Helpful links and info for pet adopters, owners & educators
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Did you know that there are after hours and holiday emergency care centers that are open to treat your pets during an emergency? Thank goodness! If you have not already done so, please save their numbers and information. You never know when you might need them. Please follow our link to see some of the animal emergency clinics near you. Don't live in Hampton Roads? No problem. There is also a link to type in your zip code and find an emergency clinic near your zip code.
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Luckily, in Hampton Roads there are lots of rescues, shelters, and other organizations that are out there to help our animals in needs. There are even organizations that are there to help you care for your animals in hardship with food, supplies, and vet bills. Please visit our Other Organizations page to see all the resources and help there is for you and your animals.
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There are so many reasons to get your animals spayed/ neutered. Besides the overwhelming amount of animals that go into shelters each day that sadly do not find homes, your animals will live a much longer, healthier life when they are spayed/ neutered. Here is a link to so many clinics out there that offer very low-cost and sometimes free spay/ neuters for your animals.
Some cities offer help and some pay the full cost to spay or neuter for pets. You may want to contact your local Animal Control to see if such programs are offered in your area and if you qualify.
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Moving Successfully with PetsMoving to a new home can be just as stressful on your pet as it is on you. Following are some tips to help you help your pet through this change of address:
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- Gather the supplies your pet will need during the move – food, water, medications, medical records, bedding and toys. It also helps to bring along some of your dirty laundry because the familiar scent of these belongings is comforting to your pet.
- Keep your pet away from the moving-day activity by confining him to a room where he feels safe, otherwise, your pet could become frightened and bolt out the door unnoticed. It’s difficult to pack, move furniture, and keep an eye on your pet at the same time. Maybe you have a friendly place where your pet can stay during the packing and moving, like a neighbor, friend or boarding kennel. As much as possible, try not to disrupt his daily routine.
- Be sure your dog or cat has a tag with your new phone number or the number of a friend so there will be someone to contact if your pet gets lost during the move.
- Move small animals, like birds and hamsters, in their cages, covered with a lightweight fabric. Remove water and any other objects that might loosen and injure them. You must keep the temperature constant for these small friends to survive.
- Unpack and settle in a bit before turning your pet loose in the house. Keep the doors to your extra rooms closed and slowly give your pet access to them as they become accustomed to their new home.
- Orient your dog or cat to the new surroundings. If possible, try to place their favorite resting place (dog bed, chair or cushion) in the same position or area, as it was in your old home. Put their food and water bowls and toys in familiar places as well.
- If you have a dog, walk him around the house, yard and block. If you have a cat, sit quietly and pet her, preferably while sitting in a familiar chair. Provide a place for your cat to hide (she’ll do this anyway). Make sure she’s eating, drinking and using her litter box.
- Be patient, loving and reassuring with your pet, and they’ll adjust quickly to their new home.
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Please, if you cannot immediately find housing that accepts pets, do NOT abandon your pet in the hope that someone else will find and care for him, or in the hope that you’ll be able to come back later and get him. Pets depend on us for their care. If you absolutely cannot find a pet-friendly rental, bring your pet to a reputable shelter or rescue group.
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Finding a Pet Friendly Rental
Finding a pet-friendly rental has never been easier due to resources now available through the internet. Simply type “pet friendly apartments” into your search engine. The following common apartment-finding websites include filters for housing that accepts pets:
- http://www.apartments.com/pet-friendly-apartments
- http://www.rent.com/pet-friendly-apartments
- http://www.apartmentfinder.com/ – use the “Pets allowed” filter at the top of the home page
- http://www.peoplewithpets.com/
- http://www.apartmentguide.com/ – use the “Pet friendly” checkbox under Community Features
- http://www.rentlingo.com/ – under “More,” select “Allow cats” and/or “Allow dogs”
After you find a potential rental
- Show an interest in cleanliness. Let the landlord, manager or condominium board know that you share any concerns about cleanliness.
- Point out that your pet is housetrained or litter-box trained. Emphasize that you always clean up after your dog outdoors and that you always properly dispose of your pet’s waste.
After you move in
- Offer your new landlord the opportunity to visit you after you’ve moved in so they can meet your pet and see how well you care for your rental unit.
- Try to take a few days off when you move into a new place to help your pet adjust. It’s new for your pet too, and sometimes even the most quiet and calm pets will get anxious in new surroundings and make excessive noise, disturbing the neighbors. It often helps if you can be there to help your pet adjust to the new home.
