ARTICLE BY: Jen Pelham, Ten Lives Head Vet Nurse

By the time the cats/kittens arrive at Ten Lives, they have already been through a lot of changes and have experienced many stressors such as:

  • Being placed in carrier
  • Car rides
  • Leaving the familiarity of their home environment

Obviously stray cats can have had a lot tougher time than that.

Stressors

Once they are in our care, despite our best efforts to reduce stress, some stressors are unavoidable. These stressors include;

  • New environment
  • New aromas
  • New sounds
  • Surrounded by other unfamiliar cats
  • Change in diet
  • Interaction with unfamiliar humans
  • Physical examinations – being poked and prodded by the vet team

How can the foster carer help?

Then when our cats/kittens are ready to be placed into foster homes they face new stressors. Whilst this is the best option for them medically and behaviourally you can appreciate just how all of these changes can cause anxiety and stress in our cats/kittens. At foster carers you can help to reduce the amount of stress by following a few simple steps:

  • Ask us for a feliway defused blanket(s). Feliway is a synthetic pheromone that has a calming effect on cats.
  • Set up a safe space for them prior to taking them home.
  • Allow them to exit the carrier and explore their new environment at their own pace.
  • Ensure they have boxes and/ or places to hide/retreat.
  • Don’t place their food and water bowls too close together. Place the water bowl 3-5 feet away from its food bowl. Naturally cats do not like their food bowl (and it’s scent) to be near their water source and may drink lessif they are. In the wild, mixing food and water often results in bacterial growth and illness. The act of searching for the different bowls in different places can feel more natural to a cat.
  • Provide 1 x litter tray per cat PLUS one extra (this is the minimum we recommend.) 
  • Create a routine (where possible). Cats like routine as this helps them to predict ‘stressful’ events and know they can relax afterwards. Routine helps them to cope.
  • Avoid introducing them to anyone else (people and other animals) for the first few days until they are more relaxed in their safe space. Doing so allows them to adjust to the new environment.