Here at the SoPurrfect.com household you may have noticed that we have been a bit all over the place. Well, there is a reason for that and all will be made clear.

There is a really big project that we’ve been working on and it’s going to be an ongoing project. Lots of late nights and big changes.

What do you think?

We’re pretty excited by it!!

9 years ago we met through mutual friends.

5 years ago we stood together in a beautiful ceremony as we exchanged vows on our wedding day.

Today we are please to announce that our little family is getting one more.

Leave us a comment with your advice, thoughts and suggestions for raising a baby in a house full of cats

Meow for now… Kristian

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How to Train a Cat to Stop Doing Almost Anything

Did you know that kittens and cats can be trained? Many people think that bad behaviour is a part of owning a cat. That you should let them scratch your furniture and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Well, i’m here to tell you that just isn’t true!

Here at SoPurrfect we believe that every cat and kitten has good behaviour just waiting to burst out. If you want your cat to behave well later in life then you must begin training them while they’re kittens. It is much easier to train a kitten to good behaviour (like not scratching furniture, or not jumping on counters) than it is to re-train an older cat.

What are the basics of kitten training?

• being consistent – you need to make sure you are sending them the same message every time. If you don’t they become confused.
• being timely – if you are going to use a spray bottle, you need to use it immediately when you see the naughty behaviour.
• lots of positive reinforcement – give your kitten lots of positive attention when you see good behaviour.

Scratching

One of the most common cat behavior problems is scratching. In order to feed your cat’s natural need to scratch you need to provide him with a scratching post and encourage him to use it. In the meantime, cover the areas that the cat seems to prefer to scratch on. Eventually the cat should take to the scratching post and ignore his old scratching spot.

Using a litter tray

One of the most common cat behavior problems is that your cat is not using the litter box. To fix this you need to get rid of any unpleasantness that might be around the litter box. Since cats value their privacy the first thing to do is put their litter box in a quiet and private place. Also, to let them have their own litter box that no other cats or dogs use. Since cats are clean animals they also refuse to use a dirty litter box. Their litter box needs to be kept clean in order for them to use it. With kittens, you also need to watch out for the “potty dance” where they will start scratching in an area getting ready to go to the litter and you need to pick them up and move them to the spot you want them to use as the toilet.

Do NOT reprimand your kitten during training.

What did most parents do whenever we wronged during our childhood? Instead of punishing us they took their time to teach us on the things we were weak at, and we should similarly do the same to our kittens. Focus on making your relationship interesting, fun, rewarding, and playful. Its cats nature to be excessively active and they usually get destructive when bored. An everyday relaxing massage and play session will help him to keep come. Cats that feel dismissed regularly quit utilizing their litter box however, that can be changed the moment you start paying a lot of attention to them.

If you are going to use a spray bottle then make sure:

1. You fill it with water only
2. Spray your kitten only when they are immediately naughty – if the behaviour has stopped DON’T use the spray bottle
3. Give them plenty of positive attention when they stop the naughty behaviour

Provide a friendly environment for you kitten.

Kittens love to carry on with an independent life. Don’t anticipate that he will welcome you at the door when you arrive home from a long day at work. Do not expect your kitten to sit by your side all the time; they are not so much appreciative to these things. But, once you set up an environment for them that is pretty much independent then you can expect an adjustment in the behavior truly soon.

Reward and treat your kitten

Your kitten cannot not figure out how to do things overnight; be patient with him and take much time training him. The most ideal way kittens figure out how to do things is by rewarding them and positive reinforcement. When he conducts himself in a pleasant way reward him; this will give you more chances to educate your kitten on the things you need him to learn. If he permits you to tie a leash on him or responds to your calling then you should pay him back with a good treat.

Remember timing is everything in rewarding your kitten. Kitten have limited ability to focus, so the reward must come promptly (within seconds) of the conduct or your kitten won’t understand what it’s for.

