Dear Miss Behavin’:
I’m planning on adopting a cat from a possible hoarding situation but I’m not sure if the cat has been spayed or vaccinated. It also doesn’t always use the litterbox. Can you help?
Once you’re ready to bring home your new cat, consider setting up a small room or bathroom for its initial adjustment period to your home. This will help the cat slowly get used to the new space, sounds, and smells, and also easily find where its food, water, and litterbox are located. Try to keep these items as close as possible to where the cat’s bed or crate are so that in case it’s very shy or scared it will have easier access to the items it most needs on a daily basis. This may also help reduce any unwanted litterbox accidents, along with daily cleaning of the litterbox and spot cleaning any accidents with an enzymatic cleaner.
If the cat ends up hiding for the first few days, try to have plenty of cave or igloo shaped beds, a cat tree and scratcher, and even shoeboxes that can serve as adequate yet safe hiding spots. Try to clear out any items that might serve as a hiding spot but where the cat may become stuck. Use wet food and other yummy treats to befriend the cat and to help coax it out for TLC.
If the cat has not yet been spayed or vaccinated, consider scheduling an appointment at our Spay and Neuter Clinic. If you make an appointment for the cat to be spayed, then it can also be vaccinated, as well as, tested for FELv/FIV and microchipped. Feel free to check our website https://phs-spca.org/spayneuter/ or call the clinic directly at 650-340-7015 for more information. The clinic is open Monday through Friday, though closed on Thursdays, and is available for appointments from 7AM to 12PM and 1PM-6PM.