Category Archives: Cat Care

Say No To Faux-Snow!

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Toronto Cat Rescue wishes you and your family a safe, happy and healthy holiday season and new year!  The festive season is a busy time for everyone, please take a few moments to ensure that it is safe for your beloved kitty-members as well.

Cooper3Picture Purr-fect Presents: When wrapping presents, please use cloth ribbons versus curling ribbon and bows.  Cats are enticed by shiny ribbon, but if eaten it can wrap around their intestines or cause serve blockage in their bowels, leading to expensive surgery or death.  After wrapping presents, please make sure to store your supplies carefully.

Tinsel Free Tree: Pretty, shiny tinsel icicles and garland is a big no-no on a cat-safe Christmas tree.  Like curling ribbon, tinsel is very harmful to cats when ingested, so please avoid from placing on the tree.  Alternatives can be beaded garland, or long cloth ribbon.

No Kissing Under The Mistletoe: Popular plants like poinsettias, mistletoe and holly are extremely toxic if ingested by your cat, and can cause anything from gastrointestinal upset to cardiac problems to comas to death. If you cannot avoid having them in your home, please make sure you keep them far out of reach. As well, remember to avoid using chemicals in the water under a well-anchored Christmas tree.

moon5Say No To Faux-Snow: There are a wide range of decorations used to brighten your home for the holidays, and a wide range of hazards that accompany them. From the toxic artificial snow in the windows to sharp staples and tacks that deck the halls, decorations should be used with caution. All electrical wires should be taped down or placed behind heavy furniture.  All of these items can be tempting for cats and are often mistaken for toys.

Shiny Balls: When decorating your Christmas tree, please remember to hang the glass ornaments out of reach of your cat.  Cats can be tempted by the shiny decorations that can easily break when they fall off the tree leaving glass on the ground to step on or ingest.

Christmas Cheer: Christmas generally means a lot more guests than normal to the home, and the air of excitement can leave people more carefree (and careless) than usual. Please enclose your cat in a safe, cozy room with food, water, toys and a litter box before the guests arrive.  This ensures that kitty will not slip outside when the front door is opening and closing.  Like anyone, your cats can become stressed by the crowds and noise at big gatherings and will appreciate the chance to be alone for a while.  After the guests have left, a cozy cuddle with your cat will be appreciated.

bina6Treats, Treats and MORE Treats: Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without all of the delicious treats that come with it. Unfortunately, most of our favourite holiday snacks are also some of the most dangerous to our cats. Chocolate is a potential hazard that can actually kill your cat depending on their size, the type of chocolate and the quantity consumed. It can lead to extreme hyperactivity or even seizures. Please be careful about the ways that you include chocolate in your celebrations. For example, it’s important to avoid keeping chocolates in easily accessible areas for cats, such as hanging in stockings or in candy dishes on the table. If you feel like you have to give pets a special treat on Christmas day, try making their regular diet more exciting by giving them extra kitty treats, catnip or some tuna.

Buy Your Tickets: The Good Cat

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Toronto Cat Rescue volunteers have organized an educational seminar: “The Good Cat”.  If you struggle with a “naughty kitty” this event is for you! Taking place on Sunday, December 2nd from 2pm – 4:30pm, the seminar will address common feline behavioral problems, their causes, and their potential solutions. TCR volunteers and foster parents are encouraged to attend so that they are better prepared to provide advice to concerned adopters and members of the public.

Featuring an expert guest panel:
Dorothy Litwin: Animal Behaviorist
Deb Stanton: Vet Tech, Animal Communicator, and expert in Bach Flower Remedies
Dr. Lindsay Paterson: Veterinarian at Rosedale Moore Veterinary Clinic

Northern District Library, room 224
40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto / map
(Yonge and Eglinton)
416-393-7610
Wheelchair Accessible

$35 per ticket at the door (advanced tickets are no longer available). All funds raised are going towards TCR cats and kittens!