Kittens or cats in general are to a great extent delightful creatures and their nature makes them interesting to live with. Kitten training may take additional time than training a puppy, but if you are patient enough to accommodate their slow learning progress, you will eventually see the splendid side of your cat pet and trust me it will be worth it.

Is your kitten naughty or nice?

Meow for now… Kristian

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Everything You Need To Know About Easter Lily Poisoning

Despite their magnificence, Easter lilies are a great health risk to your cat. Indeed, all parts of the sensitive white blossom that shows up on such a large number of Easter supper tables is dangerous to your cat. Only one bite of the petal, pollen, the stem, or even the leaves of an Easter lily can wreak havoc on your cats digestive system, if left unattended, can prompt kidney failure and demise. Keep in mind, Easter lilies are not the only kind of lilies that are poisonous to cats; rubrum lilies, tiger lilies, and a few types of day lilies are likewise life threatening to your cat friends.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs of possible poisoning regularly appear between 6-12 hours of exposure. Early signs comprises of lethargy, lack of appetite, vomit, and lack of hydration. Untreated, signs compound as intense kidney failure may develop, and signs observed with your cat of not urinating or urinating too regularly, intemperate thirst or not drinking water, and irritation of the pancreas might be a sign of lily poisoning. Uncommon signs may include tremors, confusion, drunk walking, and even seizures

Treatment

With regards to treatment of lily poisoning in cats, time is of great importance. You should immediately look for emergency veterinary care. On the off chance that treatment is offered within 6 hours upon exposure, odds are that your cat will survive. However, following 18-24 hours upon exposure, the prognosis is not as assured, even for Kitty’s who get treatment.

Treatment involves emptying the gastrointestinal tract by making the affected cat vomit. This isn’t as much fun as it sounds. Veterinarians may likewise administer activated charcoal to neutralize the poisons. Intravenous liquid treatment is recommended for no less than 48 hours so as to treat or even prevent renal(kidney) failure. Your cat should be hospitalized and have his or her pee values and blood chemistry intently monitored to decide whether treatment has been successful .

Prevention action

The most ideal approach to protect your cat from lily poisoning is to ensure your it doesn’t have access Easter lily in the first place. The good news is, there are a lot of other wonderful Easter lilies that are nor poisonous to your cat, including Easter orchids, violets, Easter Cactus or daisies.

Different causes of cat poisoning.

There are other flowers that can be very unsafe to cats and kittens.

Arum(Zantedeschia aethiopica) or calla lilies and peace lilies (Spathiphyllum sp.) have crystals that are to a great degree irritating to your cats mouth and food tract, bringing about diarrhoea, vomiting, and drooling; but, they don’t influence the kidneys.

Valley lilies (Convalaria majalis) do harm to the heart, bringing about unpredictable heart pulse and low blood pressure, and can advance to seizures or unconsciousness.

Shouldn’t something be said about different sorts of lilies? Are they poisonous?

Various kinds of lilies like Peace and Peruvian lilies don’t bring about fatal kidney failure, yet they additionally can be somewhat toxic as well, as they contain oxalate crystals which causes irritation of the tissue in the mouth, tongue, throat, and pharynx – bringing about drooling. In the event that your cat is seen devouring any part of a lily plant, bring your it (and the plant) as soon as possible to a veterinarian for health care.

Have a very safe Easter!

Meow for now… Kristian

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Moving to a New Home With Your Cat

Today on SoPurrfect we have a special guest blog by Evelyn Valdez, creator of PlaywithMeow! She has kindly shared her experiences of moving with cats and how to settle them into their new home. Have a read and let us know what you think in the comments. You should also head on over to her blog and check it out.

How to Move to a New House with Cats

If cats were allowed to choose, they would choose to stay where they are already happy and settled in. Generally, cats don’t always find it easy to adjust to new surroundings and are extremely stressed when they move into a new home. Their nervousness and anxiety caused by the move may make the cat act in an unusual manner such as trying to escape or hiding. Today we are going to look at some of the things that you can do to lessen your cat’s anxiety when relocating to a new house.

