Nickel City Cats

09/02/2024

We are now on for Calliope. I’m guessing she is due within the next week. Go ahead and keep an eye on our YouTube channel where you can watch her live 24/7; you just may catch the moment she goes into labour!

09/01/2024

An outdoor cat that is spayed or neutered is 100% less likely to be a nuisance. Stop focussing on bringing them indoors. Start focussing on getting them spayed or neutered.

We wait for the CRA to confirm our charitable status so we can start hammering at all those community cats in the Donovan and Flour Mill areas.

08/31/2024

Yay! More blankets! Thank you!!

08/30/2024

**UPDATE** Happy Mews! Crowley has found his furever home and now has a new big brother to torment. 💕

This little snuggle butt needs his own home STAT. He has so much love and affection to give. He would best be placed in a home with his sister, Rowena, whom he loves dearly. Email [email protected] or shoot us a DM to apply.

08/30/2024

According to the shelter medicine veterinary program, no later than 5 months and I can’t help but agree. If only the rabies shot could be administered under 12 weeks of age ☹️, that would be perfect but alas here we are.

At what age should kittens be spayed and neutered? The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says no later than 5 months - and we agree!

We teach our vet students to spay and neuter at around 8 weeks/2 pounds. That assures they will never contribute to the overpopulation of cats,

From the AVMA: Recommendations for feline patients
The AVMA endorses the consensus document put forth by the Veterinary Task Force on Feline Sterilization for Age of Spay and Neuter Surgery, which recommends cats not intended for breeding be gonadectomized by five months of age. The document represents a clear and evidence-based position that promotes individual animal health, contributes to effective population control, and can be communicated clearly to clients. It has broad support among veterinary medical and cat breeding associations, having also been endorsed by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, American Animal Hospital Association, Winn Foundation, Catalyst Council, Cat Fancier’s Association, and The International Cat Association.""
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare/gonadectomy-resources-veterinarians

08/29/2024

Jess’s babies are finally amazing with the kitty litter however a lot is left to be desired with Benny’s ability at keeping the p**ps IN the box. Benny is not available for adoption; he is a new little brother to Jelly Bean, Carol, and Daniel. The family needed balance and Benny fit the spot perfectly. No more additions for the Nickel City Cats residence for a long long time now.

08/28/2024

Garth got his little p**py butt cleaned and he DID NOT appreciate the water. I’ve rarely bathed a grown cat never mind a kitten so adverse to a bath. On the bright side, definitely no fleas (I’m paranoid about fleas) and his body feels nice and healthy. Except for the p**p collection under his tail. That had to go.

08/27/2024

Super happy mews!!! IZZY HAS A HOME!!!

08/26/2024

Today’s edition of unboxing with kittens is brought to you by financial donations that helped to purchase more fountains! Also a huge thank you for yesterday’s drop off of over 150 cans of cat food and blankets. We are blessed.

08/25/2024

This ⬇️

Let's talk about the 'R' in TNR - Return! Why is it SO important to return cats to their colonies? 🤔

1. Truly feral cats NEED to be returned to their colonies once fixed because that is their 'home'. While we may not think of it as a 'real' home, for them, it's all they've ever known. Relocating feral cats to a new location is a process and even with best practice, cats will STILL sometimes leave their new home.

2. Shelters, rescues and fosters are overwhelmed with owner surrenders, found kittens and friendly strays. Most are turning away even highly adoptable cats and kittens because there isn't enough space, resources or adopters. Taking in cats that are feral, semi-feral or anything less than highly adoptable limits the number of cats they can ultimately help. Plus, cats that are anything but highly social struggle in shelter environments and often develop medical complications from the stress of being confined.

3. MANY feral, stray and community cats have people who actively care for them. Not only do they care for them, they LOVE them. Getting them sterilized, providing shelter and feeding daily is supporting them while respecting they aren't truly 'pets'.

