If Your Cat Hates the Cat Carrier

If, like most cats, your cat hates his carrier then try these simple tips.  Getting your cat into a cat carrier is rarely an easy feat. You either end up with scratched hands as he wises up to what's coming and claws his way away from you or stubbornly he sits at the carrier door refusing to budge. Your first attempt fails and kitty is now ten steps ahead of you hiding in the darkest most difficult to get to corner of your house and he's not coming out no matter how you try and coax him. After a while he thinks you've given up and he gingerly ventures out and the routine starts again.

So how can you get a cat into a cat carrier easily? Firstly turn the cat carrier on it's side, then get hold of your cat firmly either with your hands under his front paw armpits or even by the skin of his neck, I prefer the former. Then act quickly to "drop" him tail or back legs first into the carrier and close the door. You can also wrap his back legs in a towel if you are quick enough and get him in that way if his back legs are flailing around.  This whole job takes a minute or so and everyone including your cat are a lot less stressed.

Visit Amazon to check out the range of cat carriers

Visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you can find out more about the cats we've rescued.

Jack found a forever home

Jack was a black and white neutered tom, abandoned when his owner moved away. Fortunately for Jack a nearby family couldn't take him into their home but could leave out food for him. This left Jack getting by until he was brought to our attention and came to live in my home as a fostered cat. Jack was with me quite a while most likely as he was older, about 6 years and because of his black and white colouring.

Jack the rescue cat

Although Jack was a regular moggy in appearance it
was his personality that made Jack the lovable little guy that he was. He was very sweet and would jump on my knee as often as he could even leaving his breakfast before I set off to work to say, in his own way, "Hi!" and returning to his food when I stood up to leave. Jack loved his food and let everyone know if he was hungry often with a frustrated meeow if the food didn't come quickly enough.   If Jack were human I think he would wear a flat cap and enjoy time sitting in a rocking chair by the fire.  Not that he was very old but he always seemed like he just wanted to relax and take it easy.

He had a sweet face to match his character and looked peaceful and contented with his life and humans. So when finally a young family saw a photo of this likeable little fellow they came over to visit him and decided he was perfect for them. Jack liked the family too when they came to see him.

It's good news for Jack that he finally got his forever home although the house just doesn't seem the same without him climbing onto my knee each evening. Last reports were Jack has settled well into his new home.  He has more knees to sit on, plenty of room to mooch around and of course he his still tucking into his food that his new humans bring him.

Thank you for reading.

If you live in Great Britain and are thinking of adopting a cat or a kitten please visit https://www.catchat.org/ for rescue cats in your area.

Visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you can find out more about the cats we've rescued.

Top tips to help your new cat feel right at home...

When your new cat arrives he will most likely be afraid of his new surroundings.  The smells are unfamiliar and he doesn’t know whether you are a friend or a foe.  Rarely have I fostered a cat and they have made themselves at home from day one.  Usually they find a hiding place and take cover hidden away from whatever predators they think may be lurking.

If hiding is your new cat’s reaction it’s perfectly natural and the best thing you can do is leave him alone in his little place of sanctuary until he figures things out.

In the meantime what can you do to help him settle in?

Spend time in the room where his hiding place and talk aloud, this is so he gets familiar with your smell and the sound of your voice.

Leave strong smelling food like tuna outside of his hole to make him venture out a little. When he does venture out leave him to his little act of bravery as if nothing has happened.  Resist your well meaning urge to rush to pick him up or make a big fuss of him.  This will only startle him and send him back to his hole without eating his food.

Don’t try and force him out of his hole in anyway unless of course he is in genuine danger.  To you, life in a cupboard does not look fun but to him the cupboard or place under the sink is his safe place away from danger.

Don’t stare into his hole trying to make eye contact, he will feel threatened.  Instead lower your eyes whenever you need to check in on him. 

Eventually he will make his first tentative steps into the wider world of your home.  Again when he does this leave him to find his way a little at a time.  You may want to give him a congratulatory hug but he won’t see it that way and your sudden movement will frighten him back into his hole.