- Be a good neighbor. Make sure your pets don’t disturb your neighbors, whether it’s with noise, wandering loose or unsightly messes. Remember that your landlord has to deal with complaints and won’t be happy if it keeps happening.
- Be diligent about addressing any concerns your landlord may have. If an issue arises about your pet, make sure you understand what the problem is and take immediate steps to address it.
Other helpful information for pet adopters, owners & educators
If you are having difficulties with your pet’s behavior, Dumb Friends League has information on just about every kind of animal behavior issue that may help you solve the problem.
Click a link below:
8 Common Cat Problems and How to Solve Them
By Wendy C. Fries
WebMD Pet Health Feature
WebMD Pet Health Feature
Litter box issues.
This is "numero uno by far" of problems people report with their cats, says Linda P. Case, MS, author of The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health. And no wonder. It can be extremely frustrating when your kitty decides that the litter box is off-limits. But there's usually a reason cats avoid their box, and fortunately there's a lot you can do to address the issue.
Scratching.
It may seem like kitty is scratching your couch and curtains to annoy you, but she's really doing it to work off energy, to play, to mark her territory, even to get rid of frayed bits of claw. Good news: "Scratching is easy to prevent," Case tells WebMD. So you don't have to settle for raggedy furniture or stop kitty from expressing her natural behavior. To prevent scratching damage:
Cat aggression.
A cat may become aggressive for all kinds of reasons, including illness, overcrowding, lack of socialization, maternal protection, even simple play. To help you deal with aggression between cats:
Too much nighttime activity.
Until their domestication cats were nocturnal by nature, so it's easy to see why too much nighttime action is a common complaint of many new pet parents. To help the kitty who doesn't understand that nighttime is for sleeping -- not for playing with your nose -- try these tips.
Play-induced biting and scratching. Cats and kittens love playing. Through each swat, pounce, and kick they are enhancing physical coordination and honing social skills. Yet sometimes felines can get too frisky with their people playmates, leaving behind bites or scratches that can get infected. Fortunately, you can still play with your cat -- and not need stitches later. To minimize kitty's rough play:
Foiling fleas.
If your kitty is chewing, scratching, or licking often, if she's losing hair, or has irritated skin, she may have fleas, the most common external parasite troubling pets.
It only takes one flea hitching a ride inside to start an invasion, but fortunately you can tackle fleas easily. Talk to your vet about flea control options, then be sure to treat all the cats in you house: If one has fleas, they probably all do. And because some flea control medications for dogs can be fatal to cats, be sure you use only drugs made specifically for cats.
Tackling tapeworms.
While fleas are the most common external parasite on your cat, tapeworms are the most common pest inside kitty. That's because where there's fleas there's almost always tapeworms, since cats usually get tapeworms by swallowing a flea. The end result eventually appears at kitty's end: Look at your cat's feces or around their anus, if you see tiny wiggly white worms, or something that looks like dried grains of rice, your kitty has tapeworms.
Tapeworms aren't dangerous, but they can lead to weight loss, tummy pain, and other problems in your cat if left untreated. While garlic has been a popular home remedy for foiling tapeworms and fleas, there's no proof it works -- and it's very hard to get kitty to eat it! Stick to the to tried-and-true tapeworm treatments offered by your vet.
Yowling of a cat in heat.
When a female cat is in heat, she'll often become very affectionate and vocal, meowing and yowling as she attempts to alert a potential mate of her fertile status. Likewise, a male cat may become talkative when he's hearing or smelling a female cat in heat. This yowling and other mating behaviors may repeat themselves every 18-24 days throughout a cat's eight month breeding season.
You already know the most foolproof way of coping with a cat in heat (or one responding to a cat in heat): Get your feline friends spayed or neutered! A female cat can become pregnant when she's as young as 16 weeks, but fortunately she can be spayed at 8 weeks old.
If your cat is meowing a lot and your kitty is spayed or neutered, it's a safe bet to assume something is wrong: Perhaps fleas are biting, the litter box is dirty, or the water bowl is empty. Unless you know kitty is just trying to be a mooch, never ignore these vocal pleas -- and never punish them, which results only in making kitty afraid and doesn't address the real reason he or she is meowing.
There's probably isn't a single issue you'll have with your cat that your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist hasn't seen -- and helped to overcome. You don't have to live with frustration and you don't have to give up your cuddly companion when things go awry. Armed with a little help from the pros and a bit of patience, you and your cat companion can live together in perfect harmony.
