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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / March 2007URGENT: Need some advice
From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same organization. Anyway, they are looking for someone to do a home check/visit for someone who wants to adopt a cat in my area. I replied back and said I'd be happy to help out. But I had the same questions for the woman requesting assistance as I will post here. How do I assess if the home/people are good for adopting a cat? Maybe some of you folks who work with shelters or Mischief the vet tech (yay! and congrats again) can help answer these questions while I await a reply from the contact at the Best Friends organization. Or just anyone, you all know about cats :) What do I look for? What questions do I ask? What should I be wary of? Conversely, what are the plusses to look for? I'd really like to help because this is such a good organization. But I'm clueless here. I certainly don't want to deprive someone of adopting a cat (or a cat from getting out of the sanctuary to a loving home!) simply because I don't know what I'm doing. After all, I didn't adopt Persia, she adopted *me*. She didn't ask me any questions, just moved on in! LOL I have sent an email reply asking these very questions to the woman who sent it to me and gave her my phone number. But I figured there would be some helpful advice provided here as well. Sorry if I'm being redundent; I'm a tad flustered at the thought of going to someone's home to make an assessment like this. Jill > From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of > us donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Jill I think the best thing would be to rely on your instinct and you won't go far wrong.  SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us > donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same organization. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What do I look for? What questions do I ask? What should I be wary of? > Conversely, what are the plusses to look for? Surely just about anybody can learn what they don't already know, so it's really only the negatives that count? Fierce dogs or bullying little kids. If they haven't had a cat before you should maybe find if they're willing to buy, read and understand a book on cat care. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 > What do I look for? What questions do I ask? What should I be wary of? > Conversely, what are the plusses to look for? Here are some basic questions I think you should ask. Have you had cats before? How many? How long did they live? How did they die? Do you have other pets? Do they get along well with cats? What do yo plan on feeding the cat? Do you have a regular vet? Will you let the cat roam outside? Are there busy roads nearby or wildlife that may be a threat to cats? Are you planning on declawing the cat? (show-stopper as far as I'm concerned!) SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us > donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Jill Are you certain that neither you nor your family are allergic to cats? Are you ready to make a long-term commitment (10 to 15 years) to this cat? Can you afford quality cat food, toys, scratching posts, cat litter, and vet services (and emergency vet services which can run really high)? Will you be able to spend some quality time with the cat? Have you had animals before? What happened to them? Do you have animals now? If so do they get along with [other] cats? Do you have a vet (ask for a name so you can check to see if their animals had regular check-ups and were not always turning up hurt)? If you move or travel, what will happen? Where will you keep the cat? How do you feel about spaying and neutering? How do you feel about declawing (what would you do if the cat started tearing up carpet or furniture)? Do you own or rent you home? If renting, is landlord OK with you getting a cat? Who else lives in your home? Do you have young children (if they are under six you might want to wait a few years before adopting a cat)? Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is a question for the US where it is 100 times more dangerous to allow cats to roam)? What would you do if you find you are not able to keep the cat? Why do you want a cat (they are *NOT* less "trouble" to own than a dog as some people may believe)? That's just off the top of my head - I'm sure others here can think of more. Hugs, CatNipped [questions for prospective cat owners] > Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is > a question for the US where it is 100 times more dangerous to allow > cats to roam)? It surely varies a lot in both countries. Where we are, there is very little traffic, stray dogs are rare and we're some way from the open countryside. Ten minutes up the hill and we'd be on the edge of the fields where foxes would be a serious risk; two minutes down the hill and there'd be way too much traffic. There are large areas of American suburbia with no more risk than where we live. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 > [questions for prospective cat owners] >> Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > and there'd be way too much traffic. There are large areas of American > suburbia with no more risk than where we live. Outside cats, especially toms, tend to roam up to three miles or more, considering that their "territory", so I wouldn't count on two minutes traveling distance to keep them safe. Besides, I live just north of Houston and even though it's a very populous area I still routinely see coyotes, foxes, poisonous snakes, hawks*, and owls along with other animals who could injure or kill a cat (Bonbon, who used to post here and lived close to me, had two cats killed and eaten by owls). There are *many* predators that are a danger to cats in areas of the US that you wouldn't think of as "wild". And as we displace them by moving into their territories, we're starting to see a lot *more* dangerous animals roving into "suburbia" (e.g. bobcats, puma or mountain lions, bears, etc.). And, unlike the UK, we still have a problem with rabies here (a teen-aged boy who lived just a few miles from me was bitten by a rabid bat and died because of it just last year). Personally, I don't think there is any place in the US where it would be safe to allow cats to roam. Just a few of the things I've seen, or heard about on our local news in the past few months are: cats run over by vehicles (I see that almost daily, sadly), cats maimed or killed by predators or a dog/dog pack, cats totured or killed by sick individuals, cats becoming diseased from other cats or creatures they fight with, and cats consuming poisonous materials - just to name a *few*! I don't know *any* "large areas of American suburbia" that don't contain dangers to a cat allowed to roam. If you want to allow your cats to roam, despite all of the above, then fine - but please don't try to kid yourself (or me!) that they are safe. Even though you say "there is very little traffis", or "stray dogs are rare" that's not the same as saying there is a complete absence of those dangers - and all it takes is *one* rare occasion to lose your furry friend to a very horrible death. * I was recently sitting outside in my back yard with Bandit, letting her get some sun and eat some grass while I watched, and I saw *three* hawks circling overhead - had I not been there I hate to think what could have happened! Hugs, CatNipped > ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk > ============== [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 > 557 This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the ones I can think of off the top of my head: Coyotes Wolves Foxes Black Bear Grizzly Bear Wolverines Mountain Lions (Pumas) Bobcat and Lynx Weasels Falcons Hawks Owls Any I missed? Hugs, CatNipped > This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North > America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > CatNipped I've heard there are still a few Jaguars left in some southern states. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > I've heard there are still a few Jaguars left in some southern states. And how could I have forgotten the American Eagle!!! ;> Hugs, CatNipped >>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> >> I've heard there are still a few Jaguars left in some southern states. > And how could I have forgotten the American Eagle!!! ;> > Hugs, Pine martens (ok, they're small predators, but they're still predators) Raccoons? I think they'll eat eggs and young birds. Maybe skunks, too. Polar bears (unless you just want to say 'bears') Badgers (which I didn't realize lived in NA until a few years ago) Reptiles - snakes etc. Sea animals - seals, sea lions, fish species I guess mink would be included under weasels - and otters, of course. You could add more species of birds and foxes. SignatureCheryl >>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > I guess mink would be included under weasels - and otters, of course. > You could add more species of birds and foxes. Yep, and: Marmots and chinchilla as well as other rodents. And let us not forget cats! ;> Hugs, CatNipped > Marmots and chinchilla as well as other rodents. No offence, but I think you'll find that chinchillas are not classed as predators, unless you happens to be a small insect, and indeed most rodents aren't typically predatory in the lay sense of the word. Some may be opportunist omnivores, but I wouldn't class them with cougars and wolves as true predators :-) Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield >> Marmots and chinchilla as well as other rodents. > No offence, but I think you'll find that chinchillas are not classed as > predators, unless you happens to be a small insect, and indeed most > rodents aren't typically predatory in the lay sense of the word. Some > may be opportunist omnivores, but I wouldn't class them with cougars and > wolves as true predators :-) This is interesting to me. How is "predator" defined, then? I thought it meant any animal that killed and ate other animals. Since insects are part of the animal kingdom, why aren't insectivores considered to be predators? Is it because they don't have to hunt for their prey? I guess insects don't have the same kinds of prey behaviors that larger prey animals have - ie, those that are on the same size scale as their predators. They might have developed prey instincts in response to other *insects* (or spiders, etc) that do hunt or trap them, but maybe not to small mammals, birds or reptiles, etc. So maybe those animals don't need to "prey" on