He may dart back in but his first steps outside his hole are a good sign he’s coming round.  Don’t worry before long scared kitty will be bouncing round your house, jumping on your knee, washing himself in front of the TV while you’re trying to watch your favourite programme and staring at your food while you eat.  He is a cat after all.

Visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you can find out more about the cats we've rescued.

Reasons to adopt a rescue cat

Cats from rescue shelters or in a foster home have usually being through a rough time. Your kindness gives them a second chance in a loving home.

Most are already trained to use their cat litter box so you don't have to worry about mess.

Most shelters ask for a donation when you adopt a cat.  This is because your new feline friend has received medical care such as neutering and flea treatment.  Your donation goes toward helping other rescue cats.

You get a better picture of the cat's health.  As many have been in foster homes or rescue shelters the cat's health has been monitored for any signs of ill health and can advise you on any health issues the cat might have.

You can be specific about what sort of cat would suit you best.  You may want an indoor cat if you live near a busy road.  If you have pets already your local cat rescue centre can find you a cat that stands the best chance of fitting in with your other animals. If you want to adopt two cats then your cat rescue centre will help you find two that are already buddies. 

Many cat rescue centres, at least the one I volunteer for give you the opportunity to return the cat if things aren't working out. It's rare but at least you have peace of mind that your cat will be returned to a good home and quickly.

You can always contact the rescue centre with any questions about your new cat after adoption. Maybe your new little pal meows a lot and you wonder if it's his personality or just that's he's still a little anxious in his new home.

You know in advance what sort of food he's happy eating and if any food doesn't agree with him.  The rescue centre will have worked out any food that tends to make him sick.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cat rescue: Success stories

If you're interested in the work we do this video shows some of the cats we've rescued and wherever possible their background story and reasons they came to us.

Most in this video have been adopted but we continue to help as many cats as we can.

Visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you can find out more about the cats we've rescued.

Apart from Ginger what else can you call your ginger cat

If you're the proud owner of a new ginger cat or kitten you might want to call him or her something other than Ginger.

Please feel free to add any other ginger cat themed names in the comments below.

Visit visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you find out more about the cats we've rescued.

5 facts about black cats and Halloween

1# Black cats have historical links with witches because of their nocturnal and mysterious nature. #2 Folklore suggests that a black cat will leave the home of his witch if that witch becomes a human. #3 Black cats in particular were persecuted and killed by Puritans because they superstitiously associated them with satanic practice. #4 Black cats in rescue shelters are often the last ones to be adopted because of the ambiguous superstitions that surround them. #5 Some rescue shelters will not let a black cat be adopted before Halloween because sometimes they have been used for decorative purposes only then to be abandoned.   

5 Reasons why cat ladies aren't that crazy...

Any woman with a cat or two is often referred to as the crazy cat lady.  Follows are 5 reasons why this may not be true...

1 A cat purring has a very relaxing and restorative effect on you,  

2 Cats are funny - if you need proof just search for "funny cats" - 29,700,000 results. 
Without cats the  internet would be less fun. Laughter is great medicine for a heavy heart. 

3 Looking after a cat or two gives you a sense of responsibility.   

4 Cats are a great talking point if you're stuck for conversation especially with other cat owners.  

5 Cats are interesting to watch, it's like having your own mini wildlife documentary in your living room.

And if you can think of any other reasons why cat ownership is a very good idea - please leave a comment below. 

Thank you for reading. Visit Cat Buddy youtube channel  where you can find out more about the cats we've rescued.

Caring for your cat - cystitis prevention and early signs

Cats are stoical creatures so it's often difficult to know if there is something wrong. Injuries are easier to spot but illness and internal injuries are not.

Warning signs 
One way to look for illness in your cat is to watch for changes in behaviour. Especially changes in their cat litter behaviour such as not using their cat litter or staying in their box after they've made their contribution. Sophie's story Sophie was a rescue cat I was fostering and I noticed she stayed in her cat litter tray as if it were her new bed. Being quite inexperienced I didn't recognise this as a problem. Then to my horror I found blood in my bathroom but had no idea where or from which cat it was coming from. I started taking a keener note of each cat's behaviour and frantically checking each one for signs of blood.

