Dear fellow kitty lovers,  

Happy New Year from The Kitty Sheet! In this edition, we ring in the New Year with ways to give your kitty a happier and healthier 2025! Plus, how YOU can resolve to make a difference in a kitty’s life this year, and change it forever! From adopting and volunteering to TNR’ing community cats and donating to struggling nonprofit rescues, there are so many ways you can help kitties in your community this year. Also, how to help protect cats from the Avian Bird Flu threat, and our featured Kitties of the Week and FIV+ kitty spotlight.

As always, thank you for reading and sharing The Kitty Sheet! Happy New Year!

-TKS

• ✈️ The SPCA of Texas’ amazing cat transport team recently put its 7000 cat, Smoke, on a flight out of Texas to his forever home! The SPCA of Texas says its transport team has flown 7040 cats to their forever home or fosters! See the pics on Facebook! 

• ❗️ CAT FOOD RECALL! Northwest Naturals is recalling some of its RAW, FROZEN cat food contaminated with the bird flu virus. It’s linked to the death of an Oregon house cat. Read about the recall.

• 🆘 SAVE THE RESCUE! A North Texas cat rescue that helps so many kitties find homes is in danger of shutting down over lack of funding! If you can help keep the doors open, donate to Texas Rustlers Fat Cats or take part in their Valentine’s Day fundraiser going on now. For more details about their financial needs and ways to donate, check out the Facebook post here.

• Ahead in 2025: New Push to Ban Commercial Bred Puppies, Kittens in Texas Pet Stores. The Texas Humane Legislation Network hopes to get an Ethical Pet Sales bill passed in the 2025 Texas legislative session.  Read the NBC Houston story.

A new year is a great time to think about ways to improve your kitty’s life and longevity in the year ahead. Here are a few ways you can give the precious feline in your life a happier and healthier 2025!

• Resolve to take care of your kitty’s health. Don’t forget your kitties annual wellness check, which includes vaccines and annual blood work to check for early signs of illness.

• Assess your kitty’s dental health and schedule a dental cleaning if needed. This is very important to a kitties overall health and longevity, just like it is for our own personal health. Think of all the bacteria-laden tartar build-up on their teeth! YUCK!

• Keep track of litter habits. Look for signs of constipation and urinary issues that can be very dangerous for kitties if gone untreated. Consider a kitty litter like Pretty Litter than can help assess urinary health with crystals that change colors. Constipation can also big a big issue for some cats and it can lead to an inflamed colon resulting in fever and the need for antibiotics. Diarrhea is also something to look out for and if it doesn’t resolve in a couple of days, a vet visit is warranted.

• Be aware that kitties can get arthritis as they age. Look for signs you cat may have arthritis pain. Are they jumping normally or are they hesitating? Are they acting out, or hiding more than usual? Do they suffer from frequent constipation that causes health issues? These could be signs they are in pain from arthritis. X-rays are crucial in assessing whether they have issues with their spine, hips or other joints. There is medication available to treat their pain.

• Resolve to read cat food ingredient labels. If you’re not already doing so, start looking at what’s really in your cat’s food and do some research. You could be surprised to see some things that aren’t so great. There are also cases where limited ingredient pet food are lacking important nutrients like Taurine that are crucial to a kitty’s health, so make sure you read the label. Also be wary of RAW food diets, they are linked to avian flu. Always check with your veterinarian with questions about your kitty’s diet.

• Resolve to spend more time playing with your kitty. The physical activity will help keep them fit, plus several playtime sessions a day can strengthen the bond you have with your kitty. Always remember to put any toys away that could cause harm if played with unsupervised. Never let them eat string, it can become entangled in their intestines and be life-threatening. If they eat string, have them seen by a vet immediately.

• Resolve to give your kitty more mental stimulation. This alleviates boredom and will lead to a happier kitty. Some ways to keep things fun are with food and snack puzzles like the Trixie Fun Board Strategy Game for Cats.

• Help your kitties get along better. Sometimes tensions flare in multi-cat households. Ways to help calm the situation include Comfort Zone collars and Feliway Cat Optimum Pheromone diffusers, both available via Amazon. Also spend one-on-one time with each kitty, and give them solo attention to alleviate potential jealousy. ALWAYS have one extra litter box per number of kitties in your household, and put them in private, different locations in the house.

• Keep their water bowls filled. It’s crucial that kitties always have access to fresh water. Hydration is a key part of keeping them from developing urinary health issues.

• Keep them indoors. Indoors is always best! It keeps them safe from predators, diseases and other illnesses. If they love the outdoors, consider getting a protected catico.

• Get them microchipped. It matters! Thanks to microchips, lost kitties are reunited with their owners every day. And don’t forget to REGISTER the microchip with your information, otherwise it’s pointless.

