Cat Health Care Tips And Information.

Cat training books are a necessity for cat owners

2007-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Cats are wonderful animals! It is remarkable how well these animals have adapted to domesticity. It has been estimated that they have been living in close contact with human beings for approximately 3,500 years.

Not only are they good for pets, but they are also very useful to humans. The ancient Egyptians took care of them to get rid of the mice in their homes.

No wonder there have been hundreds and hundreds of books written that are devoted to the subject of these animals. Most of these books have to do with cat training.

Since cats are predatory creatures by instinct; they still exhibit some behaviors that are best suited in the wilderness. This sometimes becomes a problem for people who have cats living in their households .

That is why there are a lot of training books that have been written to address various issues concerning cat training.

Different types of training books

There are various different types of training books that are available in the market. Some deal with the issue of cats' health and their behavior.

Some are reference books written by veterinarians. They offer insights and tips on how to properly take care of cats. These types of books can be used as a resource by owners when training their cats.

While other cat training books are categorized according to breed, some give those readers who are seeking to gain more knowledge on a specific breed of cats more extensive, and helpful information.

Where to get these books

These books can be purchased in local bookstores. They can even be borrowed in libraries. But the most convenient place to get them would be online. There's a wide range of cat training books to choose from in the internet.

Rates and reviews of these books are also available. This gives the buyer some insight about the book, helping them decide and pick out exactly the type of cat training book they are looking for.

Who buys these books?

Books on how to train cats are perfect for first time cat owners. These books will offer them the much needed information they need in order to take care of their cats.

A lot of cat lovers also have a collection of cat books. Ranging in topics from: breed books, photography, fiction, cat care, training, nutrition, etc.

Cat training books are a perfect companion for any cat owner. Every cat owner should at least have one on their book shelf.

Tips on Choosing a Toilet Training Kit for Cats

2007-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

One major problem encountered by pet owners of cats is the litter. Cats litter everywhere especially when they are not trained to litter in the proper places. It is recommended that cats be trained to litter in proper places to avoid dirt and unwanted smell inside the household.

There are many toilet training kits that are especially made for cats and are sold in the market. However, there are things that need to be considered when choosing the best toilet training kit for the cat.

1. First, the owner needs to consider the curiosity level of the cat. If the cat is not much interested in discovering things then toilet training kits may not be that effective for them. Different toilet training kits sold in the market should also be considered.

2. There are kits that have basic tasks that may be applicable for kittens while there are some kits that are too complicated for other cats. Therefore, it is important to really assess if the cat will be able to be trained using the toilet training kits.

3. There are many other alternatives that can be used in place of a training kit. Owners can just improvise rather than buying commercially made ones. Aside from saving more money, it can also give the benefit of making a litter box and training the cat based on the cat's capability the way the owner sees it.

4. Toilet training kits for cats that are sold in the market have different prices. T hey may vary depending on the needs of a certain cat. It is still best to have enough information before choosing on a certain kit. Researching and asking questions from those who have tried the product is also recommended.

5. Some toilet training kits also offer various tips on how to make the training easier for pet owner. Others may also include tricks that pet owners can make use of. The kits will include everything the owner may need in training a cat to use the toilet or a cat litter box.

Although there are many kits that are sold in the market, the effectiveness of the kit is not mainly dependent on the kit itself but also on how the pet owners use it Since toilet training kits require gradual steps, patience and consistency of trainers are needed to become effective. If pet owners are dedicated to train their cats, then in just a few weeks, the cats will be able to litter in the proper places.

Finding the Right Litter Box for the Cat

2007-02-02T08:01:00.002-08:00

Before bringing home a cat for a pet, one should do some research on what items are needed to make this feline friend of yours feel comfortable indoors.

Since such pets are not yet toilet trained, it is important to get a litter box to train the cat on where to go when nature calls. Doing this will save the person time and effort cleaning up the waste the creature has left in various places of oneís home.

To make this happen, choosing the right litter box for the cat is important. This depends on the size of the cat and if the pet finds it spacious inside. Since the litter box is the toilet for the pet, this should be easily accessible both for going in and out of the box.

One can buy a litter box that can easily be cleaned from time to time. This can be found in the internet or at the local pet store that will cost twenty-five dollars and above. The price depends on the kind of material that is used in making the box- whether it is plastic or another kind of non-absorbent material.

If the person is too lazy to clean it, there is an electronic version that will cost more than a hundred dollars. Should the person decide not to buy either of the two and would prefer to use a disposable kind, one can use a soda box which should also be changed.

The litter box must have fillers making it easy for the person to clean. This is needed to prevent odors from staying inside the box that can produce bacteria causing the cat to get sick.

In order for the cat to have some privacy, it is best to choose a litter box that can have a cover on top. This will make it warm and comfortable for the cat when it is time to go to the toilet.

There are many types of litter boxes available from the small versions for the kittens to the big ones for the full grown cats. With the many types of fillers available, one should choose the best that will be comfortable for the pet.

Should the person have a hard time choosing the right litter box, one can ask the sales person in the pet store or ask people who have cats for advice.

Training Different Breeds of Cats

2007-02-02T08:01:00.001-08:00

There are many cat breeds available and one should do some research on the behavior of each kind before getting any as a pet. Cats in general are not like dogs who want to please the owner. W hen this creature wants to perform a trick or something, it is because the animal finds it amusing and will continue to do so as long as it is having fun.

The best way to start training a cat is getting it associated with a certain sound. When the animal responds immediately to it, the signal could mean it is time to eat or to go to the owner when the pet is being called.

The owner should call out the name of the cat first then make the distinctive sound. Since this may take some time to practice, this should be done quite often and reinforced with some kind of reward to make the animal know what will happen when hearing it.

One good way of training the cat is with constant observation. This works well when training the cat to sharpen its claws on the scratching pad and not on the furniture. The owner should gently pick up the animal, bring it to the scratching post then hold the pet by the paws and start the action.

Since not all cats are toilet trained, one will have to watch over the cat. When it is time for the cat to go, the person should carry the cat to the litter box for the "deed" to be done there.

Should the cat dump its waste before reaching the litter box or when the owner suddenly finds some in the house, this should be picked up and placed in the box. Afterwards, the cat should be placed in that box to make it get used with the smell, which will help the cat learn where to go should it happen again. When this happens, the cat should be rewarded with a little treat.

Cats, regardless of breed, can be trained to do tricks. Though some do not perform the tricks in the presence of strangers or other people, it does not mean the creature has forgotten the trick. It just means it is not comfortable in the presence of other people.

Cats can also be trained to be responsible enough to go to the proper place whenever nature calls.

For all of this to happen, it just takes some time and patience for the owner to train and reward the pet for its efforts.

Cats in True Collars

2007-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

A true-blue cat aficionado wants the best for his cat...the best cat beds, cat cages, cat bowls, cat condos and yes, cat collars! What makes a good collar? These articles enlighten every cat owner on what collar or harness is appropriate for your beloved pet. Here are some of them:

1. 2 in 1 Reflecting Flea and Tick Collar for Cats

What can be more reliable than a 2 in 1 collar? Its effectiveness lasts up to five months and it can protect any cat from fleas, ticks and other nasty insects. With its Reflective Material technology courtesy of 3M Scotchlite, the "reflective strip" works like wonders. All the owner has to do is stretch the collar and put it on the pet so the killing action begins.

Manufactured by Hartz, this collar is available for $6.

2. Elizabethan Collar or Clear Custom Collar

Famous for being lightweight and dependable, this collar can fit around the neck of any animal. This is very ideal for cats as it can be applied easily, thanks to its Hook and Loop Fastener from Scotchmate.

3. Break-A-Way Safety Cat Collar

Any cat lover who goes ga-ga over colors, this one fits the bill. Not only is it fashionable, it also guarantees safety of the cat. Very adjustable and light at half a pound, one can never go wrong with Break-A-Way Safety Cat Collar.

4. One Earth Herbal Dog Collar

The name says "dog" collar but it is also perfect for cats. Containing oil extracts like citronella, lemon grass and eucalyptus, this makes the cat more fragrant than ever! It repels fleas and keeps the pet cat clean. How can one go wrong with that?

5. FleaTrol Breakaway Cat Collar by Zodiac

How does it stand out among all the cat collars available in the market? It has adulticides like Precor IGR that can crush fleas and ticks in an instant. Its one-of-a-kind design lessens the choking risk, so the owner is assured of the pet's safety. It is even waterproof, too!

6. Kong E-collar

This e-collar is very sturdy and light with a padded neckline that guarantees safety and comfort. This e-collar is available in five sizes, with the smallest measuring 6 to 7.5 large diameter by 4.5 and the largest from 16 to 20 large diameter.

So every cat lover has a reason to rejoice for all these collars available. Any of the aforementioned choices efficiently works like magic.

How to Choose the Best Cat Training Supplies

2007-02-02T04:21:00.000-08:00

Choosing the supplies needed for training a cat need not be expensive. What is important is to know the supplies that are really needed for training and are found to be the most effective. Choosing the cat training supplies needed is never complicated. The only thing that needs to be considered is to determine what the cat owner would like to improve in the behavior of the cat.

Here are the most important supplies needed for training:

1. Litter Box

A litter box is very important in training a cat especially if the cat will be trained to litter in a proper place. When choosing a litter box, the size of the box and the sides should be considered. The cat should be able to jump to it easily, which is why enough space is needed. Cats scratch when littering. The sides should have some height so that the litter will not be scattered when the cat scratches.

2. A Scratching Post

Cats love to scratch. Much of the time they scratch anywhere they like. They scratch on the walls, couches and even on other furniture. Therefore, it is necessary to have a post where a cat can scratch. A scratching post can be bought commercially or the owner can improvise.

When making an improvised scratch post, the post should be sturdy enough. It should not tip over once the cat touches it. It can be covered with a rough mat or the other side of a carpet. However, it is not recommended to use the same coverings used for the couches or furniture otherwise, the cat will do the same to them.

3. Bed for the Cat

A bed should be also be prepared for a cat especially if the cat is be trained not to sleep anywhere he wishes. A bed should be specially made for the cat. The trainer or cat owner can improvise a bed that is made of a soft pillow. It should be inviting and appealing to the cat. Cats love to sleep in warm places. That is why it is important that the bed should provide enough warmth for the cat. A scent can also be added to the bed, which is more appealing to cats.

4. Yarn or Balls as Toys

When teaching a cat some tricks. The best tools are the yarns and balls. Cats love to play with things that are light and moving. There are toys that are specially made for cats but yarns and small balls are the cheapest yet most effective.

How to Correct a Cat in Cat Training

2007-02-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Punishing is the hardest part in training a pet especially with cat. There are many ways a trainer can punish the cat. It can be through words, actions or something physical. However, there are things that need to be considered when punishing a cat during cat training.

1. Find the perfect time. There is a perfect time a cat should be punished during training. A punishment will only be effective if delivered immediately after the cat has done something that is not desirable.

If the cat is punished later after the misbehavior, it will not be able to associate the punishment with the misbehavior. Cats do not understand the same way people do. That is why it is important to associate the undesired action to communication of the punishment.

2. Punishment does not mean that the trainer has to hurt the cat. Cats are just animals and do not have a sense of what is right or wrong. Punishing a cat by inflicting pain in their body is not right.

Aside from the fact that inflicting physical pain is against Animal Rights, the cat will only be provoked and might fight back. It may only cause the trainer to be bitten by the cat. This will also result in making the cat become violent which may be very dangerous to kids and other people who may come close to it.

3. Other alternatives may also be used in correcting a cat. One effective way is the reward and recognition method. In the rewards and recognition, the cat is reinforced to continue a likable behavior because a reward is associated to it.

Rewards can be in the form of praises, petting, food or toys. If a cat did something good that it was taught to do, the cat may be given rewards like food, a yarn toy, or a hug. The trainer can immediately remove the rewards if something undesirable is done. The cat will then learn that the treats will be removed if the undesirable action is made again.

Training a cat, like any other pets, requires patience and understanding in order to be effective. Results may not be fast, but if one is consistent in training, results will be a lot faster. Cats are the sweetest pets one could have and it is only fair that they be treated the same.

By Anita Hampton http://www.cat-health-tips.com

How to Deal with Feline Manners

2007-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

Cats find security in their own territory. They establish a special place where they can eat, sleep, and where they can hunt and play with their mates. There are signs which cats use to mark their home base by spraying, leaving urine and feces, scratching, and even rubbing. These marks provide vital information about their age, sex, and health, thus preventing any close encounters with rival cats.

Since cats have high regard for their territory. They make sure that their little home bases are kept well tended so they will get a prospective mateís attention. Their being keen observers allows them to master each piece of furniture in the house. They would love to be pampered, fed, bathed, and put to sleep in a routinely manner as to maintain anticipation in their minds. Familiar situations make them aware of their activities for the day as well as the sequence of actions of their masters. Once theyíve gotten used to the routine, they will surely give a reminder if someone forgets in the future.

Heard of any deep and long sleepers? Yes, cats! They can spend the whole 15 hours of the day just sleeping. Believe it or not, an eight-year-old feline has only had his eyes open for less than three years. They have three different categories of sleep: the short nap, the long but brief sleep, and the deep full sleep. They have a way of slipping in to a deep full sleep and alternating it with just a short nap.

Be aware that cats spend at least three to four hours of cleaning themselves when they are awake. The sequence is as follows:

- licking the lips
- licking the sides of their paws
- rubbing the head, the eyes, the ears, with the wet paw
- licking the front shoulders and legs
- licking the flanks
- licking the genitals
- licking the hinds
- licking the tail
- and lastly, the catís most awaited part, sleep.

Cats love to have their nap times in an area where they can actually have a birdís eye view of what is going on around and below them. In this way they can be quickly awakened if some unusual things happen from afar or beneath them. Work hand in hand with the cat to develop their instincts. Endow them with standard home bases where they can feel the security they need.

Create an environment that is suitable to their needs and wants. It could be for their viewing pleasures or even just for resting. This will give them the sense of feeling important and being cared for and that they are indeed part of household.

By Anita Hampton http://www.cat-health-tips.com

Tips on Training Cats for Harness

2007-02-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Cats, like children, have to be harness trained with persistence and concern. Hard treatment and physical stress can only induce fear in cats.

Starting at age six months, a cat can start to undergo the training. Confine the cat in order to diminish its need to wander. It is very vital that the right harness is purchased and used since a cat can easily struggle and free itself from the leash if a puny one is used. The harness should be of sturdy yet of comfortable quality, one that is specially made for cats.

The H shaped harness made of nylon material which is light, although it has buckles for the neck and the catís tummy, is a sure buy. Make sure that there is a metal ring for the catís I.D., which is located near the backside of the cat. The cat size can be measured by using a tape measure for the neck and tummy.

The harness can be placed a little firmer after about five days. It can then be adjusted to a two-inch width off the neck and the catís tummy. Leave the harness on for five to ten minutes each day and do this for two weeks. Keep in mind that cats are more jumpy than dogs so they really need more care and guarantee of a no hard treatment.

Use a walking collar with an L shaped fabric that hugs the catís body. Choose a jacket that is breathable and provides enough aeration for the catís comfort. A 5/8-inch wide nylon harness that has three buckles is used for effortless fitting and strapping. Its collar should be one that can be adjusted from 9-12 inches to prevent suffocation.

Have the cat wear the leash while wandering inside the household for twenty to thirty minutes a day for a week. However, never let the cat out of sight as they may be prone to getting snarled in chairs, tables, etc, and this would frighten him. Once the cat has gotten used to moving around with the harness on, then it can be held on to and the cat is ready for a walk in the park. Felines will eventually realize that there are corresponding limitations attached to being leashed. Position the strap with the ID tag and leash where the cat can snuffle, touch and have fun with it.

Being consistent and patient with the routine is the best key to accomplishment. Cats love routine and habits, following a sequence can make them expect what is next, thus, preventing any straying and disagreement. Once the cat is used to the harness, heíll never even notice its there at all in the future.

By Anita Hampton Cat Health Tips

Potty Training for Cats

2007-02-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Initially, cat toilet trainers should know that cats learn one trick at a time. Changes are made after a first trick is mastered. A cats' motto: "Slowly but surely." The capacity of cats to learn differ and so are expectations, control them to avoid disappointment.

Consider the kind of cat to be potty trained. There are pampered, indoor, and spoiled cats. These types are the ones can be toilet trained. It is vital to maintain a house that does not smell like there is a cat living in it.

Follow these steps on how to effectively toilet train cats:

1. Start by placing the cat's litter box near the bathroom door. He should know the new location and uses the litter box as usual.

2. After about a week, put something underneath the potty trainer to elevate it. It could be a bunch of old newspapers, cardboard boxes, or floor mats.

3. Raise the litter box an inch higher every other day until it reaches the level of the toilet seat.

4. At the start of the training, the cat just steps onto the litter box as usual until it slowly jumps up and down from it.

5. Lift the toilet lid up in order for the cat to learn how to tromp with only the seat to step on.

6. Next, move the potty trainer above the toilet seat. Leave it this way for a week or two.

7. The most exciting part: remove the litter box from the toilet bowl but put down the metal bowl inside. Put a few litters for cat's recognition of purpose.

8. Once the cat is used to using the toilet bowl, tutor him on how to squat the right way and that is holding the legs for the correct posture as often as possible until mastered. If the cat has his all fours on the toilet seat, begin by holding the two legs in front.

9. As soon as he knows how to squat properly, lift the hinds out. Assist the cat as he learns how to balance in that position.

10. Start removing the litter from the metal bowl. Now put water at the bottom and increase the contents everyday.

11. Once the feline is already comfortable with the water in the metal bowl, take it all off the toilet bowl.

Cat toilet training is a slow process. Time and effort are invested to obtain a kitty litter free house. Not only does an owner get rid of the ghastly chore of cleaning the litter but get more time to enjoy the catís company.

Tips for Training Kittens

2007-02-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Deciding to get a pet and keeping it indoors will take a lot of responsibility. Chores such as feeding the animal or giving it a bath are just one of the few things the owner will have to do but there is more. Since these pets are not yet trained how to behave, the person will have to devote a lot of time and effort to make this happen.

The best time to train animals especially if one decides to keep it indoors is when it is still young and having kittens in the house is no exception. The good news about raising a cat is that it is easier to teach and maintain, unlike dogs that may require some assistance in a school.

The first thing that a person needs to know before getting a cat is learning about its behaviors. In general, these animals are very affectionate and are well behaved. When one notices certain changes in the mood of the cat, there is usually something wrong that can be corrected once the cause has been determined.

Here are some tips that can help a person train a kitten at home;

1. Kittens need exercise. If this is not done in the form of toys for the animal to play with, it will become restless and could do damage to your home.

2. Since kittens are not yet toilet trained, it is best to start by teaching it what to do with a litter box. The litter box should be big enough for the pet to enter and move around in. By adding newspaper and perhaps carpet, the animal will soon learn where to release waste when it is time.

3. The claws of kittens are not that sharp yet compared to older cats. So that these creatures will not damage the furniture in the future, it is best to get a scratching pad and teaching it that this is the proper place to scratch.

Praising the kitten for doing a good job and feeding it as a reward will help in teaching the kitten how to behave inside the house. The owner should not shout or hit the kitten since this will make the animal fear the person and no amount of effort in teaching it will work after that experience.

Kittens are lovable animals and by spending some time daily with them and with a little patience, this will all pay off as one can finally see that the animal has been finally house trained.

Training Cats at Home

2007-02-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

Most people love animals and it is the preference of the person which type of pet is ideal his or her own home. This could be a fish that is in an aquarium that has to be fed and the tank cleaned at least once a week, a dog that has to be fed and walked and bathed or even something as furry and cute as a cat.

Cats are one of the cleanest animals around since by nature, they have the ability to clean themselves without any assistance. Even if that is the case, it does not prevent these pets from soiling the apartment or the house so the cat has to be trained through the use of a litter box.

Choosing the right litter box for the cat will really depend on the size of the cat that is inside oneís home. The box has to be big enough for the cat to move around in and easily accessible for it to go inside.

