Cat House Palooza

10/31/2024

Please keep your babies safe today! 🦇🐈‍⬛🎃 🍬

10/27/2024

Happy National Black Cat Day!

10/25/2024

With the cool mornings please remember to tap on the hood or honk your horn before starting your vehicle!

10/19/2024

Remember straw in your winter shelters! No blankets, towels, or hay.

10/17/2024

Some great info on winter shelter...

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐈 Is shiny silver Mylar bubble wrap good insulation for cat shelters? The answer is NO, but don't get rid of your foil wrap just yet!

We have to get a little nerdy to explain. "Insulation" is material that slows down heat loss through walls, floors, and roofs. Mylar bubble wrap provides hardly any insulation — 1-inch foam board is 5 times better, 2-inch foam board is 10 times better. But Mylar does something that regular insulation doesn't do. It really "shines" as a "radiant barrier" — a shiny surface that reflects heat back toward its source, when exposed to air. If you line the interior of your cat shelters with Mylar bubble wrap, it will reflect the cats' body heat back on them, complementing the insulation. So if you want to make your cat shelters warmer without adding bulk, use both insulation AND a radiant barrier!

Just remember, a radiant barrier won't work unless it's exposed to air. This means you only need to line the ceiling and upper walls of a cat shelter with it, since the straw bedding covers the floor and lower part of the walls. Also, while Mylar bubble wrap is cheap and easy to find, the shiny part is a very thin veneer that may get dull and ineffective after a few years inside a busy cat shelter. For a more durable radiant barrier, choose foil tape or foil sheets intended for human homes. For an all-in-one solution, there's also foam insulation board coated with with reflective foil on one side — be sure to use the shiny side for the interior walls and ceiling.

For details on building 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, check out our recorded webinar, "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats."
Video: https://bit.ly/ViewBS231108
Passcode: qNz53$7%
Shelter Plans: https://bit.ly/FCIBSOCInfo

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

10/16/2024

Poem from a Feral Cat 🐱

I may never be a lap cat, or one who comes when called.

I may resist the hand that tries to touch and some may think I’m flawed.

I may prefer my freedom to your warm and cozy house

I may reject a bowl of finest foods for the chance to catch a mouse.

But the box you put out for me, feels safe and warm and dry.

And I raise my eyes to thank you when I see you walking by.

I eat the food you give me

I listen to your voice

I may never be a lap cat but thank you for offering me the choice.

One day I’ll see the winter, one day I’ll feel the rain,

I may grow old not knowing there is freedom from this pain

I know you’ve tried to help me and although my days will end

I may never be a lap cat but I know you are my friend.
🐱❤️🐾

⋄ Author Unknown ⋄

10/11/2024

It's that time of year when the cat ladies are planning winter shelters! There are quite a few options but one I found particularly interesting is an old upright freezer turned into a kitty hotel. If you are caring for community cats in a public place please ask permission!

10/08/2024

Amazon has these crates for $11.99! Every cat owner should have a crate. These are also a great blessing to your favorite rescue! ☺

10/04/2024

Feline Fact Friday ...

Do you know the difference between a stray and a feral community cat?

Have you ever wondered if the cat you see in your neighborhood is a STRAY cat or a FERAL cat? Being able to distinguish between the two allows you to determine how to best care for that cat.

🐈 A stray cat is typically a cat who lived indoors and/or was socialized to people at some point in its life, but has left or lost its home, or was abandoned, and no longer has regular human contact.

🐈 A feral cat is an unsocialized outdoor cat who has either never had any physical contact with humans, or human contact has diminished over enough time that the cat is no longer accustomed to touch.

🐈 Note that there are semi-feral cats that have both stray and feral characteristics. Semi-feral cats typically trust their caregivers over time but still prefer not to be touched or to live indoors.

No matter if it's a stray, semi-feral, or feral community cat, please make sure the cat is spayed/neutered and vaccinated so the cat doesn't contribute to the cat overpopulation crisis.

If you need information about Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR), please see our "How to TNR" information on our website ... https://www.friendsofferalfelines.org/how-to-tnr.

IF there are resources and rescues in your community, finding an indoor home for a friendly stray community cat is an option. If resources aren't readily available to find friendly stray cats an indoor home and the stray cats are thriving outdoors, return that stray kitty to where they were trapped.

Feral/unsocialized community cats should be returned to where they were trapped.

(Content courtesy of Alley Cat Allies)

10/01/2024

Cleaning is so important for your kittens but you can't stop there! Sanitizing is critical for the health of your current and future kittens.

