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.
Although I sometimes temporarily care of some brown rats, I still consider myself to be a beginner in brown rat keeping. In the beginning of this year, a white lab brown rat ended up in my temporary care. I noticed that Běluše (that’s how I called her...
It sits with great difficulties. It also looks like it is very painful. It seems that any contact of the tail and ground causes great pain. As well as any touch when I try to find out what’s wrong with its tail. We came back from swimming where our dog...
Summer fun begins now. And I can’t imagine a summer without our activities together with my dog. What about you? Plan where you and your doggie could spend time before the temperatures are scorching and not a single branch moves on trees and we all...
Some dogs are already born with sensitive digestion, at some it may occur later in life. Or an allergy for a component of the food they used to like and we considered as suitable may occur. For such cases, meat cans can be a great supplement of normal...
If you decide to head to the streets of your city during a hot summer day, remember that pavements you will be walking on are much warmer that the air. In general, I try to go out with my dog during hot summer days as least as possible but if we go...
That brown rats are social rodents and love and look for the closeness of not only other brown rats but also their owners is a well-known fact. They feel lonely and sad without any interaction
Weekend or holiday is here and you are thinking about what to pack? You definitely shouldn’t forget your first-aid kit. And also the one for your dog! Properly equipped first-aid kit is a must. If you are struggling with deciding what should be...
Our personal experience is what influences us most in our opinions. But if we don’t have it or can’t get it at least from a friend or family member, it is more difficult for us to imagine how living with a giant furry friend looks like. And if it comes...
The best option for living of a small rodent are big aquariums, plastic boxes or cages. And I don’t mean big as high but rather with as big area as possible. Hamsters are naturally running creatures and need enough space. Max has a space of the...
If you are going for your holiday by car, you may be considering bringing another passenger with you. Your dog can be a great companion, so you don´t want to leave it at home. However, your time off by the sea might hide various obstacles, starting...
Turkey, the homeland of angoras and Turkish Vans is almost cats’ paradise. Even though veterinary care is quite expensive here, also cats living outside are taken care of well. Even in large cities like Istanbul and Ankara you can encounter a lot of...
When I was a child, our dog changed my life. He taught me lifetime love for living beings but also responsibility, patience and caring for others. Scientist has found out those are not the only benefits the life with an animal has for children....