This begins by making observations of the pet at home. When the cat begins to move in a strange manner, then it is time to pick it up and rush it to the litter box. Some people have already had the experience of not making it in time which will mean cleaning up the trail of what the pet left behind.

Another unfortunate instance is coming home and finding waste. The best way to train the cat when this happens is picking up the waste and putting it in the box. Then one should pick up the cat and let it stay there for some time which will help the animal realize what to do the next time when there is an urge.

The interior of the box should have some form of filler that will make the place comfortable for the cat. A person can use some old newspapers or old rags. And if this does not work, then one can ask the advice of neighbors who may have some experience with cats at home.

If the house is quite large, it is advisable to provide more than one litter box to make it easily available for the cat. Since the waste of the cat smells just like that of other animals, one should get rid of it immediately and replace the litter so that the odor does not penetrate the entire home.

Cats, just like any other animals, will require some form of maintenance. Training the cat to use a litter box might take more than a day but in the long term, it will keep the house clean of waste lying around.

Reinforcing Cat Training

2007-02-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Training animals in the zoo or circus is just like training the cat at home. It starts by getting the tools necessary then practicing daily until the pet does it right.

One of the most dreaded things that the cat can do to one's home is ruining the furniture with its sharp claws. Studies have shown the cats do this to mark their territory - similar to dogs that urinate in a certain place. To stop this bad behavior, it is best to buy scratching posts and install them in areas the cat frequents in the house.

Given that there are many types of scratching posts available and cats can be picky, one should experiment with the different kinds until one is able to find the kind that your cat will love. When the cat does scratches the post instead of the furniture, the pet should be praised and given food to let it know it is correct and will get the same treatment again in the future.

Another problem that cat owners face is waste. Should there be some found lying in the house, it will make the house smell and nobody wants that. To solve this, one should get a litter box and teach the cat where to go when there is an urge.

This may take some to learn so you should be patient and oversee the catís behavior. When the cat begins to show signs that it is about to release, the person should pick the cat up and rush it to the litter box. Hopefully, the pet will reach the litter box in time but if not, then the owner should be prepared to clean up the trail of waste left behind.

Since many people work or are gone for long periods of time, one may come home to a house with waste in the living room or in another part of the house. The best way to train the animal is putting the waste in the litter box then bringing the cat to the box for it to get used to the smell.

When the cat begins to do it on its own, then the pet should be rewarded with praise and food.

There are many ways of teaching the cat how to behave if you decide to keep it indoors. The best way is still reinforcing that behavior instead of punishing the animal since it will make the cat learn the rules of the house faster.

The Right Recipe for Teaching Tricks to Your Cat

2007-02-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

Cats are very lovable animals. They make excellent pets. In fact, three out of ten households in the United States are known to have at least one cat as a pet. And because they love their cats so much, it was reported that the owners are willing to spend $104 on the average just for some expenses incurred with the veterinarian.

The question is: Are cats worth the trouble?

Some non-cat lovers probe the extravagance that cat lovers spend for their pets. They believe that expenses are not worth it if cats cannot learn tricks.

Indeed, cats may seem to project that impression of independence and sophistication, apparently having a mind of their own. They think that unlike dogs, cats seem so conceited that it they may not take commands easily. These assumptions were even made worse by people who said that they had attempted to train cats and everything was just a mess.

What these people do not know is that cats can be trained just like dogs. The only problem is that people tend to execute the process the wrong way. In turn, cats get confused, having the tricks all mixed up.

The truth is, it whether or not people want to train a cat, a dog, or any kind of animal. What matters most is that people should know what they want their pets to learn so that their pets will not be baffled.

The Right Recipe

In order to train cats, it is extremely important to learn patience and to give more time to the process. This is because cats, like dogs, are not humans who have the full intellect to grasp things easily and comprehensively.

Many experts contend that cats can respond well with ìpositive reinforcements.î However, most pet trainers assert that cats will respond more if there are foods used as rewards. The key is to have the treats ready when the cat is able to perform the required command.

Also, it would be better if cat owners would let their cats learn the tricks one at a time. And just like any training method, it is important for the trainer to be constant with his training methods so that the cat will not be confused.

In addition, it is best to let the cats learn the tricks at their own pace. Trainers or cat owners should never be pushy and want results in an instant. Patience is the number one attribute of a good trainer.

So, when teaching tricks to your cat, it is best that you have these three important characteristics: patience, time, and treats! No more, no less.

The Importance of Treats While Training Your Cat

2007-02-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

The felis domesticus, or simply cats, are known for its sharp senses. In fact, most zoologists assert that cats have the best senses among mammals. This is because they have sharp sense of hearing, smelling, and keen eyesight.

However, with all these remarkable characteristics, cats are little known for learning tricks. Some people contend that it is so hard to teach cats some tricks.

The problem with those people is that they do not know how to train a cat properly. In fact, dogs can be as hard to train as well if improper techniques were employed.

The point here is that since cats have very strong senses, then, it would be better to train them and use their senses as a good target area. This can be done by using treats while training the cat.

Generally, cats respond more when they are given some rewards immediately after they were able to perform the tasks that were required from them. It is important that these rewards be given on an instant so that they can associate the rewards with what they have just done.

Some animals, like dogs, can respond simply by receiving a pat or a good verbal praise after the task. However, cats are more independent animals that seem to have their own sense of thinking. That is why it needs more incentives for them to respond to the commands.

In spite of this, it is not also healthy for the animals to respond to the commands simply because they know that there will be some treats in the end. Hence, it is important to limit the treats while training the cats. It would be better to use treats in commands that are hard to teach like the ìcomeî order.

Nevertheless, treats are very effective tools in training your cats. They are the best tools whenever trainers want to boost the preferred behavior from their cats.

People should understand that cats are not given the same intellect that humans have. Hence, they need something to associate with so that they can understand that the action that they have just made is acceptable.

Boiled down, training a cat is just a matter of employing the best technique and the right treats. All of these things can assure the cat owners of a wonderful execution of commands done perfectly by their beloved cats.

Cat lovers just have to understand that cats, like humans, and like any other living creature in this world, need some praise, love, and rewards so that their pets will return the goodness that they receive.

The Benefits of Walking Your Cat

2007-02-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Aside from dogs, cats are the next best pets for the home. In fact, 34.7 million households in the United States own at least one cat.

However, the benefits of owning a cat are not constrained to having them as mere pets because cats, like dogs, can be trained to do tricks as well. Even if they are known as ìhouse cats,î it is important for them to be given the taste of the outdoor environment. This can be done through walking.

Yes, it is important to engage a cat in outdoor activities such as walking, just like the dog. This is because cats need further stimulation by having a taste of the activities gained by being outside. Walking them outdoors makes them feel entertained and stimulated.

Studies show that cats that are constrained inside the house show a significant sign of boredom and depression. These are not likely to be noticed since cats cannot verbally or even physically tell their owners that they are bored and depressed.

However, there were signs that were noted in a study that projects the negative effects of not having occasional walks outside the house. Scratching the furniture was noted to have a direct association with depression that the cat is experiencing.

The problem with most cat owners is that they tend to pamper their cats and they forget to give them the benefits of enjoying the environment. Hence, a growing health problem arises because most cats are found to be obese.

What people do not know is that even if they are known to be domestic animals and have been in ìclose contactî with people for more than 3,500 years, cats are known to be born hunters. In fact, most zoologists contend that cats are the ìmost graceful huntersî in this world.

For this reason, walking a cat is extremely important. Proper use of materials should be observed when walking your cat. Walking your cat does not necessarily mean it is okay to leave your cats outside. They can encounter danger such as getting a disease or being hurt by neighbors or vehicles..

Try to train your cat to walk with a leash and a harness on. It is best to use a jacket as well so that your cat will be comfortable while walking.

Walking your cat is not a hard work. You just have to use the right tools and the proper training of your cat and you can be assured of a happy and stress-free feline at home.

Common Ailments In Cats

2006-12-18T09:01:00.001-08:00

Cat Allergies: Cats, like humans, can suffer from a wide range of allergies. The most common allergy among cats is flea allergy. As cats get older, their sensitivity to flea bites increases. Food allergies account for another 5-10% of cat allergies. Food allergies might manifest themselves as dermatitis and severe itching, or vomiting and diarrhea, but may take up to 10 years to show up.  Vomiting: Some cats vomit all the time, while others rarely do. One of the most common reasons for vomiting is hairballs. All cats benefit from regular brushing to help minimize shedding and ingestion of hair. To check to see if your cat has vomited as a result of hairballs, examine the vomit carefully for small grayish pellets or lumps, regardless of your cat’s hair color. Hairballs can occur even with shorthair cats. Another reason for vomiting might be that your cat is allergic to its food. Try switching to another brand with substantially different ingredients and no food colorings to see if that helps. Sometimes cats vomit when they have worms. Consult your vet for a worming appointment. Periodic throwing-up can also be a sign of an overactive thyroid or kidney infection. This is particularly common in older cats. Your vet can do a blood test to find out about either. You know your cat’s habits. If it vomits more than usual or in some way demonstrates a departure from its normal habits, take it to the vet. The main thing is to give it plenty of fluids so it does not become dehydrated.
Diarrhea: If your cat has persistent diarrhea, you can try changing its diet. You can try boiled rice, cottage cheese, bread, plain yogurt, boiled chicken, chicken broth or strained meat. Choose the ones your cat prefers. If symptoms continue for more than two days, take your cat to the vet with a stool sample. You should also call your vet immediately if your kitten is weak or listless, or refuses to take fluids.
Feline Urinary Syndrome: (FUS) Feline urinary syndrome, or FUS, is an inflammation, irritation, and/or obstruction of the lower urinary tract. The inability to pass urine can become a life and death situation if not treated quickly. FUS is far more common among male cats than females. Your cat might have FUS if it strains to urinate, has blood in the urine, makes frequent trips to the litter box with only small amounts voided, or forgets how to use the litterbox.
Diabetes: Diabetes occurs in cats who cannot properly regulate their blood sugar level. Symptoms may include excessive thirst and urination; loss of weight or obesity. Older cats are more likely to develop diabetes than younger ones. Diabetic cats should be kept indoors to prevent accidental feeding that could elevate its blood sugar.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: (FIV) Though this disease is related to HIV, it is NOT possible to contract AIDS from a cat with FIV. FIV is passed through open wounds such as cat bites, resulting in an impaired immune system. As there is currently no vaccine for this disease, FIV-positive cats should be kept inside and away from other cats. Upper Respiratory Disease Upper respiratory disease will manifest itself in your cat by cold or flu-like symptoms, like a runny nose and sneezing combined with reddened, runny eyes.
Feline Herpes Virus: Don’t worry, you can’t get herpes from your cat! FHV affects only cats.
Chlamydia Psittaci: Chlamydia is a bacteria-like organism that inhabits the tissues around the eyes. The most common symptom is conjunctivitis, which is generally seen in one eye at first, then spreads to both eyes.
http://www.cat-health-tips.com

Are You Allergic To Your Cat?

2006-12-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Although it is possible to contract some diseases from your cat, it’s not likely to happen. You are much more likely to contract a disease from another person than you are from your cat. You can minimize your risks further by practicing good hygiene and common sense.
Allergies, however, are another story. Some people are allergic to cat fur, others to the protein in a cat’s saliva. The degree of each person’s allergy can vary. In general, shorthairs are better for people who seem to have a sensitivity toward cats. Here are some tips for minimizing your allergic reaction to your cat.
As dander is often the cause of many allergic reactions, groom and brush your cat outside as often as possible. This will keep much of the hair and dander out of your house. Many cat owners experience some relief when they bathe their cats regularly. Clean and vacuum frequently so the cat hair is kept to a minimum. Try an air filter. Keep your cat out of your bedroom. If you develop severe reactions to your cat, consult an allergist.
http://www.cat-health-tips.com

About Your Cats Tongue

2006-12-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

A feeling of rough sandpaper as you are licked by your cat is a reminder that its long, muscular tongue serves many functions, including grooming.
A Grooming Tool and More: A cats ability to groom itself is the result of numerous knobs called papillae on the surface of a cats tongue. Located at the tongues center, the papillae form backward-facing hooks containing large amounts of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. These hooks provide the abrasiveness a cat needs for self-grooming. The strength of these hooks also helps a cat hold food or struggle with prey.
Your Help is Needed: Although the abrasiveness of a cats tongue helps it to clean itself and untangle its hair, your help is needed through regular grooming. As you groom your cat, you are removing loose and dead hair. Otherwise a cat may ingest this hair and hair balls can form, which can cause vomiting and may cause impaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Longhaired cats need daily grooming; shorthaired cats should be groomed at least once a week.
A Matter of Taste: Studies show that the cats sense of taste is keener than that of the dog. This acute sense of taste is the result of two sets of taste buds. Mushroom-shaped papillae at the tip and sides of the tongue hold some of the largest taste buds. A set of cup-shaped papillae are located at the back of the tongue. Palatability studies at the Purina Pet Care Center and other studies show that in addition to flavor, a cats tongue reacts to the texture or mouthfeel of a particular food. This is one of the reasons dry cat foods come in a variety of shapes. The cats tongue also reacts to temperature and shows a preference for foods at room temperature.
When Cats Lap it Up: A cats tongue becomes spoon-shaped to enable it to lap liquids. Notice how its tongue laps under water in much the same manner as an elephant uses its trunk. It flicks its tongue quickly in and out of the water, swallowing after every third or fourth lap. A cats water intake will vary depending on the season of the year, activity and type of diet being fed. Cats consuming canned cat food diets will not drink as much water as those fed dry food. If, for some reason, a cat does not appear to be drinking enough water, more water can be added to the food. Always keep fresh drinking water in a clean bowl available to your cat. Water is an essential ingredient and is involved in virtually every function of a cats body.
Contributing To A Cats Sense of Taste: Cats also have a highly developed sense of smell and they notice changes in their food. Some researchers suggest that this sense may stimulate their appetite or cause them to refuse to eat. A cats appetite may be affected by many factors including noise, strange people, changes in routine and even feeding dishes washed with a strong detergent and not carefully rinsed. However, if a cat refuses to eat for a period of two to three days, a trip to the veterinarian is in order. This continued food refusal may be a sign of illness.

Preventing Bad Habits In New Kittens

2006-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

A little training when your cat first comes home will help to prevent any bad habits from becoming established. If you try to "think like a cat" to discover why they perform a certain unwanted behavior, you can help to establish more acceptable routines. Here are some tips on the three most common bad habits:
1. Scratching. Scratching is a normal cat behavior to leave its scent on its territory, get exercise, and groom its nails. Most cats will leave your expensive furniture alone if you redirect their scratching instincts to an acceptable spot. Invest in a kitty condo big enough for your cat to stretch out on, and if you see him scratching, take him to the post. Rub a little catnip on the condo to enhance its appeal. You can also put strips of aluminum foil down the edges of your sofa during the training period as a deterrent. And have a spray water bottle handy to spray your cat while firmly saying "NO" if he scratches the couch.
2. Jumping. Cats love high places, so the kitchen counter strikes them as a great place to watch the world go by. If your cat also finds food up there, they've just had major reinforcement for this bad habit. Best solution: find another spot in the kitchen where its ok for your cat to hang out from on high, like the top of the refrigerator. Then persistently move your kitty there every time she jumps on the counter. Repetition and consistency are key here, but eventually your cat will get the idea.
3. Not Using The Litterbox. First, have your cat checked by your vet to rule out a urinary tract infection. Next, try changing the type of litter, for many cats are very sensitive to particular litters. Try unscented litters, removing hoods from boxes, moving the box to a more private location, or cleaning the box more often. Provide multiple boxes in multiple cat households. Also, if you have a kitten, be sure it actually remembers where the litter box is! Sometimes in a big house a small kitten can get lost, in which case it will look for the nearest unobtrusive corner to go!

Making Your New Cat Feel At Home

2006-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

So the big moment is finally here! You've just adopted a new cat or kitten from your local shelter or rescue, rampaged through the pet store to stock up on supplies, toys and goodies, and visited the vet for a health-check, shots, and neutering. Now its time to introduce kitty to her new home and the rest of the family. With just a little planning and patience, you can ensure that your cats adjustment period will be as rapid and stress-free as possible.
Home Is Where the Catnip Is: Cats are, by nature, highly territorial, which means that having a place to call their own is extremely important to their emotional well-being. Your new cat is already in a state of stress from having been in a shelter or being given up for adoption, and being brought to a strange new home only increases that stress. Your goal is to help make your new cat feel comfortable as quickly as possible. When you bring your new cat home, confine it to a single room for at least the first few days (with food and litter, of course!). Although this may seem cruel by human standards, it is actually a great kindness to allow your cat to claim ownership of a small new territory at its own pace and without competition. Some shy cats may hide under the bed for as long as a week; others will be ready to come out into the house and go exploring after just a day. The important thing is to let the cat emerge whenever it feels ready. You should spend as much time as possible in the room with the cat, but you should never try to force it out of hiding. The cat will let you know when its ready to begin exploring more of the house. Be sure to leave fresh food and water out at all times, and check that it is being consumed. Even stressed cats like to eat, so no food for 24 hours or more is possibly a sign of illness and warrants a trip to the vet.
Meeting the Family: Naturally, everyone in the family, especially the kids, will be excited about the new arrival. Children should be invited to visit the new kitty in her room, one at a time. Try to keep your children quiet and seated on these visits, so they do not frighten the cat if he's not used to kids. If the cat is friendly and approaches, have them offer an outstretched hand to sniff. If the cat accepts this, they can gently pet the cat. As the cat becomes familiar with the child, they may play with a cat toy on a string or stick. NEVER let your children encourage a kitten to pounce on their fingers (or yours, for that matter). It may seem cute at first, but a full grown cat jumping on and biting a hand in play can be very painful or cause bleeding. Teach your children how to properly hold a cat: with one hand under the rump and one hand on the back, held up against their bodies. And don't leave small children unsupervised with your cat.
Reassuring Jealous Cats: Cats are like children in many ways, so its not surprising that your older pet may be jealous of a new arrival. He may be fearful of losing territory or worried that he is about to be replaced. Extra love, attention and patience during this transition will help to reassure your pet that it is still the center of your universe! Be prepared for it to take from a week to a month before the new cat is accepted by the resident cat. Before bringing home your new cat, make sure that both old and new cats are healthy and current on their vaccinations, including Feline Leukemia. Let your cat continue to have run of the house while the new cat is confined, so that he understands he is not being pushed out of his territory. Allow him to sniff or paw under the door with your new cat, and exchange items to familiarize each animal with the others smell.
When the time comes for the two cats to meet face to face, try to give them short periods of contact, slowly increasing the time as they adapt to one another. Be sure to supervise their visits until you're sure they are okay alone, and be prepared for some hissing and growling, which is quite normal for cats that are getting to know one another. Do not yell at or discipline either cat for hissing or growling, and in the unlikely event of a fight breaking out, break it up with a spray from a water bottle or a thrown towel, not your hands. Prevent the new cat from sleeping in any of your old cats favorite places (for example your bed) and provide each with separate food and water bowls and litter pans. They'll probably use each others, but will appreciate having their own. Try to keep your older cats routine intact, and take every opportunity you can to pet and praise your older cat. Above all, be patient, and one day you will find your new cats grooming each other when they think you're not looking!
Friendly Like Cats and Dogs: Most of the same advice applies to introducing cats and dogs. Again, let the dog have run of the house, and sniff at the cat under the door and exchange scented items during the first few days. You may wish to put up a baby gate in the doorway of the cats room or bring the cat into the house in a carrier so the animals can see each other before they actually meet. Make sure the first visits in the house are supervised, with the dog on a leash if you are unsure about how friendly he will be. Encourage you dog with gentle praise if he is friendly. If the cat runs from your dog, do not allow the dog to chase it, and don't force a cat that seems uncomfortable to be in the same room with the dog. Keep the first visits brief, then extend them as the animals become familiar with each other. Be patient, give them time, and they'll soon learn to get along.