1. Preparing Your Cat for the Move Process

The first action is to allow your cat to become accustomed to his carrier. The best way to do this is to leave it sitting out in your living room with the door open. Place a comfortable bed in where your cat can relax. Leave treats inside the carrier so that he can find them by his own. Feeding the cat inside the carrier will also help him to get used to the carrier.

Put your relocating boxes a couple of weeks before you start packing. This will allow your cat to become accustomed to their existence. If you find your cat extremely nervous when you start parking, it is a wise idea to keep him in a closed silent room away from all the noise and activity.

Ensure that your cat’s normal routine is not altered. Ensure you feed him at the right time and play with him so that he does not feel neglected.

If you have a cat that is easily stressed, you can consult your vet regarding using anti-anxiety medication that makes a move a bit more comfortable.

2. During the move

Before the relocation van arrives, keep your cat in a calm room. A bedroom is a wise choice. Placing the cat in your bedroom ensures that he will be familiar with the furniture and the surrounding. In case your cat finds it hard adjusting to the new place, you can keep him in the bedroom where he will find familiar furniture. This will let relax and feel safe.

Ensure that the door and windows are shut and then place the cat carrier, cat bed, water bowl, food bowl and the cat litter tray.

Put a notice on the door so that the removal men and family members know that the door should remain closed.

Place the cat in the carrier and keep him in the car. Never keep him in the boot of the car or together with the furniture. Ensure he can see you or at least feel that you are with him. If it is a hot day, ensure that the car is well ventilated. Additionally, if you have to stop for a break, do not leave him in the car. You should also offer your cat food and drinks especially if you the journey is long.

3. After the move

When moving house with a cat, ensure that the new home is cat proof. This will make sure that he can’t escape. It is also crucial to ensure that there are no poisonous plants or pest control traps in the house.

Take the cat in a silent room where there is minimal or no disturbance. Set up his food bowl, water bowl, cat litter box, as well as comfortable bed. You can also leave some treats around the room to encourage him to explore. After setting the room, you can now release him from the carrier.

For the first few days, keep the cat restricted to this room. This will make it easier for him to be familiar with the new surroundings. It will also be easy for him to access food, water, and litter box. After a small number of days, you can leave another room open for him to explore.

Spend quality time together with your cat in his room doing low-key activities such as reading or watching the TV. When your cat begins to explore, give him attention, playtime, and treats.

Provide a second cat litter box so that the cat can access it in case he forgets his room. The second litter box should be kept in your preferable location. Once the cat has finally settled, you can remove the other litter box.

Conclusion

Although moving your cat into a new home may be one of the most stressing experiences for your cat, using the above tips will help him to have an easier time. Additionally, using the tips will allow your cat to settle calmly with minimal problems so that he can achieve the harmony of the new home more quickly.

Meow for now… Kristian & Evelyn

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About our Author:

My name is Evelyn Valdez, creator of PlaywithMeow! I love all pets (especially cats) because they always make me happy and healthy. I want to connect with other pet lovers in the world to share experience in healthy and caring pets

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Everyone needs a mid week pick me up and what better way than a video of kittens chasing lasers!

These are two of our gorgeous foster care graduates – they now have their forever homes and are chasing lasers in their permanent home. Luckily, we have this video of them to remember them forever.

Sugar and Spice were so much fun to film because they just loved to play! Don’t forget to give us a thumbs up if you like the video!!

Meow for now… Kristian

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Why Does Your Cat Hate Being Picked Up?

We all love to pick up our cats and cuddle them, but some cats do not like to be picked up. Why? The answers are actually really simple and we will explain. We’ve all seen the photos on the internet of cats looking bored and unhappy while their owners hold them for photos.

Sometimes, when you go to pick up your cat them may complain loudly – MEOW! Other cats may just struggle against you and try to escape at every opportunity.

So, on to the WHY?

