Week 6: Cat Welfare

Welcome back to the blog and the next instalment of our #EightPreciousWeeks campaign!

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

 

Onyx

 

It's now week 6 of our kittens' Eight Precious Weeks, and it's the perfect time to go into a little more detail about cat welfare. As you know, we've been following our kittens and learning about why they need to stay with their mum during the first eight weeks of life. But did you know that cats have five basic welfare needs?

 

They are:

• Diet: to have food and fresh water

• Environment: to have a place to live

• Health: to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

• Behaviour: to be able to exhibit normal behaviour

• Company: to be housed with, or apart from, other animals

 

These five welfare needs are the elements that make a cat's life a happy one, so when you're thinking of bringing a cat into your home, these 5 needs must be considered.  Before making a decision, you should ask yourself if you can meet these requirements, so that your new furry friend can be content in their new home. After all, cats provide us with companionship and happiness, so we need to make sure we are providing them the same in return!

So, what do these five welfare needs mean? Let's look at them in a bit more depth...

 

Diet:  

A cat needs a diet that will provide enough satisfaction, so they are not hungry! Your cat's diet needs to meet all of their nutritional needs, including any special requirements they may need, as prescribed by your vet (for example, if they are diagnosed with a medical condition).

Environment: 

This means a suitable environment that is safe for your cat, providing them with shelter, warmth, and also stimulation. 

Health: 

It's really important that your cat is registered with a vet and receives regular checkups, as well as vaccinations to protect them from potentially fatal diseases. They also need to be protected from (and treated for) fleas and worms. Veterinary treatment should always be sought in the event of illness, injury, or accident, and for treatments like pain relief or dietary issues. As we know from our journey following Precious and her kittens, unexpected costs can sometimes arise! Taking out pet insurance can help provide financial protection and peace of mind. 

Behaviour: 

Cats have a natural hunting instinct, which should be replicated in play, particularly if your cat is living indoors. They also need to be able to go to the toilet in a safe and private area, so indoor cats should be provided with a clean litter tray. It's also important that a cat can groom and scratch itself, so its claws should be kept in good condition and at a healthy length. This also ensures it can climb too, which is a natural coping mechanism for cats in times of stress. 

Company: 

You should always consider other pets in your household before bringing a cat into the family, and cats should not be forced to live with other animals, as this may increase their stress levels. They should have the choice to spend time alone, away from other animals. Bringing a new cat into your home is a decision that should be made with all your animals in mind, and all your pets should be able to live happily together!

That's it for this week! We hope this has been a useful guide and has provided you with some helpful tips about everything to do with cat welfare. Don't forget to follow us on social media and keep visiting the blog for more updates on Precious, her kittens and the important work we do here at Cats Protection.

 

-Bridgend Adoption Centre team

 

 

Kitten Update: 5 Weeks Old!

Welcome back to the blog and the next instalment of our #EightPreciousWeeks campaign!

Precious and her kittens are doing well - the kittens are now being separated from Precious for a little while during the day, and they are getting more curious... they have learned how to get through the cat flap into the back pen to play! 

 

Precious and her kittens having some independent time

 

Sapphire using the cat flap!

Topaz investigating the back pen

 

As you know, our Eight Precious Weeks campaign is all about sharing the importance of kittens staying with their mum during their first eight weeks of life - it's essential for their health, happiness, and long-term well-being. We've been following our lovely cat Precious and her kittens Onyx, Sapphire, Ruby, and Topaz to highlight how staying with their mum has helped them grow into strong, healthy kittens... if you haven't already, make sure you go back to Week 1 to read all about their journey!

This week, we want to share some advice on what to look out for when buying a kitten from a breeder. Of course, we would always encourage people to think about adopting first - adopting a kitten is rewarding for both you and your new kitten, especially if they’re looking for a much-needed second chance!

