AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterTwitterShare to PinterestPinterestPinterestShare to MoreAddThisMore1
With the warm weather condition comes kitten season, a time when shelters everywhere are overflowing with kitties hoping to discover a home. This is a excellent time to think about adopting one of the millions of homeless cats/kittens that exist in this country. If you’re thinking about adopting a new feline friend, exactly how do you make sure he or she is healthy? When selecting a feline or kitten from a shelter, feline guardians should think about a few of the complying with health and wellness tips as well as suggestions, in order to ensure that their feline buddy will be a healthy addition to their houses for many years to come.
Behavior
While the shelter can be a frightening as well as stressful atmosphere for any type of sensitive feline, feline guardians should feel comfortable in handling their new pets without being scratched or bitten. While it is definitely wonderful to provide a more wild or feral stray feline a new home, these kinds of cats will commonly requirement much more time, patience as well as cautious handling over weeks to even months to adapt to their new homes. I would not most likely suggest such cats in those houses with young kids or infants.
Appearance
When visually inspecting the cats as well as kittens, people should look to make sure that the feline is breathing quickly as well as comfortably, without extreme eye or nasal discharges. many cats in shelter settings are prone to both acute as well as chronic viral and/or bacterial respiratory diseases, as well as while many of these conditions can be quickly treated with antibiotics as well as other supportive measures, there are specific cats that may be chronic carriers of feline herpes or other viruses that can be lifelong issues.
Testing
Most shelters do offer feline leukemia virus (FeLV) as well as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) blood testing, as well as it is strongly suggested that all cats be tested for these viruses before being adopted. For those cats or kitties on antibiotics for upper respiratory infections, I would suggest that the program of therapy be completed at the shelter before adopting such cats or kitties out.
Shelter Environment
On evaluating a feline or kitten for prospective adoption, guardians should evaluate the cage atmosphere for any type of indications of vomiting or diarrhea, in addition to assess if the feline is well muscled as well as not as well thin. While most shelters will routinely worm their cats or kittens, in addition to vaccinate them for typical intestinal and/or upper respiratory viruses, many cats will have digestive or respiratory symptoms, since of the stress as well as crowding of such cats in the shelter situations.
Diet
Once adopted, I would make sure to location their new feline buddy on a species-appropriate preferably natural meat based diet, with very little dry food or kibble. complying with these simple tips can definitely assist maximize possibilities at getting started on the right track with any type of new feline being thought about for adoption from a shelter.