them in the same way that a hunting animal would. But I don't know the whole story on this, and would welcome enlightenment. :) Joyce > >> Marmots and chinchilla as well as other rodents. > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Joyce Good question - where do we draw the line since, I believe, there are even some one-celled organisms which "hunt" for prey (and let's not forget viruses (virii??) now that it's flu season). This may prove to be a very interesting discussion and, like you, I would welcome learning something about it. Hugs, CatNipped > Good question - where do we draw the line since, I believe, there are even > some one-celled organisms which "hunt" for prey (and let's not forget > viruses (virii??) now that it's flu season). Definitely the protozoans such as amoebae etc. that predate upon and engulf smaller creatures for food. Viruses are a whole different ballgame. They take over the cells/nuclei of other organisms in order to manufacture more copies of themselves. So technically they are parasites. The killing of the host organism (which could be a plant of course) is an unintentional result, when it does occur, of the parasitic actions of the virus particle, and is not in its interest because its host can no longer support it. They neither hunt, nor kill other animals for food, so no, not predators. Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield >> Good question - where do we draw the line since, I believe, there are >> even [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > ballgame. They take over the cells/nuclei of other organisms in order to > manufacture more copies of themselves. So technically they are Yep, I thought of that - right after I hit the "Send" key! ;> Hugs, CatNipped > parasites. The killing of the host organism (which could be a plant of > course) is an unintentional result, when it does occur, of the parasitic [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Deb. > This is interesting to me. How is "predator" defined, then? I thought > it meant any animal that killed and ate other animals. Since insects > are part of the animal kingdom, why aren't insectivores considered to > be predators? Is it because they don't have to hunt for their prey? You are correct, which is why I included 'in the lay sense of the word' in what I said. Predators eat other animals for food. Insectivores (such as shrews, hedgehogs etc) can certainly be called predators, whereas rodents, which are a different group of animals, are generally herbivorous with occasional insects, or where they are omnivorous (such as rats) the predation on insects and eggs, etc is opportunist, not obligatory. I'm not sure how one should think of filter-feeding animals such as baleen whales which certainly eat other animals for food, albeit very very tiny animals and by a passive method, possibly more passive even than a cow grazing on grass. They are technically carnivorous, but predatory? Not sure. > I guess insects don't have the same kinds of prey behaviors that larger > prey animals have - ie, those that are on the same size scale as their [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > to "prey" on them in the same way that a hunting animal would. But I > don't know the whole story on this, and would welcome enlightenment. :) That's an interesting way of thinking about it, actually! But I am sure there are examples of butterflies and things that mimic birds' eyes on their wings to deter other birds from eating them, and bugs that eject acid or a foul smell when some small mammal tries to eat it. So I think insectivores could be called predators any way you look at it. But it's an interesting debate! Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > >> Marmots and chinchilla as well as other rodents. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > are part of the animal kingdom, why aren't insectivores considered to > be predators? Is it because they don't have to hunt for their prey? If you widen your definition THAT much, how about humans? (In many ways, we probably count as the world's PRIMARY "predator"!) >> This is interesting to me. How is "predator" defined, then? I thought >> it meant any animal that killed and ate other animals. Since insects >> are part of the animal kingdom, why aren't insectivores considered to >> be predators? Is it because they don't have to hunt for their prey? > If you widen your definition THAT much, how about humans? > (In many ways, we probably count as the world's PRIMARY > "predator"!) Well, I was just asking. I'm not a biologist or zoologist, so I wouldn't attempt to make a definition. However, I'm sure that in scientific circles, there are such definitions, which are likely to be hotly debated in the grey areas. :) Joyce >>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > CatNipped Those are rare, though. Usually around Reelfoot lake in this part of the country, which is a ways away from Collierville. Jill Fishers, Wild turkeys ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') | Wild turkeys They don't eat or attack cats, and they are very easily spooked - well, most of the time.... I did see a whole bunch of them teasing one of my cats one time when I lived in the country :) Alligators, Crocodiles, Bull Sharks, Monkeys, Boa Constrictors. Think I am joking come to Florida all of