Posts Tagged: "cats nails"

Big Challenge

Animal Care Qualifies for $100K Challenge! A BIG THANK YOU to all of our supporters who voted for Broward County Animal Care during the qualifying round of the ASPCA $100K Challenge. We finished in fifth place with 19,479 votes! In the Southeast Division we came in first place! We have now officially qualified to be one of the 50 contestants vying for $100,000 in grant money. Our next goal is to save at least 300 more cats and dogs during the months of August, September and October 2012 than we did during the same period last year. The shelter that achieves the greatest increase in lives saved during the three-month period will receive the grand prize of $100,000. So stay tuned for more details as we gear up to help even more pets in need!

Bottle Feeders Still Urgently Needed! Kitten season, from May to September, is almost here and it is during this time of year that we see a big increase in the number of young kittens that come into our Adoption Centers. Many of these kittens are orphaned and, therefore, must be bottle fed by a loving and caring Foster Parent in order to survive. Very young kittens must be bottle fed within hours of arriving at our shelter, so a strong team of bottle feeders is essential for their survival and growth. Foster Parent applicants should be able to have the time to bottle feed every few hours day and night. To register to provide foster care, please contact our Foster Coordinator, at 954-359-1313 ext. 9272.

Community Events:

• Free Wellness Clinic for Dogs, Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to noon, at David Park, 108 N. 33 Court, Hollywood. Pets will receive a rabies vaccination, parvo/distemper vaccine, Broward County Pet Registration Tag and topical flea/tick treatment. The Clinic is only open to residents in the 33020, 33021, 33023 and 33024 neighborhoods. All dogs must be on leashes and proof of residency (driver’s license or utility bill) is required.
• Dog Smarts 101 Class, Tuesday, May 8, from 6 p.m. to 7 pm., at Tree Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100 Avenue, Davie. The pet education class will teach dog owners (or anyone thinking about getting a pet), important information about dog behavior and why dogs do the things they do. This is the perfect class for anyone experiencing behavioral problems with their dog. The class is FREE to all residents. Since this is not a dog training session, no pets will be permitted to the program.

Curious Cat Wants to Meet You! Curious is a beautiful 1-year-old gentleman. He’s got a pretty white coat and is a gentle fellow. He has been with us since early March, so he is quite “curious” as to why he has not found a home yet! Please don’t let this guy down, he is willing to snuggle and cuddle, so don’t miss out! Please stop by to see Curious at our Fort Lauderdale Adoption Center, 1870 S.W. 39 St. We are open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Broward County Animal Care and Adoption
1870 SW 39th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
Broward County Animal Care Web Site

Why Cats Like to Scratch

Scratching is a normal part of cat behavior and serves several functions, including conditioning of the claws, providing a means of stretching and acting as a marker (both olfactory, or scent, and visual).  Cats like to scratch!  The act of scratching actually removes frayed and worn outer claws, exposing new, sharper ones.  However, what is normal cat behavior can become frustrating to deal with for cat owners.  Particularly when the cat in question starts destroying furniture or even scratching members of the family or groomer.

The vast majority of cats will live happy, non-furnitue-destroying lives without being declawed, and a few extra steops taken by the caring paet parent can help to ensure this is the case.  In most cases, problem scratching can be prevented with environmental and behavioral management.

In some cases, keeping the cat away from the area that is being damaged is the simplest solution to the problems.  Another variation is to allow the cat to have access to whatever is being scratched inappropriately, but to make that area unattractive to the cat while making a more appropriate area more attractive.  many cats scratch the couch because they simply do not have another option with appropriate posts to do so.  Hopefully, your cat is not scratching but you are trying to pre-empt a problem.