African cat caught in a Washington neighborhood

The African Serval

Residents in Longview neighborhood, Washington, reported seeing a large cheetah-like cat prowling through their gardens this past week. The cat was identified as an African Serval by Cowlitz Humane Society Director Rick Johnson.

The 35-pound cat was loose for a week before it was able to be caught using cat food as bait.

The possession of African Serval cats is illegal in the United States, though with a striking appearance, they are in demand. Servals, relatively small in the big cat family, weigh in at 30-40lbs fully grown and are deemed to be dangerous to own. They show great hostility towards domestic cats and small dogs and they may pose a threat to children. Servals require exercise, are escape-artists and an expensive, good quality meat diet, making them difficult to keep.

The cat, named Rajah, is owned by a Longview woman and was quarantined on Monday by the Humane Society.

Cat intentionally set on fire in Baltimore

Mittens - lucky to be alive

Staff at Baltimore Area Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) are currently looking after a cat that was maliciously set on fire and, as a result, is suffering from third degree burns.

The cat, named ‘Mittens’ and her litter of kittens were confiscated and placed in the care of BARCS so Mittens can safely recover from her ordeal.

Witnesses of the event claim that the cat was thrown in a crate by her young owner, doused in lighter fluid and set on fire. The cat jumped out and extinguished herself. Being a recent mother of kittens she returned to the house to take care of her litter.

BARCS staff have stated that two people have been arrested in connection with this shocking crime, however the police have yet to confirm this either way.

Mittens is recovering and will stay at BARCS for the foreseeable future, until she is well enough for her and her kittens to go to a BARCS approved foster home. It is said her hair may not grow back in places where the burns were more severe. Once she has fully recovered, she will be available for adoption.

Clinton Young, a pet owner who lives near where the incident occurred, was appalled by the cruel act. ”I just can’t see how kids do that, but they do it,” he said. “I really don’t understand why they’d do something like that. A cat or a dog is a lovable animal.”

Donations are being accepted through the BARCS website or at the shelter located at 301 Stockholm Street in South Baltimore.

More on this story can be found on the WBAL website

Should I Neuter/Spay My Pet?

Owning a dog or cat is a huge responsibility and an important thing to consider is whether you should neuter or spay your pet. Spaying/neutering is a wise choice and beneficial to their health. If your animal is purely a companion to your family and not to be used specifically for breeding, our resident vet recommends the animal should be neutered/spayed. Sterilizing your animal provides the following health benefits:

Lessens the risk of cancer - Sterilization prevents ovarian, uterine, and testicular cancer in pets and lessens the chance of mammary gland cancer.
Prevents urinary tract infections - This is particularly important for cats as urinary tract disease can be very serious and even fatal for your feline friend.
Can reduce undesirable behavior - Male dogs can have a tendency to roam for a mate, this results in dogs running at large which can be hit by cars or picked up as strays. In dogs, it can also lessen barking and particularly urine marking as they will feel less of a need to defend their territory. Male cats will also be less likely to urine mark their territory and spaying female cats should stop them from yowling, which is their mating call when they’re in heat.
Eradicates female canine menstruation - Female dogs are in heat approximately every six months, which is a messy business as female dogs that are not spayed have a bloody discharge.

Not having your pet sterilized can affect society as well, it is an unfortunate truth that there are hundreds of thousands of animals that are in animal shelters across the world that are in desparate need of a good home. Often these animals are surrendered to the shelter or abandoned because they were bred without a thought spared for their long-term future. Dogs live for around 10-15 years on average and cats live for even longer. Bringing more life into the world is not a decision to be taken lightly when these things are taken to account.

Your dog or cats behavior won’t change in any undesirable way once they are neutered or spayed. He or she will still be the same pet, a little calmer if anything, and once sterilized they will be a happier and healthier member of your family for many years to come.

Have a happy cat this Christmas!

Having friends or family visit gives you the opportunity to relax, talk and enjoy time together. However, having new people staying can be stressful for your cats and making them comfortable and having your guests also feel at home can be difficult.