We’ve shared ways to improve your kitty’s health and happiness this year. But what about homeless cats and community cats in need of vet care or food? There are so many ways you change a kitty’s life directly by adopting, fostering, volunteering, helping cats in your community or donating to a rescue who saves kitties day in and day out.

• Adopt an older or senior Kitty. These sweet older souls are often in shelters as a result of the loss of their owner and are at high risk of being euthanized. You can give them a loving home to live out their lives.

• Foster a kitty. Contact your local rescue organizations because they always need fosters. They can’t save kitties without them. Food and other supplies are typically provided and the rescue pays for their vet care.

• Learn how to become a kitten bottle feeder and support your local shelter and rescues by being on-call in urgent situations. You will save lives and keep young kittens from being euthanized.

• Volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue. Some have adoption centers at pet stores and they need volunteers to play with the kitties daily, as well as provide food, and clean their cages.

• Donate to a nonprofit that rescues kitties and provides often life-saving vet care. Nonprofits need funding all year round.

• Resolve to help outdoor kitties who can’t help themselves. Provide food, water and shelter for outdoor community cats, and don’t forget to get them spayed or neutered! It’s what the rescue community calls TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return). Read on for more on this topic.

• Volunteer to TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) in your community. Get involved in helping community cats and help stop the exploding population crisis. Join a local group of seasoned TNR advocated who scan provide guidance and a trap. You will help control the cat population, stop the kitten cycle, save lives and prevent suffering. You will be directly helping kitties live better lives.

• Help sick, injured and feral kitties with nowhere else to go. You can do this by supporting a sanctuary designed just for them, or if you have the ability, adopt them yourself.

• Support a local managed cat colony by donating food or becoming a monthly colony sponsor. The Grand Prairie Cat Crew is one example. Look into nonprofit organizations in your area that are helping community cats to assess their needs and opportunities to help.

• When you see a cat in need, get them to safety if possible and reach out to local rescues for help. If you can provide a safe haven at least temporarily it is of great help to rescues as they network for help.

AVIAN BIRD FLU ALERT

Avian bird flu is spreading and the FDA says both wild and domestic cats are particularly at risk. Recently, a wild cat sanctuary in the Northwest suffered the devastating loss of 20 wild cats due to the illness. Four cats are still recovering. A Oregon house cat also died after falling ill with the virus from eating RAW, FROZEN pet food contaminated with the virus. Our hearts go out to the sanctuary and the pet owner who lost their kitties to this illness.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) shared these tips to help keep cats safe from contracting the virus on their Facebook page

A new AVMA article includes Dr. Angela Demaree, the immediate past president of the American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians. The article says “her organization is urging cat owners to stop feeding raw diets and transition to high-quality canned cat foods. In addition to concerns about H5N1, raw diets may also contain zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella or Campylobacter.”

The AVMA says the illness may start with loss of appetite, lethargy, and fever, then quickly progress, with cats exhibiting:

• Neurologic signs (e.g., ataxia, circling, tremors, seizures, or blindness)

• Severe depression

• Copious oculonasal discharge

• Other respiratory signs, including tachypnea, dyspnea, and possibly sneezing or coughing

Visit AVMA for more information on how cats get infected, the signs, way to prevent it, and what to do if you suspect your cat has it.

This week we honor Rocky by spotlighting two kitties.

Tomkins is a sweetheart - and he is also FIV+. Grand Prairie Cat Crew describes him as a little fearful in the beginning, but says he warms up quickly. He loves affection and people who talk softly. If you are looking for a companion to curl up in your lap and Netflix with, look no further! He is now fully vetted and would love to have his forever indoor home. To apply to adopt Tompkins, email the [email protected].

Evan is 1.6 years old and loves all humans and is extremely affectionate. Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance describes him as very comfortable with other cats and most dogs too, giving them space and respect. Damage to his ears gives them a“cauliflower” appearance, but it doesn’t impact his hearing at all and he doesn’t know he is any different. Evan is FIV+ but he isn’t aggressive. FIV cats can and do live harmoniously with non FIV cats. If you have questions about FIV please inquire when applying. 'He really is worth it!” Contact Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance.

About FIV:

FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) is an immune deficiency disease that sounds scary, but it’s really not. Cats diagnosed with this illness, through a blood test, can live long lives with the proper vet care. Transmission is typically through deep bite wounds that occur when cats fight outdoors. FIV+ cats can in fact live with other cats in non-aggressive situations.

This great FIV+ explainer and thorough guide to caring for an FIV+ kitty is a must-read for all cat lovers:  Mar Vista Animal Medical Center   

The Kitty Sheet believes every kitty matters. It strives to connect a community of cat lovers who want the best for the felines in their lives. Its mission is to promote adoption, rescue and fundraising efforts, along with the compassionate care of community cats and all the things that help kitties live their best, healthiest lives in the environment in which they call home. Thanks for joining us on our journey!