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.
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
