Steps to take when adopting street cats

Adopting street cats or adopting homeless cats that we see on the streets and everywhere we walk is a desire of many for the beauty of these cats and for the help they need. But despite this, we in the directory of veterinary clinics do not prefer changing the environment of street cats unless the cats really need help, as street cats contribute to the ecological balance, so the absence of any area of ​​them may cause an imbalance that significantly harms humans and the environment. Since many people love cats, and we believe that adopting cats and dogs is much better than buying them, you can adopt street cats that have been rescued by animal and kind associations spread in different areas, and you will definitely find one of them in the neighborhood or governorate in which you live.

In any case, whether you adopt a cat directly from the street, or you adopt it through animal welfare and care associations, there are some steps that must be paid attention to and some caveats and instructions that must be followed before adopting street cats in your home. These steps are so that you can better live with your new cat, as well as so that you can provide a good life for the cat, as street cats need some attention at first, but they are among the best cats in the house if they are domesticated and you will spend wonderful and beautiful times with them.

Was the cat leaked from a house or was it born on the street?

There are two types of cats that exist in the streets and roads: one of them is the cats that used to live in one of the houses and were leaked for one reason or another, and there are cats that were born and raised on the streets throughout their lives. In general, cats who had any kind of care before returning to the street will notice that it is easy to approach them and patt them, and they will accept you if you call them or offer them food. Domestic cats that their owners left on the street are always looking for a safe haven similar to the environment in which they lived and people who resemble their ancient owners who evicted them from their homes before.

Therefore, if the cat approaches you and wipes over you when feeding it on the street, this raises the chances that it was living in a house before. But if the cat approaches you only when you put some food or drink for her anywhere, and when you try to touch her, she runs away from you, then that means that she was born and raised in the street and did not mix with humans before.

1- Before adopting street cats, pay attention to their health status

Before adopting street cats you should be aware of some of the health risks they may be exposed to. So the first thing you should do when adopting a street cat is to go to the vet to get it checked and give it a medicine for fleas and insects. We also always recommend vaccinating street cats, sterilizing them and giving them anti-worms. Finally, the veterinarian will clean the cat's ear and make sure that it is free from scabies in cats, which is spread among street cats. These are the initial steps, as after a while you have to monitor the cat and make sure to do periodic checks, some cats may develop some intestinal diseases due to some parasites such as coccidiosis or giardia in cats.

Some other viral diseases may spread widely among cats that live on the streets, but they will only show symptoms in a few cases. Therefore, the initial examination and periodic examinations are very necessary. We do not mean here to say that street cats are sick or a carrier of diseases for sure, but they are exposed to many dangers in addition to being exposed to difficult living conditions that may lead to carrying some diseases. Therefore, if you have other cats in your home or any other animals, it is always advisable to isolate the new cat for a period of two weeks at most, so that you can be assured that it is free of any infectious diseases and give it the necessary vaccinations.

2 - Monitor the behavior of your new cat and evaluate her 

There are many reasons that lead to behavioral problems in cats, whether these cats were domestic cats that never went out on the street or they were street cats that were adopted at some point in their lives. Therefore, when adopting cats from the street, it is certain that there are some behavioral problems that will arise due to the cat not being used to life at home. Fortunately, these problems are easy to solve, as street cats are easily adapted to any new environment, especially if all amenities are provided for them, especially safety. Cats feeling safe at home after getting used to facing dangers on the street makes them easy to tame and get used to home behaviors.

The biggest problem that you may face is the cat getting used to the litter box (letterbox), as the new adopter of cats suffers from this problem and the cat does not use its litter box. To solve this problem, you have to try several types of litter boxes as well as different types of sand in order to solve the problem quickly. You should also pay attention to the cleanliness of the liter box or the litter box, and take care to do this twice a day. If you do not notice any progress in this problem, consult your veterinarian, because cats urinating outside the letterbox may be a sign of urinary retention. Also, the presence of blood in the urine may indicate urinary retention disease in cats, which needs urgent medical intervention.

3 - Deal with the cat's fear gradually

Cats, when they enter a new environment, feel fear and anticipation and cannot adapt quickly, unlike dogs, for example. And with the length of a cat's life on the street, the time for it to adapt to the new environment and not to be afraid and panic of any new situation may extend to it. You may notice that your cat fell asleep directly when entering the house, or it may hide for hours and days and not approach anyone, and these are all natural behaviors that you should not be concerned about. The adaptation period for cats to their new environment should not be rushed, as this will not help and may be counter-productive. Cats who are accustomed to living on the street do not approach humans except to obtain food, and they were certainly kicked and beaten more than once just because they approached someone to get food, so their trust in humans is almost non-existent.

Therefore, you must put this truth before your eyes when dealing with it and give it enough opportunity to trust you and approach you and gradually you will notice that it has begun to trust you. The cats you adopt from the street will only start approaching you to get food, but over time they will begin to associate with you to your person and not just because you give them food. Then do not try to break into the cat's circle, but give it a chance until it begins to get used to you more, and then you will notice that its behavior has begun to change.

Are street cats adoption possible? Can cats change their lifestyle?

Certainly, this is very possible, but it needs to do the previous steps that we have explained. We would also like to emphasize again that we do not like to change the lifestyle of cats in the street, as this may harm the overall ecosystem. So when you want to adopt a cat, we recommend that you go to animal shelters and animal welfare associations and choose what suits you best.