New Cat? Have a read of the OVMA Cat Owner's Handbook

Declawing (more formally known as partial digit amputation)

• Paw Project (North American movement to ban declawing)
• SaveTheCouches.com (tips for how to live with a clawed cat)
• Declawing.com (what your cat would like you to know about this procedure)
• SoftPaws (pain-free alternative to declawing)

March 16, 2017: The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association opposes declawing

April 26, 2017: The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association opposes declawing

May 23, 2017: JFMS peer-reviewed research article linking declawing to chronic pain & behavioural problems comes out

March 15, 2018: Nova Scotia bans declawing

May 8, 2018: British Columbia bans declawing 

November 7, 2018: PEI bans declawing 

January 1, 2019: Newfoundland & Labrador ban declawing 

May 30, 2019: Manitoba bans declawing 

July 1, 2019: Alberta bans declawing & New Brunswick bans declawing

???: Ontario bans declawing... still just a dream but hopefully reality soon. December 8, 2020: MPP Marit Stiles introduces bill to ban declawing in Ontario.

Here is a 3 minute no-frills scientific explanation by Robin Downing DVM, MS, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP of why we do not declaw:

Feline Pain Scale

A helpful tool for assessing acute pain in cats

https://www.felinegrimacescale...

Nail Trimming

In our on-going effort to end declawing in Ontario, at Park Animal Hospital we offer FREE NAIL TRIMS TO EVERY CAT - whether a patient of ours or not. Should you wish to do it at home, here is a narrated 5 part video series with clear, easy to understand step-by-step instructions:

Scratching Post Tips

3 key points:

1. Cats enjoy scratching, doing it is a sign of good health.
2. Scratching posts need to be sturdy so that they don't move when your cat attempts to use them.
3. Scratching posts need to be in a good location, en route as your cat travels from sleeping areas or litter boxes or feeding stations.

Scratch Lounge is a unique scratching post solution.

Transporting Your Cat to the Clinic

3 key points:

1. Leave the carrier out so it becomes a part of your cat's environment, ideally even a place where your cat enjoys taking a nap.
2. When traveling, cover the carrier with a towel to reduce the number of potentially scary external stimuli your cat is exposed to while driving and after you arrive at the clinic.
3. In the car, place the carrier in the foot well behind the front seat for maximum safety.

NOTE: If needed, we can provide you with a very safe sedative for you to give your cat orally before loading them in the carrier to make the whole process easier on both of you.

Tips for Litterbox & Food/Water Bowl Placement

3 key points:

1. The minimum number of ideal litter boxes is 1 per cat + 1, and they should not all be placed side-by-side but rather in different locations throughout your home.
2. Litter boxes should be scooped at least once daily, no one likes a dirty toilet!
3. Food and water bowls should not be placed next to each other, nor should they be placed next to the litter box.

The ideal litter box:

• has a shallow entry to allow arthritic cats easy access, a boot tray at the entry makes litter tracked on paws easy to clean up
• has tall sides to keep the litter in, translucency allows the cat in the box to be on the lookout for anyone who might be "stalking" him/her
• has a total length of 3 times the size of the body of the cats, allowing for comfortable maneuvering and digging
• has no hood
• has unscented, clumping litter
• is accessible without the use of stairs
• is not next to the feeding area
• is not next to objects which might suddenly make a loud noise unpredictably, such as a washer or furnace

Here is one of Dr Fenger's own homemade versions using a storage container. The white canister is a "LitterLocker" where scooped litter is stored keeping odours to a minimum.

How to Give Your Cat a Pill

3 key points:

1. Have someone put their hands on the cat's back end, so the cat doesn't back out of reach - a corner of some kind or being wrapped in a towel also works well.
2. Watch for the cat to lick their nose as a clue that they have swallowed - try to keep their mouth closed until this happens.
3. Never "dry-pill", always flush the pill down the throat with a syringe of water or a couple of treats or some food (ideally moist), otherwise it can irritate the esophagus and be very uncomfortable for the cat. The food options are ideal because they double as a reward for for your cat letting you pill them.

Narrated, 10 part step-by-step instructional video series:

How to Give Your Cat Liquid Medication

Narrated, 3 part step-by-step instructional video series:

Recommended Products

• Habitat Haven (the safe way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors)
• Calm Carrier (the carrier your cat dreams of traveling in!)

Grooming

• Cleopawtra (in-home grooming)

Local Feline Rescue Groups

• Annex Cat Rescue 
• Toronto Cat Rescue

Purebred Cat Info

• The Cat Fancier's Association 

Miscellaneous Cat Sites We Love

• My Cat from Hell(TV show featuring Jackson Galaxy providing solutions to behavioural problems of cats, you can also read his tips here: Cat Daddy Tips)
• Feline Environmental Needs (an article from the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery with an overview of cat needs)
• Indoor Pet Initiative (information for handling indoor cat issues)
• CatInfo.org (benefits of canned food and how to convince your cat to eat it)
• PainFreeCats.org(how to assess the level of pain your cat may have)
• International Cat Care (information on cat diseases can be found here)
• The CATalyst Council (information on improving the health and welfare of your companion cat)
• Winn Feline Foundation (feline exclusive research)
• Partners in Animal Health (useful info from the cat lovers at Cornell University)
• Cornell Feline Health Center(info on diseases & feeding)
• The Cat Community (resource for all aspects of keeping your cat healthy)