CatRescue 901 is a small team of volunteers who are dedicated to helping cats in need in pounds and the community. We do not receive any funding and are only able to continue our vital rescue work thanks to the generosity of the community. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. Thank you for your support.
Living with a cat is a wonderful experience. They make loyal and loving companions, will snuggle with you in winter, and play in the garden with you in summer. Your cat will be waiting for you when you return home from work and will provide you with the comfort and affection you need after a bad day.
When you adopt a cat you are making a commitment which will last between 10 and 20 years. During this time you will need to be able to provide them with a safe and loving home, companionship, veterinary treatment, and a good quality diet. Your cat will rely on you to make decisions in their best interest, and will depend on you for their very survival.
Below is a brief guide to basic cat care. It has been written based on the experience of CatRescue 901 foster carers. If you have any questions or concerns about the care or health of your cat we recommend you consult your veterinarian.
Caring for Your Adult Cat
Diet
Preventative health care is essential, and the best way to guarantee that your cat stays in good shape is to provide them with a healthy and balanced diet. Their staple food should consist of a high quality dry food such as Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin. In combination with this, we recommend you give them a small amount of wet food like, Hills Science Diet or Whiskas satchets, plus raw chicken wings or necks to keep their teeth clean. Adult cats need to be fed twice a day, but avoid over feeding them to prevent diseases like obesity.
Always ensure that your cat has access to clean, fresh water. You should never offer them milk as cats are lactose intolerant. Pet Milk, which is lactose reduced or free, can be purchased fr
om a supermarket, however it is not healthy for them in large amounts and should only be given on rare occasions.
Desexing
Desexing your cat is not only good for their health, but will prevent antisocial behaviours. An undesexed male cat will spray, wander, fight, display aggression, and will excessively vocalise. An undesexed female cat will wander, excessively vocalise, and of course, bring home kittens. Desexing will remove these problems which are caused by a change and increase in hormones when your cat reaches sexual maturity. If you have a female cat, don’t think for a moment that you will be able to keep her locked inside while she is in season – she will obsessively try to escape, and eventually she will succeed.
The health benefits of desexing cats have been thoroughly documented. Both males and females will be protected from diseases such as Feline AIDS (FIV), from developing certain cancers, and on average they live longer and enjoy a greater overall health.
It is also important to remember the hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, who are killed annually in council pounds across Australia. It is incredibly ir
responsible and selfish to bring into this world more animals who will struggle to find homes, and compete with animals in pounds to be adopted. Desexing is an absolute must if you are serious about animal welfare.
Many subsidised desexing programs exist to help people who cannot meet the costs of desexing their cat. For more information you should contact the RSPCA, Animal Welfare League or Cat Protection Society. If you have been kind enough to rescue and adopt a stray cat and did not have the option of first considering the expense of desexing, there are many smaller animal welfare groups who would be happy to assist with these costs.
Vaccinations
Adult cats should be vaccinated annually to prevent them from diseases such as cat flu or feline enteritis. Vaccinations also exist against Feline AIDS (FIV) and leukaemia. Having an annual vaccination is a great reminder to visit your vet for a general health check up.
Flea & Worming Treatment
Every three months you should worm your adult cat using Felix Paste or Drontal which can be purchased from your vet. Adult cats need to be flea treated every month using a product such as Advantage, Revolution or Frontline which can also be purchased from your vet. It is very important to flea treat your cat during the summer months, even if they are an indoor-only cat as fleas will still make their way into your house from your garden.
Caring for Your Kitten
Diet
Kittens need smaller portions of food more frequently. They also have different dietary requirements and need food that is higher in nutrients (such as calcium) to assist with healthy growth and bone development. We recommend a good quality dry food specially designed for kittens such as Hills Science Diet or Royal Canin, combined with a varied diet of ‘wet’ foods. Whiskas or Hills Science Diet kitten sachets and cut up raw chicken necks for healthy teeth are ideal.
Milk is not suitable as kittens are lactose intolerant and this can make your kitten very sick including vomiting, diareah and possible liver damage. If you wish to give your kitten milk, you can buy low lactose ‘pet milk’ from the pet section of the supermarket. Water is always much better for your kitten than pet milk, and always ensure that they have access to fresh, clean water.
Juvenile Desexing
It is ideal and safest to have your kitten desexed from 8 weeks of age using a procedure referred to as Juvenile Desexing. This involves key hole surgery on the kittens flank and is a simple, quick and very safe procedure.
Waiting until your kitten is 6 months of age is not safe or sensible, but is unfortunately the tradition with most ‘older’ vets who have not recently completed their university degree and training. Most kittens – or juveniles – reach sexual maturity from 4 months of age and it’s very common for ‘accidental’ pregnancies to occur if desexing is postponed until they are 6 months. This contributes greatly to the problem and tragedy of pet overpopulation, as people are unprepared and unable to care for the ensuing kittens.
Many of the new mums we rescue from council pounds during kitten season are barely 6 months of age – meaning they conceived at 4 months. This is becoming more and more common, and if you have a kitten we strongly encourage you to contact a vet able to perform juvenile desexing. The Cat Protection Society and RSPCA are great places to start.
Vaccinations
Kittens require two to three vaccinations in their first year, followed by an annual vaccination. They should have their first vaccination between 6 and 8 weeks of age, and the second should occur 4 weeks later.
Flea & Worming Treatment
When flea treating your kitten make sure you select a product designed for kittens otherwise you could poison them. Advantage, Frontline and Revolution make versions safe for kittens, and can be purchased from your vet. You should apply it monthly, especially during the summer months when fleas breed.
Kittens should be wormed at 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks of age, then every two months until they are 6 months of age. Following this they should be wormed every three months as you would an adult cat. Products such as Drontal worming tablets and Felex worming paste paste are recommended and can be purchased from your vet.