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Setting up for kitty
Hi,
As most of you know, I'm getting a kitten from the SPCA. I was going to get one from kijiji, but I decided to go with the SPCA because then kitten would have had all it's shots, been de-wormed, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. I've bought 20 cans of Friskie' cat food, half a can a week as a treat and I'm getting the litter pan and carrier in a week. I'm also trying to secure a Catit Cat Spa (someone has it on sale). Now, all that's left is the brush, some toys, the poop scooper, tag and collar, litter and cat food. I've been reading about litter and different types, and I live in a really small apt, so I have to choose a litter that works in small space. TidyCats Small Spaces has gotten rave reviews. Anyone else use this brand? I want the least amount of dust and tracking particles, as well as a good odor controller. I know I'll have to scoop daily, and empty fully once a week. I'm going to line the litter pan and this will make emptying it much easier. But will this be enough to control the odor and limit the tracking and dust. I have carpets so I can't afford for it not to be vacuumable. About the food. What do I feed? I don't think that the wet food daily is good....which is why half a can a week is the treat. But isn't dry also pretty bad. I'm on a student budget and I want to make sure that kitten is well fed and healthy. What brands are good? Also, what am I looking at cost wise for food and litter montly? Also, how often should kitten be fed or will the SPCA go over that with me when I pick it up? Sorry this is so long, I just want to make sure that I'm prepared. Thanks! Last edited by WantingToLearn; April 25th, 2009 at 12:38 PM. Reason: spelling |
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The one thing I would emphasize though, with whatever litter you choose, is to make sure it doesn't have any added scents. Quote:
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Pictures, when you do pick up your new kitty, will of course be mandatory.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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Thanks SugarCatMom,
I should preface my posts to say that I'm in New Brunswick, and it's difficult as is to find things for humans much less for kitty. I'm going to have to call around and see if PetsUnlimited/Petcetera/Walmart/Zellers/Canadian Tyre has these brands. Yes, these are the only stores available to me, so if they don;t have it, my goose is cooked! (although I suppose I could move.... ) Can you walk me through the whole litter pan deal? Say I go to hardware store and get a 78litres bag of pine shavings (I'm assuming kitty will go heads over tail for this), would I need to sprinkle in some baking soda to keep the smell down? Also, just to confirm, I scoop every day and empty weekly. About the liner, I was just thinking about getting garbage bags from the dollar store and lining the pan then just pulling everything out to change it once a week. Why don't cats like the liner? How much cat litter would one healthy cat go through weekly? I have to be budget conscious (I'm a student after all), but if I were to buy a 40lbs bag of Feline Pine for $20 is that a good price? And how long would that last? Also, do cats track the litter all over the place? I ask because the only place in my apartment that's NOT carpeted is the bathroom and kitchen. Finally, wet food it is. I'm going to see if I can return the Friskies/Whsikers deal I got from Zellers. Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it. I'm going to read through the links you gave me. |
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Wait a minute....
Feline Fresh Pine VS. Feline Pine. which is better? Is it that they are the same but Fresh Pine doesn't track dust? P.S. I just did some more reading and found out that a 20lbs bag last for 6 weeks, which means a 40lbs bag will last for 3 months. And if a 40lbs bag costs around $15-20 then that's about $5-7.50/monthly which is well within my budget. Last edited by WantingToLearn; April 25th, 2009 at 03:41 PM. Reason: ETA |
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http://www.globalpetfoods.ca/locatio...ns_results.php Fredericton Global Pet Foods 1111 Regent St., Unit 11 Fredericton, NB E3B 3Z2 Contact: Chris Tel.: 506-455-1133 Fax: 506-455-1133 |
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I'm near Fredericton . As Rainbow linked we do have a Global pet foods. It's in the little strip mall near M&M meats and Blockbuster. They have an awesome slection for Cat food and good member deals. We also have Petcetera which is near the mall , it's close to the new Montanas and they actually feature cats and kittens in a room for the SPCA . They (Petcetera) have really good prices on toys, beds and even cat condos.
