This is the Hissing Feline Podcast, a weekly program that is about everything cats. The Hissing Feline features experts and other cat aficionados who share their knowledge and perspectives about dealing with felines. From strays and ferals to adoption, health, and cat psychology. We hope the topics give you helpful and interesting insight into the world of cats. Now, here is the host of the hissing feline, Clark Creer.
SPEAKER_02Everywhere we look this time of year, there are baby animals. My wife and I have seen goslings, baby groundhogs, and calves, and of course, kittens. Kitten season lasts from spring to late fall, but now is the peak time of the year for their arrival. It's also when shelters take in large numbers of the babies along with their mothers. With me today to visit about kittens' health and adopting them is Carol Griglione, Executive Director of the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, Iowa. Thank you for being on this episode of the podcast to discuss a very crucial topic.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's my pleasure. Thank you for having me on.
SPEAKER_02I'll bet in the ARL you get more than enough kittens this time of year.
SPEAKER_01Boy, we sure do. So we kind of call kitten season April through September here at the Animal Rescue League. And um typically we get anywhere from 2,100 kittens to 2,400 kittens. That doesn't include the adult cats, and that's only April through September every year.
SPEAKER_02That is that's a lot of kittens. It's a lot of kittens. Yeah. A lot of kittens. And I enjoy looking at kittens, but that's a lot of kittens for you folks to deal with here.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it sure is. I I say there's nothing cuter than a kitten, and they're better than TV most times. Um, but it's a lot. It's a lot.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Are there some top concerns or questions that potential kitten adopters ask you about?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we have um anywhere from uh even when they're adopting a kitten and not an adult cat, but like decline, is decline good? And of course, we uh really refer people to alternative alternative things to decline. So starting we love when the question comes up with kittens because we can hopefully get people started on the right paw uh for training their kitten to scratching posts and alternatives to doing anything like that, because we absolutely, of course, don't recommend decline. But one of the other, you know, really common questions we get is how do I get the kitten started and introduced to other resident cats or pets that they have? Um and we're, you know, open and I think we're pretty good about giving people uh solutions and what you can do and how you get them used to each other, but it is a pretty common question we get.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, what are some of the challenges that people might have when adopting a kitten versus bringing in uh an older cat into the household?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Well, I I I'm probably one of those people that's gonna say one of the best things you can do is adopt two kittens because one of the best or biggest problems, and maybe not a problem, but challenges you'll get with adopting a kitten is you have a kitten that's running around your house and it is bored, it's getting into stuff, it's curious, it's never seen drapes before, it's never, you know, seen this before, or that before, a kitchen counter, that sort of thing. And so it's kind of just that initial bringing the kitten home, getting it quote unquote trained, where it understands like here's where you scratch, here's where you use the litter box. But one of the best things you could probably do is adopt two kittens, to be honest, because they are going to keep each other occupied when you're at work or gone.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, when we got we got a kitten many years ago, yeah, we had no idea. We thought this is cute, and friends said, Mother Cat had kittens under a bush. Would you like to look? Well, we wouldn't look, and of course, we felt sorry for the little kitten. And when she was old enough, brought her home, and it's she took over everything and she did climb the curtains. One day we couldn't figure out where the kitten was, and my wife looks up at the top of the uh the drapes, and there's the cat looking down at us. So it's not you never know what you're gonna get with the kitchen. You really have to be ready for the little tikes.
SPEAKER_01You do, but let's all admit it, they're really fun to have. So, right. You just got to work around some of those things.
SPEAKER_02Do adopters have uh specific criteria they're looking for when they they they know I want a kitten, I want a younger cat. Do they have some specific things in mind?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a lot of the times. So a lot of times they'll come in and go, you know, I really want a kitten that's gonna be a lap cat, or I really want a kitten that's not gonna be a lap cat. Um the problem and challenge comes with that is is their personalities are gonna develop as they get older, just like humans. And so we can't necessarily predict that kitten, even though it's acting more shy in a in the cage it's in right now, is gonna come home and sit on your lap. If as it develops, just like humans, their personalities are gonna come out.
