Giving away my cat
It sometimes happens that owners think of giving their cat away. There are several possible reasons for this: pregnancy, cat allergy, aggressiveness, urinary malpractice, difficult cohabitation with other animals, scratching, etc. It is often possible to get help from your veterinarian in order to improve the situation and finally succeed in keeping your pet at home in complete serenity. When there is unfortunately no other solution, it can be considered to find a new family for your pet.
Before giving your cat away, what are the solutions to put in place?
Pregnancy
It is sometimes said that it is necessary to separate from your cat if you are pregnant and not immunized against toxoplasmosis, this is wrong (except in special cases). In fact, the risk of transmitting toxoplasmosis through your pet is low if precautions are taken: do not change the litter box, wash your hands after petting your cat, etc. There are other modes of transmission that are much more risky (consumption of undercooked meat, for example).
Urine in the house
Urinary malpractice is when a cat urinates in the house. There are 4 main questions to ask yourself if your cat does not relieve itself in the litter box:
- Is your cat properly potty trained? Re-learning to be clean may be necessary, especially for young cats.
- Are the litter boxes provided suitable?
- Is my cat anxious? This can be due to a difficult cohabitation with other cats in the household, a change of environment, etc...
- Does my cat suffer from a disease? In this case, the implementation of a treatment can greatly improve things.
It is advisable to first consult a veterinarian to verify if the cat is not suffering from a problem of uncleanliness or behavior. Solutions exist: medical treatment and/or behavioral therapy.
Conflicts between cats in a household
Sometimes the cohabitation between cats in a household is very difficult but solutions exist to reduce conflicts and to calm the cats.
First of all, it is necessary to offer each cat personal resources (bowls, litter boxes, bedding, etc...) and to have all the cats in the household sterilized. Don't hesitate to enrich the cats' environment with cat trees, toys, kibble dispensers, etc... in order to keep them busy and divert their attention from their fellow cats.
It is also possible to install a Feliway Friends pheromone diffuser that helps reduce tension between cats in a household. An anti-stress food supplement can also be used to calm cats.
If these measures are insufficient, a consultation with a behaviorist veterinarian is strongly recommended.
Scratching
It is not pleasant to see your sofa, curtains, walls all damaged by cats ... But it is a normal behavior that it is not possible to make disappear. However, it is possible to redirect the cats' scratching to scratching posts placed next to the scratched areas (and not in a corner of a room). There is also Feliscratch, a product that can be placed on scratching posts to attract cats and motivate them to use them.
Aggression
Your cat may attack you for several reasons. When a cat lives in an apartment with little stimuli, it may simply be predatory aggression. In this case, the cat's environment should be enriched to alleviate the problem. For other causes of aggression, a veterinary consultation is important to implement appropriate solutions.
Allergy
You have adopted a cat and realized afterwards that you are allergic. It is advisable to brush your cat regularly to limit the amount of hair lost in the apartment, the vacuum cleaner should also be passed regularly. It is advisable to close the door of your room to prevent your cat from lying on your bed. Avoid rubbing your head against your cat when cuddling, change your clothes if they are covered with hair, etc...
A consultation with a doctor is recommended because treatments may be necessary. Some owners eventually become desensitized to their pet (but remain sensitive to other cats).
What if it doesn't work?
In some cases, there is unfortunately no other choice but to place your cat in a new family. Sometimes this is the only way to ensure the well-being of the owner and the cat.
For example, a cat that has always lived in a house may not tolerate a move to an apartment and be unhappy. Leaving it with the new owner of the house or with a family member may be a solution for its well-being.
So, if you have to relocate your cat, ask around (family, friends, colleagues, etc...). It will always be easier to leave your cat in the hands of people you trust.
You can also talk about it with your veterinarian who will be able to put you in contact with an association, a family looking for an animal, etc...