Welcome to Pets.ca and thank you for adopting from the SPCA, you are literally saving a life .
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MK Furbabies Noel- 4 year old black and white cat Felix- 6 year old black cat Maggie-3 year old Newfoundland Dog Sparkie- Puppy Shih zu Last edited by MommaKat; April 25th, 2009 at 07:01 PM. Reason: better sense making |
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I'd also recommend picking up a couple of the biggest size uncovered litter boxes you can find (most are woefully small). Cats usually prefer to have the choice of 2 boxes so that they aren't walking in their own waste if they need to go a couple of times while you are out. Another option is to get one of those long under-the-bed storage boxes, although they can be awkward to clean. Quote:
One more thing - be careful of the cleaners you use, both in the litter box and around the house, as some can be quite noxious to cats and leave lasting aromas. I prefer unscented, biodegradable products like Seventh Generation Free & Clear, although hot water and vinegar are also fine, or hydrogen peroxide based cleaners like Oxiclean. Stay away from stuff like PineSol or bleach. Quote:
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The Feline Pine makes a clumping litter, which might be good to start with. I'm not sure about Feline Fresh.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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Another thing I would do and yes, it may sound silly , but I would walk around on my knees and look around and up to see what might be interesting to your new four legged friend to get into. I had to do that with these two because it had been a long time since I had younger cats in my home...look for things that can be knocked down easily if a cat should say run into the base holding it up...or plants a little too close to the ground...cupboard doors that open to poisonous cleaners, or say a fish tank (make sure there is a canopy on it-moving it away from sofas to try to discourage jumping onto it-didn't work with my Messina)...things like that and I find getting down to their level makes it easier to see what they see as fun.
If you choose to use clay litter, I use Purina Maxx Scoop in the blue box...I too live in an apartment and LOVE the way it handles odors! For food, mine both eat EVO with Fancy Feast as a treat or snack if they seem extra hungry from all the playing...plus a little snack puts them to sleep at night long enough for me to catch some shut eye Buy yourself a mini carpet cleaner for any fur balls or whatnot...I have a Dirt Devil and it is AWESOME!
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Mooki & Jaeger Mom to Seth - Brown Tabby Messina - Blonde Tabby |
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Hey Im in Freddy Town also, and am on a budget, I get the special Kitty Litter from walmart and i find it is the cheapest its less than 10 dollars and its a huge box that lasts a long time and is scoopable, as far as odor I found when I got a litter box with a top on it, it eliminated much of the dust and smell, also those boxes have air filters in them, and I would suggest not using the liners, when the cats go to cover up their business they scratch the heck out of the bag, and it makes for a big mess, and wastes the litter. then just go to the dollar store on prospect and get a cat mat to put in front of the box for when they step out. and they have the scooper for the litter at the dollar store there too
I also feed for dry food Meow Mix Indoor formula, and canned food, out of all the canned food ive given my cats expensive to cheap, their favorite is friskies, shredded (turkey and cheese) I alway keep dry food out and the wet food i give them a can a day but where u have just the one u could prob use a half can, if u start them off by free feeding them they wont have too much of a problem with over eating cause they will know that there will always be food in the dish. (When my cats were kittens i started them off on just wet then slowly started mixing in the dry food with it, i had to crush it up a bit till they got used to it. Walmart also has really great cheap cat toys, my cats favorite toy is this circle where they can spin the ball round and round but there is a scratch post in the middle of it, the u can replace once they have scratched it all up. also I got them at walmart a cat house its made of carpet it was like 20 dollars nad they sleep in it and scratch it . theyre favorite too is at the regent mall those machines u can stick a quarter in and get a bouncy ball they love those bouncey balls. Sorry its so long but I hope it helps |
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__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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First off I dont mind suggesstions of what people have for my cats but being rude about it, and trying to make me feel like i am a bad parent for my cats is extremely inapropriate. second, I dont just use the hooded litter to get rid of odors for myself, they wont use anything but now, they like the privacy, and if u keep it clean like its suppose to be there isnt really a problem As I clean the litter more than once a day, as well as wash the box down really good once a week when i dump out and change all of the litter.
