64 The Queens Courier • pets • OCTOBER 29, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com pets s COME, KITTY, COME By Tresa Erickson Have you ever seen a cat on the loose? Perhaps it was wandering through your flowerbeds or peeking into your screen door. How long did you stand around and watch it before you called out to it? Did it come to you? No? No surprise there. Most cats will not come running even when their owner calls out to them. Stray and feral cats will almost never come when called because of a lack of socialization. Stray cats and feral cats are domestic cats, but they are not one and the same. Stray cats are just thatÑstray. At one time or another, they belonged to someone and lived in a home. Stray cats have bonded with people, whereas feral cats have not. Feral cats grew up in the wild, fending for themselves and their young. They have never had a relationship with people and fear them. Feral cats usually remain feral cats. If left to fend for themselves long enough, stray cats can become feral cats. Determining the status of a cat you see wandering around outdoors is not always easy. Cats that wear collars or look well cared for probably belong to someone in your neighborhood. They are well socialized and may even approach you when called. Cats that shy away from you are either stray or feral cats. Stray cats tend to look and act like disheveled housecats. They often have a dirty coat, walk around with their tails up and may even look or meow at you. They are most likely to be seen during the day and usually live alone. Feral cats tend to be cleaner than stray cats but act more like animals found in the wild. They live with other feral cats in a colony and often lurk around at night, crouching low all on fours in an attempt not to be seen. They want nothing to do with people and will do their best to avoid all human contact. Depending upon whether you are dealing with a stray or a feral cat, there are a number of actions you can take. You can attempt to befriend a stray cat. Because it was once part of a home, stray cats are much more likely to be socialized again. If the cat warms up to you, you may even be able to adopt it. It will take some time and effort to reacclimate the cat to a home, but it can be done. Feral cats, on the other hand, are much harder to socialize. They have been on their own so long that bringing them into a home rarely works out. You should leave a feral cat be, unless you have a trap-neuter program in your area. In that case, you may be able to trap the feral cat, have it fixed at no charge and return it to the wild. This will help keep the feral cat population in check. Should you come across a feral kitten, you may have more of a chance to connect with it. Feral kittens do not fear people as much and may even be able to be adopted. Speak to your veterinarian for further advice. Cats are wanderers by nature, and you may have seen more than one wandering around your neighborhood. Be careful how you approach it. Watch the cat for a while and befriend it only if you are sure itÕs safe. Cats can carry disease, and they do scratch and bite. DonÕt take a chance on injury. Admire the cat from afar and act with caution. FIND THE RIGHT VET By Ronda Ady Just like people, pets get sick from time to time, and for exotic pet owners, this can be a trying time. You can’t just walk into any vet’s office. You need a vet that specializes in exotic pets and knows how to treat them. It is important that you select a vet that will care for your exotic pet long before you ever need one. You want a vet that knows something about your pet and has the facilities, equipment and materials to treat them. Look for a vet that specializes in exotics and is board certified in an exotics specialty. If you can’t find one in your area, look for a vet with experience in treating exotics that is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) or the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). If you still have trouble, look for a vet that is interested in exotics and willing to learn about them and won’t be afraid to consult a specialist when needed. Start your search by gathering referrals from fellow exotic pet owners, preferably ones with the same type of pet you have. Consult other vets in the area. They may not specialize in exotics but know someone who does. Ask breeders, zoos and exotic pet organizations for referrals. You might be able to use the same vet as the breeder who sold you pet. That vet may have previous knowledge of your pet’s medical history, an added bonus. If none of these sources pan out, don’t despair. There are other places where you can gather referrals. Check the Yellow Pages for vets in your area that treat exotic pets. Check the Web site of the AAV or ARAV and all Web sites dedicated to your pet’s species to see if they have a section where owners list information about vets they have used. After you’ve found a potential vet, visit their practice to see if you will be comfortable with them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. How many years have they been treating exotic pets and how many do they see in a week? Is there more than one doctor on staff that can treat your pet? What about after-hour emergencies? Are they a member of any exotic vet organizations? What kind of services do they provide? Are they equipped to perform surgery? If the vet also treats other animals, is there a special time set aside for exotic pets so they are not in the office when other pets are? What is the cost of an office visit? What methods of payment do they accept? Once you find a vet you are comfortable with, don’t wait for an emergency for them to become familiar with your pet. Schedule an appointment for a checkup so you can see how the vet interacts with your pet. Are they comfortable handling your pet? Do they perform a thorough exam from head to tail? Do they ask about your pet’s diet, overall care and special needs? Because vet techs often handle shots and such, see how comfortable the techs are in handling your pet. With any luck, you will like the vet you see. If you don’t, keep looking. Don’t wait until you have an emergency to find a vet. You may not be able to and your pet could suffer. Start the search early and establish a relationship with the right vet. Doing so will make for a less stressful situation all the way around.
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