77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat. Susan Ewing M.

until they are alone before eating. Many people feed feral cats, gradually trapping them, spaying or neutering, and then releasing them back into their colony. Feral cats help control the rodent population, especially in cities.

      Helping to maintain feral cats can be rewarding, and the cats can be fun to watch, but feral cats can be very hard to tame. You have a better chance of raising the cat to be a pet if you take in a feral cat as a kitten but, even then, there’s no guarantee. Friends of mine took in a feral kitten, but he had already missed the critical socialization period, and he grew wilder and wilder, frequently biting and scratching with no provocation.

      RABIES

      Consider that a stray cat may not have been vaccinated against rabies, and a stray is more likely to encounter wild animals that may be rabid.

      A stray cat who has started to hang out by your kitchen door is another story. A cat who is happy to be around people and might actually enter the house when invited is a stray who, for one reason or another, no longer has a home.

      Many people adopt, or are adopted by, stray cats. If you’re not looking for any particular character traits and you don’t mind not knowing exactly how old the cat is, this is a perfectly good way to get a cat, but there are many unknowns that you’ll need to consider. With a stray, you don’t know the cat’s health history. For example, there’s no way to tell if the cat has been vaccinated, and the stray may have feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline panleukopenia (feline distemper). Because this is your first cat, you don’t need to worry about the stray infecting a resident cat, but you don’t know if that stray is ill or likely to become ill. You also may be opening your door to fleas and ticks as well as the cat.

      While a veterinarian can make an educated guess about the cat’s age, you won’t know the exact age of your new family member. And, with a stray, you won’t know just what kind of a personality he has, even if he’s a pedigreed cat.

      Our neighbors have a beautiful cat they took in as a stray. She is not a cuddler, and she rarely, if ever, sits on a lap. Her family is fine with that, and they love her, but if you want overt affection from a cat, maybe you should say no to a stray.

      Some diseases that infect cats can be transmitted to people, and stray cats have a higher risk of contracting these diseases. Toxoplasmosis is one of these. Toxoplasmosis is generally not a problem for humans other than pregnant women. Because the disease is transmitted through cat feces, pregnant women are advised not to clean litter boxes. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a cat if you’re pregnant; it means that someone else gets litter-box duties. However, if someone in the household is pregnant, taking in a stray is not your best option for getting a cat.

      Bartonellosis, or “cat scratch fever,” is transmitted to cats by fleas. While not serious in healthy humans, it can cause problems in people with compromised immune systems. Keeping a cat flea-free is a good preventative, and a stray may already have a flea infestation.

      None of the foregoing means that you shouldn’t welcome a stray. It does mean that, if you’ve made the decision to keep a stray, you should take him to a veterinarian sooner rather than later.

      

      You have a better chance of raising a happy pet if you adopt a stray as a kitten.

      PART II:

      When Kitty Comes Home

      11

      First Day at Home

      If you’re getting an adult cat, some of this information about a cat’s first day at home won’t apply. What will apply is that your house is strange to your new cat, and there may be a period of adjustment. Whether you’re bringing home an adult or a kitten, be patient and let him get used to all of the new things he’s encountering.

      There’s some truth to the old adage “curiosity killed the cat,” so before you introduce your cat or kitten to your home, do some “cat-proofing.” Make sure that electrical cords are either tight against the baseboards or encased in a length of PVC pipe. Vertical, rather than horizontal, blinds will help deter unwanted climbing. Most blinds no longer have looped cords and have sticks to twist them open and closed, but if you have older blinds, snip the cords so your cat can’t get caught in them. Move heavy books to the bottom shelves of bookcases so that leaping cats can’t topple them; you also might consider securing bookcases to the walls.

      All cats like hiding places, but some hiding places can be dangerous. If you have a reclining chair, always check to make sure that your cat isn’t hiding in its depths. Activating the reclining mechanism can seriously injure your cat. Other places that can turn into death traps for your cat are washing machines, clothes dryers, refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Cats are quick and can be silent, so before you use any of these appliances, check that your cat is not inside.

      

      Welcome your new cat with affection, but remember to give him his space, too.

      

      Keep in mind that cats can squeeze into small spaces to hide.

      Cats also seem to love hiding in box springs. If there’s a small tear in your mattress, for example, your cat may open it further and crawl inside. While box springs don’t pose an immediate threat, your cat could get tangled in the springs, so it’s a good idea to repair any openings in furniture.

      When planning to bring home a new kitten or cat, try to do it when someone will be home all day. Get him on a Friday night, for instance, so that you’ll have two days to help him get adjusted before everyone goes back to school or work.

      While crates are typically thought of in connection with dogs, a crate can work for a kitten, too. The enclosed space will make him feel more secure and, when you’re not watching him, the crate will keep him safe and away from electrical wires and other potential dangers. If you decide to use a crate, a fiberglass one may be a better choice than a wire one, especially for a kitten, who might be able to squeeze between the bars. If you don’t want to use a crate, a large cardboard box or a plastic storage bin without the lid can work as a temporary bed. Whatever you use, keep it in a quiet place, like a spare bedroom, where your kitten can rest undisturbed.

      Keep the atmosphere at home relatively calm. This is not the time to invite all of your friends and relatives to meet the kitten; let him get used to you and the other members of the household first. Certainly, children should pet and hold him—just not your child’s entire class!

      

      If you use a crate with your cat, a fiberglass crate is recommended.

      Show your kitten the litter box and supervise his first few trips there to make sure that he knows where it is. Even if you’re planning on eventually keeping the litter box in the basement, keep it on the house’s main floor in the beginning. Kittens are too small to easily navigate stairs. Yes, cats instinctively search out dirt, but don’t make that search impossible.

      Kittens are curious and adaptable, and it won’t be long before your new kitten has settled in and eagerly explored every area of your (and his!) home.

      HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

      The belief used to be that Christmas was the absolute worst time to get a pet of any kind; however, the San Francisco SPCA has found that the number of animals returned after being adopted at Christmastime is no