Personality & Socialisation

Some cats just don’t like to be held. Not all humans like to be touched/hugged and cats can be the same. It can also be how they were socialised as kittens. If they were left to their own devices and not picked up a lot or interacted with they will grow up to expect that and won’t like being picked up. As a foster carer I make sure to touch, cuddle and play with all the kittens who come to my house (I’m selfless that way!). This way, I know that when they go to their forever home they will like to interact with the humans that have adopted them.

Feeling restrained

Cats don’t like feeling restrained. When they are picked up it is an action against their will and it restrict their movement. Particularly cats who may have had traumatic or difficult experiences in the past (like being abandoned) will often struggle against being picked up. This is because they want to be free to escape any danger and when they are being held they can’t do that. It’s important to be understanding of this and of your  cats history.

Forced affection

If you regularly dismiss your cats objections and pick them up they may learn to tolerate being held… but more likely they will see you as an unsafe person and stop coming to you for affection. It’s much better to go with your cats personality and quirks and love them for the affection they do show you than trying to force cuddles on them.

Ask about personality

The best thing about adopting a cat is that the staff will often know their personality (or is it… purrsonality?) and can point you towards a cat that really loves to cuddle. Many kittens have been fostered before they are available for adoption and as such the staff know what their experiences with humans have been. Don’t be afraid to ask about the personality of the cat you want to adopt.

How to change it?

With kittens, start slowly… introduce them to being picked up and cuddled and played with. When they struggle, let them down immediately so that they know they are safe. Do this often throughout the day – not just once or twice.

With adult cats, let them come to you. Again, you can pick them up and give them a brief stroke but put them down BEFORE they begin to struggle. This way they know they are safe and can learn to like the cuddle before it becomes annoying to them.

Good luck and happy cuddles.

Meow for now… Kristian

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This is one of my favourite photos of Flash.

He loves to have his ears pulled back and he purrs so loudly when you do it.

Sometimes, you just know the kitten you have is a weird one, and there isn’t anything you can do to change it. Flash is one of those kittens.

He has so many derp faces we just can’t keep up.

What do you think?

Meow for now… Kristian

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DIY Your Own Ottoman Scratching Post

You know you love a good DIY project. Especially if it’s for your cat. We found this amazing ottoman (for really cheap) and we thought we would show you how we keep our home stylish, chick and still cat friendly.

Because we foster so many kittens we end up with so many cat toys that we need to rotate through so that the kittens don’t get bored. As such, this ottoman is PURR-fect for storing any excess toys or toys we don’t want them to play with.

So, we thought how can we make this ottoman into something versatile that will just blend in with our home? Make it a make-shift scratching post!

It’s really easy and will only take you an hour and a few simple tools.

What do you need?

• an ottoman
• sisal rope
• Hot glue gun or nail gun
• regular craft glue
• scissors, ruler & a marker

What are you going to do?

Get all your items together and organised. Make sure the kittens aren’t playing with your sisal rope. Trust me, they will want to.

Measure out 1-2 inches from the top & bottom of your ottoman.

Mark this out with your marker.

Use your scissors (or sharp knife) to cut the fabric and foam.

Strip it back to expose your beautiful (mostly) naked ottoman.

Use the hot glue gun (or nail gun) to glue down the fabric on the top & bottom to prevent fraying and moving.

It should look like this…

Use the hot glue gun to start laying down your sisal rope. Overlay this with the fabric so you don’t have any gaps. If you are using a nail gun use it to nail down the first 1-3 rows. Using hot glue or a nail gun will mean that it is really securely in place and won’t tear away when your cats are having a vigorous scratch.

After the first 3 layers use the craft glue and a paintbrush to glue down the rest of the sisal rope. As you can see I ended up turning my ottoman upside down as it was easier (for me) to work from the bottom up instead of the top down.

Make sure you use the hot glue (or nail gun) every 5-6 rows to make sure it is securely glued in place.

Before you know it, you’ll be reaching the end!

Enjoy the new addition to your home. Your cats and kittens will!

