"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Ghandi
Thank you Muttlife! Muttlife held their 2nd Annual Santa Paws event with the proceeds going to the Milton Animal Sanctuary. Over $900 was raised!
We would like to thank Muttlife and their patrons for their generosity as well as Leash Out Pet Photography and pur aperture for taking such wonderful pictures. Here are some pictures of our furry friends with Santa.
Instead...starting January, we will pick up your empty beer, wine and liquoer bottles every 2nd Sunday of the month as part of our fundraising activities! Give us a call or drop us an email!
Milton Animal Sanctuary is comprised of like-minded individuals offering a home for abandoned, abused and neglected companion animals until they find their forever home. Our goal at the Milton Animal Sanctuary is to open our own facility which will be run by Miltonians and will reflect the needs of our community based on the population growth of the Official Plan, Destiny II.
Over the past several months we have toured several humane societies and talked to them about best practices, building design and what they would do differently in order to determine our needs for Milton. Based on those discussions and taking in to consideration our population growth by 2031 we looked at towns with a similar population and it was determined that the facility would be 26,000 sq. ft. on approximately 10 acres of land which will support the Milton community for decades to come.
Currently, the Town has allocated 3/4 acre for an animal shelter which is part of a 28 acre site which will also house the Operations Department (21 acres), Fire Department (5 acres), parking for transit buses(1 acre). These lands are adjacent to the Towns landfill site. Also, the Oakville & District Humane Society recently changed their name to Oakville & Milton Humane Society. It is our belief that a name change and possibly setting up of a satellite office is insufficient for our current needs and is inadequate to meet our needs by 2031.
Our goal at the Milton Animal Sanctuary is to be proactive in the care and wellbeing of our companion animals by offering programs that will support all members of our community. Some of these programs include:
Dogs
Applying for Adoption
Canine Adoption Application.pdf
Lost and Found
Recommended Reading
Cats
Feline_Adoption_Application.pdf
Soiling and Spraying Indoors
The cat is usually fastidious about its toilet habits and will consistently use a litter tray indoors, if it is provided, or soil in the garden. Therefore, if urine or faeces are discovered in the corner of the room it can be very worrying. Occasionally a one-off accident can occur if a cat is ill, trapped in a room or suddenly frightened. If inappropriate urination or defecation in the home persists it should be investigated for the health and welfare of the cat. Whatever the cause, punishment is not the answer. This will only make the cat fearful and the problem worse. Deterrents, such as tin foil, pepper, citrus peel or a water pistol will merely redirect the behaviour to another site, cause further anxiety and delay investigating the root cause for the behaviour. Despite the unpleasant nature of this problem it is important to remember – this is not a dirty protest! The cat is not seeking revenge or making a point; something has gone wrong in its world and a certain amount of detective work is required to find out what.
Spraying or urinating?
Cats use urine as a scent signal or ‘mark’ for themselves and other cats. The motivation for the deposition of urine for scent marking is very different to that of urination to relieve a full bladder. It is therefore important to establish whether the cat is spraying or urinating since the potential solutions will vary. To urinate, the cat squats and deposits a volume of urine on a horizontal surface. The cat may then scratch at the area around the urine, although this is not always the case. Common sites for inappropriate urination include carpet, settees, duvets, baths or sinks. To spray urine the cat stands up, usually making a treading motion with its back feet, quivers its tail and a small amount of urine is sprayed backwards onto a vertical surface such as a wall, leaving an obvious scent mark. Common sites for spraying include doors, windows, around cat flaps, curtains, electrical equipment and shopping or rubbish bags. Once it has been ascertained which of the two the cat is doing it is necessary to take action to resolve the behaviour.
Cleaning soiled areas
Whether a genuine accident or not, once the cat has urinated or defecated at a particular location its sensitive nose will encourage it to use that place as a regular toilet. The best way to break the habit is to keep the cat away from the area as long as possible, remove any smell that the cat can detect and change the geography of the location by using pieces of furniture to block access. Wash the area with a 10% solution of biological or enzymatic washing powder and then rinse with cold water and allow to dry. Spray the area (using a plant mister) with surgical spirit, scrub and leave to dry. You may want to try a small area first on delicate fabrics. Petfresh (Urine-off) Urine Stain and Odour Remover is a particularly effective product to remove residual odours; this can be purchased from your local veterinary surgery. Carpet is extremely absorbent and the urine often penetrates the full thickness of the carpet to the flooring underneath. If the area is badly soiled over a long period it may be necessary to cut out the section of carpet and underlay and treat the concrete or floorboards underneath before replacing.