You And Your First Cat

2006-12-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You are about to embark on one of life’s most memorable and emotionally rewarding experiences -- pet ownership. Generally. a cat can live 15 to 20 years and if it all goes well, he will become your dearest friend and a member of your family. However, as rewarding as pet ownership can be, it can also be a nightmare if you both get off to a bad start. The following will help ease this period of adjustment for you.
When you first bring the cat home, try to keep everyone as calm as possible. Although this is difficult with children, please try not to get too enthusiastic. Next, try confining the cat, temporarily, to a small area. A kitchen is perfect because it is the most popular room in the house. Remember, when he first comes into your home, your cat is the outsider; he/she is confused and frightened. Give him time to slowly adjust to the family and its routine. The period of adjustment is much more difficult for him than it is for you. As he/she starts to feel more comfortable, and you feel he/she is ready, gradually give him more freedom. Perhaps you can take him into the den while the family is watching TV, but be sure to keep an eye on him/her.
Even the best behaved cat needs guidelines at one time. If you establish good guidelines in the very beginning, your cat will always follow them. Cats want to please their owners; this makes them happy. If you give a cat too much freedom and he wrecks your house, it’s your fault, not his. If a cat needs reprimanding,
never hit him. A loud, stern NO works much better. Another tool is a water gun or spray bottle filled with plain water. When the cat does something wrong, squirt him and say NO very loud. Do not overuse the water as it will lose its effect. Never Hit Your Cat!! Your hand should only be associated with petting. If the water does not work, try shaking a can or plastic bottle filled with pebbles or pennies.
If your cat starts to develop a habit of scratching the furniture or the rug, take immediate action. Buy or make a scratching post. Preferably, the post should be covered in sisal rope and should be sturdy. If it moves when the cat touches it, chances are the cats not going to use it. Each and every time the cat goes to scratch on the furniture, pick the cat up and bring it to the scratching post. Lift the cat’s paws on the post and move them back and forth on the post. Also clipping your cats nails on a regular basis Is known to cut down on scratching. Cats are smart and they learn quickly. Remember the training period will also allow you and your cat to get to know each other. Your cat will love and respect you much more for it.

Toys for girl cats and boys

2006-12-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

When the mouse is away, cats play. And cats have the tendency to both play hard and play soft. Toys are to cats the same as toys are to dogs. It helps fight the boredom experienced by these pets as well as gives our feline friends the opportunity to practice and use their natural inclination to chase and hunt for prey. It also gives the cat owner that great chance to play with their pets, an experience that will aid in bonding their relationship.

But what toys are best for cats? The following are tips and helpful advice to get that perfect toy for the cat owners perfect pets.

Play safe

The good thing about cats is that they can play ball inside the house and the owners will never know it. Still, there may be things inside the house that cats could find attractive yet might actually endanger their health and safety. Houses must be cat-friendly. As much as possible, take away any string, yarn, needles, rubber bands or other objects that could easily be swallowed by cats. These things could be lethal to cats. Do not let them play with these articles no matter how cute they may appear to be.

Play soft

Choose soft toys that can easily be machine-washed. It is best that the toys chosen to be played with by cats are also the toys marked as safe to be played with by children below three years old. Toys such as these usually contain fillings that are not hazardous. Also, avoid giving cats toys that are hard and rigid, these types do not appeal to them that much.

Know your cat, know their toy

It is best that one also familiarize themselves with your cat. Doing so helps in ones selection of the kind of plaything that best serves the size of ones cat - the kind of activity the cat likes and its unique preferences. Know the environment in which the cat likes to spend its time the most.

Choose active toys

Toys that are great to play with for cats are usually the round plastic ones (such as rings from shower curtains, plastic balls, golf balls, balls used in ping-pong) as these give cats the opportunity to chase and paw around. They could also carry these in their mouths, make sure though that these are big enough they cannot be swallowed but not so large that they cannot carry them in their mouths.

Choose active play

Balls can be placed inside bath tubs filled with water. Watch as cats frolic and play on and around the toy. It is just as enjoyable to the cat as it is fun for the cat owner. Another added feature that could be placed on balls are bells. One not only sees how cats play, one could also listen and take pleasure in the playful sound
.
Another simple yet effective plaything for cats is a paper bag. Use paper bags that do not have handles. These bags are good for pouncing around. Cats hide in them too. As much as possible, avoid the plastic ones as cats have the tendency to chew these and they may eat the plastic. This is not good.

Toys with tails

Cats like playing with soft toy animals - specially the ones that have tails. They either bite them, paw them or chase these little stuffed toys around. It is best if these toys are as big or as small as the cats playing them.

Toys with catnip

Catnip is sometimes used as stuffing for toys that are soft. Putting catnip in such playthings make the toys more enjoyable to carry, kick and throw around. More importantly, it is safe for cats to chew on, roll around in, or eat.
It is okay for owners to place catnip on carpeted floors, or (to make clean-up easy) on towels. There are now catnip oils that can be placed on carpets, and they usually stay there. Cats detect these too. Although small cats, specifically kittens who are younger than six months have shown a certain kind of immunity to catnip.

All in all, it is best that cat owners define what kind of toy should be played by their cats. It is advisable that different kinds of toys be given on certain days, and that displaying all toys simultaneously may not be a good idea. Cats can easily tire of seeing the same fluffy toy animal again and again. Variety always works best. However if cats show a certain liking to a specific toy, let them play with it, or sleep with it - whichever they like.

Make your cat happy by providing a scratching post

2006-12-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Cats are generally lovable animals until the time when they ruin your sofa and your carpet, no thanks to their scratching talent. How does one get rid of this irritating hobby called cat scratching?

Well, there is no remedy for your cats scratching mannerisms. In fact, cat experts discourage human from interfering with their scratching because it is already second nature to cats.

Scratching is inherent in cats as they were made to scratch. The rear paws of a cat were made for scratching. As your cat grows, their claws also grow. Cats have to remove the sheath on their claws by scratching, so they can expose their new claws.

Remember that maxim "if you can't lick them, then join them"? This is especially true for cats. If you do not want further damage to your furniture, draperies or carpets, then encourage your cats to scratch - but not on your things. Instead, buy him his own scratching post.

Buying a scratching post for your cat will give them an outlet for their scratching urge. It will not only save your precious furniture but will also keep your cats happy.

Why do cats use a scratching post

A scratching post is used for:
1. Scratching to remove an outer layer of the cat's nails.
2. Cats also need to exercise and move their muscles by climbing on the post
3. The post is not only used for scratching but also for stretching because while trying to scratch himself, the cat will stretch his whole body towards the post.
4. Marking the post for territorial purposes.
5. Just for the fun of it.

Outdoor cats usually use wooden fences or objects for scratching, so a good scratching post would be one made of wood. A cat owner can get firewood or a log and convert it into a scratching post. Others who are still training their cats make do with the less expensive cardboard posts.

Since the primary use of the post is for the cats to sharpen their claws, the scratching post must be upright and steady. It should also be tall enough, or a half size more than the cat, to make sure your cat can stretch his whole body on the post. Much care should be placed in choosing the right post because if the cat feels it is not steady enough for him, then he might not use it and will revert to scratching your furniture.

Taking Care of Your Cat

2006-12-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

A healthy animal makes for a happy pet. If you are a cat owner and you want to make your pet happy, you need to make sure that your cat is groomed properly, fed on time and is given enough love and attention.

Here are some tips on how you can have a healthy and happy cat:

1. Take care of your cat's health.

As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your cat is healthy and free from diseases that may even be transmitted to humans.

Visit the veterinarian if you notice that your cat has become lethargic or less active than usual.

If you see them 'shedding' excessively or has something unusual on their coat, immediately consult a professional.

Your cat might have a skin disease, or this could be a symptom of a sickness that you do not know about.

2. Groom your cat properly.

Cats are in the habit of grooming themselves. You will often see them using their tongue to clean their coat.

In spite of this, you should still do your part in grooming your cat if you want to keep them really clean.

Brush your cat's fur regularly. There are several short-haired cats that need minimal brushing. For this, you can use a comb with soft bristles.

There are also cat breeds which have long, silky furs and this variety needs a much longer grooming time.

Use a wide-toothed comb initially then brush up with a fine toothed one afterwards. You can also use talcum powder in order to separate the hair strands.

Make sure that you brush with gentle strokes so that their skin will not be hurt or scratched.

Cats are also not that fond of taking a bath. But there are times when your cat would need bathing.

This is when they have accumulated a lot of dirt on the skin and coat. Bathing will help eliminate ticks and lice.

Also, there might be substances that could cling on the fur which can be poisonous and it is important for them to bathe.

When bathing your pet, use a shampoo that is specially made for cats. Prepare the following before bathing:

-a small tub or sink
-slip-proof mat
-water spray attachment
-clean, dry towels
-shampoo
-comb

Adjust the water temperature, then place your cat in the small tub or sink before filling it up with water. It is better to attach a sprayer in the faucet rather than pouring water directly onto its body. Apply a liberal amount of shampoo on the cat's body, and try to avoid the face, especially the eyes and ears.

After rinsing, towel them dry and comb the coat. Bathing time should build trust and create some quality time between you and your pet cat.

This should prevent your cat from making much of a fuss the next time it needs a bath.

Another part of grooming is keeping the eyes, teeth and ears clean. Also remember to keep the paws clean and the nails trimmed.

Go to a pet store and you are sure to find products specially made to clean these parts. You can also look for a nail trimmer specifically designed to use on your pet cat.

Ask a professional groomer or a veterinarian so that you can learn how to properly clean your cat's eyes, ears, teeth and nails.

3. Feed them on time.

Another aspect of keeping your cat happy and healthy is by feeding them well and on time.

Your feline friends can learn how to "stick" to a schedule with your guidance and training.

Make time in your busy day to feed them. You can learn which variety of cat food they prefer by serving different brands and variants.

Along with cat food, you should give them plenty of clean water to drink.

If you have a lot of pet cats, give them individual feeding plates.

If there is just one dish, other cats might not be fed well because dominant felines will take the most part of the food that you serve.

3. Shower them with love and attention.

By giving your cats your undivided attention while grooming and feeding them, you are already showering them with love and attention.

In addition to this, make their play time a lot more fun by appreciating the things that they do.

By following these tips, you are sure to have a healthy cat and be a contented owner.

Why is tuna fish bad for cats?

2006-12-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Cats can develop yellow fat disease from having too much tuna.

Tuna fish, and many other fish species, contain relatively large amounts of unsaturated fats. Although health-minded people eat fish to decrease their consumption of saturated fats, the excessive unsaturated fat in a cat's diet may be harmful.
Tuna and certain other fish possess very little vitamin E. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant. When a cat's diet consists mostly of tuna fish that is not commercially formulated as cat food, the cat becomes deficient in vitamin E. Dietary unsaturated fats from the fish are oxidized by a biochemical called peroxidase into a substance called ceroid. Since the affected cat has low vitamin E levels, this oxidation process is not restrained. Ceroid, an abnormal, pigmented, yellow-brown breakdown product of unsaturated fat oxidation, is formed and deposited in fat cells. The result is yellow fat disease (steatitis).
Ceroid triggers an inflammatory response by the immune system as if it were a foreign invader. The subcutaneous fat of cats affected with yellow fat disease causes pain; these cats become hypersensitive and will resist handling and petting. The muscles of affected cats will atrophy and become weak; these cats do not want to move. As the disease process progresses, the body fat degenerates and is replaced by fibrotic tissue, leaving the skin hard and nodular. Affected cats may also develop fevers unrelated to infection.
Yellow fat disease occurs most commonly in young, overweight male and female cats with inappropriate diets. Treatment includes discontinuing the inappropriate diet and administering therapeutic doses of vitamin E. Corticosteroids may also be prescribed to relieve the inflammatory response.
Even if a tuna-fed cat receives prophylactic or supplemental doses of vitamin E, there are other problems besides steatitis that make feeding tuna unwise. Some believe that tuna contains specific substances (allergens) that stimulate allergic-like disorders in cats. Cats should be fed a balanced, commercially prepared diet to avoid these problems.

Cat Urinary Infection Problems

2006-12-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

More than 1.5% of all cats in the US have suffered or is suffering from a Urinary Tract Infection. Cats can develop a whole list of problems that deal with the bladder and urethra.

Over 70 years ago, the cat's veterinarian was the one who found the signs of Urinary Tract Infections. It still remains one of the most complicated problems in feline medicine.

There may be blood in your pet's urine.
Your pet may cry or strain when urinating.
The urine has a strong, horrible smell.
Your cat may have more reoccurring accidents in places other than the litter box.
If you see any of the symptoms call your vet and schedule an appointment for your cat.

Most Urinary Tract Infections will clear up very well and quick, after they have been treated with antibiotics prescribed by your veterinarian. If you don't get your cat to the vet in a fair amount of time, the infection can and most likely will ascend into the kidney and cause very serious problems.

It is all right to wait one day to call your veterinarian to see if it will pass. Most likely, it will not clear up on it's own. If your cat is straining to urinate and nothing is coming out, this needs to be brought to your veterinarian's attention immediately. A stone blocking the urethra could cause this. This is very common in male cats and requires emergency medical treatment.

What do I do about cat hairballs?

2006-12-06T03:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Anita,

My Persian cat seems to throw up a hairball about every-other day. They are so disgusting. Is there a way that I can get her to stop this gross behavior?

Joyce,
Jacksonville, FL

P.S. - The hairball's are staining my carpet. I think it is from the dye in the food I am feeding her, how can I remove these spots?

Answer:
Hi Joyce,

Hairballs are one of the most common complaints for people that own cats. A hairball is a bunch of hair that your cat has ingested while cleaning itself. The hair is not very easy for them to digest and collects in your cats digestive tract.

There are only two ways for your cat to get rid of the hair;

throw the hairball up along with food material, or
loosen and breakdown the hairball until it passes out in the feces.
Symptoms of hairballs are vomiting and gagging soon after eating, coughing and gagging until the hairball comes out (it may take several attempts for it to come out). To ease your cats symptoms and the mess it can make, there are several products and tips that I recommend below:

At your local pet store, you can purchase hairball remedies. These are ointments that you can give to your cat once per week. They help to break-up the hairball so that it is easier to pass. These products have a taste that most cats will like, however, the first try may not go to well. I suggest that you put a small dab on your cats paw or nose. Your cat will lick it off, but soon they will lick it off your finger.
If your cat seems to have a constant problem with hairballs, I suggest you try the new hairball cat food and treats available that help relieve hairballs.
Keeping your cat brushed, especially if they have long hair, is one of the best ways to prevent hairballs.
If your cat is vomiting frequently for more than a day, this may be a sign of a serious illness. Please take your cat to see the vet to seek a proper diagnosis.
If your cat's hairball/vomit is leaving a stain on your carpet, I recommend checking out this great book Cat Urine Alertit tells you everything you want to know about removing stubborn stains that cat food can leave on your carpet. and is worth it's weight in gold!
Sharing in your love of animals,

Anita Hampton,

Q My cat seems to have dandruff - how do I treat it?

2006-12-05T08:12:00.001-08:00

A There are two main reasons for cat dandruff - poor grooming and a lack of vitamin E in the diet.

If your cat has bad dandruff all over, it is more likely to be a diet deficiency. A good high quality supplement added to your cats food will help. Cats are sensitive to change and will notice vegetable oil, however the cat supplements are odourless and tasteless and your cat should not notice. The supplements can also be purchased in tablet form - however unless you are very good at giving this type of medication to your cat, get someone to help you (for some light relief check out 'Cat Anecdotes' on my 'Cat Stuff' page.

If you feed your cat tinned food, you may need to change it - your vet can provide very good cat food which is full of nutrients and vitamins.

If your cat has localised dandruff (mainly found along their back), it may not necessarily be a diet problem, but a grooming one. Cats cannot reach their backs to clean themselves and dandruff (which is just dead skin cells) can gather (this can also happen if your cat is overweight). Groom your cat regularly with a small fine toothed comb. If the problem persists you may need to bathe your cat, in a mild formulated cat shampoo, however this should be a last resort, as bathing cats can strip their skin of other oils
and necessary substances.

My cat has started urinating around the house, what should I do?

2006-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

A 1. You should always ensure there is no medical reason behind a change in your cats behaviour - bladder or kidney infections can cause a cat to urinate frequently around the home.

2. If you are sure there is no medical complaint, then the change is probably behavioural. Changes to routine (new pet, moving house, or changing your working pattern) can all lead to a stressful environment for your cat. A stressed cat will express how he feels by changing his toiletry behaviour.
3. There is a 'hit-list' of things you can try below, however feel free to post any problems to 'Its A Cats Life' and I will reply on this site.

- Prevent other cats from entering the house - close windows/doors when possible.
- If you have changed the brand of cat litter - go back to one you used before the problem developed. The litter tray should always be clean and it is useful to have one with a cover, for extra privacy. Also watch out for 'over-crowding' if you have more than one cat. If you think things are getting a bit over-crowded, you should invest in an additional litter tray.
- Make sure the cats food/water are kept away from the litter box. Cats do not like to urinate close to their eating place - this can be a handy tool, when dealing with problem areas. After thoroughly cleaning the offending area - leave a dish of food - your cat will soon start to associate the area with eating rather than urinating.
- Do not place the litter box anywhere near loud or frightening noises (cats are sensitive to noise).
- If the cat is just using the one spot - put the litter tray there and gradually move it back where it originally belonged.
- Keeping your cat confined to one area may help. You can reward your cat for good behaviour by allowing it another room in the house, every week or so. Make sure your cat is using the litter box properly before allowing the
cat in another room.

Eating House Plants

2006-12-05T04:33:00.000-08:00

Eating plants is an exceedingly dangerous habit as many household plants are poisonous. If your cat is developing a habit of eating plants, you must separate the two until the problem is solved. Either remove the plants or confine your cat to an area with no plants. Do not delay. One good meal of the common houseplant Dieffenbachia is usually the last meal your cat will eat. Consult with your local nursery and do not keep poisonous plants in your house. There are so many non-poisonous plants to choose from, why take the risk? Even if your cat is well-trained, no cat is perfect and all it takes is one mistake for disaster to result.
If your cat loves to munch on greenery, do not deny him this pleasure. Instead, provide him with his very own special Kitty Garden. There are many commercially available kitty herb gardens for this purpose.

Do not assume that your cat will automatically dine in his new garden. It's best to teach him that this salad bar is intended specifically for his consumption. Call him over to the plants. Tempt him by waggling some of the leaves in front of his nose. Make them irresistible by garnishing them with salmon, or whatever meets his fancy. When he does eat, praise him lavishly. Let him know that this is a special treat just for him.

When your cat is regularly eating from his own garden without your encouragement, it is time to bring your plants back into your house and to teach your cat to stay away from them.

Start with one luxurious sample that is edible. Paint the underside of the leaves with an excruciatingly hot chile oil. Then spray the top of the leaves with a perfume diluted about 1:100 with water. You don't want your entire house to smell like perfume, you just want the plant to smell of it to your cat's very keen sense of smell. Place the plant in the middle of the living room floor and let your cat investigate.

Make the plant more irresistible by tying a length of string to a couple of leaves and tugging from a distance. This will entice your cat to approach and hopefully take a bite. At this point, he should dash off in search of his water bowl. Over the next week, move the booby-trapped plant to different locations in your house. Spruce up the hot sauce and perfume daily. When it's clear that your cat is no longer interested in this plant, bring in a second one and give it the same treatment. If it remains untouched, then you can bring the rest of your plants in, one a day. Spray them with the diluted perfume. At this point it is no longer necessary to use the hot sauce since your cat has already learned that the scent of the perfume means the plant is hot. Regularly spray your plants with the diluted perfume. Throughout this procedure, remember to encourage your cat to eat the plants from his own kitty garden.

Biting Cat - Love Bites?

