Cats, along with dogs, are favorite pets. Despite the fact that a person must be responsible for those whom he has tamed, thousands of animals end up on the street every year. Kind and compassionate people try to help such poor people. And many people decide to adopt a cat from the street to make it a member of the family. From the article you can learn how to make life with a new furry friend a joy, not turn into hell, and the kitten does not end up back on the street. You will also learn what to feed the little foundling, how to care for and raise it.
Every street kitten dreams of finding a home
What to do with a street kitten first?
First of all, when you find a kitten, you need to make a plan for what to do with it. First, you can simply inspect it. For your own safety, it is better to do this with rubber gloves. Bald patches, discharge from the eyes and nose, and fleas should cause concern. A kitten from the street can easily have injuries to its paws and tail. Their inspection must be done carefully so as not to expose the baby to unnecessary stress.
The first step with a kitten that has been picked up from the street is a visit to the veterinarian. This step should be taken as soon as possible, especially if animals already live in the apartment. You will not be able to independently determine whether an animal is healthy or not unless you yourself work as a veterinarian.
"Cat distemper"
A mortal danger for a kitten is the panleukopenia virus (“feline distemper”). In the absence of timely treatment, the kitten will die in 90% of cases. The virus itself is very tenacious. If it ends up on the sofa or bed in the apartment, it will no longer be possible to get rid of it.
At the veterinary clinic, the kitten will be tested and examined for fleas, ticks and ringworm. The doctor will prescribe medications for treatment against parasites and give nutritional advice.
Possible diseases of street cats
Fleas and worms are just the most common problems for stray cats. In addition, they may have other diseases that are not dangerous to humans, but require special treatment:
- Otodectosis is an infection by a microscopic scabies mite. A person cannot become infected with otodectosis, but the disease can be transmitted to other pets: cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets. Signs of infection include black earwax and the formation of black crusts on the pinna of the ear. If they are detected, you should contact a veterinary clinic, where the animal will be given an accurate diagnosis and treatment will be prescribed.
- Viral diseases are most often seasonal; street cats become infected with them in the spring and autumn. Kittens are the most defenseless against viral infections. If a cat taken from the street is sneezing or coughing, or has watery eyes, diarrhea or vomiting, it is likely infected with rhinotracheitis, calicivirus or panleukopenia. In this case, you need to show the animal to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. Sometimes delay can be fatal, as the kitten may die due to the rapid development of the disease.
- Infection with protozoan microorganisms - lamblia, isospores, which cause digestive disorders. A stool test is performed to identify parasites. Medicines for worms do not work on them; only a specialist can prescribe effective treatment.
We talked about diseases that cats can have, but this does not mean that every street animal is infected with them. Therefore, for fear of such infections, there is no need to deprive a stray cat of the chance to become a pet. Moreover, most cat diseases are not transmitted to humans.
What to feed a stray cat from the street?
Life without a permanent roof over its head, malnutrition, and sometimes hunger for several days make the street cat unpretentious in food. But this does not mean at all that food from your table is suitable for a small kitten.
Fried and fatty foods, sausages and smoked meats, as well as fresh pork can lead to poisoning and gastrointestinal upset in a future pet.
beef or wet food. The portion should be small so that the kitten does not overeat. You should not give your kitten cow's milk, as it will most likely cause diarrhea. It is better to just give water at room temperature.
The portion for the baby should be small
Feeding a cat taken from the street
Any homeless animal, and especially a kitten, needs special nutrition. Hunger, poor quality food and parasites greatly harm the stomach. The best option for feeding is wet food; it has an accurate dosage and a balanced composition. Table food and canned fish are not a good idea. A cat exhausted by hunger will not refuse such food, but it will all end with constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. It is best to entrust the preparation of your pet’s diet to a specialist.
The cat brings joy and positivity to the house, fills it with comfort and warmth. An animal rescued from a homeless existence will never forget your kindness and will repay it with its devotion and tenderness.
A brief algorithm for the actions of a person who picks up a kitten on the street looks like this:
- visit to the veterinarian;
- treating the animal against fleas, worms, ticks according to the recommendations of a specialist;
- two-week quarantine for foundlings;
- vaccination, sterilization;
- monitoring the general condition of the animal, proper feeding.