When coming into your house, guests will need to understand that they must allow your cat to ‘warm up to them’ in its own time. You should make your guests aware of your cat’s personality and quirks, for example, if your cat likes to jump off the sofa and onto an unsuspecting shoulder or you might suggest they keep their shoes on if your cat is boisterous around feet. Making them aware of these things isn’t intended to make your guests wary of your cat but forewarned is fore-armed!

If your cat is prone to being nervous or getting stressed, they are more likely to fear visitors. This could lead to them showing negative behaviour – become aggressive, destructive and they could even eliminate inappropriately. In these situations, BudgetPetCare suggests Feliway, an air diffuser that mimics a natural comforting facial pheromone used to reduce anxiety. The wall plug-in discourages inappropriate elimination, but also soothes cats.

Once your visitors arrive, encourage them to treat your cat gently. Body language is incredibly important to animals, ask your guests not to challenge your cat by staring at it, looming over it or speak loudly and also only pet the cat if it allows them to. Also, ask them to be mindful when leaving your residence in case the cat runs out of the door, people who don’t own cats often don’t think about these things. If children are guests in your home, simply explain to them, if your cat isn’t gregarious enough to tolerate kids, they are to leave the cat alone.

By discussing with your guests how to reduce stress for your cat, it can make life a lot easier for you as host. It is usually easier to introduce a younger cat to visitors regularly visiting but with the right treatment and time, a timid cat can learn to enjoy ‘strange’ human company too!

Thanksgiving Meal: Why you should not be feeding it to your pets

Stuff your Turkey, not your dog

Thanksgiving is only a week away and, although it is a time to share, veterinarians urge pet owners to not feed their dog any of the Thanksgiving meal. With the average Thanksgiving Day meal being around 3,000 calories, all those foods rich in fats can be lethal to your dog or cat.

Domesticated pets do not cope well with changes in their diets so feeding them even a little bit of the meal, particularly the turkey, could cause a painful bout of gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis brings with it vomiting, diarrhea, and an overall very sick animal. Feeding your pets little treats from the table could also potentially cause a fatal case of pancreatitis.

What is Pancreatitis?

The pancreas is a vital organ in your pet that normally releases enzymes into the stomach and intestines to aid digestion but when overwhelmed with fat-filled food, the pancreas could begin to realise enzymes into the abdominal cavity. Pancreatitis is a very serious condition that will require extensive veterinary treatment and can be fatal.

How to prevent it.

Do not feed your pet anything from the table, if you need to give your dog or cat a Thanksgiving treat, use ones specifically made for pets. If you can’t resist  Fido’s puppy-dog eyes or your cat rubbing up against your legs with wishful thinking, shut them in a different room, it is much kinder to them than running the risk of  them being seriously sick.

Remember that dogs and cats can easily access kitchen counters and the trash so take extra care to ensure that the counters aren’t left unattended and the trash is secured.

Other hazards.

The old phrase ‘give a dog a bone’ should be disregarded when it comes to any bones as they can splinter or become lodged, particularly bird bones. A splinter could cut your dog’s mouth, throat and organs, causing a lot of pain and expensive vets bills. Be sure to safely dispose of the string used to tie up a turkey while cooking as your pets can’t  understand that, although it tastes good, it is dangerous and twists up the digestive tract.

Remember to educate any guests visiting also as a well meaning relative may slip the cat a bit of turkey or the grandkids might feed the dog some chocolate without knowing how toxic it is to them. Keep your pets safe and healthy this Thanksgiving so they can enjoy the holiday with you.

Pet Med Spotlight – First Aid Kit for Cats and Dogs

BudgetPetCare - First Aid Kit for pets

This week BudgetPetCare is putting the spotlight on our handy First Aid Kit for cats and dogs. Whether it is for use at home or on the go, this kit is essential for all pet owners as we never know when our pets may need it most.