2006-12-05T04:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Anita,
My newly adopted 10 month old cat bites me and won't let me pet him. When I try to show him affection, he just runs away. I feel disappointed because I wanted a snuggly cat. When he first arrived, I think I might have scared him by accidentally grabbing at him a little too roughly. He likes to play and will always greet me when I come home. He will rub his face against mine for a moment, but if I try to prolong it or initiate contact, he lightly bites me or runs away. Could this be his nature or do you think I ruined our relationship from the start? Can you train a cat to like being petted?
Lonely Lynne

Dear Lynne,
I doubt that you ruined the relationship from the start since your cat is happy to see you when you come home. He is telling you that he likes you when he rubs his face against yours. By running away, he is also telling you that he likes his space and doesn't want to be forced into being cuddly. On the other hand, maybe he is running away in an attempt to get you to play and chase him. He is still a very young cat with lots of energy.

Some cats simply do not like being petted or touched; others can be taught to accept and even enjoy handling. If his ways can be changed, here's a plan that has worked with most of my cat/owner clients with similar problems.

1. Completely ignore Kitty. Pretend he is invisible. Take care of his physical needs (food, water, litter box, etc) but do not talk to him, play with him or even look at him. When he greets you when you come home - ignore him - just walk by as if he wasn't there.

After anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks of this, he should be craving your attention and affection. He should be following you around, pestering and begging you for attention. Withhold your attention until he is craving it.

2. Begin to give him extremely small doses of affection. When he sits on your lap, stroke him 2 or 3 times, then get up and walk away. Gradually increase the amount of affection you give him, but always end the session with him wanting more. If you give him more than he needs or wants, then he will end the cuddle session on his terms (running away or biting to make you stop petting him). If you always leave him wanting more, then he will value it and look forward to it more.

Scratching Furniture

2006-12-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

If your cat is scratching your furniture, shredding and destroying your home, you need to realize that your cat needs to scratch and climb. Scratching conditions your cat's claws by removing the old layers of the nails. Scratching and climbing are highly enjoyable feline activities and are part of the essence of being a cat. Since your cat will want and need to scratch, provide her with a variety of scratching posts and teach her to use them. Until your cat can be trusted not to scratch and claw your furniture, she should not be allowed free run of your house when you are not there to supervise her. If your cat has a single favorite scratching site, this may be temporarily protected by covering it with some netting or loosely woven fabric. Cats do not like to snag their claws.
As a temporary measure you can confine your cat to an area where she cannot get into trouble. Confinement is not the answer to the problem, but it can be used to help train your cat to use a post when you are not home to actively train her. The confinement area should be well stocked with a variety of scratching and climbing posts. Since your cat will have no other choice of things to scratch, she will learn to scratch and climb her posts.

You can buy scratching posts at your pet store or you can build one yourself. Rough hewn 4x4's set vertically with a few horizontal resting platforms are ideal. Whether buying carpet to cover a home made post or purchasing the finished item, remember to take along a comb to check that there are no loops in the carpeting which will snag the cat's claws. You can also attach the carpeting underside-up, as the backing has a rough texture that cats enjoy.

Whether you are trying to prevent or cure a scratching problem, the single most important thing you can do is praise and reward your cat for scratching and climbing her post. Simply plonking down a few posts in front of your cat is not enough. You must specifically train her to scratch these items and these items alone. Read about how cats learn

If your cat is not interested in them, it's up to you to show her how fun they can be. Put her favorite food treats on some of the platforms. Attach toys so they dangle down enticingly. Rub the post down with catnip. Most cats scratch immediately after waking while performing stretching exercises. As soon as your cat wakes up from a nap, call her to her post. Scratch the post at a point a couple of feet off the ground. Most cats reach up and stretch with their front paws on the post. Praise your cat profusely, especially if she makes scratching motions.

Don't try to physically force your cat to scratch by holding her paws. She will resist and even dislike the post. The most effective method of teaching your cat to use her post is through lures and rewards. Always be on the alert to lavish your cat with praise, affection, attention and even a treat anytime she scratches or climbs her post without your encouragement. Never take this for granted.

Train your cat to scratch her post on command. Stand by the post with a treat in hand. Say, "Kitty scratch," "Kitty climb," or some other suitable request. Give your cat the treat when she comes running. If she is not interested, wait until dinner time and try again. Once your cat shows interest, hold the treat higher and higher up until she has to climb the post to get it. Place a treat on the highest platform and give her the request to "Climb." In time she will learn to climb her post on command for treats, affection, attention and play time.

Once your cat understands that scratching and climbing her post is fun, rewarding and gains your enthusiastic approval, it is time to teach her not to scratch the drapes or furniture. If you catch her clawing at anything other than her post, immediately startle her with either a blast of water from a plant sprayer or a sudden loud noise. She will soon realize that unpleasant things happen when she tries to scratch the furniture, and she will remember how wonderful it is to scratch her post.

Basic Cat Training or How Cats Learn

2006-12-05T03:32:00.000-08:00

No, this is not about Kitty Boot Camp! If training your cat to sit, stay and heel is your goal, perhaps you should get a dog. If training your cat to adroitly perch himself over your toilet to do his business is your goal, perhaps this article is not for you either. This article is for all of us who would be happy training our cats to just use the litter box instead of our comforter, closet or shoes. This is for owners who would be happy training their cat to use a scratching post instead of the stereo speakers. If you're like me, you admire your cat for being a cat and you want him to behave as nothing other than a cat, but a well-behaved one.
Before we start training our cats to do something or to stop doing something, we need to look at how cats learn. They don't understand English, they can't read books or attend lectures. They learn by experience. If the experience is good, they will try to repeat it. If the experience is unpleasant, they will try to avoid it in the future. They enjoy raking the furniture with their claws, so they continue to do it. But it's quite a shock when they stick their nose in a candle flame, so they won't do that again.

The key to training is to make sure that whatever you want your cat to do is exceedingly rewarding and pleasurable. Whatever you don't want your cat to indulge in must never be rewarding or fun, in fact, it must be unpleasant.

Sometimes we unintentionally reward our cats for obnoxious behavior. A common complaint is that the cat pounces on the owner at five in the morning, meowing up a storm and generally being a pest. What do the owners do? They get up and feed the cat, play with him or let him outside. Kitty has learned that his behavior gets him exactly what he wants. Read more on 5am activity. Read more on rambunctious behavior.

Many owners become frustrated because they can't catch the cat in the act of the crime, so instead they show the cat the evidence (usually a wet spot on the carpet or pieces of shredded drapery) and discipline the cat at that time. A common training (mal)practice is grabbing the cat, pointing out the wet spot, then dragging him to the litter box and forcing him to dig in the litter. What the cat is learning is that being reached for by the owner is a bad experience and that the litter box is a torture chamber. It is usually difficult if not impossible to catch the cat in the act because most cats have already learned that being caught is bad news.

Reprimands simply do not work when training your cat. If you catch kitty in the act, he will only misbehave when you are not around. If you punish the cat later, he will not associate the reprimand with the crime. In either case, the misbehavior continues. Some cats misbehave just to get attention and the attention is enough of a reward to cause kitty to continue his ways. So what do we do?

If you want to prevent problems from occurring, or reform kitty of his bad habits, the answers are the same. Here's a three point training plan:

First: Stop all reprimands and punishment, no matter what your cat is doing.
Second: Set kitty up to succeed in performing those behaviors you want her to learn so she can be rewarded.
Third: Set up kitty's environment so that those behaviors you don't want him to learn are not rewarding.
Let's look at these at little more closely.

1. Stop all reprimands. Concentrate on making your relationship fun, rewarding, playful and interesting. Sometimes this change alone will solve your problem. Cats are known to become overly active and destructive when bored. Daily play sessions and relaxing massages help calm kitty down. Cats that feel neglected will often stop using their litter box. If you schedule regular sessions to give kitty your undivided attention and to play games with him, even litter box problems can disappear almost overnight.

2. The most effective method of cat training is through rewards, so the second step is setting up the cat's environment so he can succeed. This will give you the opportunity to reward and praise him for good behavior.

Let's take a look at litter box training as an example. A cat's physical system is very regular. If you control the input, you are also in control of the output. Kitty should be on a regular feeding schedule so he will have a corresponding regular output schedule. Adjust his feeding time so you can be present when he needs to go. About 15 minutes prior to when you know he will need to go, take him to his litter box room. Because you and kitty are locked in the litter box room, he doesn't have the option of going on the carpet in the hall or on your bed. His only choice is the litter box. When he uses it, praise the daylights out of him! Give him a juicy chunk of salmon or another treat that is reserved for this wonderful performance. Until you're sure that litter box training is successful, don't give him free access to the rest of your home when you know his bladder and bowels are full. Read more on litter box training.

3. The third step is setting up the cat's environment so that his misbehavior is not a rewarding experience. Let's take a look at furniture scratching as an example. While making kitty's scratching post fun, rewarding and exciting, the training process also requires you to make the furniture unattractive as a clawing item. Instead of you telling the cat to avoid the furniture, let the furniture itself tell the cat to stay away. It's up to you to find something your cat does not like. Each cat is different. However, most cats don't like to snag their claws when scratching, so you might try draping some netting or tulle over the furniture. Some cats don't like the feel of aluminum foil or two-sided sticky tape. A mild menthol or citrus scent repels some cats. Once your cat realizes that these places are not fun to scratch or sit on, and she regularly has wonderful times at her scratching post, the problem of inappropriate scratching will disappear. Read more on destructive behavior.

Maybe you are into training your cat to jump through a hoop; maybe you just want him to stop climbing the drapes. Whatever the case, remember that cats learn best through the use of rewards, praise and positive reinforcement. Set kitty up to succeed. Set yourself up to succeed with your cat. It works. And it's a lot more fun when training succeeds for both of you.

Travel Tips

2006-12-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Traveling With Your Pets

Before you go
Ask yourself: will my cat be comfortable and happy on this trip? Some animals simply prefer to stay at home and a ‘homesick’, possibly motion-sick pet will ruin everyone’s trip. In such a case it’s probably wiser to leave your pet with a friend, relative or hire a ‘petsitter’. If that is not possible, you might consider boarding him or her at a clean, well-run cattery.

Plan ahead
If you do decide to take your pet along, you must take as much care with the preparation of your pet’s trip as your own. If you plan to travel by plane, bus, train or boat, find out if your pet will be welcome and, what kind of reservations and transport arrangements must be made. If you’ll be staying at hotels, motels or campgrounds, you must check if animals are allowed or if kennel facilities are available. If you’re staying with friends or family, make sure your pet is also invited.

Travelling by plane

Contact the airline you wish to fly well in advance - each has its own regulations and reservations for your pet will be necessary.
Be sure to ask about the airline’s rules for pet crates or carriers.
Try to book a direct flight or one with a minimum of stops.
The airline may allow your pet in the passenger cabin if your crate or carrier can fit under the seat in front of you. If your pet must travel in the cargo hold, be at the airport early, place him in his travel crate yourself and pick him up promptly when you land.
Establish that your pet will be in a pressurized area of the plane - cargo holds can get very hot or very cold without environmental controls.

Travelling by car

If your pet is not used to being in a car, take him or her for a few short rides before your trip. Your cat will probably be safer and more comfortable in a carrier.
Give the main meal at the end of the day. Dry food is more convenient but if your pet needs canned food, dispose of any unused portions if they cannot be refrigerated.
It is not recommended to leave your cat in a parked car for a prolonged period of time. If you must leave your pet in a parked car, put the cat in the carrier, lock all doors and open windows enough to provide good ventilation. Remember, on hot days, the temperature in a parked car can rise to dangerous levels in just minutes and your pet could die of heat stroke.

Travelling by bus, train or boat

Not all bus lines allow you to travel with your pet, so phone ahead for information.
Amtrak does not permit pets to travel in passenger cars, but they may travel in cages as checked luggage.
Some cruise ships do welcome pets. Check with the cruise line or ask your travel agent.

Wherever you go

Ensure your pet ALWAYS wears a collar with complete identification and a license tag. Microchipping with HomeAgain® is the way to ensure you will retrieve your animal should it be lost.
Pack his or her favorite food, toys and dishes, a cooler of water, a litter box and a leash.
Have your pet examined and vaccinated, if necessary, by your veterinarian before a long trip.
If your pet must travel in a crate or carrier, be sure it is strong, large enough for him or her to stand up and turn around, has a place for food and water, and a litter box, is well ventilated, has a leak-proof bottom and closes securely.
Contact the consulate or embassy of your destination or ask your travel agent for advice if you are planning a trip abroad with your pet, as health and vaccination regulations vary greatly.

Important: if your pet gets "motion sickness" check with your veterinarian for appropriate medication.

Catring For Senior cats

2006-12-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

Caring for Senior Cats

Old age is not a disease
As a result of advances in veterinary medicine, more knowledgeable care and improved nutrition, cats are now living much longer, healthier lives. But, just as for humans, the passage of time has its effects, and you may begin to notice that your once-frisky feline seems to have slowed down a bit. Being aware of the natural changes that can occur as your cat reaches his or her golden years, as well as what you can do to help keep your pet as healthy, active and comfortable as possible, can ensure that you both enjoy this final stage in your cat's life to the fullest.

How-and when-will I know that my cat is getting “old”?
As cats move into the geriatric phase of their lives, they experience gradual changes that are remarkably like those of aging humans: their hair may turn grey, their bodies are not as limber and reflexes not as sharp as they once were, hearing, eyesight and the sense of smell may deteriorate and energy levels seem to diminish. In fact, the first sign of aging is often a general decrease in activity, combined with a tendency to sleep longer and more soundly. Such signs may begin to manifest themselves anywhere between the ages of 7 and 11. Furthermore, a healthy cat who lives indoors, especially one that has been spayed or neutered, will most likely age later than one which has been affected by disease or environmental problems early in life. Thus, while wild or feral tomcats have an average life span of only 3 years, a castrated male house cat that is well cared for can live happily and healthily into his late teens or early twenties. Again, as with humans, the aging process will vary with the individual. Your veterinarian will be able to judge when it's time to consider your pet a “senior”.

Checkup time now comes twice a year

As your cat ages, regular checkups at the veterinarian’s become more important than ever. In fact, at this stage of your pet’s life, it is recommended that he or she receive a thorough examination every 6 months, as adult cats can age as much as 4 years (in human terms) within the period of one calendar year. Besides the usual complete physical examination, your veterinarian may conduct a urine and fecal analysis and a full blood screen. If your cat goes outdoors, or is part of a multi-feline household, he or she may also recommend that your pet be tested for the presence of feline leukemia or immunodeficiency virus.

Keep your vet informed
Most importantly, you should tell your veterinarian about any noticeable change in your cat's physical condition or behavior. A problem that you may assume is simply related to your pet's advanced age may actually be the result of a treatable medical condition. For example, your cat's lack of interest in exercise or play may not stem from the normal decrease in energy that comes with age, but be due to the stiffness and pain that results from arthritis—a condition that can be managed with the proper treatment. Regular, semi-annual checkups can thus help your veterinarian work out a suitable preventative health program for your pet and catch any disorders sufficiently early to provide effective treatment. Working together, you can both ensure that your cat's senior years will be healthy and happy ones.

Put a healthy diet on the menu

As he or she ages, your cat’s nutritional needs may also change. You may find that, although your pet is eating less, he still puts on weight. This could be due to a slowdown of his metabolism or a decrease in his activity. Excess weight can aggravate many feline medical conditions, including heart, respiratory, skin and joint problems. To help a portly puss reduce, try feeding smaller quantities of food or gradually switch to a diet that is lower in calories. Other cats have entirely the opposite problem—they lose weight as they age, sometimes as the result of heart or periodontal disease, thyroid dysfunction, kidney failure or sometimes because of a reduction in their taste sensation, which leads to a loss of appetite.
In either case, ask your veterinarian for advice about your pet’s individual nutritional requirements.

Senior cat food do’s & don’ts

Do make sure that your cat's diet is well balanced, highly palatable, digestible and contains potassium and taurine.
Don't serve food with high mineral and protein content.
Do consider, in consultation with your veterinarian, increasing the level of fiber in your cat’s diet, especially if he or she suffers from frequent constipation.
Do try warming canned food to body temperature—it may make meals more tempting to senior cats with poor appetites.
Don’t feed your cat between-meal snacks or table scraps.

The top 10 health tips for senior cats

Take your cat to his or her veterinarian for twice-yearly checkups.
Become informed about conditions and diseases common to senior cats, be on the lookout for symptoms and, should they arise, inform your cat’s veterinarian promptly.
Feed your cat the best food you can afford and consider giving him several small meals a day rather than one large one.
Don’t overfeed—obesity causes many health problems and may shorten your cat’s life.
Make sure your cat receives adequate exercise to preserve muscle tone, bone, joint strength and fight obesity.
Look after your cat’s dental health. Have his teeth cleaned professionally when your veterinarian so advises, and ideally brush his teeth daily.
Have your veterinarian do a risk assessment to determine an appropriate vaccination protocol for your cat.
Do your utmost to control fleas and make sure your cat and his environment (his bed, play area, etc.) are always spotlessly clean.
Check your cat’s nails weekly and trim them as often as necessary, as senior cats may not use their scratching posts as often as they did when younger.
Give your cat lots of love and attention and do all you can to keep him interested, active, happy and comfortable.

Cat Health Check

2006-12-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Spaying or Neutering your kitten
Many veterinarians believe that spaying or neutering not only helps solve the serious problem of a burgeoning population of unwanted cats, but also makes for friendlier, easier-to-live-with pets. Spayed female cats are more relaxed, playful and affectionate, while neutered males are calmer and less likely to ‘spray’ or urine-mark their territory, wander away from their home or fight. Plus, sterilization has health benefits - it minimizes the risk for breast cancer in females and enlarged or tumorous prostate in males.

Spaying removes the uterus and ovaries of a female cat, usually around the age of 4-6 months. A major surgical procedure, it is performed under general anesthesia and most often involves an overnight stay at an animal hospital. Complications are rare and recovery is normally complete within ten days.

Neutering, also carried out under general anesthesia, removes the testicles of a male cat. The small wounds that result usually heal in about a week. Less complicated than spaying, it is often performed on a ‘day surgery’ basis when the cat is 4 to 12 months old.

Your kitten’s basic health check

Your new kitten should visit a veterinarian as soon as possible. The first visit will probably include:
Thorough physical examination to determine his or her state of health.
Check for external parasites (fleas, ticks, lice, ear mites).
Check for internal parasites (tapeworm, roundworm, etc.), if you can bring a stool sample for analysis.
Initial vaccination and/or a discussion of the types of vaccinations your kitten needs and when they should be scheduled.
Discussion about whether your kitten should be sterilized (spayed or neutered) and when.

This first health check will give your veterinarian the information he needs to advise you on your kitten’s immediate diet and care. Plus, it will give him a “knowledge base” from which, on subsequent checkups throughout your cat’s life, he can better evaluate, monitor and manage your pet’s health.

Make your new kitten feel at home
With sensitive handling and friendly contact for at least an hour a day, your new kitten should soon be very comfortable with you and his new home. Be sure if there are also young children in the home that they are taught that a kitten is not a toy but a living creature who must be treated with gentleness and respect. Also provide your pet with lots of opportunities for interesting, challenging play that will satisfy his natural instincts. Toys that he can pretend to 'hunt' and capture and special posts that he can scratch (instead of your carpets and furniture) will help make your kitten a joy to live with.

Your Geriatric Cat
When is the best time to start caring for your aging pet? When he's a kitten. Starting off your cat's life with good nutrition, scheduled veterinary appointments and a happy home life sets the blueprint for a high quality of life in his older years. Most cats are considered geriatric by the age of 8 to 10. Much like humans, time takes its toll on vital organ functions as your cat ages. Cats are more subtle than dogs in showing you when they are sick or in pain. Paying attention to your cat's behavior will make detecting problems easier and help them live healthy lives well into their teens.

What you can do at home

Check your cat’s mouth, eyes or ears regularly. Watch for loose teeth, redness, swelling or discharges.
Keep your pet’s sleeping area clean and warm.
Make fresh water available at all times.
Maintain a regime of proper nutrition and loving attention.

