Like fine wine (and people!), cats get better with age!

There’s no denying kittens are adorable. They’re frisky little balls of fuzz that brighten many lives. But each year when kitten season rolls around, it becomes difficult for shelters to place adults cats into loving homes – even when a fully grown feline would be a better fit.

Kittens require extra patience to integrate them into family life. You must make sure you have plenty of time for play to work off all sorts of kitten energy.  Kittens also need time to be trained properly. They should be climbing cat trees, not your curtains!

Adult cats can make wonderful companions and you know what you’re getting. You can speak to shelter or rescue volunteers to learn about the cat’s activity level, health, and background.  They may be able to tell you whether the cat ever lived in a home with children or other pets.  You can also find out if the cat is a social kitty who loves to cuddle, or the type that prefers some gentle pats and a little alone time.

The perfect pet isn’t necessarily the youngest pet. It’s the animal that best matches your lifestyle, and often that animal will be a fully grown cat.

Plus, adult cats are pretty adorable, too!

It’s hard to believe how far we’ve all changed in how we feel about and treat pets — me included!

My very first memory as a child is holding onto the back of a shepherd dog named, what else, Shep, as I was learning to walk. Recently I was going through some old family photos and came across several photos of us with our family pets. It got me thinking about how we lived and interacted with our pets then vs. now.

Back in the bad ol’ days, we used to do the following on our southern Idaho farm without a second thought (heck, we thought we were good pet owners):

1. Fed the dogs the scraps from all three meals.
2. Rarely gave the dogs any treats —  once a year was about it.
3. Gave our dogs bones including the really dangerous ones such as cooked poultry, rib, and fish bones.
4. We’d give them all the gobs of fat off of the holiday hams, roasts and turkeys.
5. We typically bought them one huge collar that was twice as big as needed to start, but they grew into it.
6. Used chemical warfare (dips, powders, sprays, shampoos) to treat flea infestations.
7. We never bathed our dogs. Ever.
8. Never did any kind of oral care nor did we worry if they fractured their teeth.
9. Did not preventively vaccinate or deworm. Just puppy shots as I recall. The barn cats got nothing.
10. Did not spay or neuter the dogs or cats.

But that was then and now is waaaay different:

1. We feed the dogs and cats high quality commercial diets and also give probiotics.
2. We have a smorgasbord of treats some of which are dispensed daily.
3. We never give our dogs bones or fatty trimmings, but we do give them dental chews and treats.
4. We have several collars for different seasons, a lot of bling-around-the-collar, clothes, costumes, bows, etc. They are also chipped and have ID tags.
5. We use parasite control products.
6. We bath our dogs at least once a week with really sudsing, great smelling shampoos. We use grooming wipes daily.
7. We do daily oral care for all of our dogs. We do weekly oral care for our cats.
8. All of our pets are current on vaccinations, are strategically dewormed quarterly, and we pay a lot of attention to keep their nails trimmed.
9. Our pets are spayed and neutered.
10. Our pets sleep in our beds. The dogs allow us to also sit in “their” chairs while we watch TV.

How has your life with pets changed from childhood to now?

Can you move to a new home without freaking your cat out? Yes!

If you’ve ever moved from one home to another while you had pets, you know stressful it can be — for you and your animals!  Cats are especially nervous when you move into a new house because they are highly territorial.

To keep your kitty secure and calm, you should confine him to a “safe room” before and after the move.  Watching movers trample through his house, dragging his favorite scratching post out the door will only make your cat scared and confused.  It’s better to confine him to a spare room while all your belongings are removed.  Giving him all the creature comforts — food, water, litter box, and toys — will ensure your cat feels snug and cozy.

Frightened cats can bolt out the front door, so keeping him an a safe room will also make it easier and safer to pack your truck for the move!

After you bring your cat to his new castle, put him in another safe room.  Remove the carrier door, but shut the door to the room.  You can offer him treats and praise to try to coax him out, but don’t force him out of the carrier.

In a couple of days, after the boxes are unpacked and the broken dishes replaced, you can open the door to the new house. When he’s feeling confident, your cat will start the rule of his new roost!