Pig News

Meet Spark , this week's Pet of the Week at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. Spark is a substantial and handsome cat who had to be surrendered because of landlord limitations.

Spark was originally a stray who showed up at - or was left behind in - an apartment complex about a year ago. His previous caretaker noticed him around, and took the very responsible step of getting him neutered as soon as she could, then she began allowing him indoors for better protection from the dangers of outdoor living. He was pretty good with the cats she already had and enjoyed both regular helpings of canned cat food and the luxury of lazing about while indoors, but he protected his territory from other cats and dogs when he was outdoors.

So, Sparks has experience living both outdoors and indoors, but newly-adopted cats ALWAYS need to be kept indoors for AT LEAST the first several weeks in a new home, and we ALWAYS advise that the more time cats are kept indoors, the healthier and safer they will be. Cats are unique in that they are both amazing and adept PREDATORS, which makes them a risk to small wildlife species, but they are also PREY - to dogs, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and they can also get into trouble with skunks, raccoons and birds of prey, not to mention cars... and even people who don't like cats! IF a cat is to have access to the outdoors, the humans in the household need to be very aware of the potential dangers around their specific home and do whatever they can to help their cat stay safe.

If you want a cat to have outdoor access, catios (fully-enclosed porch-like areas or window attachments) are a GREAT option for some homes, and many cats can be positively trained to wear a safe harness and leash for some safely LEASHED outdoor time. There are also some fence-topping products that can keep cats from getting out of fenced yards, but those don't always protect other animals from getting IN to your yard.

Cats that don't come to you from your own neighborhood, but who will spend time outdoors, first need to get to know, and bond with, you, your family and your home before they set foot outside, and they need to be introduced safely and gradually to the environment around the home using a harness and leash. As with other pets, direct supervision while they are outdoors is always best - enjoy time outdoors TOGETHER!! And if you're ready to add a little Spark to your life, consider our handsome big tabby & white cat, Spark, or one of our dozens of other wonderful cats!

AFFORDABLE BALANCE SPECIAL
Finally, the shelter's affordable spay/neuter clinic with Animal Balance November 7^th through 9^th is ALMOST FULL!! If you have a pet at home who needs to be "fixed" with spay or neuter, vaccinations, and a microchip, visit our website and click on the registration link at the top of the page. Dogs are $300 and cats are $150. If you qualify for public assistance, you are eligible for even lower fees, and if you don't have internet access, you can come to the shelter and staff will assist you in getting signed up. Appointments are filling fast, so register today!

For more info, listen to Pet-O-Rama Thursdays at 11:00am or visit the shelter, located at 1001 Rodriguez St. in Santa Cruz and open from 11am to 6pm every day.

» Back to Pig News