SPEAKER_02Uh another thing is the lifestyle of the adopter. If somebody's used to doing things, maybe they travel a lot or they like to go out and do these types of things. That's pretty hard, especially when they have a kit and they have to think we've got a new little tiny life in the house we have to be considerate about.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And they can get in trouble, let's face it. They can, you know, not know what a plant is and like get into a plant and dig and get dirt around, and they can get shut into places because they don't know, hey, you know, this is what I need to do. And so you absolutely need to consider your own personal lifestyle and what makes sense for you. And that is really, I joke about it, but it is really what we try to also educate adopters about is if you aren't home a lot or you do travel a lot or you're gonna be gone for long periods of time in your house, maybe you really should adopt too so that they actually have a friend and a companion. And what we find is we get adopters, they adopted a kitten, they'll call later, come in later, and say, you know, my cat's all alone, it's causing all these problems, it's da-da-da. And really, we try to say to them, maybe you should get another kitten. Most of the time they'll do that, they get another kitten and problem solved. They have each other. And I also think from a human standpoint, I don't know about you, but um, I always feel bad leaving a kitten by itself in my house. So if I've got two or I have an adult and I bring in a kitten that matches up with that personality, I don't feel as bad personally that they're home alone by themselves so much. And that kind of helps you as a human to feel better about it as well. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, we found that out having older cats is uh is when we lost our cat lived who lived almost to be 21, well, it was very sad, but we thought you know, Bridget, who is our calico, look looked like she was missing Sadie. And so we actually a month later adopted another cat, and they're really different personalities because of their ages, and they just you know, but they I think they like being together. It gives them some company in the house to do that, and that's a really good reason to think about having two kittens.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I could not agree more. I they do know there's something else around in the house. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh is there such a thing as finding the perfect kitten?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I I think that's kind of all in the in the person. So um perfect by the person's definition, you know, and do those kittens match up to those expectations? And that kind of comes back to us as the people, the adopters, you know, what are our expectations and are they realistic or unrealistic? And the perfect kitten is gonna be the one that you fall in love with and have that bond with, and that's gonna be the perfect kitten.
SPEAKER_02I guess it's like kids too, is that uh I guess there's no perfect children either.
SPEAKER_01But I I dare say maybe you and me and your wife, but yeah, when we were kids. So but no, it's a it's a very good point. No nobody and nothing and no cat or kitten is gonna be like perfectly behave by definition that somebody would give it. You have to you have to give it the definition of perfect.
SPEAKER_02Cats are a little independent. They are even even the lovey ones, uh, they're still gonna be independent. If you want them to do something, they'll probably do the opposite.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And like my cat bocce, he opens, has learned how to open kitchen cupboards and pull dishes out. I would still say he's perfect because he makes me laugh and he gives me companionship and I love him. And um so it's all in kind of our definition.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we have we have uh five or six of our cabinets that I've put uh child locks on because Maddie loves to go out. It's one though with a cabinet's a little taller, it's our pantry, and she'll get in there and they can't get out because the door is too heavy. So I put a child lock on that recently, and uh I think she now she wants to still get in there. Exactly. Do kittens have a forever temperament when you take a kitten home, is this pretty much they're gonna be, or are they gonna develop a personality as they get older?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're definitely gonna develop a personality when they get older. So um, and that just again, you know, I always hate that I always put things back to like humans and other species, but you think about it, it's just like us, we start out, and as we develop, as we learn, as we have relationships, as we figure stuff out, our personalities are gonna, you know, somewhat change. You can adopt an adult cat, uh, and we can probably give you a better close guess as to that personality. And we could take a litter of kittens and say, okay, that one tends to hang back, this one tends to be uh the one that's pouncing on all the rest of them, but it's gonna develop as they develop.
SPEAKER_02Does does the color of the cat dictate the type of temperament? You know, you've got orange tabbies, and we've got a gray tabby and a calico, and there's uh tuxedo cats, there's all sorts of, and then there's specific types of breeds, and obviously they have their own color schemes and so forth. Do those types of things dictate the type of temperament the cat's gonna have?
SPEAKER_01Not really. Uh although I tell you, since I started volunteering here 40 years ago, I hear that all the time. Somebody will say, Oh, it's a calico cat, it's just crabby, or it's an orange cat, it's really spicy, and they call them spicies, but really the color doesn't really dictate what personality that cat is gonna have.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. We found that out. Uh we we thought that our calico, every calico is gonna be this one. And I talked to somebody who said, no, not necessarily calicoes, and they can tend to be a little spicy, but our cat is really lovey and affectionate. So there we are. Yep. What types of things should people look for when they adopt a kitten?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so one thing that we really um well, first of all, uh have to promote here that Animal Rescue League and other sh some other animal shelters, you know, we're lucky we have veterinary staff, we do look over the kittens, but when you go in to look at anywhere, uh you should definitely look for are they bright, you know, are their eyes bright, are they sneezing at all? They may have an upper respiratory kitty cold uh that just needs to, you know, be looked at. Um they could have loose stool. Um but one of the things to think about with some of those things too is as you take your kitten home, stress definitely can cause some of those issues to appear. They can start looking like they've got a cold, they can start having those stools. And really it's things that you should definitely touch base and you should continue to monitor. But you should definitely look at a kitten and say, you know, okay, looks bright, eyes look bright, you know, doesn't look like it's got a runny nose. Um, just the basics for sure.