Eventually I saw that Sophie had blood trails coming from her. I was very upset and thought I was going to lose her. I rushed Sophie to the vet who diagnosed it as cat Cystitis. Poor little Sophie had to stay overnight at the vets but thankfully we got her there in time. Cat cystitis can be a common problem in cats. Males are more susceptible as they have a narrower urinary tract. It is treatable if caught in time. Sophie started on a 7 day medication and it's not always easy getting a cat to take a pill but wrapped in tuna or chicken seems to work.

My cat rescue co-ordinator advised I should bring in more fluids to her diet because dehydration can be a contributing factor. So Sophie was treated to canned tuna juice (brine not oil) a little evaporated milk mixed with water along with a little extra water in her wet food.

Cat stress 
After a little research into cat cystitis I found another factor can be stress. And as I looked back over Sophie's life the previous couple of weeks before she became ill it all began to make sense. Another rescue cat was staying with us. The new cat bullied Sophie a little. Sophie protected herself by staying high up on the fridge out of his way. This meant the little cat's access to her food, water and litter tray was restricted at times. To us humans this might appear to be no big deal but to a cat, I learned, it can be traumatic. I did everything I could to de-stress her life making sure all her cat "things" were easy for her to get to. She was given regular little healthy food snacks and plenty of human care and attention. She was also kept separate from the bully cat.

The story ended well and I'm happy to say Sophie returned to health and was adopted by a human who was just purrrfect for her.

*********************************** 

Love cats? Visit Catbuddy for t shirts, hoodies, bags and more. Your purchase will provide food, shelter and medical treatment for rescue cats and kittens.

Top 5 hacks for cat owners

Top 5 hacks for cat owners that will save you time and money

1 Cool cats

Cool your cat down in hot weather by running your hands under the cold tap then stroke your cat with damp hands.

2 Cat litter conundrums
To remove clumps from the cat litter tray use a child's spade rather than a cat litter scoop. Smaller clumps fall through the grills and mean more mess.   Small gardening spades also work.

3 Cat litter costs
Cat litter bags can be expensive but you can save money by using nappy bags instead.  They tend to be cheaper and get the job done just as well.

4 Tablet trauma

Getting your cat to take a tablet can be very tricky. somehow they know what you're up to and firstly run off.  Then when you finally catch them you're struggling with sprawling cat legs, claws and a mouth shut clam tight.  So one tip that was passed onto me by a veteran cat fosterer was to wrap your cat in a towel so his legs are kept swaddled.  Then "hide" the pill in tuna.


5 Get cat carrier clever
You try and coax your cat in with treats - he runs off. Then you try a few gentle shoves through the door and he legs it under a table so you can't get to him. My cat life got easier when I was shown this effective way which is tip which  was firstly turn the  cat carrier n it's side  with the door facing upwards.  Next simply  drop your cat in tail first.  Don't forget to put something that smells familiar in their along with a treat or two.

Rescue Cat Jack's story

Cat buddy is where, through various media, we raise money for the cats and kittens we rescue. All designs are inspired by the cat's I've fostered and you can shop for tee shirts hoodies, bags, mugs and more.  Money raised will go toward food, shelter and vet bills.


Along with the shop I'm experimenting with Youtube videos.  Jack's story is the first video I did, I'l admit it's not that great but it was fun creating the video. 

Jack's still with me and sat here on my knee as I type.  Jack has very few teeth so it can be a little tricky with food.  I've tried softening his dried foot in hot water mixed with cat yogurt and mix that in with his wet food, like cat stew. 


I've also tried the softer cat chews and kitten treats. Anyway please post any tips for toothless cats.  

Jack's a very quiet little boy so I have been able to take so many photographs without the usual running off or blurry cat face because they are nosing into the camera. I've done lots of tee shirt designs around Jack.


BTW if you live in the UK and are looking to adopt visit on www.catchat.org to see some of cats available for rehoming.

Thank you for reading.