I dont have tons of money to go by what food people are saying is good for cats this week, it changes too often, for the longest time people said wet food was bad for cats, and now its dry food. give it another couple of months and people wil be saying something different. I feed my cats both, and i dont alway feed them the cheap stuff, they just turn their noses up at some of the other stuff. I was just simply making suggesstions for someone who is on a tight budget like myself who lives in the same town. |
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Sugarcatmom and I don't see eye to eye on all matters feline, but she does have some great advice and endless knowledge and I have learnt a lot from her! I didn't take any of her comments as being rude...if anything, just educating you to the welfare of your cat.
You buy the best you can afford...what you spend now will save you in vet bills in the future...I have had cats eating crap in the past...some lived long, some didn't...the ones that didn't had VERY serious kidney issues and I felt horrible that I caused it! I have also learnt a lot about how to read labels and even common sense tells me MEAT is better than chemicals. As for covered litter boxes, they smell inside no matter how often you clean them...the smell is just trapped in there and it is disgusting!
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Mooki & Jaeger Mom to Seth - Brown Tabby Messina - Blonde Tabby |
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Sugarcatmom is an absolute guru on cats. She has given you excellent advice. Give the catinfo.org website a real good read.
You may also want to try supplementing your cat on a raw diet. A properly prepared diet is the best one you could feed your cat (like you eating fresh fruit, veggies and meat). Global normally carries a brand or two.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
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Kibble is a relatively recent trend in the history of the domestic cat, something invented more for our convenience than for their well-being. And cats are paying a steep price for that convenience. The increase in feline diabetes, kidney disease, dental disease, bladder/urinary tract problems and digestive issues can ALL find their roots in our feeding them species-inappropriate, high carbohydrate dry food. A pet food company's top priority is to make money, and they make the most money from selling kibble. It's their propaganda that has fooled us all into thinking dry food is the best option. I'm telling you that it isn't. This is not just a "flavour of the month" issue. Cats are dying BECAUSE OF DRY FOOD! If money is the biggest issue for you, then take Love4himies suggestion and look into a home-made raw diet for your cats. It is by far the healthiest and cheapest option. The only drawback is that it takes a little more work than opening up a bag of kibble. But your cats are worth it, right?
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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You are right, sugarcatmom, I make my own raw which costs me about 45-50 cents for a 5.5 oz can. That is about as cheap as the poorest quality food. I use the recipe that is posted on catinfo.org.
My cats are so much healthier since I started them on a raw/canned diet.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
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About the Catit Cat spa
I had one but both my cats didnt use it. I think they much rather u just brush them (then them rubbing themselves on the brushes). Its great bonding time too. I would just spend your money on a brush/comb (depening on how long the fur is). I ended up donating my Catit to the HS. Oh and congrats on ure soon to be new addition! Great that u decided to adopt
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Famous last words: "No, Bunduk, Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" |
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Thank you for the apologies, and I as well apologise for taking it the wrong way, that was just the way I took it when I read it. and you are right, there are so many things that people are not educated about when it comes to their animals.
Same here about the catspa thing only one of my cats out of three ever use it and she rarely uses it. My cats love having me groom them, However I did get them a scratch post from walmart that has an archway over it that is all a brush and they like rubbing their head on it when they have an itchy face, or when they are playing. |
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Catgurl and Mommakat! This is such a hoot to see two Freddy people. Normally I mention Fredericton or New Brunswick on online forums and I get one of 2 reactions. "Hmmmph, Fredericton...never heard of it" or my personal favourite "New Brunswick? Ya, Rutgers is a good school".