SPEAKER_02So people should thoroughly check versus just look at this kitten's cute. They probably better check to make sure that everything looks okay with the kitten.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02So are there some common signs that there might be an issue with the animal? Not even necessarily the day of the adoption, but some things they can continue to look for and monitor when they take the cat home.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I think the biggies are uh like we were talking about, kind of the runny nose or runny eyes, could mean they have a upper respiratory kitty cold. Um, loose stool for sure, or if there's blood in the stool at all, could be caused by stress. I'm not a veterinarian, but just from experiences here at the Animal Rescue League, that's another thing to look at. Um you know, excessive licking and a lot of some of this could just be from from stress. You know, they're getting taken away maybe from a litter, they're we're in a shelter, now they're going into a home, which is a great thing, but they need to acclimate and they may be fearful of that.
SPEAKER_02Are there some uh common health issues that people might see with kittens where if they adopt an older cat that maybe that's not gonna be present? Kittens can be pretty delicate. I mean, they're just little animals.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they certainly can, and a lot of it has to do with, you know, stomach, loose stool, that sort of thing. And eat that can even be things like they were feet getting fed one thing at the place that you got them from. You take them home and you put them on a different cat food, it upsets their stomach. But um, definitely something to look at, you know. Usually um just having that regular relationship with a veterinarian is a great thing to have. And we highly recommend that when you adopt a kitten, whether it's from us or from another shelter, or you get one from somebody that maybe had a litter of kittens, you definitely develop that relationship with a veterinarian.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's that's what we first did when we got Sadie many, many years ago, is that's one of the first things. And because the the mother cat had her outside, yeah, is that you know they'd clean her ears and do real simple things. She turned out to be okay. Yeah. But there are things that uh that will recognize pretty fast that there are some issues with a kitten.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And if you're getting a kitten, you know, you probably should definitely make sure there aren't fleas that you're taking into your house. To your point about the ears, making sure the ears, there's maybe no ear mites that you might give to, you know, another pet, basically. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02And kittens are not just miniature cats. They're not. That's the other thing. They have their own dietary needs, uh, immune system issues because they're so small. They're some of that's still developing, I think.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And they definitely have their own dietary needs. And uh some people will say, Oh, well, they can just eat what my other cat is eating. Well, your other cat may be an adult, could be a senior cat, which is on senior cat food, could have its own dietary things, and your kitten needs this food, this kitten food, but it probably shouldn't be drinking a lot of milk, which a lot of people just associate to oh, I have a kitten, I'll give it milk, which it shouldn't have. So, you know, cow's milk basically.
SPEAKER_02What would you recommend when somebody says, I want a kitten, I this kitten is fine, it's just the perfect cat for me. How should people prepare their home for a kitten? What are some things they should do around the house?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Definitely look if this is the only feline you're gonna have in the house, um, and there isn't one already there that you maybe kind of feline-proofed your house, uh, definitely look at the plants you have and make sure that none of them are poisonous because kittens are gonna get into those sorts of things. Um, you'll definitely want to make sure that um, you know, you have a scratching post set up. You're definitely gonna want to make sure you don't have hazards out that could cause a problem with a kitten. For example, uh maybe your kitten gets focused on chewing on a cord. You're gonna want to make sure that you unplug a cord or put a deterrent on that cord, which you can do. So when they chew on it, it doesn't taste good, and they're like, oh yeah, I'm not gonna chew on cords anymore. So all of those sorts of things, you know, like you baby proof a house, you have to kitten proof a house.
SPEAKER_02You're listening to the Hissing Feline podcast. I'm your host, Clark Greer. Today's guest is Carol Griglione, executive director of the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, Iowa. Coming up in the second segment of the program, we'll talk about further issues about health and preparing your home for kitten adoption. Please stay with us.
