Caring for felines can qualify someone as a ‘cat woman’
Unable to leap from tall buildings while wearing a sexy black leather suit?
You can still qualify as a “cat woman.”
Simply resolve to give the kitties in your life the best possible care and protection.
Cheryl Mitchell, a Spokane attorney and feral cat rescuer, offers these tips:
• Put a collar and a tag on your cat. This lets everyone know your cat has an owner.
Buy a “breakaway” collar. This is a special type of collar that will come off the cat if it gets snagged.
Cats can be choked to death if their collar is caught on a nail or fence post.
Breakaway collars are available at all pet stores and most grocery stores.
Make sure your cat’s tag lists the pet’s name, the city you live in and your phone number. For example: Fluffy, Spokane, 456-1234. Pet stores often have machines for imprinting tags.
If your cat has a license, don’t depend on your local animal control agency to let you know if your pet is found. The license tags issued by animal control agencies can become too worn to read.
Also, if your cat wander off or gets hit by a car at an hour when animal shelters are closed, the cat’s tag, listing your phone number, will help a rescuer or veterinarian call you directly.
Consider microchipping your cat. Although this requires a special machine to read, it provides identification in case your pet’s collar is lost.
Spay or neuter your cat. Felines get in fewer fights and wander less if they are fixed. If you qualify, the Spokane Humane Society offers reduced-fee spaying and neutering services. Call 467-5235 for more information.
Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services also offers spay/neuter discount vouchers for licensed cats.
Consider keeping your cat indoors. Indoor cats can lead happy and satisfying lives. Outdoor cats have a shorter life expectancy because they are hit by cars, get in fights and contract diseases.
In rural areas many outdoor cats are eaten by coyotes.
Keep your cat indoors when fireworks are being shot off. Both cats and dogs are afraid of loud noises.
• Don’t take in more cats than you can handle or the law allows. Spokane County residents may own no more than four adult cats, and Spokane city residents no more than three.
If you lose your cat, check all local shelters every few days. (You will need to go to the shelters in person because only you will be able to identify your pet.)
Run an ad in the newspaper in case anyone finds your cat but doesn’t take him to a shelter.
Also check the “found” ads in the newspaper. Don’t give up looking for him or her, because cats are very resourceful and can survive for months or years on their own.
If you are looking for a cat, visit local shelters. They offer many wonderful animals, and often more than 20 percent are purebreds.
Resources
For information on protecting and adopting feral cats, check out the Web site for Alley Cat Allies at www.alleycat.org, or to get involved locally, call 325-7065.
To volunteer or to adopt a rescued cat, call or visit Partners for Pets at Argonne and Trent near Albertsons, 893-9829, or www.partnersforpets.org. This adoption location plans to offer a “Catwoman” special Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with discounts for black cats.
To read more about “The Feline Mystique” by Clea Simon, check out her Web site at www.felinemystique.com.
To volunteer to help or rescue cats in Spokane County, stop by the Spokane County Regional Animal Care and Protection Services office, 2521 N. Flora Road, to pick up an application.