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Monday, March 19, 2012

a little bit of family & bringing in kitty

I'm happy to say that The Ottawa Cat Rescue Network will take over finding a home for the little unwanted orange and white cat I posted about last week. They have many more outlets for finding a good home for him than I do and I am thankful that they will now help this cat. They are a wonderful rescue and have been helping Ottawa's cats for 25 years. Their website is http://www.catrescuenetwork.com/. Thank you,  Louise.

I wanted to share 2 sweet photos of my grand-daughter, Riley taken Sunday.
having a popsicle on a hot (March????) day.
And here's proud mom & dad and baby #2 on the way.
All our snow has disappeared and we're hoping that we don't see it again for 8 months.

There's no better way to start a day than sharing breakfast with RileyIt starts my week off right.
 then off to the bookstore to pick out a new book.
and play at the kid's table. She makes us ice cream cones. Yum!
Then off to cat-sit. Did I mention I am really busy right now with cat-sitting? Just when I thought everyone was back from holidays the phone started ringing again and the emails came in. I am so busy I may have to fill up the old cat bag again. I always keep a fresh supply of toys & nip for my kitty clients. They demand it. And I've pulled out the old running shoes...oh ya! I'm runnin'.

cat-tip-for-the-day=^..^=Helping outdoor cats adjust to life indoors
If you have been caring for an out-door stray cat,  you may now want to bring it inside to be an indoor cat. With the weather now improving this may not be as easy as it would have been in the winter months. One way to make the transition is to bring the cat indoors gradually; each time for a little longer stays. Some cats that have been forced to live outside will be very happy to become a pampered house cat.  If the cat remains committed to life outdoors, you may consider building an outdoor enclosure or run that the cat can access through a window or pet door. The enclosure can be made very appealing by adding tree limbs with multi-level platforms on which the cat can perch, tires, toys hanging from branches and boxes in which the cat can hide in.  I've always wanted one of those to 'decorate' for my cats.
If you prefer not to have an enclosed run,  then bring some of the benefits of the outdoors inside. Add a condo or a climbing tree to it's environment, perches and shelves on windowsills, bird-feeders near the windows that will add to a cat's sense of adventure. Install proper screens and leave the windows open during the warm weather. Your cat needs fresh air.

Provide fresh greens for your cats to chew on. This helps relieve them of hairballs in their tummy.

Scratching posts are necessary to keep kitty away from the furniture and to keep it's nails trimmed.
 The mistake with the posts is most people only buy one and kitty gets bored with it very quickly. Add different ones throughout the house.
 In our home, we have logs placed here and there for the cats to scratch on. They are logs sliced down the center and laid on the flat side. The cats can stand on top of them and scratch to their heart's content. Yes, you do have to vacuum around them but it beats having your couch shredded.

The bottom line is that you need to make your cat's indoor life stimulating and enjoyable.
                                      Play with your cats
My beautiful kitty client, Dominique

 Cats are very curious creatures and need some excitement in their lives, just like us.

hugs, Deb

9 comments:

  1. I wish Duncan were motivated! He loves being a couch potato...hence his girth!
    Jane x

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  2. That Riley just gets prettier each time I see her! Charlie loves his screened porch and it's made his being an inside cat much better for him. hugs, Linda

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  3. beautiful photos and such a lovely post!

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  4. All great advice. Poppy Q is the luckiest of cats, having a cat door and being able to go in and out as she pleases. As the weather cools, she now spends 80% of her time inside with me, and just a few hours patroling the perimeters and chasing the neighbours cats. Luckily where we live there are no dogs or other predators, and only light car traffic.

    Julie and Poppy Q
    xxx

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  5. I transitioned Julius from an outdoor to an indoor cat and he did just fine!

    Riley is so sweet. ANd hopefully you won't see snow again until you have a new grandchild!

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  6. Your people family and your kitty family is so beautiful!!

    Good advice you've given.

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  7. Riley is just adorable! Love those curls. I see she has kitty toys to play with at Nana and Papa's house - you are breaking her in right! Loved hearing your tips for cat care. You are wonderful for all the love and help you give to cats. Bless you, Deb.
    Beth

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  8. Our cats are free to roam outside if they want but mostly choose to stay indoors, often the door is open all day and they just sit looking out at the garden.
    I like the idea of half logs, although we have several scratching posts situated around the house I know they would love the logs.
    Briony
    x

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