When you are out and about on your daily travels and come across a stray cat, it may be very difficult for you to leave it be and move on. If you decide to take your new feline friend home with you, there are several steps you should take to make sure you start your time with your newfound stray cat right. Get to know some of these steps and put them to use as soon as possible so you can protect the health and safety of the cat as well as your family.
Make Sure The Cat Doesn't Already Have An Owner
Before you make the stray cat you have found into a member of your family, you will want to be sure that they do not already have a human family that is looking for them. Contact your veterinarian at a place like Cat Care Clinic or an animal shelter to set up an appointment to see if the cat has been microchipped.
If the cat has a microchip, the original owner to whom the cat is registered will be contacted. If they are no longer the owner of the cat or simply do not want it, this means you will be free to officially adopt your new cat friend and make it a permanent part of your family.
Get The Cat Spayed Or Neutered
When you are officially the owner of your new feline friend, the next step to keep them healthy and ensure that you live a long and happy life together is to get them spayed or neutered. Unfixed animals can have health problems and may have behavior issues, especially if they have been living outdoors on their own for a while.
A male cat who is not neutered may try to escape due to the testosterone coursing through his body and his urge to find female cats. They also have a tendency to spray to mark their territory, which can cause stinky messes in your home. Female cats may also wander off as well as get pregnant and suffer pregnancy complications in the process.
Be Sure To Have Them Vaccinated
Finally, because you may never be able to know if your cat has received any kind of veterinary care in the past, you should be sure that you have your new cat fully vaccinated. The rabies vaccine is the most important of these vaccines as it is required by law.
Other important cat vaccinations include the feline leukemia vaccine, as well as the feline herpes and distemper vaccines. This will ensure that your cat is protected against the most common viral infections that cats can suffer from.
Now that you know more about what you should do when you find and adopt a stray cat, you can be sure that you take the steps necessary to make them a happy and healthy part of your family.