4.) TNR is the most cost effective and humane way to manage outdoor cat populations. Any cat outside is there because of irresponsible humans. While many would argue euthanasia is a more effective and kinder option, it's expensive, impractical and just creates a vacuum effect where new cats move into the space.

Check out the resources below for information about TNR! 👇🏻 Or find local TNR clinics, groups and resources in your community to help the cats in your backyard!

And remember, if you don't agree, you don't have to comment. ☺️ But discussion, shares and likes drives our engagement and spreads our message, so we're thankful for your two cents (even if we disagree!) cause it helps fund our TNR efforts right here in Central Pennsylvania! 🖤

https://www.alleycat.org/resources-page/?wpv_view_count=2532&wpv-resource-categories%5B%5D=tnr&resource-type%5B%5D=

08/23/2024

I’d love to see Rowena and Crowley get adopted together 🥰. They love each other so much.

08/23/2024

You’ve probably heard that yelping when your kitten bites or scratches will teach them to stop. Whoever popularized this idea and made it some of the most common advice for handling rough play has a lot to answer for—seriously, how did this bad advice catch on? The idea is that mimicking the sound a littermate might make when hurt will signal to your kitten that they’ve gone too far. Sounds logical, I suppose. Unfortunately, it often has the opposite effect.

Here’s the deal: when you yelp, your kitten might think you’re still playing—just in a louder, more exciting way. Instead of backing off, they could get more wound up, thinking the game is getting even better. Plus, some kittens may not even understand the yelp as a sign of discomfort, since they’ve learned to play rough without consequences.

So, what should you do instead? When your kitten bites or scratches too hard, it’s game over. Calmly stop the play and redirect them to a toy, or simply give them a moment to settle down before allowing them to try again.

Don’t put them in timeout, either! Timeouts for kittens often backfire because they can unintentionally reinforce the very behavior you’re trying to stop. Picking up a kitten to place them in timeout can actually reward them with more attention, making them more likely to bite or scratch again. Instead, putting *yourself* in timeout by calmly walking away shows them that rough play means the fun ends, without giving them a chance to escalate the behavior.

And don’t forget to reinforce polite requests for play! If your kitten approaches you without biting or scratching, make sure to reward that behavior with attention and playtime. This positive reinforcement helps them learn that gentle behavior gets them what they want, reducing the chances of rough play in the future.

In short, skip the yelping and focus on teaching your kitten what’s appropriate through calm, consistent actions. It’ll save you both a lot of frustration in the long run!

Source: Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior & Training

08/23/2024

The house goblin throws Shreddies around like they’re kitty treats. The sad part is, the kitties think Shreddies are treats now 🫤.

08/22/2024

A big chi miigwech to this morning’s generous donation! We spent every last penny on supplies. Each of our rooms will be much more sanitary because of you. They’re now outfitted with new in-room brooms, litter boxes, litter scoops, buckets, and more. No more sharing between rooms and excessive preventative washing!

08/22/2024

Happy Mews! Maizie didn’t stick around for long. Our friendly foster Catherine who took care of her for her first month with us back in April took the plunge and gave her a home. That’s adoption no°8 for us! We still have 6 who can leave asap.

08/20/2024

I got a present today.

08/20/2024

In the mama rooms 🙄. Sadly there’s always an instigator or two. Now that they’re separated, there’ll be a lot less of that.

08/20/2024

With 24 cats and kittens in the building, we go through a LOT of kitty litter. Every week we use 3-4 bags, which is 120 to 160lbs, or before taxes $23.97 to $31.96. So if you’re looking at an economical way of helping out, buy us a bag or two!

Why do we use pine pellets for kitty litter? Many reasons!

1️⃣ Cost
40lbs can fill 3 boxes. With clay, 40lbs fills only 2. Sure, the litter gets cycled a lot more quickly than clay, the cost is still significantly less which brings us to…

2️⃣ Sanitation
Pellets are super easy to clean and virtually dust free. When the cats p*e into the pellets, the affected pellets absorb the urine and turn to saw dust which falls to the bottom of the litter pan. All urine is absorbed and not a drop touches the box itself. Seeing that the saw dust settles to the bottom, it doesn’t get tracked everywhere like clay or silica crystals. To boot, the pellets cling to the p**ps which coats them in saw dust creating a protective layer which, again, helps with contact contamination.

