top-notch veterinarians in the network as of 2003. Our
goal is to make spay/neuter services affordable to those who might not
otherwise spay/neuter their pets.
Stop using poison on your pets and around your family.
Switch to the all-natural solution that has been proven totally effective for
hundreds of years.
Hugs for Homeless Animals is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization incorporated in the state of Oregon. We are a humane education
organization who provides support programs that bridge the public with animal
caring organizations.
It's FREE to click and Animals get feed and other supplies.
Much information about Ferals and Strays of all areas of the
United States.
© Debra K. Allen
a.k.a Lady Guinevere
I researched
and wrote this article. Please do not copy and paste any part of this article,
picture included for your own use. I will find you and report you for stealing.
It is my right to change any information
therein at any time and/or change the location of my article.
On Thursday I noticed that he licked a spot on his back close to his right haunch (thigh). I looked at it and it was just a poke, small and I thought it was from another cat when they fight, but I do not think that was the case.
