Have friends come over for kitten playtime.

Have treats available and have the kittens approach your

friends to receive the treats. If interactions are all good, they can pick them up and hold them too. If, at
any point in this process, they become afraid of an object or person, back up and give them more space.
You can also break out their favorite toys and have a play session. Pole or wand toys and cat dancers are
a great way to play without having hands too close to the kittens. Remember to let them win some of
the games too!

Do make sure that your kittens have collars and ID tags when you take them on their short car trips and
to the vet for their wellness visits and vaccinations even if they are indoor pets. I keep collars with ID on
all of my resident cats in case the unthinkable happens and they accidentally get outside. They are also
all microchipped. (you can ask your veterinarian about microchips.)

That brings up the dangers of the warmer weather and vacation time for all household pets. They are
more likely to escape the house through an open door or window or from a car on a road trip and get
lost. That’s why July has been designated as Lost Pet Prevention Month. The numbers are incredible.
More than 10 million pets are lost each year and one out of three pets will be lost during its lifetime
according to the National Council of Pet Population Study and Policy and the American Humane
Association. That is sad enough, but only one in 10 pets is ever found and even less are ever reunited
with their owners. This is just tragic for the animals!

That’s why collars, ID tags, and microchips are so important. The ID tag, rabies tag, and city/county
license should be on the collars (a license for a dog is another way that you can be traced and contacted
should he/she show up in a shelter). All tags should include contact names, address, and multiple phone
numbers. Many shelters are equipped now to scan animals for microchips, but more need to be. The
tiny electronic chip, embedded under an animal’s skin, has a code that links the pet to its owner through
a database.