If you choose to look into adopting a kitten from Cats Protection, you can be sure that your cat will be ready to go to its new home. It will also be, where possible:

• wormed
• treated for fleas
  
• vaccinated
• microchipped
• neutered

Of course, we know that there will be times when people will choose to buy instead of adopt, for a variety of reasons, so we want to keep people as informed as we can! If you do choose to buy a kitten from a breeder, you’ll need to be sure that the kitten is well looked after and in good condition. As we know, kittens shouldn’t be removed from their mothers until eight weeks old, but it isn't always easy to know how old a kitten is! One thing to look out for is how the kittens are behaving - kittens at eight weeks old should appear bright, engaged, and sociable. 

 

Onyx

 

We don't recommend buying kittens through online listings, adverts or on social media. Although it might be tempting or seem easy, particularly during these current times, buying online means that it isn’t always possible to guarantee that you are buying from a reputable breeder, and your kitten could end up with future health issues.

 It can be hard to know exactly what to look out for, and unfortunately there are unscrupulous people out there who want to make money at the price of a kitten’s health. To make sure you are fully informed on what to look for if you do decide to visit a breeder, download our handy Kitten Checklist for a comprehensive guide:

 Kitten Checklist

 

That's all for this week and our last post for 2021! We will be back next year to continue sharing our Eight Precious Weeks campaign with you...

 ...so from all of us at the Bridgend Adoption Centre, have a very Merry Christmas!

 

Kitten Update: 4 Weeks Old!

Welcome back to the blog and the next instalment of our #EightPreciousWeeks campaign!

We're happy to say that kittens and mum are still doing really well, and we have more lovely pictures to share with you this week!

 

Mum and kittens

We're also going to let you know about a very important aspect of kitten development - socialisation. Did you know that preparing a kitten to adjust to the human world is the best way to ensure their lifelong welfare? 

As we learned last week, from two to seven weeks old a kitten’s brain and sensory system are still developing, and the stimuli they encounter influence how this development occurs. Although we know them as our pets, as a species the domestic cat doesn't have an inbuilt need to be with people or to enjoy handling. A kitten’s ability to tolerate (and enjoy!) the company of humans is learned during the socialisation period, so positive experiences are really important so that a kitten grows into a confident and happy cat. A well socialised kitten will be less likely to feel stressed or have behavioural issues in the future, so without paying attention to the socialisation aspect of kitten care, they may struggle to adapt to a domestic setting when they are older.

 

All the kittens cuddled up together

 

Here at the Bridgend Adoption Centre, we follow a socialisation chart so that the kittens we rehome are happy, well-adjusted, and able to deal with the various challenges that come with domestic life. This includes getting the kittens used to human touch! At this point in the kittens' Eight Precious Weeks we are concentrating on handling the kittens, which means holding them in the hand, checking their ears, touching their paws and stroking their head, back, and tail. This kind of handling is really important as it means they will be comfortable when being handled by a vet, and their new owners when they are rehomed.

Part of a kitten's healthy development means getting used to being on their own and not being reliant on their brothers, sisters, or mum for security. To help the kittens with this, we have been placing them in carriers to separate them from their littermates for a couple of minutes. This will help them gain confidence being alone and means they will be able to settle into their future homes. We've also given the kittens carpet cut-offs to walk on, as most homes have carpet so we want to make sure the kittens are used to this texture, as so far they have been used to the shiny surface in their pen (where they've been with mum since birth). 

Onyx

 

There are a lot of noises in the human world too, so we've started playing the radio regularly for the kittens, so that they become familiar with sounds like music and TV - sounds they will be exposed to in new home. We have a special CD that plays lots of different sounds like children playing, babies crying, fireworks, and lawnmower noise!

This is just a small insight into the work that we do to help socialise kittens, but hopefully it shows just how much planning and hard work goes into ensuring a kitten has the best start to life possible!

For more information about kitten socialisation, please follow the link below:

 Kitten Socialisation Expert Guide

 

We are so grateful for all your support and following us on our Eight Precious Weeks campaign! If you are able to, please donate to our Precious Appeal below:

 Precious Appeal

 

It is only thanks to generous donations like yours that we can do the important work of helping cats and kittens!

-Cats Protection Bridgend Team