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Resources for Cat Owners / Health & Safety
Health & Safety

Cat Safety Tips

 Is My Cat Sick?

 Emergency 24 Hour Veterinary Clinics In Calgary

 Escape Prevention

Permanent Identification
 Macavity

Cat Safety Tips

- Kittens Kitten proof your home by removing breakables and items that can harm a kitten.
 - Wand Toys Can cause death by strangulation. Put them away in a secure cupboard/
closet when not in use.
- Garbage Bones/strings in garbage cans can cause an intestinal blockage leading to death
and/or huge vet bills. Make sure your garbage cans are in secure cupboards.
- House Plants/Flowers Beware of all types of lilies. They are deadly if eaten. Consult one
of the many websites available for a comprehensive listing of toxic plants.
Feel free to reprint and post with MEOW's permission Lilies Can Be Deadly - PDF
- Plastic Bags Danger of suffocation.
- Paper BagsRemove the handles if your cat likes to play in paper bags.
- Leash & Harness Require 100% supervision.
- Toxic Household Products (Medications/pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, anti-freeze,
paint etc.) Danger! Store properly and safely.
- Pesticides Feel free to reprint and post with MEOW's permission Protect Your Pet From Pesticides - PDF
- Venetian/Curtain Cords Can cause death by strangulation. Shorten and place out of reach.
- Tinsel and Electrical Cords Beware of these and other potential dangers at Christmas
and seasonal events.
- Collars If your cat wears a collar, make sure it is a 'break-away' type.
- Recliner ChairsCan be very dangerous. Make sure there are no cats under the chair prior
to collapsing the foot rest.

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Is My Cat Sick?

 Get to know your cat, its habits and routines, very well. Once you know what is normal for
your cat it will help you to decide when your cat is sick or just not acting normally.

Following are some general categories which may indicate an illness in your cat. This list is
intended only as a guideline to help you determine if your cat is sick. If you are not sure,
always seek veterinary advice immediately.

Urination and Elimination


- Goes to the litter box frequently with little or no results

- Cries when trying to use the litter box

- Strains in the box

- Has diarrhoea for more than 24 hours

- Stops using the litter box. Urinates inappropriately in other places

- Blood in urine

- Growls while grooming behind or over-grooms in this area

- Blood in feces

- Drags bottom along carpet or floor

Behaviour


- Is excessively vocal or uncharacteristically quiet

- Lethargic. Withdraws. Sleeps more than normal

- Unkempt. Does not groom.

- Eating habits change. Stops eating or eats voraciously

- Stops drinking or drinks excessively

- Well socialized cat becomes aggressive

Vomiting


- Occasional vomiting is normal

- Vomits and has diarrhoea

- Vomits frequently

- Blood in vomit

Other Symptoms of Concern


- Troubled or laboured breathing

- Coloured discharge from eyes, ears and/or nose

- Rashes, hives, sores

- Drooling

- Limping

- Unexplained lumps or swelling on the body.

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Emergency 24 Hour Veterinary Clinics in Calgary

South Calgary

Animal Care Emergency of Calgary
1802 - 10th Ave SW
(Just off 14 St. South)
Ph: 403.770.6388 CARE Centre
Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency
7140 - 12 Street S.E.
(Framed by Glenmore Trail, Deerfoot Trail and Heritage Drive SE)
Ph: 403.520.8387

 Fish Creek 24 Hour Pet Hospital and Emergency Services
3125, 150 Millrise Blvd. SW
(Just off Macleod Trail)
Ph: 403.873.1700

Shawnessy Pet Hospital
144 – 70 Shawville Blvd. SW
Ph: 403.254.5900
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

North Calgary

Calgary North Veterinary Hospital & Emergency Service
4240 - 4th Street NW
(Accessed off 16 th Ave NW or McKnight Blvd.)
Ph: 403.277.0135

McKnight 24 Hour Veterinary Hospital
34 - 5010 4th Street NE
(intersection of McKnight Blvd and Edmonton Trail)
Ph: 403.457.0911

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Escape Prevention

- Do not open windows for the first few weeks when you have a new cat. Secure screens
that can be easily removed and repair/replace torn screens.
- If your house has just one exterior door, and if possible, you might want to consider installing
aluminium screen doors. When visitors come to the door, the risk of a cat darting out is greatly
reduced when you can talk to the visitors through the screen door.
- Lock screen doors so the cat cannot push them open. Retractable screen doors are not secure.
- Put cats in a closed room or in a carrier when repair people, movers, realtors or duct cleaners
come into your home.
- If you have a balcony or deck on the 2nd floor or higher, do not let the cat out on it, unless
the balcony/deck is completely enclosed or the cat is wearing a harness and leash and supervised
at all times. Cats are like very young children. They do not have a defined logical sense of height.
They could very easily jump over while playing or if frightened, leading to serious injury or death.
- If you live in an apartment, wait until the elevator door is closed before opening your own door.
This is especially important if you have a cat who likes to run in the hall.
- Use your garage door to come in and out of the house if you have young children who forget
to close doors properly.
- If your cat appears to want outside or is a door darter, keep a squirt bottle with water in it
by each door. Each time the cat attempts to dart, give it a small squirt of water. Be consistent.
- Do not ever leave your door open ‘just for a minute’, while you take out the garbage, bring
in the groceries or check the meal on the barbeque. These ordinary everyday actions are
responsible for many lost cats each year.
- Use a sturdy pet carrier to always transport your cat(s). NEVER assume it will stay in your arms.
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Permanent Identification

 There are two methods of permanent identification: Tattoo and Microchip.

Approximately 85% of cats that are surrendered to rescue societies are not permanently identified.
As a result, many can never be returned to their owners.
All cats, including indoor cats, need permanent identification. MEOW receives numerous calls
each year about indoor cats that have accidentally escaped outside due to visitors, repair people,
break and enters or faulty windows, screens or patio doors.
In Calgary, you can also increase the chance of your lost cat being returned to you by purchasing
a City of Calgary Animal : Bylaw Services cat license.

Tattoo Pro’s

- Economical
- Readily visible, usually in the right ear

Tattoo Con’s

- Must be done under anaesthetic
- May fade or blur or become illegible over time
- Parts of the ear thus tattoo may be lost due to frostbite
- Difficult to trace the owner outside of the immediate geographic area such as a large city

Microchip Pro’s

- Easily injected under the skin in a regular veterinary office visit
- Cannot be lost, blurred or rendered ineffectual by time and elements
- International tracking databases

Microchip Con’s

- More expensive than a tattoo
- A scanner is needed to read the microchip (usually done at a rescue group or veterinary clinic)

Owner Responsibility

No matter what choice of permanent identification you make for your cat, as the owner you
are responsible to keep your owner information updated at the veterinary clinic that did the
tattoo or the microchip company that provided the microchip. If you change your phone numbers,
move or give your cat away, please ensure the safe future of your cat and call immediately.

A collar could be of assistance in identifying your pet, but is not as good as a tattoo or microchip. If
your cat wears a collar and identity tag, please ensure it is a ‘break away’ collar for the safety of your
cat. It is designed to safely break away if your cat should ever get caught or snagged on something.

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