Get rid of fleas and parasites
How to properly treat a kitten from the street against lice, fleas and ticks should be asked at an appointment with a veterinarian.
First, the kitten should be thoroughly washed with kitten shampoo. Under no circumstances should shampoo be used on humans. The substances contained in it can cause allergies in the animal. It is advisable to bathe your kitten with a helper to reduce the likelihood of injury during bathing.
After water procedures, the kitten should be wrapped in a towel, gently dried and released so that it can lick itself and dry.
When the baby is completely dry, apply special drops to the withers and rub the product in thoroughly.
A suspension is suitable for fighting worms for a kitten, since even adult animals are reluctant to take tablets. 14 days after treatment, the pet is ready for the next stage - vaccination.
Do not wash
Usually cats from the street are immediately washed with flea shampoo, but this should not be done. Most likely, an outdoor cat will have shingles, and if you wash it, the infection will spread throughout the body. Then it will be much more difficult to treat. In addition, the shampoo is quite toxic, and for a weakened cat or kitten this can be dangerous.
If there are so many fleas that the cat is suffering, use a spray or drops. If it is a kitten, be sure to ask for kitten spray, it will have a special dosage. If the kitten is generally feeling well and is not itching every minute, wait for a veterinarian's appointment.
Veterinary pharmacy
Vaccination
In order for a kitten in a new family to be healthy and happy, it needs to be vaccinated. Viral diseases such as calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, viral leukemia and “feline distemper” are deadly for animals. Even a domestic cat can easily become ill and die without treatment. She doesn't even have to look for them specifically. The owner can bring pathogens from the street on shoes or clothes.
Timely vaccination is the only way to avoid fatal diseases for your beloved pet.
Be sure to ask your veterinarian about the vaccination schedule.
The kitten must have all preventive vaccinations
Limiting contact with other animals
As soon as the furry tenant is brought home, where pets already live, you should take care of a separate closed place where the kitten will spend at least a month. A new pet should not cause other animals to become ill. If you can’t allocate a whole room, you can place it in a spacious, lockable cage or glassed-in loggia. The furry resident should be completely isolated. Pets should not be allowed to interact with the new pet for the duration of the quarantine.
Temporary isolation is an important stage on the path to a new life
After treatment for parasites and vaccinations, the kitten must be kept in isolation for 21 days. For some, this path may seem too long. But this is the only way to protect old-timers at home from unwanted diseases.
Education
So, the kitten has been treated and the quarantine is over. It's time to help him get comfortable in the house. And here the owners may encounter difficulties. When the kitten lived on the street, he was left to his own devices and could do whatever he wanted: go to the toilet in any flowerbed, sharpen his claws on trees. Now the space for maneuver has changed and turned out to be unfamiliar. The owners’ task is to help the new resident quickly get used to the new place.
You need to get used to the tray right away. It should be open and large in size. First use sand or soil as a filler. These are exactly what the kitten got used to when he lived on the street. Gradually you can mix cat litter into the soil/sand. Eventually the kitten will get used to it and you can completely switch to it.
On the street, the kitten had to hide from danger. Therefore, in the new home there should be places where he can hide and be alone.
Kittens love to play. Games will help your pet quickly get used to it and begin to trust its new owners. A fishing rod toy will be a great helper. The kitten will be at a safe distance during play so that it can relax and not be afraid.
Playing with a kitten is the best way to gain trust
Don't grab the kitten suddenly. Better call. When he comes over, give him a treat and pet him. The pet should see the owner as a friend, and not as an aggressor or a source of danger.
When raising a kitten, you should not shout at it, much less hit it. You need to talk to him strictly and calmly.
If, for example, he took food into the room, you need to return it to his bowl. This must be repeated until he understands that this cannot be done.
A natural need for a kitten is to sharpen its claws. If you want to keep your furniture intact, buy a scratching post. Take the time to explain to your animal how to use it. You can spray the scratching post with catnip, which cats love. Over time, the kitten will love it and most likely will not spoil the upholstered furniture.
