Useful reading

Cats from very different backgrounds come into the care of the Cats Shelter. There are those who have lived on the streets all their lives and those who have been homeless for some reason. At the shelter, we don’t say no to any cat. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cat that has lost its home or a kitten just waiting for its chance on the streets. They are all homeless and need a helping hand. As well as helping homeless cats, our association also aims to promote a culture of animal ownership. We want to see fewer and fewer cats on the streets every year, and we want people to be more and more aware every day.

So what should you look out for before getting a cat?

1.The average lifespan of a single raw bag is 15-20 years. This is a huge responsibility and commitment for years to come. Before you decide to get a cat, think about whether you are ready for this commitment and how you see your life in 15 years.

2.Cats need your care throughout their lives – unlike children, who grow up and learn to look after themselves, cats need human care and help throughout their lives. They need someone to fill their food bowls, clean their litter boxes and take them to the vet for a health check when they are 15 years old.

3.Do you have enough resources to care for the animal? In addition to the usual maintenance such as good quality food, food dishes, litter tray, sand, nests and toys, all cats need medical attention from time to time. Regular health checks, parasite treatments, vaccinations, blood tests and dental check-ups require a lot of resources from owners. When a kitten needs more serious treatment, the costs increase even more. Certainly, every cat owner should be prepared for unexpected expenses and set up a small “Kitten Health Fund” for unexpected health problems!

4.If you are going on a trip or are away from home for an extended period of time, who would be your cat’s “fairy godmother” who would take care of your cat during this time?

5.Think about what would happen if you had to move or if you had a baby. Will the cat still have a place in your family and will always be a member of your family, regardless of life changes?

6.Think about what would happen if you were to break up with your partner. Who will have the cat?

7.Never give someone a pet! Adopting a pet is a big responsibility and it’s a decision that everyone has to make for themselves. Also, don’t get a pet for a child – if a child wants a pet in the family, the decision must ultimately be a joint one, and the parent must know that they are the ones responsible for the pet!

No one is safe from the unexpected. So what do you do when there really is no other way and it’s with a heavy heart that you have to find a new home for your pet?

1.Even before you get a cat, think about who would be the person who would take your cat if you could no longer keep it.

2.It would be most comfortable for the cat to find a new home with people he knows. Maybe a close relative or a good friend could offer your furry friend a home? That way, the cat would already be familiar with his new family members and you could visit him too.

3.If you still need help finding a home for your cat, contact an animal welfare organisation such as the Cats’ Shelter.

4.Co-operation is crucial in finding a home for your kitten! As there are always fewer shelters than cats in need, it would be good if you could help by finding a shelter for the kitten to stay in until a permanent home can be found.

5.To help us find a home, give us an insight into the cat’s character, share pictures and videos of him.

Situations that seem to be hopeless lead people to take unexpected decisions. Don’t abandon your dog or take it to the vet for euthanasia. Trust us – there is always a way out! Every cat has feelings. Consider him – for better or for worse. If you have to make the difficult decision to give him up, keep his welfare in mind and contact the various associations that help homeless cats!

Cats (Felis catus in Latin) are popular pets, but sadly there are still many on the streets – homeless, hungry and sick.In the Estonian climate, street cat populations are not very viable, so humans are still to blame for our still high street cat population. First and foremost, every current – or prospective – cat owner should think about WHERE their pet necessarily needs to breed.

It would go a long way to reducing the number of cats on the streets if people took more care to ensure that their personal pet cats did not have offspring. Very few cats are kept for breeding purposes, as most cats are bred and simply keep people company. So there is no need to let your own cats breed – there are far too many cats in the crack in Estonia as it is and there are simply not enough good homes for all of them.

A cat can have 3-4 litters a year, each with 5 kittens. It is the responsibility of the owner to find a suitable home for all the pups. Abandonment and abandonment are prohibited by the Animal Welfare Act and are punishable by either a fine or imprisonment.

Looking at the classifieds and the websites of non-profit organisations working with homeless animals, there are far more cats and kittens looking for homes than there are good homes for them. It is common to adopt a cat as young as possible, believing that this will help it to adjust to its new home. It is much more difficult to find homes for cats that are already in their teens (4-5 months old).

Usually, the person who gives up the kittens of a domestic cat does not ask the cat’s prospective owner in great detail about the conditions in which the animal will live, but gives the cat to the first person who wants it. Usually, there is no interest in the fate of the kitten, and so the animal may end up in a family where it is abandoned when it reaches adulthood, allowed to breed uncontrollably or roam the streets, and so the number of stray cats increases. However, the average lifespan of stray animals is much shorter than that of mostly domestic pets, and stray animals are at risk of being hit by cars, falling ill or becoming victims of violence.

So why don’t people still spay/neuter their animals?

There are several reasons for this.

Many pet owners think that spayed/neutered cats miss out on the joy of breeding and rearing offspring and that this should not be taken away.

But this is wrong. In animals, having offspring is not an emotional or thought-out decision. They act on instinct and have no family model. Female animals feed and care for their offspring until they are able to fend for themselves, after which they may not even recognise their offspring.

The running, gestation and lactation of a female cat is exhausting and stressful for the animal. Male cats make long journeys during the breeding season and can get run over by a car, lost or bitten by a dog in unfamiliar places. Dogs are often badly injured during fights. Therefore, mating and having offspring is not an amusement for cats, and people should not impose their own behaviours and family patterns on cats.

