Dear Adopter,

City of Dallas Animal Services wants to thank you for adopting one of our wonderful pets. We hope your new pet gives you many years of love!

All of our animals are spayed or neutered before going to their new homes. If surgery was done in the last 10 days extra care will be needed (you will be given after care instructions). We also recommend that you use the free physical form in your adoption folder and take your new pet for a check up in the next 10 days. Most veterinarians in the City of Dallas will honor the free check up, but be sure to verify with them when making your appointment.

We feed Hill’s Science Diet food (Original adult, puppy or kitten) at the shelter. If you would like to switch to a different brand, we suggest mixing it in gradually with the Science Diet over a period of about a week; this helps to avoid an upset stomach.

There is always noise and lights on in the shelter, so your new pet might need time to adjust to sleeping in a dark quiet place.

Please call if you have any questions regarding your new pet 214- 671-0249.

CCS-FRM-567 Effective Date 10/28/2009 Rev 1 Care of Post-Surgery Patients

If your new pet was spayed or neutered in the last 10 days please read.

The spay and neuter procedures are Major Surgery and a few things need to be considered in the ten days that follow the surgery.

- Activity level should be kept at a minimum – Please monitor all activity for at least 5-7 days. Confine pets when necessary!

- The incision site should be checked twice daily for one week post surgery. If the incision gets dirty it may be cleaned with warm water and a cotton ball. A little seepage and swelling is normal, however, if redness and excessive drainage appears please contact a veterinarian. (Remember, you have a free physical exam for your pet, good for 10 days after adoption.)

- No baths or swimming should be allowed for ten days after surgery, and the animal should be kept out of dirt and mud for a week to avoid a potential infection.

- For male cats – it is recommended that you use ‘Yesterday’s news’ litter or shredded newspaper for ten days after surgery instead of normal cat litter.

- It is normal for your pet to moderately lick the suture site. If your pet is biting the sutures, licking them excessively, or attempting to remove them, an e-collar (can be obtained from most veterinarians and pet stores) is recommended to avoid the incision from needing to be resutured.

- Do not give your pet any form of pain medication unless prescribed by a veterinarian.

- Your pet has dissolvable sutures. This means that the sutures will dissolve and fall out in about 2-3 weeks.

CCS-FRM-567 Effective Date 10/28/2009 Rev 1 UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEW CAT

Congratulations! It is a pleasure for us to be able to unite you with a new lifelong feline companion. We want you to know that we are here to help you if you should encounter any problems or have any questions on the care of your new cat or kitten. We feel very strongly that a cat is a friend for life and that it’s worth the time and effort to help it adapt to you and its new home.

Cats are more popular as pets today than ever before. It is easy to understand why:  Cats are loving, friendly companions, and if socialized well when young, are very loyal to their owners.  They are beautiful to watch and soft to the touch. It is fun to hold and snuggle with a soft purring kitty.  Cats are clean and fastidious – and keep themselves this way. They rarely or never require bathing.  Cats are easy to housebreak and litter train. And cats can live indoors all of their lives – happily. As a result, it is easy and not time-consuming to care for a cat.  Cats are quiet creatures. They are excellent apartment companions.

It is unfortunate that some people who don’t know cats consider them to be independent and aloof. Cats are certainly different from dogs, but the differences have no bearing on the love and affection that an owner can derive from a cat.

TIPS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR CAT

 Don’t expect a cat to be overt and outgoing. Cats are more “selectively subtle.” They don’t wear their emotions on their sleeves. They are extremely smart and sophisticated animals.  Cats express love by rubbing their noses against owners and rubbing up against owner’s legs. They enjoy sitting in their owner’s laps. They also will lie close to their owners on a bed, couch or table for hours at a time, snoozing peacefully.  A cat communicates through its tail. An upright tail means alertness

CCS-FRM-567 Effective Date 10/28/2009 Rev 1