What's good about cats
It seemed to me that cats are good because they are easy to care for and do not need to devote too much time to them. I want a dog, but I understand that I won’t be able to walk it two or three times a day for an hour and a half, play at home, train it and work with a dog handler and animal psychologist. And you can pet cats, play with them, record silly GIFs with them, and type hearts on Instagram.
If there is a small child in the house, then he learns to take care of living beings, understands when he can squeeze them and when he can scratch them. Well, the plus is that it’s fun and interesting for the child to play.
Of course, if the child is small, then you should not expect him to clean up after the animals. Probably, this can be assigned from the age of five or six, we will try later.
I think that in order for cats to be a joy and not become a cause of disputes in the family, you need to follow these rules:
- The decision to get a cat should be unanimous, and not by majority vote. After all, everyone will live together, and it is important that each family member is comfortable;
- Agree on how the responsibilities for caring for the animal are divided. In our family, we divided the responsibilities like this: I do daily care, clean the tray, feed, and my husband buys food and cleans the tray completely every few days. If someone can't do something, someone else will take over. And without reproach: “But you should have, but didn’t.” If you should, but didn’t, it’s okay, someone else will do it. If someone is not consistently doing their part, then this is a reason to talk and redistribute responsibilities.
- Decide what to do while traveling. We have relatives who are ready to look after the cats if we are away, so there were no problems with this.
- Be prepared that the cat will not want to be petted. Our cats do not sit on hands and run away when petted. They can come and sit side by side, follow on your heels, but they scratch if you sit them on your lap. Well, it’s okay, but they have fun fighting among themselves.
In general, the hassle with cats can be greatly reduced. There are cat litter boxes that connect to the sewer system, and owners don't even have to clean the litter box. There are water fountains that run on electricity, and there are automatic feeding systems. And in the end, you can just enjoy the fact that sweet pies live in the house.
Happinnes exists
Happiness comes in different forms, and sometimes it’s your own apartment, where you feel good.
If you want one, come to the Airplane. Look at this happiness
What kindness harms street kittens?
When you see an outdoor kitten, you will definitely want to pet it or help it in some way. And the first thing that comes to mind is to feed. Don't rush to give everything you find in your bag. It is better to spend a little time, go to the nearest store and buy suitable food. Try to leave food away from large crowds of people so that the baby does not get scared and avoid meeting, for example, stray dogs. Dogs are often aggressive. They can easily hurt a kitten or even maim them in order to take food.
If you are not ready to take the kitten with you, you should not call it over, giving false hope of finding a home.
Is it worth adopting a kitten from the street: care features
Street cats are a consequence of man's irresponsible attitude towards animals. Not all of them were born on the streets. Many were left to fend for themselves for various reasons. But whatever the reasons, they do not justify people.
Before adopting a kitten from the street, weigh the pros and cons. Think carefully about whether you are ready
- treat it (if necessary)?
- keep in quarantine?
- bring up?
- pay enough attention every day?
- ensure his safety in the apartment?
- not to offend or punish him?
- make him a full member of the family?
Devotion and love do not depend on the breed.
If you give positive answers, quickly bring the fluffy ball home. Open your heart to him. Through tenderness and care, show that the most important thing is love for your neighbor. And it doesn’t matter what his origin is.
How can you tell if a cat is a stray or just lost?
Angelina Sirotina says that very often by the appearance of an animal you can understand that just recently it was domestic.
“Lost or abandoned domestic cats have a very low chance of surviving on the street. They don't know how to get their own food. The food that is in the trash is not suitable for them to digest. In addition, such a cat cannot stand competition with seasoned street animals, who, in the fight for food, “kick” him and will not let him near the feeder,” says the veterinarian.
If you see that the cat is clean, well-groomed, and confused, feed him and, if possible, show him to the veterinarian. It’s worth taking a photo of the cat and posting notices around the area - perhaps he got lost. If the owner is not there and you decide to keep the cat, then first of all you need to show him to a veterinarian who will conduct a clinical examination of the pet.
Question answer
Should indoor cats be walked outside?