Common Problems

Obesity is a big health risk. An older cat is a less active cat, so adjustments to your pet’s diet to reduce caloric intake are imperative. This will relieve pressure on his joints as well as manage the risks of heart failure, kidney or liver disease, digestive problems and more. Other changes to his nutrition should include increasing fiber, fatty acids and vitamins while decreasing phosphorus, sodium, protein and fat.

Arthritis’ severity can range from slight stiffness to debilitation. You may detect this problem when he becomes less attentive about his grooming and litter box habits. These signs may also indicate the slowing down of his cognitive functions. Anti-inflammatory medication can help relieve the pain. Your veterinarian will prescribe any necessary medication.

Intolerance to hot and cold temperatures occurs because your cat produces less of the hormones which regulate the body’s normal temperature. Move his bed closer to a heat source. If he is an outdoor cat, avoid letting him out on cold days.

Tooth loss or decay not only makes it harder to chew but also increases the likelihood of infection or tumors. Cats are very sensitive to oral pain. Brushing and cleaning the teeth will keep tartar, gum disease and gingivitis at bay.

Constipation may point to colon problems or hair balls. A diet that is easily digestible and rich in nutrients is essential.

Skin or coat problems in aging cats means the skin loses elasticity, making your pet more susceptible to injury while the coat’s hair thins and dulls over time. Regular grooming to maintain the coat’s luster and fatty acid supplements are highly beneficial.

Frequent colds and infections may indicate an impaired immune system. Bring your cat in for a check-up. Your veterinarian may suggest a test for Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

Increased thirst is a possible sign of diabetes, kidney failure or hyperthyroidism. Your veterinarian will determine this and prescribe the appropriate medication.

Decreased sense of smell may drastically reduce your cat’s appetite. Try serving smaller portions more often throughout the day. Ask your veterinarian about foods formulated for geriatric cats. They may have a stronger concentration of aromas.

Fleas And Ticks

2006-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ticks and fleas
Ticks are small spider-like acarids and fleas are insects, but these two tiny creatures have at least one thing in common—they are both parasites that feed on your cat’s blood and can cause a lot of discomfort and more serious health problems.
Flea bites may go unnoticed on some pets, cause slight irritation in others and produce extensive itching, red lesions, hair loss and even ulcers in those animals with flea allergy dermatitis, which is the result of extreme sensitivity to flea saliva. Severe flea infestations can cause anemia, especially in kittens. Fleas can also transmit several diseases, as well as tapeworm. Ticks are “vectors” or carriers of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever which can sometimes be transmitted to humans.

About fleas…
Adult fleas are wingless insects, generally smaller than a sesame seed, who feed on the blood of animals. Their proportionately enlarged back pair of legs gives them an extraordinary jumping ability. Hanging on to your pet’s fur with their claws, their needle-like mouth parts bite through the skin to suck up blood—in quantities of up to 15 times their body weight daily in the case of female cat fleas.

If one flea finds your cat an attractive food source, you can be sure that other fleas will, too! They mate, with females laying 30–50 eggs per day. These eggs will drop to the ground within 8 hours and, as soon as 2 days later flea larvae will hatch and hide in dark places on the ground, on carpets or in upholstery. After about a week of feeding on adult flea droppings, crumbs, flakes of skin, etc., the larvae spin cocoons to become pupae. The pupae can remain in this stage for very long periods of time. As early as a week later, the pupae develop into adult fleas and emerge from their cocoons when they sense that a cat or other animal host, is near. The cycle—which can take as little as 12 days or as long as 180 days—can then begin again.

And ticks...
Ticks are wingless creatures that live exclusively on the blood of animals for three of the four stages of their life cycle. They are equipped with an apparatus called Haller’s organ which senses heat, carbon dioxide and other stimuli to allow the ticks to locate the presence of an animal food source. Once found, they crawl on and embed their mouth parts into the animal’s skin and proceed to suck up its blood.

You should inspect your pet regularly for ticks, especially if they have been outside in areas where there are woods or tall grasses. A thorough combing within 4 to 6 hours of exposure to such environments can help prevent ticks from attaching themselves to feast on your pet. Should you find a tick, it should be removed immediately, as the longer it is attached to its host, the greater the chance for disease. Do not touch the tick. Wear gloves and use tweezers to carefully grasp the exposed section of the tick’s body near your pet’s skin. Gently pull until the tick lets go. To dispose of the tick, wrap it in several tissues and flush it down the toilet. Do not crush, burn or suffocate it, as any one of those actions may spread infectious bacteria.

Controlling fleas and ticks
The best way to control flea problems is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Fortunately, developments in veterinary parasite control in recent years have made the twofold goal of eliminating fleas on pets and preventing further infestations much easier to achieve. Available for both cats and dogs, new insecticides and insect growth regulators in easy-to-use topical or oral forms not only eliminate any existing fleas, but also work long-term to prevent future infestations. This is accomplished either by killing the parasites before they can reproduce or by preventing their eggs from developing into normal adult fleas. Consult your veterinarian for advice about the proper product for your pet. Furthermore, thorough daily vacuuming of high-traffic areas and frequent washing of your pet’s bedding will also go a long way in reducing the flea population in your home.
Some of the same types of topical or oral products used to control flea infestation are also effective against ticks. Such treatments should be combined with daily examinations and tick removal for those pets, especially cats, who are frequently outdoors in areas with high tick populations. Ask your veterinarian for information about the situation in your locality. Clearing brush and long grasses and removing leaves, grass clippings and other organic debris will also help reduce the presence of ticks by disturbing their natural outdoor habitats.

When a parasite picks your pet for a meal
If, despite your best efforts at control, you find that fleas or ticks have crawled (or jumped) on board your pet, you will have to use a product that will kill and/or repel the parasites. These include once-a-month topical treatments, or more regular use of sprays, powders, dips, shampoos, collars and, to combat fleas, oral or injectable medication. Once again, you should ask your veterinarian for advice about what the most appropriate product is for your pet . And remember, it is perfectly normal to see live fleas or ticks on a pet immediately after a topical treatment, spray, shampoo, collar, etc. is applied. Many believe that this means the product is not working, but the fleas or ticks have to fully absorb the product before they will be affected, which may take from a few hours to a few days.

Facts about fleas
Worldwide, there are about 3,000 different types of fleas, but the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common to be found on cats and dogs.

Adult fleas can jump 600 times an hour. Each jump, in terms of the flea’s size, is the equivalent of a person clearing a 50-story building.

The record jump for a flea is 13 inches.

In just 30 days, 25 adult female fleas can multiply to 250,000 fleas.
Tips about ticks
A female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs.

Except for eggs, ticks need a blood meal to progress to each stage of their life cycle.
Some ticks can live for more than a year without a meal.

In very rare cases, toxins secreted by ticks can cause pet paralysis.

More Funny Cats.....

2006-11-29T12:22:00.001-08:00

You can't get enough of these cute and funny cats.... thanks for the messages

These Kittens Will Make You laugh.

2006-11-29T12:20:00.001-08:00

Can't resist showing you these cute little kittens

Cat Care Tips

2006-11-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

Feeding Time
Whether you use a ceramic, glass, stainless-steel or plastic bowl, make sure it is wider than your cat’s whiskas. Cats dislike narrow bowls and remove food from them to eat off the floor. Thoroughly wash your cat’s food and water bowls daily but avoid bleaches or detergents with citrus or pine smells. They are likely to repel rather than attract your cat. Remember you cat prefers to eat in privacy.

Your Cat's Collar
Your cat should have an elastic collar with a name tag in case it strays. The elastic will stretch, enabling the cat to free itself if it should get hooked up somewhere.

New Kittens
For the first few nights of your new kittens arrival, a hot water bottle tucked under its bedding and a clock with a loud tick (such as a wind-up alarm clock – be careful it doesn’t go off, you don’t want to give your baby kitten a fright!) will act as a substitute for the warmth of its siblings and the tick will give the same sort of pulse as its mother’s heart beat to provide a further sense of security.

What temperature should my cats feed be?
The ideal temperature is 86oF, which happens to be the same temperature as the cat’s tongue. Food taken straight from the refrigerator is disgusting for a cat. Unless it is very hungry then they will eat almost anything. Sadly for most cats today heated food is something of a luxury and they have learned to live with the ‘fast food’ mentality of modern times. Cats lack our sweet tooth opting favorably towards sour tastes, then bitter then salty and finally sweet. Your cat prefers to eat small meals on frequent occasions, rather than gorge on large, infrequent meals. Considering the size of their natural pray – small mice and birds – this is not surprising. Usually the cat eats a mouse-worth of food and then strolls off to digest it, returning later for another rodent-sized portion, and so on, until all the food is gone. On this basis, if one meal is eaten and the dish emptied and then the next meal is refused, it may simply be that the cat is not yet ready for its next ‘kill’.

Why do cats pur?
Cats pur to indicate a friendly social mood, however this signal can be given when they are also in pain, such as labour or having received an injury where it is a signal of the need of friendship. When you enter a room where a cat is lying asleep on the floor and you greet it with a few friendly words, it may respond by rolling over on its back, stretching out its legs as far as they will go, yawning, exercising its claws and gently twitching the tip of its tail. As it performs these actions, it stares at you, checking your mood. This is a cat’s way of offering you a passively friendly reaction and it is something which is only done to close family inmates. The cat is saying ‘I roll over to show you my belly to demonstrate that I trust you enough to adopt this highly vulnerable posture in your presence.’ A more active cat would rush over to you and start rubbing against you as a form of friendly greeting. However there is another reason why your cat will press against you with the top of its head or the side of its face, then rubs all along its flank and finally may slightly twine its tail around you. After this it looks up and then repeats the process, sometimes several times. If you reach down and stroke him he will increase its rubbing, often pushing the side of its mouth against your hand, or nudging upwards with the top of its head. When done it wanders off, sits down and washes its flank fur. Without you knowing it, your cat has marked you with its scent from their numerous glands. It is important too that the cat to read our scent signals. This is achieved by the sitting down and ‘tasting’ us with its tongue – through the simple process of licking the fur it has just rubbed so carefully against us.

Why do cat’s eyes glow in the dark?
Because they have an image-intensifying device at the rear of their eyes which act like a mirror behind the retina, reflecting light back to the retinal cells. With this, the cat can utilize every scrap of light that enters its eyes. Despite this efficient nocturnal ability it is not true that cats can see in complete darkness. On a pitch black night they navigate by sound, smell and the sensitivity of their amazing whiskas.

Can Cats see colours?
Yes, but rather poorly.

Why do Cats Sulk?
When you become angry with your misbehaving feline friend, this generally involves finger waging, harsh words and fixed staring. Staring is very intimidating to a cat and its natural response is to avoid the hostile image of the staring eyes by turning his back, sitting down neatly and deliberately in a dignified sulk.

Did you know?
Obese cats are far less common than obese dogs or obese people.

Care For Your Cat

2006-11-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Homemade Diets Not Always Best

2006-11-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Homemade diets not always more nutritious or safe
The debate on whether or not your pet is better off on a homemade diet is an ongoing one. Without a doubt, feeding a commercially prepared diet is more convenient, safer, and more economical. Feeding a homemade diet can be very effective but can also be fraught with difficulties. For example, you must be sure that the diet that you prepare contains the proper amount and balance of all nutrients, that the ingredients are easily digested, absorbed, and utilized by the pet, and that it is palatable. You must make sure that the nutrients are not altered or destroyed in any way during processing and storage. You must also ensure that no contamination of the food occurs before, during, or after food preparation. Finally, vitamins and minerals must be supplied in the proper ratio to ensure good health. Commercial pet foods are routinely tested for nutritional composition, something most pet owners are unable to do on their own.

Problems can and do occur if raw foods are fed. For example, meats should not be fed raw because of the danger of transmitting parasites (e.g. toxoplasmosis) and harmful bacteria (e.g. Salmonella, E.coli, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, etc.). In addition, studies show that most dogs and cats prefer cooked meat.

There is nothing wrong with providing your pet with a homemade diet. Consult your veterinarian for recipes and advice so that you can be assured of a healthy and well-balanced diet. However, also be aware of the fact that commercial pet foods are of exceptional quality and value, and that most of the "bad press" they receive is unwarranted and unjustified.

Chocolate Is Sweet .....But Also Deadly

2006-11-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Chocolate is Sweet...but can be Deadly
Chocolate and cocoa contain both of the methylxanthines,theobromine and caffeine which can be toxic to animals if fed to excess. Most dangerous is baking chocolate, which contains seven to ten times the amount of theobromine that ordinary milk chocolate does. One ounce of baking chocolate or, about 3/10 of a one kilogram bag of chocolate pieces ( 9-10 oz.) can be life-threatening to a 5 kg dog. Put another way, the ingestion of approximately 24 oz or roughly ¾ of a kilogram (1.65 pounds) of milk chocolate would result in a potentially lethal dose for a 12 kg (26 ½ pound) dog.

Dogs are more likely to become poisoned by eating chocolate than cats, probably because they like the sweet taste of chocolate and because cats tend to be fussier than dogs about what they will eat. Even small amounts of chocolate can cause adverse reactions. Reactions can include nervous system stimulation, tachycardia (fast heart rate), weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, restlessness, irregular heartbeat, hyperactivity, and frequent urination. These signs usually appear about 4-5 hours after ingestion. More severe signs of chocolate toxicity include tremors, seizures, and death. Clinical signs may not appear for several hours after ingestion and complete recovery after veterinary care may take several days.

Toxicity studies have shown that compared to other species, dogs are unusually sensitive to theobromine. This is because they have a low rate of theobromine metabolism, which causes theobromine to stay in the blood stream for a longer time. After a single dose, the half-life of theobromine in adult dogs is 17.5 hours, compared to six hours in human subjects. This may also be the case in cats.

If presented with an opportunity, most pets will tend to over-consume chocolate. For this reason, all foods containing chocolate should be safely stored away in areas inaccessible to pets. If your pet accidentally ingests chocolate, consult your veterinarian immediately for advice.

Cat Feeding Habits

2006-11-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Feeding Methodologies

There are two schools of thought on how to feed cats. One is the self feeding method in which cats always have food and are allowed to eat when they want (Note: Cats should always have fresh water available to them). The other method is with regulated meals where the cat is fed a few times a day. Unless your cat is overweight or has a problem with overeating if food is left out all the time many vets and behaviorists prefer the self feeding method for a variety of reasons. Note: Cats should never eat dog food!

- Cats are grazers by nature. They don't like to eat 2 or 3 huge meals but eat many small meals a day.

- Cat's bodies are very inefficient at processing stored fat. As with people, if a cat goes for a long period of time without food he/she will need to use up fat and protein stores for energy. Cat's bodies are not very good at doing this. A cat who has not eaten for even as short as a day or two can start to undergo liver damage.

- If a cat is only fed a few times a day chances are he/she will be very hungry by the time he/she gets to eat and will eat more than he/she needs at the time. This can produce an overweight cat or a cat the gorges his/herself and then vomits (binge-purge habit).

Of course if you have an overweight cat or a cat that needs a special diet you may need the regulation capabilities of timed feedings.

If you are wondering which method might be best for your cat consult your veterinarian and see which method he/she prescribes.

Cat's Dietary Needs
Cat's have very special needs in their diet. It is for this reason that it is always recommended that you purchase a high quality cat food (not just whatever is on sale) to ensure your cat's good health. Remember that all brands of cat food are not created equally and there is usually a reason why the 'cheaper' cat food is so cheap. Although there are many things one can sacrifice to save a few bucks, your cat's food should not be one of them. Here are some of the things cats need in their diet:

high protein (over 25% of the diet)
low fat (cats process fat very inefficiently)
low pH
low magnesium
special needs for urinary health
taurine (which is only available in meat products)
arachidonic acid
vitamins and minerals (A, B12, Niacin and Thiamin)
For many of the reasons above cat's should not become vegetarian (plus they are natural meat eaters by instinct). If you are thinking about your cat becoming a vegetarian please visit this link Cats – A Vegetarian by the Vegetarian Society and talk to your veterinarian.

Types of Food

There are many different types of foods on the market for cats, which type and style you use depends on your cat's age and special needs. Note: Cats should never eat dog food!

Wet or Dry

Dry food should alone be used as your cat's staple food. It is better for their teeth, it lasts longer, and it is generally more nutritious (moist food tends to have a lot of artificial colors and preservatives and most health experts consider most wet foods to simply be 'junk food' for your cat). If your cat enjoys moist food try to give it as a treat only. If you get your cat into the habit of eating moist food as a staple you may find that he/she will become very picky. And unfortunately eating wet food as a staple isn't a very healthy habit.

Kittens need to eat more food (on a pound per pound basis) than adult or senior cats. Kittens also have special nutritional requirements to enable them to grow up strong and healthy. Make sure when purchasing food for you kitten that you always get 'kitten' food that is specially formulated with higher protein and calcium contents. Also cats formulate their taste preferences by the time they are 6 months old, so feeding your kitten a good variety of food will help prevent him/her from becoming finicky as an adult.

Adults generally need to eat about 300 calories per day (for a 10 lb. cat). You can find a variety of special foods for different needs of your cat. If your cat is overweight, for example, you can buy lower-calorie food that will give your cat all the nutrition he/she needs with less calories. Whichever brand and flavor you choose, make sure to always buy a high quality food that is formulated for good urinary tract health, reduced urinary pH, and has low magnesium content. This is important as many older cats face kidney and liver problems when they have an improper or low-quality diet.

Seniors, like overweight cats, need less calories and special nutritional supplements. Make sure to purchase 'senior' cat food for your older pet (over 9 years of age).

Amount of Food

The average adult cat (10 lbs) needs to eat about 300 calories per day to maintain his/her current weight. The amount of food that you feed your cat will depend on the calorie content of the actual food so check the label to estimate how much your cat should eat each day.

Excessive Meowing

2006-11-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Maggie,

Why does my cat meow all the time? My vet says she is healthy.
Worried in Contra Costa

Dear Worried,

The single most common reason a cat will meow excessively is because she has been trained to do so. Kitty has learned that all she has to do is meow and she gets whatever she wants - food, attention, affection. Often, what starts out as a demand for attention soon becomes a self-reinforcing habit. Now kitty will meow all day just for the fun of it. This situation becomes even worse if the cat is lonely or bored. The first step in breaking this habit is to exercise your cat daily with active play sessions. Don't expect kitty to exercise herself. Many cats will swat at a ping-pong ball or a catnip mouse once or twice then lose interest. You must get involved in the game. Tie a string to the mouse and pull it slowly, temptingly and repeatedly across the floor. Secondly, pay attention to kitty and give her what ever she wants, but ONLY when she is quiet. Ignore her whenever she begins her vocal blackmail. Don't give in. Each time you give in to your cat's verbal demands, you are teaching her to meow even more. If you wait until your cat is quiet, she will soon learn to associate silence with rewards. Some cats enjoy talking and some owners enjoy their cat's chatting to them. But if you want a few moments of peace, you can teach your cat to be quiet on request. Gently ask kitty to "Shush." If the cat ignores you, immediately shout, "BE QUIET!" or squirt her in the face with water once or twice. After a few repetitions, kitty will get the idea and obey the gentle request of "Shush," rather than get screamed at or doused with water.

Basic Cat Training.

2006-11-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Kittens take their first steps

2006-11-24T08:44:00.001-08:00

how cute is this?

Cat Litterbox problems

2006-11-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

When you have only one cat and she misses the cat litterbox, it can be hard to fix. When you have more than one cat in the house, it can be even harder. Here's a step-by-step guide to help stop cat cat litterbox problems in a multi-cat home.
Act Fast. A cat litterbox problem that continues for a long time can become harder and harder to solve. cat litterbox mistakes can lead to territorial responses, and disturb the routines and hierarchies of your entire household. Will Muffin still want to take her daily afternoon snooze on the couch if Tiger urinated there? She may find some other area, displacing more and more of your cats, and creating fighting and other dominance displays. If you put off solving the problem, hoping it will go away on its own, you may find it multiplying in your home.