Let us know what you think and don’t forget to check out our other DIY projects like the 5 minute cat tent!

Meow for now… Kristian

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We have new foster kittens and they are tiny. They came to us at just 350grams and can easily fit into my hand.

They are so cute and sweet.

We’ve even managed to carry them around in my bathrobe pockets in the morning while having coffee. It was so cute! You can check out the clip on Instagram >> seriously, you should take a look.

We love these two cuties and are so happy that they will be part of our family for now. Because they are so small, they are very good hiders. We have to be very careful when we enter/exit a room to make sure they don’t get trapped in the room.

They love to play with small toys like mice and the LOVE to chase the feathers.

What do you think of these to mischief makers?

Are you in love yet?

Thank you always to The Cat on My Head for hosting this blog hop.

Meow for now… Kristian

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How to Keep Cats Calm During A Major Storm

In the event of a major storm, and ‘storm’ here does not mean a passing thunderstorm but a population-threatening event, immediately crate your cat(s). Do not assume your cat will come when called in such a situation; when cats get scared they hide, often under a bed or in a closet. This makes it very hard to reach them in time when you need to be rushing out the door to save yourself, so make sure you have the cat in a position and place to get them out. Be ready to take them to the vehicle with you should you need to make an immediate exit. A dire storm can be a threatening and confusing time for human much fewer cats.

Why do storms freak cats out?

The pressure changes in a storm system can affect cats adversely and cause them to become disoriented and panicked. The last thing anyone needs at that point is to have a cat dash from the safer confines of a home and run into traffic where they can be hit by oncoming vehicles or even cause an accident. It is all too common a scenario and one that can be completely avoided.

What do you need?

You will also want to create an emergency kit for your cat that can be stashed in the car ahead of time or left near the door for easy grabbing as you run out. This pet emergency kit should include enough food and water for several days to a week’s time, any medications your cat might need and something familiar for comforts, like a shirt with your scent on it or a favorite toy. A great veterinarian tip is to include a can of tuna in the emergency kit, which can be used for protein by cats and can even be consumed by humans. Make sure you know in advance which shelters will accept pets and in the case of your shelter not take cats, be certain you know the pet boarding places that will. With the advance time allotted in tracking the hurricane or storm, call the cats shelters to make arrangements for a drop-off.

What to avoid?

Do not abandon your cats to fend for themselves even if you leave enough food and water at home. While you evacuate, your beloved pet is alone, frightened and unable to open doors or think beyond the moment of her terror. Hurricane Floyd saw over three million pets, and livestock lost to abandonment while their caretakers scurried off to a safe place and left their animal charges home alone. With Hurricane Andrew, a thousand pets were euthanized for lack of space and no one stepping forward in time to claim them. In the days that followed Hurricane Katrina, over ten thousand animals were rescued from the floods and wreckage, but few were claimed, leading to more euthanizing. A domesticated animal left on its own in the conditions that remain in the wake of a major storm, especially a hurricane, usually do not survive.

If you stay calm, your cat will stay calm

Even if you are not in the direct path a hurricane and do not need to evacuate, be aware of the pressure changes inherent with a storm front and how that can affect your pet, especially the loud noises and flashing lights associated with stormy weather. Providing your pet the calming security of a crate or leash would be an act of kindness even if it is not technically needed. Stay strong and calm yourself and your cat will sense your fearlessness and try to make it their own.

Pets, especially cats, need to see a demonstration of level-headedness, quiet strength, and a peaceful demeanor during times of high and frightening action. When a pets’ world starts to crumble, you are to be the solid rock to which they can cling for survival. Fall apart yourself, and the poor creature will have nothing on which to determine its security level. First and foremost, you are the anchor so do not panic, scream or freak out more than is necessary. Chances are this behavior will be appreciated by everyone involved, not just the animals. Remember that a pet looks to you for its safety and it is your responsibility as a pet parent to provide it as best you can.

Have you ever had to evacuate with a cat?

Meow for now… Kristian

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