these are here Eagles; any large predatory bird, CAT you forgot the must important one HUMAN BEINGS >>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > CatNipped > Alligators, Crocodiles, Bull Sharks, Monkeys, Boa Constrictors. Think I > am joking come to Florida all of these are here > > Eagles; any large predatory bird, > > CAT you forgot the must important one HUMAN BEINGS Yep, it goes without saying that human beings are the most successful predators on the planet - so successful in fact that we have exterminated whole species and are in danger of wiping out Earth's ecosphere from over-hunting, over-farming, over-sh*tting up the planet! Hugs, CatNipped >>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >> >> CatNipped >>This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > I've heard there are still a few Jaguars left in some southern states. I thought they were native to SOUTH America? (But speaking of Southern States, don't alligators count as predators?) >>>This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > I thought they were native to SOUTH America? (But speaking of Southern > States, don't alligators count as predators?) Ooooo, yes they most certainly do (and they kill more people than sharks in the US)! Pets are definitely in danger near the Everglades. Hugs, CatNipped >>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > CatNipped And where my parents live in SC there are signs posted saying "Do not Feed the Alligators". Stupid people thought they were cute until small pets started going missing. They had to hire a Steve Irwin kind-of-guy to come get a 6 footer off the golf course once when I was visiting. And don't forget snakes. Jill >>>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Jill You beat me to it :D I was going to say 'gators/crocs... and snakes (not just the exotic pets-turned-loose, but native as well) poisonous snakes can and do bite pets - get lots of dogs w/ rattlesnake bites in the SW states. And while we're on the SW states - lets not forget scorpions - may not 'eat' a cat but can cause damage while protecting itself from a cat - as can spiders (brown recluse.... black widow....) > In news:54m89hF21d9b0U1@mid.individual.net, > You beat me to it :D [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > not 'eat' a cat but can cause damage while protecting itself from a > cat - as can spiders (brown recluse.... black widow....) There aren't any black widow's where I live, but brown recluse, yes indeed! And they hide in dark places like your closet. I was at the doctor's office a couple of years ago and while I was waiting for my chart in order to sign (keep wanting to type sing!) for my bill there was a guy ahead of me with a horrible inflamed area on his calf, even above the bandage it was visible. And I heard him say he'd been bitten by a brown recluse. Oh god! When I was moving out of a rental house in the 1980's I found one of them in my packing boxes and it scared the hell out of me! I didn't have Persia then but I still had my little dog, Sampson. Seeing that wound on this man's leg - it was ugly, folks. The venom could have easily killed a cat or a dog or cost that man his leg had he not sought medical attention. They are nasty creatures, the brown recluse. Jill Jill > Magic Mood Jeep) wrote: >> In news:54m89hF21d9b0U1@mid.individual.net, [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > a dog or cost that man his leg had he not sought medical attention. They > are nasty creatures, the brown recluse. From everything I've heard they are far more agressive than black widows. We have black widows under our house. And have far less trouble with bugs in the house than our neighbors do. They are most welcome to stay under the house. Jo >> Magic Mood Jeep) wrote: >>> In news:54m89hF21d9b0U1@mid.individual.net, [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >in the house than our neighbors do. They are most welcome to stay under the >house. As I have mentioned before, I was bitten on the back of the hand by a brown recluse spider a few years ago. Fortunately, the spider apparently didn't inject very much venom, probably because it had used up most of it on a bug a few minutes before. I ended up with a scar on my hand that gradually grew back into normal skin, over a period of a couple of years, and no deep tissue damage. The bite started out looking like a puffy white blister. Within three hours or so, the blister sloughed off, leaving the characteristic "bulls-eye" scab (medium red with a very dark red perimeter). I went to a walk-in health clinic, where the doctor gave me an antibiotic injection and a prescription for 10 days of oral antibiotics. The bite causes the death of the tissue immediately around the bite, and there is a danger of anaerobic infections, such as gangrene, so antibiotics are the recommended treatment. As far as I know, there is currently no antidote for the venom itself, so treatment is limited to treating the side-effects of the bite. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >>>>This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>>America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > >CatNipped My dad calls them "poodle-eaters." Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > I thought they were native to SOUTH America? (But speaking > of Southern States, don't alligators count as predators?) What would stop them from coming north? (Well, OK, human occupation. And possibly deserts.) I mean, look at coyotes. I had never heard of coyotes in eastern Canada until they started moving in all on their own. Now, we even have them on the island of Newfoundland - and the assumption is that they *somehow* got across the Cabot Strait on their own. Arctic foxes and polar bears move south, although they haven't established breeding populations much south of their normal range AFAIK. If coyotes can move out of their more normal range and establish breeding populations, why not jaguars? According to http://savethejaguar.com/jag-index/jag-conservation/jag-conservationmillennium/j ag-rangemap they've gotten as far as Mexico. Admittedly, I really know very little about the ecology of the Mexican-US border area, but probably someone here does know something about it. Maybe it's like the polar bear that moves south - the local humans tend to get really freaked out by the sight of a predator that large on their doorstep and either shoot it in self-defense, or call the Wildlife people, who drug and trap it and ship it back north. SignatureCheryl >> I thought they were native to SOUTH America? (But speaking >> of Southern States, don't alligators count as predators?) [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >doorstep and either shoot it in self-defense, or call the Wildlife people, >who drug and trap it and ship it back north. Poor poley bears. :( Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > Poor poley bears. :( Well.....it kinda depends. The ones who happen to pick a hunter's house as the one to try to come in through the picture window of, yeah, they're out of luck. The rest get some free drugs and a free helicopter ride back home, or at least somewhere in the vicinity of 'back home', which isn't that bad. And the experts keep saying that polar bears are much happier back on the ice pack instead of wandering around further south trying to figure out how to get at the tasty-smelling food in the houses. Not that the ice in their preferred habitat is doing so well these days, alas. SignatureCheryl > If coyotes can move out of their more normal > range and establish breeding populations, why not jaguars? According to > http://savethejaguar.com/jag-index/jag-conservation/jag-conservationmillennium/j ag-rangemap > > they've gotten as far as Mexico. Aren't they primarily jungle dwellers, there isn't a whole lot of Jungle on the US/Mexican border :-) SignatureNik Simpson >This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North America (I >can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the ones I can think [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >CatNipped Hoomins, of course. They're the worst. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War > This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North America (I > can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the ones I can think [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Any I missed? Eagles? (Or do you include them as "hawks"?) >> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North America >> (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's the ones I can [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Eagles? (Or do you include them as "hawks"?) Nope, I forgot about them (and probably a lot of other predatory species as well), but posted another note listing them later. Hugs, CatNipped >>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > CatNipped Is the Florida Panther included in Moutain Lions? SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Is the Florida Panther included in Moutain Lions? Yes, that cat species has several names: Cougar, Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther, or Catamount (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/cats/cougar/Cougarprintout.shtml) Hugs, CatNipped >>>> This thread got me thinking - what predators are there in North >>>> America (I can't find a definitive list on the internet)? Here's [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Is the Florida Panther included in Moutain Lions? Mountain lion, Cougar, Puma and Florida Panther in Northern America are the same http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/animals/Puma.htm >> [questions for prospective cat owners] >>> Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >injure or kill a cat (Bonbon, who used to post here and lived close to me, >had two cats killed and eaten by owls). There are *many* predators that are I have a friend who watched a hawk carry off her beloved cat. >a danger to cats in areas of the US that you wouldn't think of as "wild". >And as we displace them by moving into their territories, we're starting to [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] >> stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 >> 557 >>> [questions for prospective cat owners] >>>> Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > I have a friend who watched a hawk carry off her beloved cat. Ohmygawd, how awful that must have been! Apparently it's not all that uncommon an experience in the US. Did anyone see the clip on America's Funniest Home Videos of the dad, kid and their pet mouse and the hawk swooping down to grab the mouse