Find the Culprit. Before you even try to determine the "why," figure out the "who." If you catch it early enough, you can hopefully nail it down to one cat. Many people like to isolate each cat to determine which cat is causing the problem, but displacing one cat, even overnight, can sometimes lead to dominance displays in the others, as they claim undefended territory. If you have new cats, or kittens reaching adulthood, you may want to visit the vet for help. Your veterinarian can prescribe fluorescein for your cats, helping you to determine which urine stain(s) glow under an ultraviolet light.

Rule out a Veterinary Problem. Veterinary causes underlie many cat litterbox problems, particularly in household with older cats or those with access to the outdoors. Urinary tract infections are one of many common causes, where the cat develops an aversion to the box as a painful place to be. Other health problems can also cause cat litterbox mistakes. Worse, without visiting the veterinarian, your other cats may be at risk, which could cause the problem to multiply. No behavior techniques in the world will help a cat with a veterinary problem, so don't skip the trip to the vet.

Observe the Behavior. If the vet rules out a health problem, I next recommend a brief observation period. It's always very frustrating to the owner to let the cat continue his cat litterbox mistakes, but it gives you the knowledge to attack the specific problem. During the observation period, try to concentrate on the things in the environment that may be important to your cat, like cat litterboxes, food bowls, favorite places, the routines of the other cats and people in the home, etc. Start a journal where you record as much information as you can about every cat litterbox mistake, then look for links. Does the cat always use the same room? Is it always on carpeting? Does it happen after meals, or at some other time of day? Are the other cats nearby? Did you have guests over? When you isolate the specific stimuli involved, it allows you greater control without making major changes in the environment that may upset the rest of the cats.

Break the Habit. Elimination sites are matters of preference, and when the cat gets into the routine of going to a certain location, you'll need to prevent the behavior from recurring. Since the smell of declining urine is a signal for the cat to "reapply," clean the accident site with a pet odor remover - perhaps multiple times to get past the cat's sensitive nose. Block off the area while the product does its work. Remote deterrents, that work whether you are around or not, will keep the cat from returning to the area whenever you aren't standing guard. Double-sided tape or an upside-down plastic carpet runner, pointy feet up, can keep your cat from standing in the same area. Cats also hate to be startled, so anything that can safely surprise the cat when he visits that area can help make the area less "cat-friendly."

Make the Current cat litterbox More Appealing. While you are preventing bad habits, make good habits more appealing. The cat litterbox should be clean, have privacy, and in multi-cat homes, escapability is also important. This simply means that the cat can see off a distance, so he won't be ambushed in the box, or on his way there. Most cats prefer clumping, non-perfumed litter, but work with your individual cat to determine whether a box of a different size, shape, or litter would help.

Retrain? If it doesn't seem to help to address the individual factors in your journal, or your cat has never regularly used the cat litterbox, you may want to retrain the cat by himself. Use this as a last resort, since removing the cat from the hierarchy may upset the routines of all the cats in the home. Keep the cat in a small, uncarpeted room, with a clean cat litterbox, food bowl, and toys in opposite corners. Pick up all rugs from the floor, so the only soft place to choose to eliminate will be the cat litterbox. Visit the cat often, and clean the box regularly. I also recommend recording the times that the cat uses the box. Many cats stick to a regular routine, so once you've determined when the cat is likely to use the box, you can let the cat out during low-risk times to maintain the hierarchy, and put him back in the room with the cat litterbox during high risk periods. Repetition of successful use will increase the cat's preference to the box.

General Stress Reduction. In some situations, it's difficult to determine specific environmental triggers for a problem behavior. However, sometimes general stress reduction techniques will prove helpful, particularly in multi-cat homes. For cat litterbox problems that have arisen from territorial disputes, additional resources may reduce competition for resources. Extra cat litterboxes and food bowls are always helpful, but remember that YOU are also an important resource, so give each cat as much attention as they could possibly want. Exercise can also help redirect cats energies. It can also help desensitize cats to each other, while they are praised for attacking a toy while the other cat watches. Routines are also very important in multi-cat homes, particularly when older cats are involved. Scheduled feeding, petting and exercise periods at the same time and location every day can further reduce stress that may be contributing to the cat litterbox problem.

Cat litterbox problems in multi-cat homes can be difficult. However, caring responsible owners can have an advantage solving the problem with they use quick, decisive actions and apply solid behavioral techniques.

Cat Facts And Myths

2006-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Myth: Cats always land on their feet.
Fact: While cats instinctively fall feet first and may survive falls from high places, they also may receive broken bones in the process. Some kind of screening on balconies and windows can help protect pets from disastrous falls.

Myth: Cats should drink milk everyday.
Fact: Most cats like milk, but do not need it if properly nourished. Also, many will get diarrhea if they drink too much milk. If it is given at all, the amount should be small and infrequent.

Myth: Cats that are spayed or neutered automatically gain weight.
Fact: Like people, cats gain weight from eating too much, not exercising enough or both. In many cases, spaying or neutering is done at an age when the animal's metabolism already has slowed, and its need for food has decreased. If the cat continues to eat the same amount, it may gain weight. Cat owners can help their cats stay fit by providing exercise and not over-feeding.

Myth: Cats cannot get rabies.
Fact: Actually, most warm-blooded mammals, including cats, bats, skunks and ferrets, can carry rabies. Like dogs, cats should be vaccinated regularly according to local laws.

Myth: Indoor cats cannot get diseases.
Fact: Cats still are exposed to organisms that are carried through the air or brought in on a cat owner's shoes or clothing. Even the most housebound cat ventures outdoors at some time and can be exposed to diseases and worms through contact with other animals feces.

Myth: Tapeworms come from bad food.
Fact: Pets become infected with tape worms from swallowing fleas, which carry the parasite. Also, cats can get tapeworms from eating infected mice or other exposed animals.

Myth: Putting garlic on a cats food will get rid of worms.
Fact: Garlic may make the cat's food taste better but has no effect on worms. The most effective way to treat worms is by medication prescribed by a veterinarian.

Myth: Pregnant women should not own cats.
Fact: Some cats can be infected with a disease called toxoplasmosis, which occasionally can be spread to humans through cat litter boxes and cause serious problems in unborn babies. However, these problems can be controlled, if the expectant mother avoids contact with the litter box and assigns daily cleaning to a friend or other family member.

Myth: A cat's sense of balance is in its whiskers.
Fact: Cats use their whiskers as "feelers" but not to maintain their balance.

Myth: Cats heal themselves by licking their wounds.
Fact: Such licking actually can slow the healing process and further damage the wound.

CAT FACTS........Did You Know?

2006-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

It has been scientifically proven that owning cats is good for our health and can decrease the occurrence of high blood pressure and other illnesses.

Stroking a cat can help to relieve stress, and the feel of a purring cat on your lap conveys a strong sense of security and comfort.

The ancient Egyptians were the first civilisation to realise the cat's potential as a vermin hunter and tamed cats to protect the corn supplies on which their lives depended.

Sir Isaac Newton is not only credited with the laws of gravity but is also credited with inventing the cat flap.

A cat has more bones than a human being; humans have 206 and the cat has 230 bones.

A cat's hearing is much more sensitive than humans and dogs.

The cat's tail is used to maintain balance.

Cats see six times better in the dark and at night than humans.

Cats eat grass to aid their digestion and to help them get rid of any fur in their stomachs.

A healthy cat has a temperature between 38 and 39 degrees Celcius.

Cats have the largest eyes of any mammal.

The female cat reaches sexual maturity at around 6 to 10 months and the male cat between 9 and 12 months.

A female cat will be pregnant for approximately 9 weeks or between 62 and 65 days from conception to delivery.

The average litter of kittens is between 2 - 6 kittens.

Ailurophile is the word cat lovers are officially called.

Purring does not always indicate that a cat is happy. Cats will also purr loudly when they are distressed or in pain.

All cats need taurine in their diet to avoid blindness. Cats must also have fat in their diet as they are unable to produce it on their own.

In households in the UK and USA, there are more cats kept as pets than dogs. At least 35% of households with cats have 2 or more cats.

When a cats rubs up against you, the cat is marking you with it's scent claiming ownership.

About 37% of American homes today have at least 1 cat.

Milk can give some cats diarrhea.

The average lifespan of an outdoor-only cat is about 3 to 5 years while an indoor-only cat can live 16 years or much longer.

On average, a cat will sleep for 16 hours a day.

A domestic cat can run at speeds of 30 mph.

The life expectancy of cats has nearly doubled over the last fifty years.

Blue-eyed, white cats are often prone to deafness.

The cat's front paw has 5 toes and the back paws have 4. Cats born with 6 or 7 front toes and extra back toes are called polydactl.

An adult cat has 30 teeth, 16 on the top and 14 on the bottom.

There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside.

Cats and kittens should be acquired in pairs whenever possible as cat families interact best in pairs.

In multi-cat households, cats of the opposite sex usually get along better.

Funny Cats 2

2006-11-21T11:53:00.001-08:00

More funny cats ......nearly fell of my chair.

Funny cats

2006-11-21T11:49:00.001-08:00

Found These Great clips....just had to share with you all.

All About The Sounds Cats Make

2006-11-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Cats meow at people when they want something. So the
vocalizations your cat makes are designed to get some attention
from you, or food, or playtime, whatever. Same thing goes for any
kind of disturbance calculated to get your attention. Any kind of
response other than ignoring your cat will actually reinforce the
behavior.

The meow can mean many things. They can be demanding and very
loud. Perhaps dinner is late, or their litter pan needs changing.
Meows can also be soft and sweet and affectionate, saying,
"Thanks for being my friend". Tiny "mews" are the cat's way of
manipulating the situation to get what they want. Most of us
cannot ignore the little innocent "mew" that pleads with our
emotions for a treat or petting session.

Some cats learn that if they meow and make a fuss, they’ll get a
smorgasbord offered to them. Of course, as long as the diet is
complete and balanced, your cat doesn’t need variety to satisfy
her normal nutritional requirements. But if Kitty is offered a
variety of choices, she can quickly turn into a finicky feline.
And if the choice in her bowl doesn’t satisfy her cravings, she
may meow for something else.

There could be another reason for the behavior, though. It may be
that the food is fine, she eats it willingly, and she knows the
bowl is full. But she wants your attention, and she has figured
out if she meows and runs for the bowl, you’ll get up and follow
her and talk to her, and pet or otherwise interact with her.

Maybe she associates dinnertime with the most rewarding
interaction with you. Spending some quality time with her, other
than at dinnertime, might help curb this behavior.

If the cat is upset, it will produce a variety of meowing calls
that actually sound different from one another. These sounds
convey different emotions which are:

Anger
Fright
Pain
Attention

ANGER
This high intensive sound made when the cat is extremely angry is
called "caterwauling." The sound can vary but it is usually very
high and extremely intense.

FRIGHT
If a cat is cornered and cannot run away or hide, it may make a
throaty yowling noise. The cat may also spit and hiss.

PAIN
If a cat is in agony it will scream or screech according to the
intensity of the pain. If it is a kitten, the sound will be that
of a squeal.

ATTENTION
The sound that a cat owner will hear when its kitty wants
attention is a meowing noise. The meow can be of a begging or
demanding nature. Or the meow can be of a complaining or even an
anxious kind of sound. The feline has refined its meow to such an
extent, that the cat owner knows by the way the meow sounds
exactly what its feline companion is trying to convey.

Hisses and Growls
These sounds are reserved for a cat who is threatened, angry, or
both. Generally, a hiss or growl means "be careful, I mean
business," "there's trouble ahead for you," often accompanied by spitting,
if its warning is ignored.

Chatter
When cats stalk a prey or pretend they are stalking a prey, such
as watching a bird from a window perch, oftentimes you will hear
your kitty "chatter". This is their way of trying to get it's
prey to trust him or her and is used in an offensive manner. Cats
will chatter when they are not in pursuit of a prey. Cats have
been known to chatter back at their human when they are caught
off guard or disagree with the human's tone of voice toward them.
If your cat gets in trouble, sometimes, he will chatter back at
you, as if in defense of themselves, saying, "Whatever it is, I
didn't do it!" Chattering, therefore, can be used in offensive or
defensive situations.

Yowling
Within the cat's vocal range is the YOWL that grates on the ears
and the nerves. This sound gives a whole new meaning to, "Give it
to me NOW!" Oftentimes, the YOWL is your cat's way of letting you
know that he/she wants out or in NOW, for example. The cat uses
this yowl to distract his owner and will use it often just to get
a response from his owner, when nothing else seems to be doing
the trick. Running the can opener will often elicit this yowling,
saying, "You're not giving me the food fast enough."

Screeching
Different from the yowl, the screech is the sound that will
pierce your very soul, like a banshee wail that can startle you
and awake you in the middle of the night. Cats often use this
sound when they feel threatened by another cat or animal, or even
by a human. During a fight, if one cat does not retreat, this
screeching, also known as caterwauling, can go on for hours.

Constipation in Cats

2006-11-20T11:41:00.000-08:00

Constipation is a sign of disease, and is relatively common in cats. It is characterized by infrequent or absent defecation, and the passage of hard, dry feces. There is also increased straining to defecate and decreased fecal volume.

Constipation is different from obstipation, which is complete fecal obstruction. When cats have obstipation, it impossible for them to defecate. The colon becomes filled with rock-hard feces. Constipation generally has a good prognosis, but cats with obstipation usually develop irreversible changes in the muscle of their colon.

Constipation is also different from megacolon, which refers to the condition of extreme colonic dilation, and is a disorder of the structure and function of the colon. Cats with megacolon are always constipated, however constipated cats don't necessarily have megacolon.

Megacolon can be primary or secondary. It can be caused by a primary defect in the nerve supply of the colon, or it can become secondary to any lesion or disease that prevents normal defecation over a long period of time.

Causes of Constipation

Constipation can be caused by any disorder that prevents the normal passage of feces. The major causes of constipation can be divided into the following categories:

Dietary and environmental (hair, bones)
Painful defecation (anal/rectal disease)
Obstructive (old pelvic fracture, tumors)
Neurological (paralysis, spinal cord disease, megacolon)
Metabolic and hormonal (low potassium)
Drug induced
The most common causes are obstructive (secondary to hair ingestion) and neurological.

A cat with signs of constipation should be seen by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause. If signs have not been observed, but a cat has a history of lethargy, decreased appetite, or intermittent vomiting, the cat should be seen by a veterinarian.

Cats with constipation typically have a history of reduced frequency or total failure of defecation for a period of days to weeks. You may observe your cat making frequent attempts to defecate without success.

Some cats pass liquid stool around the obstruction. The diarrhea may contain blood or mucus. Often, cats can become significantly dehydrated. Abdominal palpation usually reveals a hard, full colon, while a rectal examination shows an empty rectum. Performing x-rays will confirm a full colon and rule out any tumors.

Treatment

The treatment of constipation involves four basic steps:

Restore electrolyte and fluid balance.
Remove or alleviate any underlying causes.
Administer laxatives or cathartics.
Give enemas.

In general, constipated cats can be divided into two types of clinical groups:

A. Cats with severe impaction or obstipation.

B. Cats with long histories of moderate constipation.

Both types may require long-term therapy to control their disease. However, the cats in the first category may require more effort to remove the impacted feces.

Cats with severe impaction or obstipation must be admitted to a veterinary hospital for treatment with oral laxatives, enemas, or manual evacuation under anesthesia. The specific approach depends on the severity of the obstipation. In extremely affected cats, the breakdown and removal of the fecal mass may have to be done over two or three days. During hospitalization, the cat should also receive good, supportive care.

On an outpatient basis, moderate impaction can be relieved with simple water enemas. For maintenance therapy, you can do the following:

Supplement the cat's diet with bran, metamucil, or a similar bulk-forming material. However, there are some cats that do not improve, or even get worse after fiber content is increased.
Add laxatives as needed.
Groom the cat regularly to remove dead hair from the coat.
Keep the cat's litter box extremely clean to promote regular defecation.
Do not change litter box brands abruptly.
Remove covers from the litter box to prevent odor.
There are many different types of laxative and cathartic drugs that you can use to treat constipation. Laxatives are usually milder and cause the elimination of formed feces. In most cases, cathartic drugs will induce diarrhea. Consult with your veterinarian before giving your cat any medication.

The prognosis for cats with impaction depends on the underlying cause and duration of the impaction. Mild cases usually have a good prognosis, but severe cases may lead to a secondary megacolon. You should be aware of the possibility of continued preventative and maintenance therapy.

Skin Problems In Cats

2006-11-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Matted fur
Matted fur is a perfect breeding ground for parasites and encourages inflammatory skin diseases. If your cat has matted fur, do not try to cut it off as you may injure the cat.

Mats are difficult to comb out and may be painful. You may have to have the vet sedate and shave the cat. Do groom it regularly to prevent mats.

Bald patches
Often caused by itching and irritation of some sort. Fleas, allergies, eczema, and ringworm are all possible culprits.

Sometimes it is simply stress; Vets may prescribe hormone shots or even tranquilizers to control the scratching.

If ringworm is indicated, you must take care not to get it yourself. It is a fungus just like athletes foot. Tresaderm and similar medications are used to treat this. Since ringworm spreads by spores, you can reduce transmission and spreading by cleaning everything you can with bleach (save the cat itself), and washing bedding and clothing in hot water. It may take some time (like several months) to get ringworm under control.

Scratching
If the cat is scratching its ears and you can see black grit, that's probably earmites. Consult your vet for appropriate ear drops. Ear mites stay in the ears, but can be passed from cat to cat, especially if they groom each other.
The life cycle of an ear mite is entirely within the ear, so you do not have to worry about ridding your house of them the way you do fleas.

Cats typically shake their heads when given the medication; unless the medication actually comes back out, that is OK.

An additional step to take is to use our Herbal Ear Formula that helps to rid the upper ear of any ear mites lodged higher up than the canal, and makes it difficult for the ear mites to reestablish themselves.

Plus it does an excellent job of cleaning the ears.

Scratching and a discharge from the ears means a bacterial or fungal infection and the vet should be immediately consulted. Other possible causes of scratching include fleas, lice, eczema, allergies, or stud tail (in male cats).

Feline Acne
Cats can develop acne just as humans do. Usually it is only on the chin. It will appear as small black spots. The reasons for feline acne are as complex as it is for humans.

Sometimes a food allergy (such as chocolate with humans or milk with cats) can cause it or sometimes the cat does not clean its chin properly.

Tips on caring for feline acne:

It is important to keep food dishes clean. Acne has bacteria associated with it. The cat's chin comes in contact with the edge of the food/water bowl, leaving bacteria. The next time the cat uses the bowl, it can come in contact with this bacteria and spread it on the chin.

Use glass or metal food/water dishes. It is next to impossible to remove the bacteria from acne from plastic dishes.

Wash the food and water dishes daily. This removes the bacteria from the dishes and helps to keep the problem from getting worse. Also, in multi-cat households, it will help reduce the chance of others breaking out with it.

Bathe the cat's chin daily with a disinfectant soap/ solution from the vet. Nolvasan, Xenodine, Betadine soaps are a few of the ones to try. More severe cases may need to be washed twice a day. DO NOT USE HUMAN ACNE SOLUTIONS. These are too strong for cats and may cause serious problems. Don't try to pick the spots off, just clean it well.

Visit the vet if you can't get the acne to clear up within a week or two, or if the acne is severe or infected. The vet may prescribe antibiotics or other acne treatments for these cats. Once the acne is cleared up, keep an eye out for reoccurrences. Washing the cat's chin once a week is a good preventative measure.

Cat Jokes....

2006-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

What time is it when 12 cats chase a mouse?
12 after 1!

What looks like half a cat?
The other half!

What happened when the cat ate a ball of wool?
She had mittens!

What do you get if you cross a cat with a parrot?
A carrot!

How do cats eat spaghetti?
The same as everyone else - they put it in their mouths!

What is a French cat's favorite pudding?
Chocolate mousse!

What do cat actors say on stage?
Tabby or not tabby!

What's the favorite Christmas song of tigers?
Jungle Bells!

How do you know if you cat's got a bad cold?
He has cat-arrh!