This is "numero uno by far" of problems people report with their cats, says Linda P. Case, MS, author of The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health. And no wonder. It can be extremely frustrating when your kitty decides that the litter box is off-limits. But there's usually a reason cats avoid their box, and fortunately there's a lot you can do to address the issue.
- Talk to your vet first. Bladder stones, urinary tract diseases, and crystals in the urine are all reasons your cat might start avoiding the litter box. To rule these and other health issues out, be sure to have your cat checked by your veterinarian.
- Have at least one litter box per cat. If your kitty has to stand in line before she can relieve herself, she may decide to take her bathroom break elsewhere. Try test-driving a few kinds of litter and litter boxes. Some cats prefer covered boxes, some don't, and some cats prefer one litter over another.
- Always keep the litter box clean -- even clumping litter has to be changed regularly. A rule of thumb: Clean the box at least once daily, twice if there's more than one cat in the house.
Scratching.
It may seem like kitty is scratching your couch and curtains to annoy you, but she's really doing it to work off energy, to play, to mark her territory, even to get rid of frayed bits of claw. Good news: "Scratching is easy to prevent," Case tells WebMD. So you don't have to settle for raggedy furniture or stop kitty from expressing her natural behavior. To prevent scratching damage:
- Buy one or more scratching posts for your cat, then dab a bit of catnip on the posts to entice your feline friend to use them.
- Trim your kitty's claws. It may seem daunting, but trimming is easier than you think. Get a quick tutorial from your veterinarian, who can probably do the deed in 10 seconds -- a skill that can be learned.
- Turn your cat into a fashion plate with colorful claw caps (also called nail caps). These small, vinyl sleeves fit over kitty's claws, preventing them from doing damage when they scratch.
Cat aggression.
A cat may become aggressive for all kinds of reasons, including illness, overcrowding, lack of socialization, maternal protection, even simple play. To help you deal with aggression between cats:
- Discuss your cat’s aggression with your vet. Pain and sickness can put anyone in a bad mood, so you'll want to rule out any physical causes for kitty's bad temper before you do anything else.
- Unfixed male cats are more prone to aggression than other cats, and it only takes one intact male to affect the behavior of all the other cats in your house. The solution is simple: spay or neuter your feline friends.
- If your furry household is often in a snit, it could be because there aren’t enough resources to go around. Keep the peace by making sure there are enough litter boxes, food and water bowls, toys, beds and perches, then spread them through the house to reduce congestion.
- You never want to hit an aggressive cat -- it may just lead to more aggression -- but you do need to stop a cat fight in progress. To do that, squirt the cats with water, make a loud noise, or toss something soft at them. Never try pulling fighting cats apart.
- If you or your vet cannot figure out why kitty is being antagonistic, talk to a veterinary behaviorist, who may be able to help you get to the source of your cat's aggression.
Too much nighttime activity.
Until their domestication cats were nocturnal by nature, so it's easy to see why too much nighttime action is a common complaint of many new pet parents. To help the kitty who doesn't understand that nighttime is for sleeping -- not for playing with your nose -- try these tips.
- First, make sure your cat has no medical problems. An agitated, active feline could be one that's in pain, so talk to your vet if you think there might be something wrong.
- If kitty is just rambunctious at night, you can help tire and relax her with a good play session before bedtime.
- Make sure kitty's environment is enriched so there is plenty to do during the day, making your cat more inclined to sleep at night. You might create a cat enclosure; offer your cat a variety of toys; mount bird or squirrel feeders near a window out which kitty can see; or leave out items for your cat to explore, such as boxes, bags, and packing paper.
- If your feline friend is the social sort, get him his own kitty companion to pal around with.
- Because cats tend to sleep after a big meal, feed your cat her main meal at night. You can also entertain her at the food bowl by purchasing a timed feeder, one that pops open at preset times. Your cat is entertained by watching her bowl and waiting for her snack at 3 a.m., while you're in blissful dreamland.
Play-induced biting and scratching. Cats and kittens love playing. Through each swat, pounce, and kick they are enhancing physical coordination and honing social skills. Yet sometimes felines can get too frisky with their people playmates, leaving behind bites or scratches that can get infected. Fortunately, you can still play with your cat -- and not need stitches later. To minimize kitty's rough play:
- Provide your cat with lots of enrichment: toys, perches, and outdoor enclosures, as well as paper bags and boxes to explore. You may even think about getting your cat a kitty companion.
- Play with your cat for at least 10 minutes twice a day. Use dangly toys, balls, catnip toys, wadded up paper -- the sky's the limit.
