It is difficult to think of a beautiful and loving senior cat living in an animal shelter for the rest of its life. No animal deserves this type of long-term living situation. Shelters are great for short-term living and some animal shelters do their share in saving the animal from certain death.
While many animal shelters are no-kill shelters, far too many animal shelters euthanize cats if no one claims them. Many of these kill shelters do give dogs a reprieve. This is heartbreaking news for cat lovers. Animal shelters do not have the time or sufficient staff to give loving care to animals, as an individual pet owner can provide.
If you are thinking of adopting a cat, please consider adopting a senior cat at any time during the year, especially during November, National Adopt a Senior Cat Month. If you can afford to do so, please consider adopting two or more senior cats. They will keep each other company. Visit your local animal shelter anytime during the year and set your sights on a senior cat.
Animal shelters are not the only facilities keeping cats that need a loving home. Check out your local Humane Society or private individuals who foster cats until they are adopted. The local animal shelter, whose policy could be to euthanize cats after a time, is your number one priority. Please consider giving an aged cat a loving and comfortable home in the few years they may have left.
When we adopt pets, we seldom know what their life was like growing up. All you can do is move forward and make it your goal to change the life of a deserving senior cat. You can rest assured a senior adopted cat will live out its life gloriously, in a happy, comfortable, and full of love home.
If you want to adopt a pet, know that a cat needs your attention and love as much as any other animal. Also, know that cats do not require you to get up at early hours to walk them as a dog does. Otherwise, cats are low-maintenance pets. Cat owners must provide the essentials for their cat, such as unconditional love, daily quality attention, food, warmth, and a clean litter box.
It is best to keep your cat inside at all times to keep your cat safe and unharmed by humans who do not like cats and other stray animals. Keeping your cat inside helps assure you that it will not catch a disease from a stray or get into trouble. If you have never owned a cat, please invest in an educational book about cats and learn how to care for these precious pets before you bring them home.
Must-Have Essentials Before You Bring Your Kitties Home
The following are only a few things you need to know and purchase before you consider bringing your new kitty home.
- Read up on how to care for your cat if this is your first time owning a cat.
- Large litter pans are better than small pans unless your space is limited.
- Invest in clumping and deodorizing litter. Add to the litter box new litter when it gets low.
- Glass food and water dishes are better than metal or plastic. Cats do better with glass dishes than with metal or plastic. Some cats refuse to eat food or drink water from metal or plastic. However, most cats like flowing water fountains that are made of metal or plastic materials. Be sure to take these water fountains apart and clean all the parts and water holder weekly. Add new filters to water fountains at least every two months. Filtered water is best and healthier.
Cats are natural meat-eaters. If your cat has no health concerns, protein is not an issue. Buying dry and moist Grain Free foods is the healthiest food for your cat. Grain is not a healthy option for cats, even though there are countless cat foods containing grains.
- Cats love to nap in a cat bed or on top of a fluffy soft blanket.
- Have a variety of cat toys that make noise.
- Cats love scratching posts. This helps to keep nails trimmed. Ask your vet to teach you how to trim your cat’s nails so that you do not cut into the vein higher in the nail. If you do not relish doing this task, take your cat every few months for a nail trim.
- *Please do not have your cat’s nails removed. Some vets agree that this is the same as having your fingers amputated and will always cause some element of discomfort for the cat.
Other Important Things to be Mindful Of
- Never be too concerned about bathing your cat unless they are unable to keep themselves clean or they become especially dirty. Cats usually clean themselves every day.
- Softshell cat carrier
- Some cats enjoy sitting up high in a cat tower.
- Always provide a chair or cat seat in front of a window. They love fresh air when the temperatures are appropriate.
- A bit of catnip every day sprinkled on their blanket or toys is wonderful.
- Cats love to eat grass. If your cat is an inside cat, be sure to sit a container of cat grass on the floor for them to eat at will. Grass helps to settle an upset stomach.
- Be sure to take your cat for a wellness check every year and immediately when health issues arise.
- Be sure to purchase a first aid book for cats. Read this book and know what to do in an emergency, and ask your vet what medicines they can give you to keep on hand for nighttime, weekend, or holiday emergencies.
- It is best not to have flowers or greens in your home as some can make your cat ill and even cause death.
- Some senior cats develop arthritis and cannot jump or climb. Consider getting your senior cat a set of steps to get onto your bed to lay down or on a chair where they prefer sitting.
- Cats hide an illness, pain, or discomfort well. Be vigilant of your cat not feeling well or if they are in pain. Make a vet appointment immediately if you believe your cat is ill, not feeling well, or is in pain.
Keep in mind that November is the month of adopting a senior cat. Remember to adopt one or more senior cats during November (and anytime during the year). Visit your local animal shelter, Humane Society, or private agency.