Dogs, particularly puppies, are determined to explore everywhere their paws will allow them to go, which can naturally lead to bumps and scrapes. With our First Aid Kit, you can allow your dog to be a dog with the reassurance that if a superficial wound arises, it can be immediately treated.

What is included

The following apparatus is included in a convenient holding pouch:

• Wound Dressing 12 x 12 cm
• Triangular Bandage Non Woven 90 cm x 127 cm
• Eyepad Wound Dressing
• Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipe x 4
• Vinyl Examination Gloves x 2 pair
• Adhesive Dressing x 2 set 10 patches
• Scissors x 1
• Safety Pins x 5
• Leaflet containing Basic Advice on First Aid

The First Aid Kit, manufactured by Merial is ideal for use on minor superficial injuries such as cuts, burns and bites. The items can be stored in the home, in your car or even in your bag for use in case of an injury whilst out with your dog.

Where to buy a First Aid Kit for cats and dogs

You can head over to our BudgetPetCare website to buy First Aid Kits for cats and dogs for just $ 9.78 with free shipping on all orders.

Look out for future articles on simple First Aid guides for your cat or dog on our blog!

Minnesota Cat Shooter Convicted

On October the 18th, 2010, Ajalon Corcoran was convicted of felony animal cruelty for shooting a cat.

Corcoran shot an 11 year old neighbour’s cat called Sauki, Corcoran claimed he thought the cat was a stray. The defense argued that admitting to the crime preculded a felony conviction.

The Minnesota court agreed that it is indeed animal cruelty to shoot a cat whether or not the defendant thought it was a pet or stray.

This ruling is extremely important for the protection of owned animals. Assistant County Attorny O’Laughlin stated, “Pets are members of people’s families. If the court had held that prosecutors were required to prove that an accused knew the animal was a pet in order for there to be felony consequences, it would have been very difficult to obtain justice in certain
pet-killing cases.”

For more information the full article can be found on the human society’s website.

After nearly 12 years, a cat at the Kansas Humane Society has a new home

Michelle - at the Humane Society

Nearly 12 years ago, a tuxedo cat named Nikki was abandoned at the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. On Tuesday the 19th of October, Nikki, renamed Michelle, was finally adopted into a forever home. Her extraordinary extended stay meant Michelle outlasted tens of thousands of other cats in the shelter. After some time at the shelter, she stopped ‘buttering up’ potential adopters. This loss of interest concerned Humane Society workers as first impressions are everything when it comes to animal adoptions.

Dona Corben, her new owner, was instantly drawn to her because she seemed quiet and delicate. She showed no interest in the playful kittens as they were ‘cute’ but she wanted an older cat. Before Michelle left, the Humane Society let volunteers and employees bid the feline a bittersweet farewell. We wish Dona and Michelle all the best.

If you could offer an animal a loving, forever home please go to the Human society for more information.

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FREE Doses of top brand Flea & Tick products

We’ve extended our latest special offer on three of the most popular flea and tick products, K9 Advantix and Advantage (cats and dogs), so if you haven’t taken advantage, hurry while stocks last. We’re the cheapest on the market!

Buy six doses of K9 Advantix, Advantage for cats, or Advantage for dogs, and we’ll give you TWO extra doses completely FREE! Buy 12 doses and we’ll give you FOUR extra FREE!

ASPCA Pet of the Week: Extra Sharp Cheddar

Adopt a cat - Cheddar

Sweet Cheddar is a darling four year old cat with special needs. She has fully recovered from a potentially serious liver condition—caused by not eating—but still requires an attentive pet parent who will remind her to chow down.

“Cheddar is amazing!” says Katie Watts, ASPCA Senior Feline Behavior Counselor. “She’s very affectionate and would do well in just about any home, including with a first-time cat parent or with children. She’s really one of the friendliest cats out there!”

Why not adopt Cheddar the cat?

If you’re interested in adopting this little cutie pie, please contact our Animal Placement department at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120. To see other animals looking for homes, visit the Adoption Center online.