SPEAKER_00The young couple were dyed in the wool dog people who dreamed of someday having a faithful mutt. Cats were not even on their list. That was until they adopted a timid gray tabby they named Sadie. The cuteness quickly turned into reality when Sadie took charge of the house. The good news was that on her best days, the cat was only slightly difficult. Yet, over two decades, Sadie became a beloved part of the family. The Striped Tornado, Life and Times of a Rotten Cat, is Sadie's story, a memoir that will inspire readers to rise above their challenges, to find companionship and love in the most unlikely places. The Striped Tornado, available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_02This is the Hissing Feline Podcast. I'm your host, Clark Greer, with my guest, Carol Griglione, Executive Director of the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, Iowa. Our topic today is kittens, and as cute as they look, adopting a kitten requires careful consideration. Things like health issues, preparing your home for the arrival, even the adopter's lifestyle. It's a big decision that requires patience once the new family member is in the home. And give the kitten time is really a big thing here.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. You gotta let you gotta let in your head and your family and everything realize that it's gonna take some time for that kitten to acclimate into the home. And some are gonna do it more quickly than others. Um I've taken cats and kittens home, and within two days they were all at home, they felt great, everything was going good. I've also done it where it's been weeks. Um doesn't mean it's been bad for the whole weeks, it hasn't been, it's just making some adjustments.
SPEAKER_02So let's think about what people should do when they first bring the kitten in the home. Sure. Uh there's some things they should observe, maybe mannerisms. There's a there's probably dozens of things that they should consider.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. So if there's already resident pets, and whether that's uh dogs or cats, um, you probably want to set the kitten up in a separate room. A lot of us don't, I'm not gonna lie. I probably never have, and uh, there's been good experiences with that and bad experiences that we say if you can do it, you can set the kitten up in a separate room, in a bedroom, um, and have a litter box, food and water, let them acclimate to that space, and then you can get begin to open up their world. And I and one of the reasons I stress that as something maybe more important to think about is because with kittens, you may have a litter box and you decide I'm gonna put the litter box in the basement, and you let the and the kitten doesn't necessarily know where that litter box is. And kittens may figure out at the last second I have to go and I can't remember where the litter box is. And we do get litter box calls uh from kitten owners who say, Okay, my kittens aren't using the litter box, probably because we gave them too much space. So we'll tell people set them up in a separate room, let them acclimate to that room, and then you start opening it up, give more space, or you can start to open it up, giving them space while you're home, and then shut them back in the room when you're not there, so you can also keep an eye on them. Because we also know kittens can get themselves into trouble.
SPEAKER_02Yes, they can.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they can. They can start climbing drapes and get halfway up and go, what am I doing? And can't figure out about getting back down. Um, you know, they can get under a couch and squeezed into a little spot and then figure out, okay, now I don't know how to get out of here. They can get into eating a plant that they shouldn't be eating. So one of the best things I think you can do is you adopt a kitten, get a kitten, you take it home. Maybe if you're not gonna be home, make sure you have a separate space for it. If you're gonna be home to watch it, you'll be able to watch it and help it to learn where's the litter box, where's the food, that sort of thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So another thing that I've read about is that uh if someone wants to bring a kitten into the home, you've got to consider everybody else that's in the home. It may be children, it could be maybe an older mom or dad that lives in the home, and you have to really consider everybody else before you make the decision to bring a little one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think that's a great point because kittens are gonna get underfoot. And if you've maybe got, you know, some seniors living with you, it may get underfoot, it may trip. Heck, it probably trip me at this point, you know, because you they're dodging in and out, they're chasing balls, all sorts of things. You really have to consider the lifestyle you've got at your house, who's in your house. Is everyone comfortable with that? I don't know about you, but I've also had a situation where a kitten will start to climb up my jeans, and it can be painful.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's happened before, yes. We remember that, don't we? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And so you have to think of those things and make sure everybody in the house is ready for it, and that you're kind of also on the same page. You don't want somebody telling the kitten one thing and then somebody else telling the kitten something else, or you're trying to train it and get acclimated to your house. That's very confusing.
SPEAKER_02Do you recommend some questions that somebody should ask, either a shelter or the ARL prior to adopting a kitten?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I sure do. Um, we recommend ask all sorts of questions like doesn't do you know the background at all? And do you not do you know the background of the parents? Because maybe the mom cat was uh outside community cat, feral didn't like humans, and we're trying to uh acclimate a kitten, which is great, can be done totally, but that's gonna give you a little bit of information about what sort of parents that cat had to give you that information. Where did it come from? Uh why is it at a shelter? And I would ask I would ask that question. I mean, I love the Animal Rescue League, I love animal shelters. I think they're they're great and great purpose out there in the community for helping animals, but we do like to provide that information to adopters. You know, this kitten was found on the street, this kitten came in with a bunch of other kittens, um, and it kind of gives you a little bit more of that information to help that acclimation uh happen more smoothly.