Medical problems
A cat that has started to urinate inappropriately in the house should be taken to the vet for a check up. Cystitis may cause the cat to strain and pass small amounts of urine frequently. A form of urinary tract disease that is stress related is less obvious in its presentation but one common symptom is urinating outside the litter tray. Any urinary tract infection or irritation can make the cat urinate when standing rather than attempting to go outside or to the litter tray. Urination in this way can sometimes be confused with spraying. Cats often benefit from increased fluid intake if they suffer from recurrent cystitis. This may require your cat to change from a dry diet to a wet one but your veterinary surgeon should be consulted regarding any dietary management.
Why does my cat soil indoors?
There are numerous reasons why an individual cat would start to soil indoors. Listed below are the most common reasons together with possible solutions.
Litter tray problems
If your cat normally uses a litter tray but has recently started to go elsewhere in the house there may be an obvious reason.
Here are the most common causes:
Illness
Urinary tract disease or diarrhoea can cause soiling as the cat is either in discomfort or just can’t make it in time to the litter tray or outside.
Possible solution - Treatment by a veterinary surgeon will usually return the cat’s habits to a normal acceptable pattern. Occasionally cats will continue to soil if they have experienced discomfort on the tray so it may be necessary to provide an additional tray elsewhere to encourage use.
Old age
An older cat may not want to venture out in bad weather or it may be having problems using the cat flap because of stiff joints. As a cat gets older it becomes more insecure and it may feel threatened by the presence of other cats in the territory.
Possible solution - It is almost inevitable that, at some stage, elderly cats will require safe and accessible toilet facilities indoors. The provision of an indoor litter tray often resolves this problem. It is always important to rule out medical causes for soiling in the elderly cat.
Fear or anxiety
Cats are at their most vulnerable to attack when they are urinating or defecating outside and, if they feel threatened, it may deter them from doing so. Other cats are usually the biggest problem but it could be a neighbour’s dog or even a sudden loud noise.
Possible solution - The provision of a discreet litter tray indoors will take away the feelings of anxiety and the need for the cat to make a conscious decision to find a suitable toilet site. Accompanying the cat on visits to the garden may encourage it to eliminate outside again. Your cat may normally have chosen to toilet well away from its home so it may be beneficial to make its own garden more appealing. Create an area of soil in a quiet corner relatively close to the house (for ease of escape back indoors) and mix in a high proportion of peat-free soil or sand.
Removal of previously used sites
Some cats are creatures of habit in their choice of elimination sites and redesigning a garden can have a serious impact on their behaviour.
Possible solution - Always ensure that changes to the garden incorporate an area that can be comfortably used by your cat as a latrine (well dug over soil). If you are aware of your cat’s favoured site then preserving it in some way would be ideal.
Presence of strangers
Occasionally a cat will urinate or defecate indoors if strangers are in the home and access to the litter tray or outdoors would require the cat to pass through the same room as the visitor. Some cats suffer from ‘home alone’ anxieties when their owners go away and leave them to defend the house by themselves. The presence of a stranger caring for them can cause some cats to feel intensely threatened and subsequently ‘mark’ an area, particularly the owner’s bed, which has a strong, familiar and reassuring scent.
Possible solution - If your cat is particularly nervous of strangers, especially young children, it may be beneficial to provide an indoor litter facility in the room where the cat seeks refuge just in case he gets ‘caught short’! The best way to avoid ‘home alone’ soiling is to keep the bedroom door shut and try to get familiar people to care for your cat in your absence. Some cats are particularly prone to the stress of being left behind and they actually benefit from a visit to a reputable and caring FAB Listed Boarding Cattery.
Why does my cat spray indoors?
All cats, male or female, entire or neutered, can spray. Usually this occurs outdoors as a part of the scent communication system. They also leave scent signals by rubbing, scratching and bunting (rubbing the glands around the mouth onto twigs or other objects). The cat leaves a scent not just to let other cats know it is there but to ‘furnish’ its area with its own familiar smell, for confidence. In the unneutered cat, the urine not only signals the cat’s presence but its status. Females in season have high levels of oestrogen in their urine to attract toms and they leave a highly pungent spray which is a combination of urine and secretions from anal glands under the tail.
