Spring a reminder to spay your cats
If you haven't spayed your young female cat, you probably have experienced (or soon will) one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
I'm not talking about the Grand Canyon and all those natural wonders. I'm talking about the how-the-heck-can-that-much-noise-come-out-of-one-small-cat kind of wonders. Believe me, it is a wonder. A cat in heat sounds like something from another planet. In pain. Screaming. It is an ungodly racket that you have to experience only once.
There are benefits to having a cat spayed. Yes, it's great that she won't then have kittens, but cutting out the caterwauling is reason enough.
The Fort Collins Spay and Neuter Clinic offers low-cost spaying and neutering of cats and dogs. Call the clinic at (970) 484-1861 for an appointment. If she's already in heat, call soon because she will just keep going back into season until she is either pregnant, spayed or the spring is over. Be prepared.
And while we're on the subject of kittens, I'd like to remind folks that because everyone's unspayed cats are going into heat right now, there will be an abundance of kittens available in about four months.
Kitten season starts in May and runs through August. There are more kittens available at this time than any other. If you're thinking you should breed your kitty because everyone you know wants one, I guarantee there will be more than enough in a few months.
When adopting a kitten, there are things you should check. All kittens should be vaccinated and screened for the feline leukemia virus. It isn't possible to accurately test young kittens, but older kittens should be pretested. Feline leukemia is deadly and contagious to other cats. Don't bring it home with you when adopting a new feline.
Be sure your new kitten is consistently using a litter box. Most kittens will pick this up naturally through genetics and from watching their mother and litter mates. If the kitten is weaned too soon - before 8 to 9 weeks of age - there may be a problem. A kitten should ideally stay with mama and litter mates until it is 10 to 12 weeks old.
They may not be as cute then, but there is a lot that mama and the litter mates teach the kitten that people just can't effectively teach. Things like how to use a litter box and how much biting and scratching is too much. Kittens weaned too young are frequently hard to litter-box train and sometimes bite and claw too roughly when playing.
Also, when considering a kitten, consider getting two. It really is easier to raise two kittens because they will focus their play on each other - not on your ankles and ceramic figurines.
Be patient. Kitten season is just around the corner.
Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions
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