3️⃣ Clean up
When cleaning the litter box, it is SUPER easy and lightweight to sift through and find only the p**ps. No need to worry about the urine; it is the saw dust at the bottom of the box. It is ridiculously simple to find the p**ps (for adults… kittens can be more like an archeological dig) and toss it and go. If a few pellets fall out when cleaning, it is a quick clean up. Did I mention light weight? Normally a litter box can weigh up to 30lbs! With pellets its 5-10lbs. When the litter box is approximately 75% saw dust, it’s time to change the litter, which brings us to…

4️⃣Ecology
While some people compost clay litter, p**ps and all, I am not a fan of whatever is in the clay and don’t want it in my soil. With clay litter, this makes many trips to the dump because it is frankly too heavy for regular trash removal. Because I only take the p**ps out, the trash is quite light or if I wanted to, could flush it! In theory, it’s only p**ps with clumped saw dust and plumbing friendly. I’m not trusting this concept so we don’t flush it. We go through less litter collection bags by half because I don’t need to worry about the weight. And here’s the best part, when you dump the litter at the 75% dust point, it is completely compostable! I make sure it is p**p free and dump it in my compost pile. This makes for less garbage, waste, and no… the ammonia in cat urine does not affect the environment.

5️⃣Smell
The woodsy smell of pine in the house versus the dry clay with whatever scent infused grossness has an absolute winner. Most scent boosters/blockers can actually irritate your cat whereas the mild pine scent is completely natural.

08/19/2024

During my time with a local shelter, I had to trim a kittie’s thumb nail that grew out much like those. If you can’t trim, at least give them stuff to scratch.

08/19/2024

Video is up! Link is in the comments⬇️⬇️

08/19/2024

Mama Calliope (pronounced KAL-eye-oh-PEE) was found and still pregnant! She is on her way soon 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻. Here’s our call-out for blankets and towels. We are running out 😫.

Ellen and Jess were messy girls and the kittens followed along with that trend. While most towels and blankets are salvageable, sometimes for containment purposes they need to go directly to the garbage. We need towels of any size, blankets of throw blanket size to baby blanket size, and bed sheets. Stuffed comforters are fun for the base of nests but are difficult to clean and get tossed once soiled.

08/19/2024

3/4 of these cuties are still looking for their furever home. Shoot us a PM!

08/18/2024

08/17/2024

In honour of , we are thrilled to announce that Castiel has adopted US. We now call him Daniel. I’ve been in the market for a snuggly male cat since my Cosmo passed away in 2021 and despite seeing many snuggly boys come and go, none seemed to fit. This little man has stolen his own spot on the bed, couch, and our hearts. Daniel can still be seen in pictures with a bright yellow collar with a bell on it. He has become our shadow both literally and figuratively.

08/17/2024

Facts! The earlier the better. It does not stunt their physical or developmental growth. Crowley and Rowena are behaving just like their brother Castiel-now-Daniel. Crowley has doubled in size and looks like he’s 7 months old despite being only 5 months old.

08/17/2024

Sound off in the comments for the YouTube livestream ⬇️⬇️⬇️

What’s the current preference?

A- Jess and her kittens
B- Kittenmageddon
C- Mama Calliope when she comes in

I wanted to make a poll but apparently that’s not an option anymore 🫤.

08/16/2024

The livestream is on the Kittenmageddon! After finishing the assessments on the new kittens I can confirm that all 4 are female with short/medium length fur! Their names and corresponding collars are:

💙Ami- dark tabby on white tuxie
❤️Rei- black
💚Lita- grey tabby on white tuxie
🧡Mina- brown tabby