Before bringing new kittens into a home where other kittens have been fostered, it’s essential to both clean and disinfect rooms and objects that former kittens had contact with. These items include: walls, floors, carriers, bowls, bedding, litter boxes, toys, thermometers, brooms, etc. While cleaning will remove dirt and organic matter from surfaces using soap or detergents; disinfecting kills the viruses and bacteria on surfaces using chemicals.

Click the link to learn more about cleaning and disinfecting https://zurl.co/0zYq

09/28/2024

It's a stinky subject but every rescuer I know has a phone full of p**p pics! All kidding aside, p**p is one of the best indicators of kitten health!

🐱💕 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Kitten stool is a highly useful indicator of an individual’s health. However, kittens can’t defecate (p**p) or urinate (p*e) before they’re about 3 weeks old without mom cat licking their ge****ls to stimulate them. If you’re fostering orphan bottle baby kittens under 4 weeks of age, you’ll need to stimulate them to urinate and defecate.

👉 In our article, In One End, Out the Other: Understanding Kitten P**p, you will learn tips, tricks and techniques for identifying the good, bad and ugly of kitten p**p. Don't forget to download our kitten stool chart. https://zurl.co/qeg9

09/25/2024

🐾 Wondering if that cat you just trapped is a community cat or someone's indoor-outdoor pet? Look closely at the paws for clues! 👀🐈

09/24/2024

Everyone is fighting ringworm so we thought we'd share info on what it is, how to treat it, and how to eradicate it from your kitties environment.

Dermatophytosis is the medical term for a fungal infection affecting the skin, hair and claws of cats, the most common of which is ringworm. Ringworm in cats is diagnosed largely in kittens and younger cats rather than in older adults.

09/22/2024

Happy Fall Y'all!!!! Who has started planning your winter shelters? Remember to use Straw NOT Hay!

09/20/2024

Spaying is about more than just population control!!!

09/18/2024

Do you have a plan for your kitties should an emergency or natural disaster happen? What's in your plan? We have a medical go bag ready to go for our babies as well as any kitties we can help along the way. Flea meds, dewormer, antibiotics, and bandages are included in our "go bag".

As kitten foster parents, are you prepared for when a disaster strikes? Our tiny fosters depend on us entirely, and being prepared can make all the difference in the event of flooding, hurricane or any other natural disaster.

In our article, If Emergency Strikes: Be Prepared and Keep Calm, we cover everything from creating a feline-specific emergency kit to ensuring you have all the necessary items, should you need to evacuate.

Don't wait until it's too late – check out our article and start preparing today.
https://zurl.co/Qb0O

09/16/2024

A great idea for a feeding station!

09/14/2024

Who has started on their winter shelters and feeding stations?

09/14/2024

Great article on parasites in kittens. If your kittens have fleas, they have tapeworms! Kittens can also become infected from mom's milk!

How Do Cats Get Worms?
Cats most commonly contract worms after coming into contact with parasite eggs or infected f***s.

A cat may walk through an area with eggs or infected f***s, and since cats are often such fastidious groomers, they will then ingest the eggs or f***l particles as they clean their fur and feet.

Cats that live outdoors and regularly hunt small rodents are also at a higher risk of contracting worms because the worms can live in the muscle tissues of their prey.

After eating a rodent that’s infected with worm larvae, a cat can develop a worm infestation as those larvae develop to maturity in the cat’s intestines.

Can Cats Get Worms From Dogs? Yes, through their fleas and feral matter.

Types of Worms in Cats
The most common types of worms in cats are:
* Roundworms
* Hookworms
* Tapeworms
* Whipworms

Less commonly diagnosed worms in cats can even be fatal, including:
* Lungworms
* Stomach worms
* Bladder worms
* Liver flukes
* Heartworms

Common signs of worms in cats include:
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Tarry f***s
* Weight loss
* Distended abdomen
* Skin lesions
* Generally poor body condition and a dull coat

As infestations worsen and symptoms progress, you may see signs such as:
* Weakness
* Dehydration
* Pale lips and gums due to anemia
* Low blood pressure
* Shock
* Death, in the most severe cases

Are Worms Painful for Cats?
Worms in cats can potentially cause pain. The migration of larvae through the liver, stomach, eye, or lungs would cause discomfort as the affected tissues become inflamed from the disruption.

This could present as:
* Belly pain, including gastritis due to inflammation of the stomach lining (potential nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, food aversion)
* Eye irritation
* A change in your cat’s breathing rate/pattern

How to Get Rid of Worms in Cats
For the best results, contact your veterinarian.

What Happens if Worms Go Untreated in Cats?
Left untreated can be dangerous, even fatal.