SPEAKER_02Is it possible? Uh I know in humans, if you visit a uh medical doctor, they're probably gonna ask you medical background and these types of questions. Is it feasible? I know sometimes it might not be, but maybe it would help the adopter to know if there's something going on in the family where that kitten came from.
SPEAKER_01Oh, absolutely. Um you definitely want to ask those questions. And I think that's a great example of as humans we would ask those questions. At the Animal Rescue League, we do provide a health certificate. What we know, all the background, what we've treated for to your earlier comment about even like if it had ear mites, we're gonna let you know it had ear mites if you had and those are questions to ask because you know that way you're kind of also okay, it used to have ear mites. Okay, I'm noticing a little bit, I probably need to get it re you know, re-looked at, or you know, it had vaccines, you feel a bump, it's probably the vaccine spots site, but at least you'll know it had vaccines. That could be what's going on. So be sure and ask those medical questions as well. You just may not know, is the other thing, you know. At the Animal Rescue League, we're gonna tell you everything we know from before and everything we did here medically and behaviorally to the cat here, but we may not know anything prior to when it landed on the doorstep at the Animal Rescue League. So um but we'll give you that information too. We have no idea. This is what we did, this is what we're seeing for behavior on the cat.
SPEAKER_02And there's there's a lot of things that uh if you're reading about a cat kitten health issue and so forth, is that a that will definitely be able to help on things such as itching or you know, skin issues or those types of things. It's yeah, it's really important to talk to a doctor about that. Very much so. Yes. Uh in wrapping up today, uh let's let's talk just a bit a little bit about bringing a kitten into uh a house that's got mature cats in it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I and I love this topic. Uh this is one of my favorite things when people ask me about we we've kind of got a system down here at the Animal Rescue League that we provide information to people about this. So let's say you have resident pet and you it becomes more important, I'll stress that, it's probably more important when you go to adopt a kitten that you look and try to find out as much information as you can on the personality at that point. Let's say you've got a mature cat and it is to the age where it just wants to sleep all the time, get its food and water, and that's it. If you go and adopt a kitten that's super playful, that resident cat is probably gonna be in misery because the kitten's gonna try to play, wanna play, wanna lay, and this cat just wants to be chill. So, but you may have a resident cat um that loves loves to play, loves to chase, is great with you know, any other cat you bring home, it's super happy. Great. That might be a better match for a kitten also. So you definitely need to consider your resident pets as well.
SPEAKER_02Well, this has been a really helpful show to better understand what's involved in adopting kittens and how to care for them. And I want to thank Carol Griglione for joining me for this episode of the Hissing Feline. Thank you so much for being with me again. Oh, my pleasure.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02Carol's the executive director of the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, Iowa. What is the best way, Carol, to find out more about the ARL and uh specifically and kitten adoption?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, thank you for asking. Go to our website, www.arl hypheniowa.org. We have lots of information on there, including pictures of kittens and cats that are available for adoption. So be sure and check it out.
SPEAKER_02Great. And and uh we noticed that when we come in the front door, you usually have you have some kennels there. You do several kennels, and there were there were some uh torties up there today. Yeah. Very cute.
SPEAKER_01We found that when we put them in there, people can come and visit right when they're walking in the door. So hopefully they're good place. Yes.
SPEAKER_02Good place. Please follow the Hissing Feline podcast and tell your friends about the program. Also, I would enjoy hearing from you. Send suggestions for program topics and questions you have about cat topics that I can share with future guests. The podcast address is the hissingfeeline at DurachoCatmedia.com. That's the hissing feeline at DurachoCatmedia.com. And Derecho is spelled D-E-R-E-C-H O. And before we wrap up today's show, I want to thank my producer and wife, Georgia. Join me for the next episode of the Hissing Feline for a discussion about cat training. Until then, remember to keep purring.
SPEAKER_00Content on the Hissing Feline podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to provide medical, veterinary, or legal advice. Please consult your veterinarian and local and state authorities before dealing with feral and stray cats. Opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and not necessarily those of Derecho Cat Media LLC. References to products or services do not imply an endorsement. The Hissing Feline Podcast is a production of Doratio Cat Media LLC and has been blessed by our rescue cats, Bridget and Maddie. All content is used with permission or under fair use.