The Good Cat: An Educational Seminar

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You’re invited to a wonderful educational event organized by TCR volunteers (all funds raised will go to TCR cats and kittens!)! “The Good Cat” is an educational seminar taking place on December 2nd and it will address common feline behavioral problems, their causes, and their potential solutions. A diverse panel of expert speakers will discuss everything from medical causes of some behavioral problems, to bach flower remedies and animal communication.  If you struggle with a “naughty kitty” at home this event is for you! TCR volunteers and foster parents are also encouraged to take this seminar so that they are better prepared to provide advice to concerned adopters and members of the public. For more information on this event and on how to purchase tickets, please see below.

Sunday, December 2, 2012 / 2pm – 4:30pm

Featuring an expert guest panel:
Dorothy Litwin: Animal Behaviorist
Deb Stanton: Vet Tech, Animal Communicator, and expert in Bach Flower Remedies
Dr. Lindsay Paterson: Veterinarian at Rosedale Moore Veterinary Clinic

Northern District Library, room 224
40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto / map
(Yonge and Eglinton)
416-393-7610
Wheelchair Accessible

$35 per ticket at the door (advanced tickets are no longer available). All funds raised are going towards TCR cats and kittens!

 

TCR Desperate for Foster Homes with No Pets

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Toronto Cat Rescue has a growing need for volunteer foster families with no other pets in their home.  Most of our foster cats get along very well with other animals, but currently we have several that really prefer to be on their own to receive lots of human love!  We are seeking foster homes in downtown Toronto, the GTA and Kitchener.

This is a great opportunity for:

1. Families who have never had a pet before (or it has been some time since you have had an animal) to see if a furry friend will match your lifestyle.

2. College or university students seeking a study-buddy during the school year.

3. Someone who is moving or traveling in the near (or distant) future and cannot adopt an animal long-term, but would love the temporary companionship a kitty can offer.

THE KITTIES NEED YOU! If you are able to provide a safe, loving home for a cat who is sensitive to having other animals around, please apply today by filling in our Foster Home Application. We will always be able to fill your home with a purr-fect companion as there are always many, many cats in need of rescuing!!

TNR Volunteers Needed for TCR’s “Help For Cats” Callers

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Toronto Cat Rescue is seeking committed volunteers in the GTA who are interested in joining a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) team! Training will be provided.

“Marblecake” was trapped/spayed/returned to the 707 colony. She was spared from having a litter this Spring. She shows up every day at mealtime and is enjoying life in her managed colony.

TCR receives a magnitude of desperate calls from members of the public who want to help the stray and feral cats in their neighbourhood. Due to lack of resources, we are often unable to help these callers, and try our best to coach them through the process. This can seem daunting and most people are not up for the challenge, so not as many cats receive the help they so desperately need. TCR would love to build a strong team of trained trappers, transporters and recovery homes to help our concerned Line 3 callers.

Currently needed roles – please fill in the form below if you would like to help!

Trappers/Transporters:
You will liaise with the TCR coordinator and colony caregiver in your local area to trap feral cats for spay/neuter/recover and release back to the colony. Depending on the number of cats in the colony and your trapping availability, the process could take up to several months before all the cats are successfully trapped and sterilized. A time commitment is required with colony projects, but we do have occurrences where only one cat needs to be trapped.

The trapped cat will have to be transported to a local clinic for surgery and to a recovery home after surgery, so a car (or a friend who can do the drive) is required with this position.

Recovery Homes:
You will liaise with the TCR coordinator and trapper to recover a feral cat after spay/neuter. Recovery time for males is approximately 24 hours and for females approximately 5 days. A small room or confined space in your home would be required for this.

TNR (M) is proven to be the most effective solution to manage the feral cat crisis. It is a fantastic way to help improve the lives of feral cats. If you would like to learn more or join up for this team, please submit an application today!

Donations needed:
We have a shortage of TNR equipment. Donations of humane live traps (both adult and kitten size) as well as medium sized dog crates would be greatly appreciated! Please call: (416) 538-8592, and leave a message after the beep with the item(s) you have for donation.  You may also make a monetary donation online via Canada Helps so that our volunteers may purchase the items in need.  Thank you!