What would you call a cat that likes to dig on the beach?
Sandy Claws.

Which is the cats' all-time favorite song?
"Three Blind Mice."

What is another name for a cat's home?
scratch pad.

How do you stop a ten-pound parrot from talking too much?
Buy a twenty-pound cat!

How do you know if your cat has eaten a duckling?
She's got that down in the mouth look!

What do you get if you cross a cat and a gorilla?
An animal that puts you out a night!

What is a cat's favorite color?
Purrr-ple!

Who helped Cinderella's cat go to the ball?
Her furry godmother!

How does a cat count?
One, mew, three!

What newspapers do cats read?
The Daily Mews!

What drinks milk, meows, and has eight legs?
An octo-puss!

What is a cat's favorite party game?
Mews-ical chairs!

What did the mouse say when the cat bit his tail?
That's the end of me!

What do you do with a blue Burmese?
Try and cheer it up a bit!

What is the cat's favorite TV show?
The evening mews!

What's worse than raining cats and dogs?
Hailing taxi cabs!

How is cat food sold?
Usually purr can!

What noise does a cat make going down the highway?
Miaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!

What do you get if cross a cat with a canary?
Shredded tweet!

What is the difference between a cat and a comma?
One means pause at the end of a clause, and the other means
claws at the end of paws!

If a cat is a flabby tabby, then what is a very small cat?
An itty bitty kitty.

What is the best award a cat can earn?
The Purr-litzer prize.

Can anything be smarter than a cat that can count?
Yes, a spelling bee!

What's the unluckiest kind of cat to have?
A catastrophe!

What do you get if you cross a cat with a tree?
A cat-a-logue!

What do you call a cat with eight legs that likes to swim?
An octopuss!

Why did the cat join the Red Cross?
Because she wanted to be a first-aid kit!

Why do people love cats?
Because they are purrrrr-fect!

What happened when the cat ate a ball of yarn?
She had mittens!

Why did the cat put the letter "M" into the fridge?
Because it turns "ice" into "mice"!

When the cat's away....?
The house smells better!

Why was the cat so small?
Because it only ate condensed milk!

Why did the cat cross the road?
It was the chicken's day off!

What works in a circus, walks a tightrope and has claws?
An acrocat!

What do you call a cat wearing shoes?
Puss in boots!

What does a cat call a bowl of mice?
A purrfect meal!

What is another way to describe a cat?
A heat seeking missile!

What did the cat do when he swallowed some cheese?
He waited by the mouse hole with baited breath!

Why are cars longer in the evening than they are in the morning?
Because they're let out in the evening and taking in in the
morning!

How does a cat sing scales?
Do-ri-me-ow!

What do cats like best on a hot day?
Mice cream!

What do you call a cat that digs in the sand?
Sandy claws! (Santa Claus)

What do you call a cat that sucks on lemons?
A sour puss!

What does a sour puss eat?
Crab meat!

What happens when two cats want the same dish of food?
They get into a phsssssst fight!

What kind of cats purrs the best?
Purrrrr-sians!

Who was the most powerful cat in China?
Chairman Miaow!

What do you get if you cross a cat with a bottle of vinegar?
A sourpuss!

What is cleverer than a talking cat?
A spelling bee!

What do you get if you cross a cat with a canary?
A peeping tom!

What did one cat say to another?
Have you heard the mews today!

What sport do cats play?
Hairball!

What is a favorite cat tale?
The Tortoiseshell and the Hair!

What do you call a loving cat bite?
Cat nip!

What do you get when it rains cats and dogs?
Big mud poodles!

Can a cat play patty-cake?
Pawsibly!

How do you know that cats are sensitive creatures?
They never cry over spilt milk!

Basic Training for your Cat

2006-11-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

This is for all of us who would be happy if our cats would just use the litter box instead of our comforter, closet or shoes.

This is for owners who would like their cat to use a scratching post instead of the stereo speakers. If you're like me, you admire your cat for being a cat and you want him to behave as nothing other than a cat, but a well-behaved one.

Before we can train or teach our cats to do something or to stop doing something, we need to look at how cats learn. They don't understand English, they can't read books or attend lectures.

They learn by experience. If the experience is good, they will try to repeat it. If the experience is unpleasant, they will try to avoid it in the future.

They enjoy raking the furniture with their claws, so they continue to do it. But it's quite a shock when they stick their nose in a candle flame, so they won't do that again.

The key to training is to make sure that whatever you want your cat to do is exceedingly rewarding and pleasurable. Whatever you don't want your cat to indulge in must never be rewarding or fun, in fact, it must be unpleasant.

Sometimes we unintentionally reward our cats for obnoxious behavior. A common complaint is that the cat pounces on the owner at five in the morning, meowing up a storm and generally being a pest.

What do the owners do? They get up and feed the cat, play with him or let him outside. Kitty has learned that his behavior gets him exactly what he wants.

Many owners become frustrated because they can't catch the cat in the act of the crime, so instead they show the cat the evidence (usually a wet spot on the carpet or pieces of shredded drapery) and discipline the cat at that time.

A common practice is grabbing the cat, pointing out the wet spot, then dragging him to the litterbox and forcing him to dig in the litter. What the cat is learning is that being reached for by the owner is a bad experience and that the litterbox is a torture chamber. It is usually difficult if not impossible to catch the cat in the act because most cats have already learned that being caught is bad news.

Reprimands simply do not work. If you catch kitty in the act, he will only misbehave when you are not around. If you punish the cat later, he will not associate the reprimand with the crime. In either case, the misbehavior continues. Some cats misbehave just to get attention and the attention is enough of a reward to cause kitty to continue his ways. So what do we do?

If you want to prevent problems from occurring, or reform kitty of his bad habits, the answers are the same. Here's a three point plan:

* First: Stop all reprimands and punishment, no
matter what your cat is doing.

* Second: Set kitty up to succeed in performing
those behaviors you want her to learn so she can be rewarded.

* Third: Set up kitty's environment so that those
behaviors you don't want him to learn are not rewarding.

Let's look at these at little more closely.

1. Stop all reprimands. Concentrate on making your relationship
fun, rewarding, playful and interesting. Sometimes this change alone will
solve your problem.

Cats are known to become overly active and destructive when bored. Daily play sessions and relaxing massages help calm kitty down. Cats that feel neglected will often stop using their litterbox. If you schedule regular sessions to give kitty your undivided attention and to play games with him, even litterbox problems can disappear almost overnight.

2. The most effective way to train a cat is through rewards, so
the second step is setting up the cat's environment so he can succeed.
This will give you the opportunity to reward and praise him for good
behavior.

Let's take a look at litterbox training as an example. A cat's physical system is very regular. If you control the input, you are also in control of the output.

Kitty should be on a regular feeding schedule so he will have a corresponding regular output schedule. Adjust his feeding time so you can be present when he needs to go. About 15 minutes prior to when you know he will need to go, take him to his litterbox room. Because you and kitty are locked in the litterbox room, he doesn't have the option of going on the carpet in the hall or on your bed. His only choice is the litterbox.

When he uses it, praise the daylights out of him! Give him a juicy chunk of salmon or another treat that is reserved for this wonderful performance. Until you're sure that kitty is completely litterbox trained, don't give him free access to the rest of your home when you know his bladder and bowels are full.

3. The third step is setting up the cat's environment so that his
misbehavior is not a rewarding experience. Let's take a look at furniture
scratching as an example. While making kitty's scratching post fun,
rewarding and exciting, it may also be necessary to make the furniture
unattractive as a clawing item.

Instead of you telling the cat to avoid the furniture, let the furniture itself tell the cat to stay away. It's up to you to find something your cat does not like. Each cat is different.

However, most cats don't like to snag their claws when scratching, so you might try draping some netting or tulle over the furniture. Some cats don't like the feel of aluminum foil or two-sided sticky tape. A mild menthol or citrus scent repels some cats. Once your cat realizes that these places are not fun to scratch or sit on, and she regularly has wonderful times at her scratching post, the problem of inappropriate scratching will disappear.

Maybe you do want to train your cat to jump through a hoop, maybe you just want him to stop climbing the drapes. Whatever the case, remember that cats learn best through the use of rewards, praise and positive reinforcement.

Set kitty up to succeed. Set yourself up to succeed with your cat. It works. And it's a lot more fun that way for both of you.

Help!!!....My Cat Scratches The Furniture

2006-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

You can best prevent destructive chewing and investigation by providing an environment that meets your cat's needs.

Cat-proof your home by building a play center where your cat can climb, perch, and scratch. Provide a few toys your cat can bat around, such as spring-mounted, dangling, or bouncy toys. Indoor cats with little access to grass or other vegetable matter may chew house plants. Offer them lettuce, catnip, or a kitty herb garden in exchange.

To keep your cat away from problem areas, first try child locks, barricades, or closed doors. For persistent problems or areas that cannot be barricaded, use remote punishment, taste and odor aversion, or
booby traps as deterrents. Never use physical punishment — it may cause your cat to fear you and to stay away from the problem area only when you are around.

Scratching is a normal behavior that allows your cat to condition its claws as it marks its territory. It also provides an opportunity for a nice stretch.

To prevent destructive scratching, keep your cat away from tempting areas, trim its nails regularly, and provide a proper scratching post. Encourage your cat to use a scratching post by placing one near its favorite sleeping area and perhaps a second post in a prominent area.

If your cat continues to scratch in an inappropriate area, put a post in there. Food rewards will help keep your cat interested in the post and away from your furniture. If scratching persists, cover the scratched surface with plastic or short strips of double-sided tape. Another option is to use plastic coverings that fit over your cat's nails. These are available from your veterinarian.

If you have sincerely tried to solve the problem but still encounter destructive scratching, declawing may be a final consideration. It is certainly a better alternative than banning the cat outdoors or taking it to an animal shelter. In numerous studies, declawing has been shown not to have detrimental effects on a cat's behavior or personality.

Feline Play Aggression

2006-11-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Problems with aggression between cats, or between cats and humans, are fairly common. However, most animals with an aggressive behavior problem are not abnormal. In the majority of cases of feline aggression, the cat is just displaying normal species-specific behaviors, which becomes intolerable or even dangerous to humans in a household.

A complicated mixture of inheritance, learning, physiology and early experience dictate whether or not a particular cat will become aggressive. Complete knowledge of normal feline-specific behavior is crucial in diagnosing the different types of feline aggression. For example, a young kitten that hides behind corners and suddenly pounces with widely dilated eyes is exhibiting normal play behavior.

Medical causes for aggression should be pursued only if a cat exhibits behavior that is unusual for the particular cat, or behavior accompanied by abnormal clinical signs. If a cat that previously loved to be petted suddenly starts biting when stroked, you should look for a possible source of pain.

Play Aggression

Play aggression is defined as the stalking, chasing, pouncing, biting, and scratching behaviors, which normally occur when cats engage in play. Problems occur when these behaviors are directed against instead of with people in the household. These types of problems usually occur in households with a single cat under two-years old. However, the problems can also surface in homes where a younger cat is living with older cats that are not playful.

Another common cause for play aggression towards humans is when owners leave a single young cat alone for most of the day. Play aggression can also be triggered and reinforced by owners who insist on letting a cat "attack" their hands and feet.

Owners must learn to recognize the postures exhibited by cats engaging in problematic, as opposed to acceptable, play aggression. The typical play aggression cat will demonstrate predatory type of behaviors.

The cat will stalk the owners and pounce on moving body parts such as hands and feet. Growling and hissing usually does not occur, however, the cat's pupils will be widely dilated. Bites and scratches inflicted during a play aggression attack are usually inhibited and not severe.

In many cases of play aggression, the easiest solution is to get another cat about the same age as the aggressive cat. Usually, a cat engaging in play aggression will prefer to play with the cat instead of with humans. The only risk in getting another cat is possibly adding territorial aggression to the problem.

Cats usually do not accept a new cat into their house without reaction. Introductions must be made slowly. You must also be willing to accept responsibility for another pet and the added expense and needed care. Personally, I prefer trying using behavior modification before introducing a new pet.

What Does It Mean When My Cat Purrs?

2006-11-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Purring is not a part of every cat's repertoire of social communication, but it is one of the most common. Not a great deal is known about the mechanics of purring, but purring is generally associated with contentment and happiness in cats.

Interestingly, though, purring is sometimes heard in cats that are severely ill or anxious, perhaps as a self-comforting vocalization.

Vocal cats use vowel sounds to indicate their desires. The subtle differences in sound communicate commands as well as requests and complaints.

In the wild, vowel sounds are restricted to kittens, but the process of domestication has extended this method of communication well into adulthood.

Adult cats also create high-intensity sounds by changing the shape of their mouth. Hisses and grumbling are the most common examples, used primarily between cats as a means of communicating aggressive or defensive intentions. Cats in heat and feral strays also use this form of communication.

Understanding Your Cats Communication

2006-11-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

The social behavior of cats is wonderful in its complexity. By carefully listening and watching the nuances of your pet's communication, you can learn more about her moods and needs, and perhaps uncover a talent for interspecies conversation.

Feline Speech
If you listen closely to your cat's vocalizations throughout the day, you might notice that she expresses far more than a clichéd meow.

Along with body language and the "signatures" produced by marking with scents glands, claws or urine, vocalization is an important and expressive communication tool for cats. The voice can be used to bring other cats (or humans) closer or to keep them effectively at a distance, to greet warmly or to warn that kitty is about to attack.

To illustrate the range of cat vocalizations, their differences can be broken down into three broad categories: murmurs, vowel patterns and strained intensity patterns.

Murmurs, produced while the mouth is closed, include purring, mating vocalizations and the closed-mouth "mhr?" uttered when cats anticipate a treat.

Vowel patterns include the more typical "meow" and are produced when the cat opens her mouth and then closes it. In contrast, strained intensity vocalizations are produced when the cat holds her mouth open throughout the sound-- clearly aroused and upset. As might be expected, such emotional sounds include growling, hissing and screaming-- vocalizations we hope never to hear from our pet cats.

Tricks of the Tail
A cat's tail acts as an extension of her feelings and as a warning of her intentions. Generally, the higher the tail, the better the mood. A happy cat will hold her tail straight up, while a fearful cat will tuck her tail between her legs.

Broad swishing indicates annoyance, while twitches are a sign of excitement and curiosity. For example, the cat who decides she's had enough petting will signal you by swishing her tail in impatience. If you continue, a bat with the paw generally follows. The batting is an act of aggression indicating your cat's agitation.

Really agitated cats will move their tails rapidly back and forth from the base, a clear, threatening signal. It is to the cat's advantage to exhibit a visible warning to other cats (and to you), so that she can avoid direct conflict. With prey, though, the tails of hunting cats show more subtle twitching movements, explaining her intention to other cats while not warning the victim.

Listening to the Ears
When a cat's ears are held erect and forward, she is relaxed, exploring her world or offering a friendly greeting. But when the ears go down, watch out. Ears laid flat back against the head mean aggression-this keeps them out of the way of teeth and claws if a fight erupts. Ears back and down indicate fear, but aggression is also a possibility here, because a frightened cat may feel she has to fight.

If you watch your cat's signals, you can often avoid handling her in a way that pushes her over the line from purring kitty to angry cat. The signs are there, if you know how to read them.

Taming The Feral Cat

2006-11-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

Feral cats are homeless cats, many of whom were born in the wild; others are pets who were abandoned or have become lost. They are for all intents and purposes wild animals. Those adult stray cats which were once owned, or feral cats of quiet temperament, may sometimes be tamed with patience. However, the feral kitten is often easily tamed if it is captured young enough. Considering the short miserable lives that feral cats suffer, those kittens which can be tamed and adopted by humans are indeed lucky.

Feral moms usually give birth in quiet unseen spots where kittens will not be visible for several weeks. With no human contact they will be totally wild. When kittens begin to romp and play, they are first noticed by humans but are not easily captured. They may be captured in humane traps (available from the Feral Cat Coalition) and should be taken from the mother at 4 to 6 weeks of age. Older kittens can also be captured and tamed but the process gets slower and less successful the longer the kittens stay in the wild. They should not be taken from the mother before they are old enough to be weaned at about 4 weeks. Kittens taken too young are vulnerable to disease and may not survive. The mother cat should also be captured and spayed to prevent future litters.

The process of taming kittens can take from 2 to 6 weeks (longer for some exceptionally skittish kittens) depending on their age and state of wildness. Individuals can differ greatly in temperament even within the same litter. Some may tame up immediately and some may take quite a long time. Any person attempting to tame kittens should be totally committed and patient. The taming process is certainly worthwhile. You are saving lives and producing affectionate loving companions.

The steps involved in the taming process are:
1. Containment (I) in a cage or large pet carrier
2. Periodic and brief handling with a protective towel
3. Containment (II) in a small room
4. Exposure to other humans
5. Placement in suitable adoptive homes

CONTAINMENT I

A feral kitten may hiss and ‘spit’ at humans. They are usually terrified of humans. The kitten which acts the most ferocious is just the most scared, but it is capable of giving you a nasty scratch or bite and will probably try to escape if given the chance. Remember that to the kitten you may be a predator; the kitten may think it is fighting for its life.

ALL BITES ARE SERIOUS. IF BITTEN SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AND QUARANTINE THE KITTEN.

Feral kittens should be checked out by a veterinarian and tested for diseases contagious to other cats before you bring them home. Keep them isolated from your pet cats, wash your hands, and wear a smock (or change clothes between handling visits) to protect against the spread of disease from the kittens to pets or from pets to kitten.

If a trap was used to capture the kitten, transfer the kitten to a cage or a pet carrier large enough for a small litter box and bedding. Place it in a small room away from family pets and children. Be careful not to allow the kitten to escape during the transfer process.

For the first two days, do not attempt handling. The kittens must learn to feel safe. Visit them frequently and talk to them quietly, but resist touching. Always move slowly.

Food and water and bedding should be placed in the cage or carrier. Many cages and carriers have food and water bowls attached to the doors so that you can feed and water the kittens without having to place your hand inside. If you do not have a cage, or your carrier is too small for a litter pan, place the kittens in a small room, like a bathroom, in the carrier. Place the litter box in the room and leave the carrier door open so that the kittens have access to the box.

Some people use worn clothing as the kittens’ bedding to get them used to the smell of humans.

HANDLING

After 2 days, select the least aggressive kitten, place a towel over it, and pick it up in the towel. If the kitten stays calm, pet it gently on the head from behind. Never approach from the front. A hand coming at the kittens frightens them which may cause them to hiss or bite.

If the kitten remains calm, grip it securely by the nape of the neck, put the towel on your lap and set it on the towel. Stroke the kitten’s body while speaking in soft, reassuring tones, then release. Make this first physical contact brief. Go through this process with each kitten. After all have been handled, give them a special treat. Baby food or Hills "a/d" brand canned food off a spoon is always a great ice-breaker. Repeat this process as frequently as possible.

Brushing with a soft pet brush imitates the action of the mother grooming the kittens and will help the kitten start to transfer its need for parental love to you. It is also extremely important for the health of the kittens to remove fleas as soon as possible. Kittens become anemic from flea infestation and can easily fall prey to illnesses in this condition. Combing with a flea comb also helps the bonding process.

Never stare at the kittens for prolonged periods. This is aggressive body language to cats. Avert your eyes frequently and lower your head often to display submissive behavior. This will be less threatening to the kittens.

Play with the kittens using "kitty tease" toys (a tiny piece of cloth tied to a string which is tied to a small stick) or lightweight cat toys. Don’t leave the "kitty tease" alone with the kittens as kittens will often swallow string. This can be fatal.

CONTAINMENT II

Within a week the kittens should have made considerable progress. Each kitten will develop at a different rate. They should have access to the room and can be placed in the cage only if necessary.

If there is one that is not becoming tame, place it in a separate cage in another room, away from the others. This will allow you to work with the baby more frequently and will increase it’s dependence on a human. It will also prevent perpetuation of wildness in the littermates. All members of some litters must be isolated as not to reinforce wildness in the group.