Everyone else thank you so much for your input. I'm going to be working with my budget and see what I can do. On a side note, I called the SPCA to see what the adoption procedure was. I got a relatively nice lady and she pretty much says "We have to fill out a form and then she goes over it with us, and based on our answers we get approved to adopt or not". I asked what sort of questions would be on the form for a general ballpark area...no go. I also asked if she needed pics of our apartment etc (in my defense I don't know what sort of information they need from me) and she laughed no. So I guess we'll go and see. Any pointers? What do they ask on these forms? Got it on the catspa. It's just as well. That kijiji lady never got back to me after standing me up for the sale. Last edited by WantingToLearn; April 27th, 2009 at 11:25 AM. Reason: Cat Spa |
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They basically want to see if you are aware of the responsibility of having a cat in your life...if you rent, they will want to see a copy of your lease or a letter from the landlord to say it's ok for you to have a pet...they want to know if you have a contigency plan for pet care should you go on vacation or die...
It's ok to ask them questions and tell them this is your first cat...they will help you...they may even point you in the direction of a good vet. Good luck You should do fine.
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Mooki & Jaeger Mom to Seth - Brown Tabby Messina - Blonde Tabby |
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They may also ask if you currently have a vet and if so, if they can call them for a reference.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
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Congrats on choosing to adopt your new baby!!!
Everyone has given you great advice already!, you guys are so smart!! I agree with food, I feed canned food and raw.. Please though, at least feed canned food, I would rather you feed cheap canned than dry... The only thing I can add, is that you say you have a tight budget, try to set aside money every month, or get a credit card that is only for emergencies. Too often people get a cat, and something happens, they get hurt or sick, and don't have the means to pay for it. Hopefully nothing will happen to your baby, but it is important to be prepared just in case for some big surprise vet bills... Good luck! Can't wait to see pics of the baby you bring home! |
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Tacogrl is right on the money. They basically want to get a feel for your pet philosophy . They want to make sure that any pets in your home are altered and if kitteh gets sick you will be able to take him/her to the Vet.
I really like that SPCA, they strive for the best match. I adopted my cats from the Oromocto spca but I have dropped donations off to the Freddy one, it's a nice facility and they are good people so don't be nervous . Here is a link to their website if you don't have it already, and it has a section for adoptable pets http://www.frederictonspca.ca/ .
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MK Furbabies Noel- 4 year old black and white cat Felix- 6 year old black cat Maggie-3 year old Newfoundland Dog Sparkie- Puppy Shih zu |
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Here's some money saving tips. I got my cats last year (hey, next week will be one year!) and so you can avoid some of the pitfalls I went through.
Dollar store: Great for litter scoopers, brushes (make sure they are the soft tip needle brush), place mats and food bowls. Petcetra: They are going through a liquidation sale right now since they are cash strapped and need to pay off creditors. Catit products are fairly cheap there. Same with scratching posts, carriers, beds, and cat trees. Like Petsmart, food and litter are on the crap end. You may want to hold off on the bed and cat tree for now, but a scratching post and carrier is a must. Pet Value & Global Ryan: I got here for food and litter. No choice really. But typically if you get dry food, they will give you a rewards card (but 12 get one free) and for wet food, if you buy by the case you get a discount. Walmart & Canadian Tire: Good for a few things like grooming supplies, mats for litters and cat treats. Cat trees are also cheaper here than pet stores. They also sell something call a Litter Locker. It's basically a diaper genie for cats. I find it's a must for condo dwellers, but maybe not if you're on a tight budget. The best tip I can give is to not go crazy. Don't buy a ton of toys and end up with a cat that won’t play with any of them. I must have spent over $100 getting every conceivable type of cat toy and they just want to play with a laser pointer, giant plastic straws and plastic bottle caps. For now, focus on essentials. |
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There is alot of good info on this thread......my cat was dumped in my yard, and she was addicted to Friskies dry food.
