Sad Passing of Patricia Knight

11th August 2016 By Cuddles Leave a Comment

We received some very sad news this week. Big cat-lover and one of our customers Patricia Knight died suddenly on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Because Patricia devoted so much of her time, effort, money and self to cats and in particular to Galway Cat Rescue we would like to organise a collection for GCR in her honour. Anyone who would like to contribute please contact us at Cuddles.

Pictured here are three of Patricia’s cats, Heidi, Sammy and Buddy. They stayed with us at Cuddles any time Patricia went to Dublin to run the Mini-Marathon to raise funds for Galway Cat Rescue.

Patricia will be a great loss to the feline and human community.

May she rest in purrfect peace.

Why is my cat so fussy?

29th April 2016 By Cuddles 1 Comment

“My cat is terribly fussy”

A new customer called to view Cuddles recently. She decided to make a reservation for her cat and we were going through the booking form. When we got to the section on “Feeding” this lady stood back and said: “I’m afraid my cat is terribly fussy.” I replied: “I wonder why that is?” We both laughed.

Chancing his paw!

Cats do not become fussy by themselves. We humans are the providers of their food and therefore it is totally up to us how fussy or otherwise they are/become. Many of our customers (feline of course) will chance his paw exactly the same way a child will chance his arm. An easy way to explain this is by using the following example:

A proper Charlie

I’ll use one of our regular clients, “Charlie”. Here’s what happens when I serve up Charlie’s current favourite food (per his owner’s information). Charlie sniffs at the food and looks at me expectantly. If I don’t remove the food straight away Charlie sniffs at it again and paws the air above the bowl, while loudly complaining that this is not what he ordered.

If I change the food he may repeat the same process for a second time, and even a third. Occasionally he will cover the food with some of his bedding. Sometimes his complaining can be in the form of “caterwauling”. I often have to say to him: “Charlie, eat that” – which was a hint from his owner! He usually does eat the food at that point when he realises the options are not limitless! It can be a real battle of wits. The more you give in, the more a cat will demand.

Ways to encourage fussy cats to eat

I find one easy way to keep a cat interested in his food is to vary it. If feeding dry food exclusively, I sometimes vary the flavour or the type of kibble depending on the cat. If feeding wet food it can be useful to open two or three boxes at the same time and change brand as well as flavours at least daily. This method works to some extent with Charlie, who has a huge appetite, rarely touches dry food, but eats two to three pouches of food at a sitting!

What about treats?

Treats, particularly the packaged, promoted ones, in my opinion are unnecessary. Cats only learn to accept them when introduced to them by us. However, at Christmas we make an exception, when guests at Cuddles are treated to warm roast turkey. “Yum”, many of them say, but there’s always one or two who will not want any. We often also serve chicken to our guests on a Sunday.

Some cats will happily eat one particular brand and variety of dry food (kibble) all his life and if you’ve got one of those LUCKY YOU!

Brushing your Cat (the easy way)

24th February 2016 By Cuddles Leave a Comment

Having trouble with Kitty’s coat?

Wondering how/when to start grooming?

Oscar, a beautiful Siberian Silver Tabby.

Oscar hasn’t always looked so good. He was a rescue cat. He was found in a dreadful condition and his coat was very badly matted. He certainly landed on his paws when he was homed by his current owners. They relocated from Australia to Galway and so did Oscar who holidays here from time to time.

When should I start brushing my cat?

The best time to start brushing your cat (like everything else) is when he/she is a kitten. This should really be part of his socialisation process, regardless of the type of coat your cat has. Most kittens don’t moult fully the first year and we can be fooled into thinking they won’t need brushing at all. As a result many of us don’t start brushing as early as we should. Some cats are more than capable of taking care of their own coats. Others need help, particularly long-haired cats and even short-haired cats who are elderly, arthritic or infirm. Some overweight cats find it difficult to groom too, particularly the area at the base of their spine as their belly gets in the way!

Don’t delay!

If you discover that your cat’s coat is getting matted it is best to take action straight away. The first time a cat sees a brush he may consider it to be a weapon (or a toy) if we approach him wielding it. I have found the best way to start brushing a cat who is not accustomed to being brushed is to secrete the brush in my hand. The easy way to do this is to use a brush that has a strap around the back of it which fits on around the back of my hand.

These brushes have no handle. I start by stroking the cat on his head and around his face with my free hand and then alternate it with the brush hand. If he tries to look around to see what I am doing I show him my empty hand and stroke him again with the empty hand until he relaxes again.

Little by little

A good way to start is to do a little (one or two strokes initially) when your cat is eating. If you make a habit of just a couple of strokes each morning or evening when Kitty is starting his meal you will easily keep his coat in a manageable condition.

Knots

If a knot appears (usually around the face/neck area) try to tease it out whilst sitting with Kitty or just give it one or two goes with the brush and then leave it until next time. As with humans if we tug at kitty’s hair it hurts! If knots appear around his “nether regions”, it is best to be VERY careful. Most cats prefer to look after this area themselves! It can be very dangerous to use scissors, but you can buy battery operated clippers. The trouble with clippers is that they make noise and Kitty might not like that!

Restraining Kitty

Never try to pin down your cat and force grooming on him when he’s not in the mood. You won’t win and neither you nor your cat will be happy afterwards!

Enjoy it!

You may be the lucky one who has a cat who enjoys it. Many cats really enjoy a good grooming. Dougal would follow me to the ends of the earth when I have his brush in my hand. Ted isn’t bothered with it but will tolerate brushing while complaining loudly.

How to put a difficult cat into a carrier – Part 1

8th February 2016 By Cuddles Leave a Comment

Here’s one simple way of putting your cat into a carrier, that I call “The Towel Method”. Make sure to have all your equipment to hand. You will need a hand towel, the carrier (lined with a newspaper unfolded on the bottom of the carrier) and of course your cat!

Ensure your cat is relaxed (preferably asleep) and that you are calm.
Have your carrier ready on a counter top with a wall directly behind it. (Do not let your cat see or hear you doing this.)
Ensure the door of your carrier is open but attached.
Get a hand towel and approach your cat from behind.
Wrap the towel around the cat from his back and then underneath him, making sure his legs and paws are enclosed in the towel.
Pick him up in the towel and push him gently but firmly backwards into the carrier.
Do not remove the towel at this stage, as your cat will probably exit at the same time if given an opportunity!
Cover his eyes if necessary with your hand. Cats dislike having their eyes covered and will usually walk backwards when you do this.
Close and secure the door immediately. Do not reopen the door under any circumstances.
Good luck!