- Don't encourage your cat to play with your hands or feet. Kittens who grow up playing with and nibbling on fingertips often grow up to be powerful cats who play bite -- hard!
- Don't punish your cat for play bites and scratches -- it's easy for kitty to interpret a slap as rough play, or to become afraid of you.
Foiling fleas.
If your kitty is chewing, scratching, or licking often, if she's losing hair, or has irritated skin, she may have fleas, the most common external parasite troubling pets.
It only takes one flea hitching a ride inside to start an invasion, but fortunately you can tackle fleas easily. Talk to your vet about flea control options, then be sure to treat all the cats in you house: If one has fleas, they probably all do. And because some flea control medications for dogs can be fatal to cats, be sure you use only drugs made specifically for cats.
Tackling tapeworms.
While fleas are the most common external parasite on your cat, tapeworms are the most common pest inside kitty. That's because where there's fleas there's almost always tapeworms, since cats usually get tapeworms by swallowing a flea. The end result eventually appears at kitty's end: Look at your cat's feces or around their anus, if you see tiny wiggly white worms, or something that looks like dried grains of rice, your kitty has tapeworms.
Tapeworms aren't dangerous, but they can lead to weight loss, tummy pain, and other problems in your cat if left untreated. While garlic has been a popular home remedy for foiling tapeworms and fleas, there's no proof it works -- and it's very hard to get kitty to eat it! Stick to the to tried-and-true tapeworm treatments offered by your vet.
Yowling of a cat in heat.
When a female cat is in heat, she'll often become very affectionate and vocal, meowing and yowling as she attempts to alert a potential mate of her fertile status. Likewise, a male cat may become talkative when he's hearing or smelling a female cat in heat. This yowling and other mating behaviors may repeat themselves every 18-24 days throughout a cat's eight month breeding season.
You already know the most foolproof way of coping with a cat in heat (or one responding to a cat in heat): Get your feline friends spayed or neutered! A female cat can become pregnant when she's as young as 16 weeks, but fortunately she can be spayed at 8 weeks old.
If your cat is meowing a lot and your kitty is spayed or neutered, it's a safe bet to assume something is wrong: Perhaps fleas are biting, the litter box is dirty, or the water bowl is empty. Unless you know kitty is just trying to be a mooch, never ignore these vocal pleas -- and never punish them, which results only in making kitty afraid and doesn't address the real reason he or she is meowing.
There's probably isn't a single issue you'll have with your cat that your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist hasn't seen -- and helped to overcome. You don't have to live with frustration and you don't have to give up your cuddly companion when things go awry. Armed with a little help from the pros and a bit of patience, you and your cat companion can live together in perfect harmony.
What is it & how is it transmitted?
What is FIV & how is it transmitted?
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a retrovirus in the same family as the human AIDS virus, with a few significant differences. It is estimated that in the United States, 2% of cats are infected with the FIV virus. FIV is a cat-to-cat only disease and cannot be passed to humans, dogs, or other non-feline species. The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV; as a result, cats in households with stable social structures where housemates do not fight are at little risk for acquiring FIV infections. On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Sexual contact is not a major means of spreading FIV.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a retrovirus in the same family as the human AIDS virus, with a few significant differences. It is estimated that in the United States, 2% of cats are infected with the FIV virus. FIV is a cat-to-cat only disease and cannot be passed to humans, dogs, or other non-feline species. The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV; as a result, cats in households with stable social structures where housemates do not fight are at little risk for acquiring FIV infections. On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Sexual contact is not a major means of spreading FIV.
Can I become infected with FIV?
No. FIV is a cat-to-cat only disease and cannot be passed to humans, dogs, or other non-feline species.
FIV is Not a Mandatory Death Sentence.
It is important to realize that a positive test for FIV is not a mandatory death sentence. With a high protein diet and aggressive treatment of secondary infections, an FIV-positive cat can lead a reasonably normal life span. Dr. Mike Richards says, "Feline immundeficiency virus infection does not lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats as often as human immunodeficiency virus leads to AIDS in people." The largest threat to FIV-positive cats is secondary infections, such as bladder, skin, and upper respiratory infections. Kidney failure is also frequently seen in cats with FIV. These secondary infections should be treated promptly and aggressively in any cat, but especially with an FIV cat.
Treatment for cats with FIV and/or Feline Leukemia:
Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator (LTCI) is the first and only USDA-Approved treatment aid for cats infected with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and/or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Results from clinical studies have shown LTCI to have positive benefits on the health of cats infected with FeLV and FIV. Click here to learn more.
