Adopting a pet should mean a lifetime (theirs) commitment with the best quality care you can provide. Sometimes life throws a curve ball and it may feel like you can’t keep your fur baby anymore. We hope these suggestions and resources can help pets stay with their loving owners.

Local Resources
https://211ventura.org/
https://www.vcas.us/pet-retention/
https://www.hsvc.org/food
https://www.hsvc.org/vaccines

Financial Help
There are ways to get help with food, spay/neuter surgeries, and vaccinations. Check the links above for help.

Allergies
Purina sells a food called LiveClear that can be purchased without a prescription. It can help reduce allergic reactions in people living with cats. Other suggestions: HEPA air filters (clean them regularly) and vacuum rugs, carpets, and furniture. Keep cats out of the bedroom of the allergic person. For mild to moderate allergies talk with your doctor about possible daily medications to help.

Scratching
Cats naturally want and need to scratch. Keeping their nails trimmed will minimize damage and injuries. Ask your vet or your local rescue to show you how. Providing scratching posts and other options gives them places to scratch without damage. There are things you can buy to protect furniture like these and these.

Wild Behavior
Accept that younger cats will have bursts of energy, and some may be more energetic than others. It is something that they will grow out of. Put away fragile or precious items temporarily. Consider replacing expensive drapes with less expensive options. Cover cords and charging cables with covers specifically made to protect them from biting. Engage in active, vigorous play sessions multiple times a day, including before bed, to help give your cat what it needs. Offer sturdy/substantial toys for biting and scratching and not your hands or feet.

Litter Box
Make sure the litter box is kept clean. If you decide to change litters, do so gradually. Strong smells can keep a cat away from its box so be careful what you choose for cleaning. If your cat is peeing outside of the box get it in for a vet exam to make sure there isn’t a urinary tract infection, crystals, or some other medical issue.

Pet-Friendly Rentals
Sites like apartment.com and zillow.com have search filters and one of them allows you to search for places that allow pets. Talk with your doctor about the possibility of having your cat designated as an emotional support animal (ESA), which landlords must reasonably accommodate.

We thought putting together a list of some of our recommended products might be helpful for current cat owners as well as prospective adopters. We have a list of suggested items in a wishlist at Amazon, too.

Scratchers and Towers

The Wharf (downtown Ventura) carries an excellent selection of cat trees in various sizes. They are sturdy and very well-made. Highly recommend taking a look at their selection. As pieces sell they get new items in so you never know what you’ll find!

This scratcher from Target has been very popular with kittens and adult cats alike, including some of our bigger cats like Jacob.

Our tall scratching posts get a lot of use both as scratchers and perches! This gives even the biggest cats a stable place to fully stretch out while scratching.

This medium-height tower is popular for sitting in the front window and watching the world go by.

Toys

Almost all of our cats can be coaxed into playing with a wand toy, but certain toys seem to be more popular. Da Bird and Da Bee are huge hits, as is a very simple toy with a long ribbon of fleece.

When it comes to chasing toys, little pom poms, springs, and “cat crazies” are perennial favorites with the kittens.

Kickers! We love kickers in all shapes, sizes and textures when it comes to giving feisty kitties a healthy outlet for that need to bite, scratch, and bunny kick. We sell some in our lobby and in our online shop. The Yeowww catnip brand of bananas and rainbows are huge hits as well.

From the Field makes appealing catnip toys as well as selling dried catnip. We love their catnip oil spray and carry their products in our lobby shop.

Food

We prefer to feed the cats and kittens wet food without “meals” and “by products” when possible. We want the first ingredient to be whatever meat is supposed to be in the food. There are many excellent brands to choose from now, including Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Weruva, Fussy Cat, Merrick, Purina Beyond, Instinct, and many more. Read the labels and look for quality ingredients. Same goes for dry food, and we do offer kibble to the cats but feed them wet food twice a day.

For food dishes stay away from plastic as they can harbor bacteria.

Water Fountains

Moving water is often more appealing to cats and staying well-hydrated is important for their good health. Different cats have different preferences. We’ve had good luck with several styles at the lounge including this one and this one.

Litter

We stay away from scented litters at the lounge. There are many good litters out there including litters other than clay. This litter scoop is incredible at keeping the dust down.

Carriers

Carriers that can be loaded from the top and the front can be very helpful. Two we like include this one from Petmate at this one from Sherpa. A backpack-style carrier can be useful if you have to travel with your cat. And a large enclosure like this one can help on road trips.

Trimming Claws

We prefer little scissor-style clippers when we trim claws at the lounge (similar to these).

When we do searches online we try to stick to reliable, reputable sources for information. Two of our go-to sources:

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine – Feline Health Center

UC Davis Veterinary Medicine – Center for Companion Animal Health

And when in doubt, a call to your trusted vet is always the right thing to do!