for dinner? Not that I thought it was at all funny - I thought it was in *very* bad taste to put that clip on TV for people to laugh at - but if it was caught on video tape, it can't be that rare an occurrence! Hugs, CatNipped I rescued spirit from a hawk >>> [questions for prospective cat owners] >>>> Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] >>> 739 >>> 557 >>> [questions for prospective cat owners] >>>> Do you think cats are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > I have a friend who watched a hawk carry off her beloved cat. How awful. We have a lot of hawks and owls around here, but they have tons of prey available. Wish I could get a picture of Kayla when a hawk circles over her playground. Boy does it get her hackles up! I've figured out that instinct is where her helium balloon phobia comes from. Maybe I shouldn't call it a phobia since she very much wants to attack them. No big bad bird is carrying off any lambs she is responsible for. Jo > I've figured out that instinct is where her helium balloon phobia comes > from. Maybe I shouldn't call it a phobia since she very much wants to > attack them. No big bad bird is carrying off any lambs she is responsible > for. Mir and Caliban have that instinct, too, I was pleased to note. When Miranda came to me, I lived on the 3rd floor and the flagpole came up to right outside my living room window. The first time there was a flag on the pole, Miranda freaked out every time the wind lifted it and it waved about a little. She would not come into the living room at all that day. She mostly cowered in the hallway. Later, she got used to the flag, but I hope she still retains that instinct re birds of prey. My sister and her hubby gave me a lantern for Xmas, to hang in my garden. We ended up hanging it from a beam inside the enclosure. Caliban was terrified of it at first. He would slink by it crawling on his tummy and shooting fearful glances at it. He's used to it now, but I thought it was reassuring that he had that instinct. We do sometimes sight an sea eagle circling far, far up in the sky out on the island, but it's very rare. There have also been great horned owls in the past, but I haven't heard them in years. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/frankiennikki/ http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki | Do you think cats | are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is a question for the US | where it is 100 times more dangerous to allow cats to roam)? Out of curiousity, why is letting a cat roam in the UK 100x less dangerous than here in the US? > | Do you think cats > | are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is a question for the US > | where it is 100 times more dangerous to allow cats to roam)? > > Out of curiousity, why is letting a cat roam in the UK 100x less dangerous > than here in the US? A *LOT* more predators here - plus rabies. Hugs, CatNipped | > Out of curiousity, why is letting a cat roam in the UK 100x less dangerous | > than here in the US? | | A *LOT* more predators here - plus rabies. Those are much more of a consideration in rural areas. But in Memphis, vehicle traffic is really the major consideration. >>> Out of curiousity, why is letting a cat roam in the UK 100x less >>> dangerous than here in the US? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Those are much more of a consideration in rural areas. But in Memphis, > vehicle traffic is really the major consideration. Collierville isn't Memphis. There's a lot of McMansions out there with 4-5 acres of land and lots of wildlife. I'm not saying they don't have traffic, they do. But that's maybe not the major consideration in this case. Of course I don't know about this particular house location. If they contact me to check the situation I'll know more. Jill > | Do you think cats > | are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is a question for the US > | where it is 100 times more dangerous to allow cats to roam)? > > Out of curiousity, why is letting a cat roam in the UK 100x less dangerous > than here in the US? It is traditional to let cats roam here in the UK, where it is safe to do so. We don't have the predators to worry about for one thing. Our owls and hawks need to worry more about being being caught by our cats than vice versa! We do have the red fox which will, in exceptional circumstances take a cat - like if a vixen is desperate for food for her cubs, but most cats could escape up a tree, and a casual fox trotting through the garden in the hope I forgot to shut my chickens up would not bother in case he got his face scratched to pieces if he tried anything on. Most UK people, if it is not safe to let a cat roam, will not keep one. Like if they live beside a busy road, it's a no-no to have a cat. I don't want to start the indoor/outdoor debate again, but America and the UK are totally different. That leads to different ways of keeping cats. Tweed >> | Do you think cats >> | are happier if allowed to roam (UK folks, this is a question for the US [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Tweed Granted, which is why I specified the question for the US. Hugs, CatNipped >> Anyway, they are looking for someone to do a home check/visit for >> someone who wants to adopt a cat in my area. I replied back and [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > CatNipped Thanks everyone! for the list of questions :) I'm waiting to hear back from the woman from Best Friends. They may have found someone else to do the home visit, which is fine. But while I would have thought about the declawing and the cats running loose I may not have thought about some of the other stuff. I'm pretty sure they cat has been spayed or neutered already as part of the adoption progrram. And I'm pretty sure they'd tell me some of this stuff before they sent me out there. Collierville is a very posh area. McMansions, if you will. That doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of pets. Doesn't mean they wouldn't let a cat play in traffic (so to speak) or have a 5 year old child that would yank a cat's tail or even a pit bull which might... yikes! I have printed the suggestions lists and will find out (thanks, Susan) if they already have one and if not, find one. I might not be the one selected to do this home visit. It's entirely possible they got a response from and chose someone else to do it. But I am perfectly willing to help and then thought, Oh! But how would I do that?! So thank you all :) If I'm chosen, I will report back. Thanks! Jill > How do I assess if the home/people are good for adopting a cat? I would imagine that an organization like this would have a ready made questionaire? If not, I'd download an application form from your local SPCA or other rescue group and use that. As much as possible, I'd try to piggyback on work that others have already done. Susan M Otis and Chester if it were me I would consider if I were not going to be able to take care of mine would this be the right home for a cat... when I rehomed Harri roadcat and Toni bennit I relied much on my instincts and the cat. With harri you all know Dan From this group, he is the same in person... Harri was a cat who liked to ride, and she took to him immediately so it was a done deal, but then she chose us to find her a home, brazenly walked right up to DH as a kitten and put her paws on DH's leg, his arms were full of kitty litter bags so she knew what she was doing as a kitten. With toni we did a home visit and took toni with us. I had determined that if I hadn't found him a home within the week I was going to look for a program to enter him in so he could be a service cat, he has all of the qualities that would have made him prefect. When I got to the home it was clean, very clean, almost too clean for a house with a teenaged some and 2 cats so I was a bit worried, I knew he was in the right place when I let him out of kitty jail and he immediately was at home... DH checked the food/litter box and they were in order, but this clean thing bothered me, I asked myself did they clean because we were coming or did they keep the cats locked in the bedroom all the time... we talked I met the son and the female roommate, not a SO just a roommate... then Toni took things into his own paws and came out from under the couch with a piece of popcorn from last night's movie night... that was that, Lee... HTH > From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us > donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same organization. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Jill > Anyway, they are looking for someone to do a home check/visit for > someone who wants to adopt a cat in my area. I replied back and said > I'd be happy to help out. But I had the same questions for the woman > requesting assistance as I will post here. I got an email back, they already found somone to do the home visit so I don't have to worry about it this time around. But thank you for all the information in case it comes up again! Jill >> Anyway, they are looking for someone to do a home check/visit for >> someone who wants to adopt a cat in my area. I replied back and said [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > don't have to worry about it this time around. But thank you for all the > information in case it comes up again! I'm happy for you, just because it isn't something I'd want to have to do. Sure its easy if you are looking for the ideal cat home and the cat has tons of other options. But in the real world you don't want to turn down what may well be a perfectly acceptable home either. I think Charlie wears a sign I don't see. Whenever we've been to a shelter, they are eager to send any animal he wants home with him. Black cats the day before Halloween, waive the fees, whatever. Jo > From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us > donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same organization. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Jill Coming in late on this thread, but Jill, I've found from experience that just as important as asking questions, is to be silent and let them talk for a bit. Sometimes they hang themselves. Little jewels like "Well, we had two cats before, but our rottweiler killed them" (true story). Be sure you just let them visit with you uninterrupted for a bit. Sherry >> From the Best Friends folks. Remember a year or so ago when some of us >> donated funds to help the rescue cats from the Iraq war? Same organization. [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Sherry Your advice is right on target. MLB |
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