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To learn more about FIV, please visit these helpful sites:
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To learn more about FeLV, please visit these helpful sites:
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Local rescues that that accept FIV cats:
The Cat Corner does not have the proper facilities to house FIV or FeLV (Leukemia) positive cats and because of this we cannot accept FIV or FeLV positive cats into our shelter. All of our cats and kittens are tested for such viruses and diseases prior to entering our shelter.
Finding a home or rescue to take an FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) cat can be difficult.
Here is a list of Virginia shelters, rescues and sanctuaries that take FIV cats:
Norfolk SPCA - Norfolk, VA
Phone: (757)622-3319 Email: adoption@norfolkspca.org
Friends of Homeless Animals - Aidie, VA
Phone: (703)385-0224 Email: foha_info@foha.org
Fancy Cats Rescue Team - Herndon, VA
Phone: (703) 961-1056 Email: Info@FancyCats.org
Rikki's Refuge Animal Sanctuary - Orange, VA
Phone: (540)854-0870 Email: mail@rikkisrefuge.org
AdvoCATs, Inc. - Spotsylvania, VA
Phone: (540)207-1589 Email: advocats@comcast.net
4Paws Rescue Team, Inc. - Merrifield, Virginia
Phone: (703)715-6369 Email: info@fourpaws.org
Here is a list of Virginia shelters, rescues and sanctuaries that take FIV cats:
Norfolk SPCA - Norfolk, VA
Phone: (757)622-3319 Email: adoption@norfolkspca.org
Friends of Homeless Animals - Aidie, VA
Phone: (703)385-0224 Email: foha_info@foha.org
Fancy Cats Rescue Team - Herndon, VA
Phone: (703) 961-1056 Email: Info@FancyCats.org
Rikki's Refuge Animal Sanctuary - Orange, VA
Phone: (540)854-0870 Email: mail@rikkisrefuge.org
AdvoCATs, Inc. - Spotsylvania, VA
Phone: (540)207-1589 Email: advocats@comcast.net
4Paws Rescue Team, Inc. - Merrifield, Virginia
Phone: (703)715-6369 Email: info@fourpaws.org
Overweight cats are at a higher risk of health issues like diabetes, skin issues and arthritis. Being overweight also decreases the quality of a cat’s life. They are unable to thoroughly groom themselves all over, have trouble getting around, feel uncomfortable and may possibly be in pain. However, through diet and an active lifestyle, your cat can maintain a healthy weight and live a healthier life.
Feeding
Feeding your cat limited amounts of food anywhere from twice a day to several times a day is recommended to prevent your cat from excessive eating. Many owners are accustomed to free feeding, which involves leaving a pile of food out, especially when they have multiple cats. However, free feeding may increase the chance that your cat will overeat. Cats are not always the best judge when it comes to excessive eating. They may eat because they do not feel full or out of boredom. By managing how much your cat eats, you are able to keep an eye on your cat’s appetite. A change in appetite could be an indication of illness, and these changes can be hard to detect when your cat is free fed. New research has also shown that the activity level in cats increases with multiple small meals a day.
Exercise
An active cat is a healthy cat. Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight and can prevent issues that occur due to boredom, like overeating. Provide your cat with plenty of toys, such as balls and furry mice, that they can bat around. There are also interactive toys that can be turned on when no one is home. However, the best form of play involves both you and your cat. We recommend a daily structured play session (see our handout: “Play With Your Cat”). By playing with your cat every day, you are ensuring that it receives the exercise it needs.
Mental Stimulation
Mental stimulation is also important to help your cat live a healthier life. By stimulating your cat’s mind, you can decrease boredom and prevent health and behavior problems from occurring. For daily stimulation, we recommend clicker training (see our handout: “Cat Clicker Training”). Clicker training is fun for both you and your cat!
This helpful article is from: www.ddfl.org
We understand the grief involved when the time comes to say goodbye to your pet. We hope this brings your some comfort in your grieving process.
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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. |
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
-Author Unknown
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
-Author Unknown
Loss of a CC Cat |
Grieving the loss of a pet |
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Be sure to visit Petloss.com, a gentle, caring and compassionate support website for pet lovers who are grieving over the death of a pet or an ill pet. There you will find personal support, thoughtful advice, The Original Monday Pet Loss Candle Ceremony, Tribute Pages, Healing Poetry, and much more.
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