It's getting colder outside, and stray homeless cats feel it the most, especially autumn kittens. For them, a real struggle for survival begins. We can't take all the stray cats home, but do you want to know how to help them regardless?
Not every cat is fortunate enough to have a warm home, a full bowl of food every day, a bed near the heater, and a human's loving arms. Stray cats don't only have to worry about low temperatures, finding food is also difficult. They hunt for food, but the birds and rodents they feed on are more hidden in winter.
It's not in anyone's powers to take all these cats home, and shelters are also not capable of dealing with the situation. It should therefore be the responsibility of us all to not let uncastrated cats out so that we do not contribute to an increase in their population, otherwise we'll never get the situation under control and many cats will suffer unnecessarily. But this is a long-term plan; how can we help cats today?
It is essential to provide them with enough nutritious food to build sufficient subcutaneous fat. So if you know about a stray cat in your area, or a whole colony of cats without an owner, you can place a bowl of food in places where they appear. Cats need a lot of energy and nutrients to survive, so it will be most efficient to choose high-quality, ideally high-energy food. Because of freezing temperatures, kibble will be better than wet food, which could freeze quickly.
Water is equally important as food for stray cats, especially on days when temperatures drop below zero. If you can, you should give them fresh water twice a day. The bowl with water or food should be placed somewhere dry and downwind, and don't place it directly on the ground. A piece of polystyrene can be used as a great insulator.
Rainy and chilly weather is very unpleasant and exhausting for cats, so if you can, provide a warm and dry place for them to rest and regain their strength. If you don't have a barn or shed that you would be willing to provide for the cats, another option is to purchase a polystyrene shed. You can either make it yourself or buy it from Pražský spolek ochránců zvířat (Prague Animal Protection Society). They also recommend laying out hay in it. Old textiles are not suitable for this purpose because they retain moisture and mold.
Another certainly helpful way to help cats is to support one of the cat shelters or civic associations. A friend of mine captures stray cats for one of these associations. Some cats are adopted, others are castrated, marked and return to the place where they were found. Just remember that only a trained certified person can capture stray animals by law, anyone else faces a high fine.
The trend of pets has been a matter of the past 150 years. But what will the next 150 years look like? With the evolution of our society and its values, circuses and zoos are on the radar, and the number of people who do not eat meat, and even vegans,...
Do you have a pregnant cat at home? Is this stage slowly coming to an end and you are starting to panic about the birth? Let me take you through it from the beginning to the end. Let's take a look at when it is necessary to intervene, when the help...
July is the time to prepare for autumn kittens. It's good to remind ourselves what cat pregnancy entails, when and how to prevent it and why.
Outside temperatures suggest that the boater season is just behind the corner. Many people take their family and children on a water adventure. Some boaters even take their four-legged friends along. What can you do to make sure your trip goes...
In the summer, most of us move to the garden, whether at our home or cottage. Of course, we also want to let our rodent friends loose, and simply bringing the cage out won't do it. How can we make a comfortable, safe outdoor enclosure?
Does your cat wander outside? Are you tired of constant meowing and scratching on doors, or constantly opened windows? Then it's time to get your cat a door.
The nutrient requirements of each dog varies depending on its age, physical condition, lifestyle and size. There are many aspects, and you need to take them all into account when choosing your food.
Cats can take a cold a lot harder than we do. For them it's a relatively serious and very contagious viral disease. A cat cold is a combination of diseases, whose symptoms include a cold.
What elements play an important role in cat nutrition, why do they need them and in what proportion should they get them? This is the alchemy behind the preparation of quality cat food.
Although traveling is fun, it can also be stressful. We have to make sure we don't forget anything and that everything goes according to plan. But what if you decide to travel with your little friend, a guinea pig? Let's take a look at what you...
It is a well-known fact about cats that they like lying in the sunlight. However, that doesn’t mean they are never hot and the risk of overheating is not real for them.
The fact that there are different cans and dry food for dogs and cats is not a marketing stunt. Both beasts have their specific nutrition needs which vary in certain aspects and if you give them the wrong food, they will start suffering quite soon.