I bought expensive stuff and she turned up her nose at it, even when very hungry. We have found that she will try almost everything that we eat on our own plates.....we eat boneless chicken, poached salmon, lean beef, pork, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. She actually gets a small plate with samples. It's too cute, but she would rather be a food junkie, and will eat pasta with sauce when she can. I'm sure the spca will recommend not to change her diet for a few weeks until she settles. Then you can try to entice her with bits of good stuff. In litter boxes we have used loose pine shavings----good but messy. compressed wood pellets----good but hard to manage the big bags. Currently we have scoopable clay litter----good. We put a piece of small carpet in front of the box to help hold the tracked bits. Miss Mitten is most entertained with toilet paper rolls, empty paper bags, empty boxes, hiding under blankets, plastic mouse, etc. It's normal to be a nervous parent.
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Bina Please have pets spayed and neutered, and wearing a collar with an ID tag. |
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I live in a small condo. For litter I buy wood pellets - typically used for horse stalls. VERY cheap! It varies from 9$ to 11$ depending on if I get to Bosley's or Tisol's. A big bag lasts about a month or so. Once a week I just dump the whole thing out. I've been told that it can be purchased from a Home Depot or Revy store.
I use a litter locker too. It's kind of like the cat version of a diaper genie. I fed my cat Ares what I thought was healthy food and used what I thought was great litter. My poor guy suffered from asthma and a hyperthyroid. It was finally cancer that took him. After he passed, I researched cat foods etc... and discovered that the food may have been connected to his health issues. And that "low dust" clumping litter obviously didn't help his asthma. Now with my new little guys, I'm doing the best I can - high quality food and non-toxic litter. When you know better, you do better. |
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Will this be an outside or inside cat?....Either way please check out walmart for the new collars that have a safety feature....if it gets pulled upon it will undo....therefore preventing injury if caught or hung up on something... I found a cat in my work parkinglot (Dupree now belongs to my daughter) His front leg was in the collar causing him pain ...probably trying to get it off :sad: Personally I dont like collars for cat,s they jump around and fly and stuff....lol PS However if you need one for walking get a harness much nicer for them than a collar
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"Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs and cats you wanted to." Last edited by Iggette; April 27th, 2009 at 11:06 PM. |
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Hi
I bought a rubbermaid tote for my cats. I find it much better than the litter boxes. Willie is just too big for most litter boxes, he doesn't like feeling cramped. They are also cheaper. *S* Also I use one of those battery operated Shark sweeper things, to keep the litter picked up around the box. It's easier than dragging out the vaccumn cleaner. And I have a rubber mat by the box to catch any litter that they bring out on their paws. Debbie
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~Friendship is like a bank account. You can't continue to draw on it without making deposits~ ~Tegan 9 year old yellow lab~ ~Wilbur 9 year old LH cat~ ~Mirabelle 18 mos dsh~ ~O'Shawnnessey 18 mos dsh~ ~Darby 1 year old dsh~ ~Mindy 7 yr old shih tzu~ ~Dexter 10yr old Salmon (large goldfish) |
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Hi everyone,
Thanks again. Quick short update, my friend gave me a litter box, and cat tent/carrier. I'm in the process of massive cleaning and I'm wondering what vacuum/steamer do you guys use and recommend? Okay, back to the cleaning. Thanks again! P.S. Is $80 a good price for a cat tree? |
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$80 could be cheap, but it depends on the size. If it's only 2' tall then no. But if it's 5' or 6' then yes. I wouldn't buy one just yet. That can come later. Keep your eye on Kijiji and Craig's list. There are people that sell their used ones. You just need to give it a good cleaning and your cat will never know. |
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Yay for Fredericton (that is where I am as well). As for the questionaire, it is very easy. You will need to put your landlords number on the form, but I don't believe they need permission from the landlord for cats. Other than that there were some questions like "how would you id your cat", "have you had previous pets/how many years", "have you ever given away an animal", etc.
I have a question on the dry food. I never realized it was not the greatest thing. Now that my cat has been using it for 2+ years, is it possible to switch them to wet food? |
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