June is Adopt a Cat Month
Hello Fur-riends,
My favorite time of year is cat-ficially here! As you celebrate warmer, longer days, travel and outdoor gatherings with family and friends, I’m feline good too because June is Adopt-a-Cat Month! I was adopted and found my fur-ever home when my mom visited the the Nine Lives Cat Cafe in Indianapolis five years ago. That day litter-ally changed my life.
Cats have a long hiss-story of living with humans—since 7500 BC in Egypt, to be exact. Since then we have clawed, purred, rubbed, kneaded, licked, chirped, napped and meowed our way into the hearts of humans all over the world. Purr-haps you have thought about adopting a cat or kitten? I hope so. Here are some of my favorite local places to find your new best fur-riend. Read their cat bios on their websites to identify possible, compatible adoptees for you:
Nine Lives Cat Cafe, 1315 Shelby St., Indianapolis.
This is where my mom adopted me! They have two free-roaming cat lounges (one for cats and one for kittens) and a meowvalous cafe (love their cat-puccinos!) and purrfect cat gifts too. Adoptions here are facilitated through Indy Adopts. https://ninelivescatcafe.com/
Smitten Kitten Cat Cafe, 7852 East 96th St., Fishers.
Adoptions here are handled through the Hamilton County Humane Society. They even offer yoga with cats! LOVE the cat-cow pose! https://www.smittenkittencatcafe.com/our-cats
Reservations are recommended at each cafe and you can book on their websites. Both offer 30 or 60-minute sessions in their cat lounges and charge a nominal cat-cover fee to enter.
Petco, 2160 East 116th St., Carmel.
Petco always has adoptable cats in the store. Every Cat-urday (Satuday) they host an adoption event beginning at 11:30 a.m. Adoptions are facilitated by Paws on My Heart, which is a nonprofit feline rescue group established in 2018. https://petcolove.org/adopt/adopt-at-petco/
Hamilton County Humane Society, 10501 Hague Rd., Fishers.
https://www.hamiltonhumane.com/
petfinder.com - a great search engine to find adoptable cats in your area.
Now, I’m kneading to share the best tips for a healthy transition for your feline from shelter to new home from my good friend, Jenna Kappen, Veterinary Assistant at Noah’s Westside Animal Hospital, Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care in Indianapolis. They are the cat’s meow in emergency and specialty care! https://www.noahshospitals.com/west
Jenna says it takes about three months for a pet to get fully acclimated to a new home after adoption. “ Here are her top tips:
Be patient with your new cat. Embrace the 3, 3, 3 Rule, which is three days to settle in, three weeks to get acclimated to the household, and three months for their purr-sonality to come out. Unfur-tionately, some cats are returned after a few months, she said because owners don’t take the time to let them adjust properly. Now just a meowment! We can’t let this happen, so keep reading…
Designate a separate room to prepare for your new cat—a place where they can have their own private, safe space away from other people and pets. You can provide a cat bed, litter box, a scratch pad, toys and food and water in the space.
When introducing your cat to humans, your guests should meet the cat at cat level. It’s better to crouch down or sit on the floor and let the cat come into your space rather than approaching the cat, standing over the cat, or picking up the cat. This is also a wonderful way to bond with your new kitty too. Cat toys are always welcome.
If you’re bringing a cat home to a household that already has dogs or cats, let them gradually get to know each other. For example, while your cat is in their safe space the pets can sniff each other under the doorway. Eventually you can introduce a baby gate where they can see and sniff each other safely, and always with your supervision. This process can take approximately one to two weeks.
Watch for signs of stress. Signs of stress in your new cat are peeing and pooping outside the litter box, hiding in the house, or aggressive behaviors such as clawing or swatting at people. These behaviors don’t mean you have an aggressive cat. It’s just your cat’s defense mechanism and simply a warning sign that your cat is stressed out and may not be comfortable in their new environment.
Always reach out to your local veterinary professionals if you need extra support. Jenna recommends this website for additional resources: veterinarypartner.com Thank you Jenna for all you do for my feline family in the greater Indianapolis Area.
Please help me celebrate Adopt-a-Cat Month. Encourage your friends to adopt one of my clawsome fur-riends. I promise it will pawsitively change their lives. And don’t forget Walkadoodles & Whiskers Pet Concierge if you need some extra help caring for your new cat while you’re at work or away from home. They are the purrfect choice!
Pawsitively Yours,
Puddles
With the right catitude, anything is pawsible!