The general recommendation from veterinarians is to operate on the cat before it is sexually mature (before the first heat), i.e. from the age of 5 months. In this case, there is no need for the behaviour and marking of the territory typical of the rutting period. It is also possible to sterilise a female cat in the early stages of gestation, but later on this can be dangerous for the cat – in which case the cat should be allowed to give birth and reliable homes found. If you encounter difficulties finding a home, you can always contact a stray animal NGO. All volunteer associations will help find homes for the animals, but this requires the subsequent sterilisation of the female cat.

It is completely wrong to think that a cat can only be sterilised after the first litter has been weaned.

There is a widespread perception that spayed-neutered cats become lethargic and their body weight increases significantly. This is not the case either. Many owners report that their cat became more playful and happy after the operation.

Some cat owners think that the cut is a mutilation of the animal, that the animal’s quality of life will deteriorate, that male outdoor cats will be beaten by others, etc. Veterinarians confirm that there is no basis for these claims. Neutered-sterilised animals have no rut, do not emit odours or vocalizations characteristic of the rut, do not attract strange animals, do not generally mark, keep to their home and stay within their territory. In addition, neutered-sterilised animals get on better with each other and are less aggressive.

Spay/neuter is often thought to be too expensive “fun”. In fact, nowadays, the operations are easily available and easily performed, the animal’s recovery from the operation is usually quick and easy, and various veterinary clinics often offer discounted prices. The Society also organises campaigns every year to offer special discounts on vaccinations, chipping and neutering/spaying – all to make people aware of the need for these activities and to promote the culture of animal ownership in our small Estonia.

That’s why we recommend – dear pet owner, leave myths and other excuses behind and get your pets spayed or neutered. By doing so, you will improve the quality of life for the animals, for yourself and for your neighbours, and only in this way will the number of animals suffering on our streets be reduced over time.

During the warmer weather, more and more windows and balconies are kept open. Every day, we receive requests for help with lost cats, with many families saying: “He never showed any interest in the window and now suddenly jumped out through the vent…”. Sadly, that’s the way it is – it doesn’t take more than once for a cat to jump out of even a tiny vent and disappear….

Pain, ignorance, fear ensue – every loss of a cat brings heartache and fear to both cat and owner. In the worst case scenario, the cat suffers injury and death. As pet owners, we have a responsibility. A responsibility to ensure the maximum safety of our little family member. After all, we wouldn’t let small children play alone in the window/terrace, so why do we let cats?

Shelter volunteers give advice on how to avoid losing your cricket!

1) If your cat goes outdoors, only allow it with a leash and under your supervision! There are dangers to a cat’s life not only in crowded cities, but also in the countryside, with nearby wildlife-infested forests and highways. With an outdoor cat, you never know who the roads will lead to – not every person may be a cat lover and wish the cat well. Living in the city, do you know who lives three houses down from you? Is he an animal lover, or is he annoyed with your cat because your kitty is climbing in his flower bed? In addition, in most municipalities, it is forbidden for a kitten to roam outside your property without its owner. When you let your cat out, remember that this could be the last time you see him…. Are you ready for that?

2) The contents of the bag should prevent the possibility of getting onto the balcony, falling out of the window/jumping or running out of the door. Cats are at the toddler level of threat perception and are not afraid of heights. Climbing on slippery window panes can end very sadly, and even if the cat recovers from the fall and finds its way home again, it should not be expected to climb out of the window next time. Cats are very curious animals and may not learn from accidents. The loss of a pet is a great heartache – prevent it!

3) A grille can be installed in front of the windows to prevent the motor from escaping the window. For example, you can use a garden net with a wooden frame around it (like the one in the picture!) and attach it firmly to the window frame. We recommend avoiding fabric (mosquito) netting, as many cats like to climb up the netting and make a hole in it with their claws!

4) We would also like to draw the attention of package window owners not to leave the window in a tiny ventilation position open at the top. Many people think that cats can’t squeeze through a small window, but cats are very flexible and the vent in a package window will not trap them. With the onset of warmer weather, animal clinics are seeing daily cases of kittens trying to jump out of the window but getting caught in the vent. In many cases the injuries are fatal. Grids are sold in pet shops to secure the openings. For example: (https://www.zooplus.de/…/balkon…/kippfensterschutz/3581).

5) It is not advisable to allow cats on balconies at all, but if they are allowed on balconies, they should be under the careful supervision of the owner, and they should use a carrier! Also, on higher floors, the cat may be distracted – it may jump after the bird and fall. We often receive wanted notices of cats that have fallen from the 5th or even the 8th floor…. Nets are also sold for balconies to prevent your pet from falling. Never let your cat loose on a balcony! Just because he hasn’t jumped off the balcony yet doesn’t mean he can’t! Keeping your cat on your lap on the balcony doesn’t guarantee safety either – if you startle your cat, it will jump off the coals and you won’t be able to hold it!

Good cat owner, be careful! We are concerned about your kitty’s safety, so are you and be very, very careful! 🙏 The big Christmas celebrations are just around the corner and many cats will be spending it at home on their own – don’t leave your windows or window vents open!