A large room may overwhelm a timid kitten and cause increased fear. Bedrooms can be a problem. If kittens become frightened and go under the bed it can be difficult to get them to come out and stressful for them if you force them out.

Also try to kitten-proof the room as much as possible before letting the kittens out into the room. Seal up any nooks and crannies where frightened kittens may enter and become trapped or inaccessible to you. Bathroom sinks often have spaces between the kickboard and the cabinet just large enough for the kitten. Block access to behind bookcases and heavy furniture behind which the kitten can become wedged. Be careful of open toilets and anything which could be climbed and pulled down on top of the kitten causing possible injury. Protect vulnerable knick knacks, clothes, and plants (some poisonous) from curious kittens.

EXPOSURE

When the kittens no longer respond by biting and scratching, encourage friends to handle them as often as possible. It is very important that they socialize with other humans. Feral cats tend to bond with one human so they best adjust to a new home if they are socialized with other humans before being adopted out.

PLACEMENT

Kittens can be adopted out at 8 weeks or so if tamed and socialized to humans.

When screening prospective "parents" remember that the kitten will do best if there are no small children in the home. All the work you have done can be easily shattered by normal kid activity and noise. This is vital to remember when placing the kittens for adoption. The most suitable home is a calm environment so the kittens will feel secure. The ideal home is one which will keep their pet indoors and will take 2 kittens together (actually easier to care for and more fun to watch) or that will have an adult home during the day.

Be sure that you inform the adoptive family that the kitten must be neutered. This can be done as early as 8 weeks of age. You may want to ask for a refundable deposit from the adoptive family to encourage them to neuter. Or you may want to neuter it yourself and ask the new owner to reimburse you. Many forms and contracts exist for doing this. For example, FOCAS, the Humane Society, and the Department of Animal Control all have such agreements.

All About Fearful Behavior In Cats

2006-11-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

When cats feel threatened, they usually respond in three ways to
the object, person or situation they perceive as a threat: fight,
flee or freeze. Some cats become so frightened they lose control
of their bladder or bowels and eliminate right where they are.
Each cat has his/her preferred way of dealing with a crisis.

You’ll notice that your cat probably tends to try one option
first, and if that doesn’t work, she’s forced to try a different
option. For instance, if your cat is afraid of dogs and a friend
brings his dog to your home to visit, you might notice the
following: first, your cat puffs out her fur to make herself look
big, then hisses and spits at the dog. If the dog doesn’t
retreat, your cat may flee the situation, find a hiding spot, and
freeze until she deems the situation safe.

Your Cat May Show The Following Behaviors When She Is Fearful

Hiding
Aggression (spitting, hissing, growling, piloerection, swatting,
biting, scratching)

Loss of control over bladder and/or bowels

Freezing in place

It’s normal for you to want to help and comfort your cat when
she’s frightened. However, this isn’t necessarily the best thing
to do from your cat’s point of view. It’s normal for a cat to
feel insecure or frightened in a new environment. Often, your new
cat will hide for a day or two when you first bring her home.
Sometimes a traumatic experience like a visit to the
veterinarian, or introducing a new animal into the household, can
disrupt her routine and send her under the bed for a few days.

What Causes Fearful Behavior?

You’ll need to closely observe your cat to determine the trigger
for her fearful behavior. Keep in mind that just because you know
that the person or animal approaching your cat has good
intentions, doesn’t mean that she feels safe. The trigger for her
fearful behavior could be anything. Some common triggers are:

A particular person

A stranger

Another animal

A child

Loud noises

What You Can Do

Take the following steps to reduce your cat’s anxiety and help
her become more confident:

First, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a
thorough physical examination to rule out any medical reasons for
your cat’s fearful behavior. Cats don’t always act sick, even
when they are. Any sudden behavior change could mean that your
cat is ill and should be taken seriously. Some common symptoms
that your cat may be ill are aggressiveness, hiding and
eliminating outside of the litter box.

If your cat is healthy, but hiding, leave her alone. She’ll come
out when she’s ready. To force her out of her hiding spot will
only make her more fearful. Make sure she has easy access to
food, water and her litter box from her hiding place. Clean the
litter box and change the food and water every day so you know
whether she is eating and drinking.

Keep any contact with the fear stimulus to a minimum.

Keep your cat’s routine as regular as possible. Cats feel more
confident if they know when to expect daily feeding, playing,
cuddling and grooming.

Try to desensitize your cat to the fear stimulus:

Determine what distance your cat can be from the fear stimulus
without responding fearfully.

Introduce the fear stimulus at this distance while you’re feeding
your cat tasty treats and praising her.

Slowly move the fear stimulus closer as you continue to praise
your cat and offer her treats.

If at any time during this process your cat shows fearful
behavior, you’ve proceeded too quickly and will need to start
over from the beginning. This is the most common mistake people
make when desensitizing an animal, and it can be avoided by
working in short sessions, paying careful attention to your cat
so that you don’t progress too rapidly for her.

You may need help from a professional animal behavior specialist
with the desensitization process.

A Note About Aggression in Cats

If your cat is threatening you, another person or an animal, you
should seek help from a professional animal behavior specialist.
To keep everyone safe in the meantime, confine your cat to an
area of the house where all interactions with her are kept to a
minimum and are supervised by a responsible person.

What Not To Do

Don’t punish your cat for her fearful behavior. Animals associate
punishment with what they’re doing at the time they’re punished,
so your cat is likely to associate any punishment you give her
with you. This will only cause her to become fearful of you and
she still won’t understand why she’s being punished.

Don’t force her to experience the object or situation that is
causing her fear. For example, if she is afraid of a certain
person, don’t let that person try to pick her up and hold her.
This will only make her more frightened of that person.

All About Eye Problems In Cats

2006-11-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

The most common disorder in cats is runny eyes. Infectious organisms such
as the flu viruses or chlamydia cause conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the
membranes lining the eyelids. This results in a discharge which is either
watery and runny or thick and a greenish yellow color.

Occasionally a runny eye is caused by a disorder of the normal anatomy.
Tear glands continually produce secretions which lubricate the surface
of the eyeball and flush particulate material into the tear ducts which
then drain into the nose. If there's a blockage of the ducts, the tears have
no choice but to spill over and run down the face. Blockage can occur if
there has been previous damage to the ducts or if the cat has an abnormal
anatomy.

Persian cats frequently have tear staining, partly because their tear ducts
are kinked and partly because their eyeball shape prevents effective
drainage. Chronic tear overspill causes a brown staining on the fur which
is most noticeable in pale colored cats.

Runny eyes are also a result of tear overproduction if there is an irritation
to the sensitive eyeball. The cause may be easily identified as in some
longhaired cats where a clump of hair rubs the surface. Some can be
much more difficult to detect; solitary aberrant hairs may grow inside the
eyelid and can only be discovered by carrying out an extremely
thorough examination under general anaesthetic.

The cornea is the clear outer covering of the eyeball and is a very sensitive
structure. Flu infections can sometimes extend beyond the membranes and
also affect the corneas. In very young kittens, the damage can be so
severe that the cornea is extensively scarred and the cat grows up
visually impaired or even blind.

Most corneal disease is encountered as a result of a bit of a punch up
with another cat and a claw being poked in the eye. The puncture wound
may be very obvious, particularly if a bit of claw is left behind in the eyeball.
In other cases there may be no apparent defects.

Mild corneal damage will heal well if the cat is supported with antibiotics
but more severe damage may require surgery. Stitching the eyelids
together often helps with the healing.

The iris is the structure which gives the eye its color, ranging from pink in
albinos, to blue in Siamese, through all shades of yellows, coppers and
greens. The iris is a muscular structure which contracts and expands in
order to vary the amount of light which passes through to the back of the eye.

It has very delicate blood vessels and if a claw has managed to pierce
through the cornea to the iris, the bleeding can be very dramatic.
Some of the more unpleasant feline infections, Feline Infectious Peritonitis
(FIP) virus, Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
and toxoplasmosis can all cause disease in the iris.

The first sign an owner may notice is a change in color of the eye.
Close examination reveals changes in the shape of the iris and the presence
of debris in the fluid behind the cornea. It is very difficult to distinguish
which one of these infections has caused the abnormality, so further
investigation is always necessary.

If there is a diseased iris, also have to consider the possibility of a tumor. T
he two most commonly encountered are lymphosarcoma, a solid form
of leukemia, and melanoma, a cancer of the pigment producing cells.

If an iris has been affected by a treatable condition, it may be left with
permanent color change and a distorted shape because of adhesions
or scar tissue produced during the healing response. Not all areas of
new pigment are associated with disease. Some cats, particularly
orange colored individuals, can develop little dark patches of pigment
in the iris as they age, but any change in eye color should always be
checked by your vet.

The retina is a fine membranous structure which lines the back of the eyeball.
Light passes through the pupil and the lens and lands on the retina.
There it stimulates nerve endings which cause electrical signals to be
sent to the brain where the information is interpreted as vision.

Any abnormality of the color, the reflectivity or the blood vessels indicates
disease of the retina. One of the most serious conditions is a generalized
degeneration of the retina. The retina appears to be very bright.
Blood vessels become much finer and in advanced cases are barely visible.

The retina can detach from the underlying tissue if there is a leakage
or overproduction of fluid between the layers, or if there is bleeding.
High blood pressure resulting from kidney failure or an overactive
thyroid gland can cause this eye problem.

Retinal detachments tend to be quite dramatic in onset and owners
report that the cat appears to have gone blind overnight. The pupils
are massively dilated and instead of a smooth concave surface there are
billowing folds of retina. There is virtually no hope of restoration of eyesight
in these cases.

The thought of a blind cat is quite horrifying to most owners but a
combination of the cat not knowing it's supposed to worry about its
lack of vision and its other senses being so well developed means
they actually cope remarkably well. If the environment is kept as
constant as possible, most individuals adapt very well to their surroundings.

Many problems in cats are self -limiting and given one or two days
most will rectify themselves. Eye conditions should be treated with
a little more respect and a little more urgency even if the cat appears
to be totally indifferent to its problem. A mild disorder can result in
quite dramatic and devastating changes to the eye if left untreated so
don't delay and seek expert advice as soon as possible.

All About A Cat's Eyes

2006-11-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Unlike human eyes, which work best in day light, the cat’s eyes
must function well in extremely low light condition and as such
are well suited to an animal that is predominantly nocturnal and
crepuscular in activity. In darkness, cats eyes are able to
function in approximately one-sixth of the light needed for human
vision. However they must also be able to function well in
daylight – so just how is this achieved.

In low light levels the cats pupil must be able to open as wide
as possible, but also be able to contract to very small size to
protect the sensitive retina in bright sunlight. In human eyes,
this size variation of the pupil is controlled by a circular
ciliary muscle, but this limits the amount of size variation.

In cats however, the same process is controlled by two, shutter-like
ciliary muscles, which gives the cat it’s characteristic
slit-like pupil in bright light conditions. All cats pupils are
therefore elliptical, however some, notable the ‘Big Cats’,
appear more circular when dilated.

The size of the cats eye is relatively larger than those found in
human, this enables a larger pupil and therefore more light to
enter the eye. Generally, the lens is more curved enabling
sharper focusing even at the edges of the lens. The size of the
anterior chamber and the curvature of the cornea is also greater,
which helps more light to be refracted onto the light-sensitive
retina.

Another feature, which enabled the amount of light hitting the
retina to be increased, is the tapetum lucidum. This is
positioned at the back of the eye, behind the retina and acts
like a mirror, reflecting light back onto the light sensor cells
in the retina. This gives the cats eyes the characteristic
night-time glow when they are caught in a beam of light.

There are two distinct types of light receptor cell on the retina
– Cones, which are sensitive to high levels of light, used in
colour vision and Rods, sensitive in low light conditions. In
cats, there is a greater concentration of Rods, aiding their
night-time vision. As in humans, there is a greater concentration
of receptor cells at the center of the eye, leading to the optic
nerve. In cats, however, these a concentrated along a broader,
horizontal band. This gives the cat far more sensitivity to
movement along the horizontal axis and they are therefore more
able to detect prey movement along the ground at greater
distances.

Eye color is genetically related to coat color.

Pointed cats always have blue eyes.
White cats, and cats with a lot of white markings, can have:
blue eyes
green, gold, or copper eyes
or "odd-eyes" (one blue eye and one green or gold eye)!
Other cats can only have green, gold, or copper eyes, not blue eyes. The most common eye colors are in the middle of the eye color spectrum (greenish-yellow to gold). The colors at the ends of the eye color spectrum (deep green or brilliant copper) are usually seen only in purebreds who have been selectively bred for extreme eye color, but they may sometimes appear in non-purebreds.

Wool Sucking In Cats

2006-11-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

As cat owners know, cats will do some of the craziest things. Most
are harmless, however, often cats will display abnormal, destructive
behaviors. One such behavior, categorized as an inappropriate
consumptive behavior is wool sucking. As it implies, a cat displaying
this behavior will suck or chew on wool. The owner of such a cat
might also find that the cat sucks or chews on the armpits of their
sweaters, unfortunately when they are wearing the sweater!

Needless to say, this can become a very bothersome (and embarrassing!)
habit. Wool sucking cats seem to prefer a woven material such as a
sweater instead of raw wool. In some cats, the sucking begins with wool,
but then progresses to other available materials such as cotton or even
plastic. The behavior most often begins at puberty and, if left untreated,
can lead to serious digestive illness and destruction of household items.

Why Do Cats Wool Suck?

The majority of cats that display this behavior are Siamese and this
fact gives a strong indication that it can be inherited. It is not, however,
related to any nutritional deficiencies, external stresses or to the sex or
reproductive stage of the animal. One hypothesis is that this may be a
behavior that is "left over" from the prolonged six-month suckling
period that is common in feral (stray or wild) cats. Since domestic
kittens are usually weaned at six weeks, this may result in suckling
deprivation that is expressed by the sucking of man-made objects such
as wool. Unfortunately, this idea has not been tested experimentally.
It has also been thought that cats may wool suck because the odor
of lanolin in wool is similar to the odor of the fur around the nipples
of the kitten's mother.

What to do With a Wool Sucking Cat

The treatments available to the owner of a wool sucking cat include
behavior modification, drug therapy, and, in extreme cases, euthanasia.
Obviously, every attempt to control this behavior should be made in
order to avoid having to put the animal down. This takes patience and
perseverance on the part of you the cat owner.

Behavior Modification

The following are a few steps that you could take to help control a
cat's wool sucking behavior:
The first step is to remove any objects that the cat may suck or chew on.
This may mean confining the cat to one room of the house. In order to
encourage the cat's natural meat eating instinct, a supply of rawhide or
bones could be made available to the cat (no chicken bones!).
The next step in involves the use of some punishment:
One method is to thump the cat on the nose and say, "No" when it
begins to suck.

(Editors Note: The above statement is exclusively the viewpoint of the
article writer and not of the staff of this blog. We do not condone nor
endorse any form of physical punishment or aggressive behavior towards
any animal.)

Another is to spy on the cat and use the trusty water pistol any time
a cat is found sucking. In order for this kind of discipline to work, the
punishment must be delivered immediately after every incorrect behavior
occurs. For this reason, punishment often does not work because you
cannot always punish the cat the moment it begins to suck and every
time it sucks. The cat will take advantage of this and often turns the
situation into a game. It will begin to sneak and lurk around to try and
avoid getting caught. For these crafty cats, the use of slightly sprung
mousetraps hidden in clothing may be effective. This allows punishment
to be delivered even if you are not around.

Another technique that can be used involves a bottle of your favorite
perfume and a bottle of Tabasco sauce. This method relies upon the
association of a certain odor with a bad experience to deter the cat. By
applying the perfume and hot sauce to an item of clothing, the cat that
sucks on the clothing will associate the smell of the perfume with the
unpleasant taste of the hot sauce.

Chemicals that can be administered

If punishment and/or the hot sauce do not work, there are various
substances that you can give to your cat.

Since one possible explanation for wool sucking is a craving for lanolin,
it can be fed to the cat. Although no nutritional deficiencies have been
found in wool sucking cats, it has been found that feeding the cat a
diet high in fiber can eliminate the behavior in some cases.

It has also been found that administering 0.5 g per day of thyroid hormone
also controls some cases of wool sucking. For cats where none of
the above treatments work, anti-anxiety drugs (e.g. amitriptyline HCL)
may help however there are side effects to these drugs.

Prevention

Unfortunately, since it is not known exactly why cats wool suck, there
are not many steps that you can take to prevent this behavior from
occurring. However, here are a couple of points to keep in mind:

Siamese cat breeders should wait until kittens are 12 weeks old to wean.
This ensures an adequate suckling period. A cat displaying wool-sucking
behavior should not be used for breeding because there is the possibility
that the kittens could inherit the behavior.

Conclusions

Wool sucking is a peculiar and destructive behavior that is often hard
to control. However, there are many ways in which this behavior can
be controlled or eliminated, and with the development of new drugs,
there may be even more options in the future. A lot of time and patience
are required to successfully control wool sucking but these are
rewarded by a normal cat, and clothing without holes!

Cat Dandruff and.... Pet Shampoos

2006-11-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

The last thing you expect from your furry little friend
is a blizzard of flaky skin. Dog dandruff.......
cat dandruff.....Now what should a caring pet owner do?

"Pet dandruff looks like a really bad case of people dandruff -
you can easily see it with most animals," says Nancy Scanlan,
D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in California.

While occasionally dog dandruff and cat dandruff can
indicate a serious health problem, like allergies, parasites,
or skin infections, more often it occurs when skin cells
naturally proliferate -- They form, die and then flake off --
at an accelerated rate.

Scott Weldy, D.V.M. says, "Since pet dandruff is a sign of
flaky skin, giving your pet regular baths will help wash the
flakes away before they accumulate. Bathing your pet once
a month in winter and twice a month in summer may clear
up the problem for good."

* To bathe your pet, use warm water, Not hot water.

* Use a mild shampoo and massage it well into your pet's skin.

* Then rinse thoroughly and dry your pet well.

* Don't use medicated shampoos made for humans because
they can be harmful for pets.

* Check the label carefully! Products that may be safe for dogs,
may not necessarily be safe for cats.

* To prevent making dandruff worse, avoid using shampoos
that include an insecticide.

* Most flea shampoos are very drying to the skin, thus
creating more dandruff problems.

Regular brushing and grooming your pet will help distribute natural
oils evenly over dry skin, which will help keep dandruff down.
Choose a brush that's not too harsh. You can tell by rubbing
the brush against the back of your hand to see if it will hurt. Something you
would use on your own head will be excellent for your pet.

"If you've tried shampoos, regular brushing and new foods
and it still looks like winter on your pet's coat, you're
probably going to need professional help," says Jan A. Hall,
D.V.M.

"While dandruff is usually nothing more than flaky skin, in
some cases it can indicate serious problems. Warning signs
to watch for, besides the flakes, include scabs, crusting or itching."

"Problems with the skin can be an indication of internal
disease. After a month or so, if there is no improvement, you
should take your pet to the vet."

According to Mollyann Holland, D.V.M., "Sometimes we'll
see dandruff when animals aren't getting enough fat in their
diets. Giving your pet fish oil supplements will help improve
the metabolism of fats in skin tissue. Some generic and
supermarket brand foods do not provide the full range
of vitamins and minerals your pet needs to maintain a
healthy skin. Many pets have been taken off generic foods
and put on a high quality food and the cases of dandruff
have disappeared."

Chronic Renal Failure In Cats (CRF)

2006-11-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

The digestion of food produces waste products, which are carried by
blood to the kidneys to be filtered and excreted in the form of urine.
When the kidneys fail, they are no longer able to remove these waste
products, and toxins build up in the blood producing clinical signs of
kidney disease.

CRF affects all breeds of any age, although older pets tend to be more
commonly affected. The average age of diagnosis in cats is 9 years.
Breeds thought to be more susceptible include Abyssinians and Persians.
CRF affects almost every body system causing many changes throughout
the body and usually results in the following:

Abnormal filtration of blood and retention of waste materials

Disturbance of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance

Failure of hormone production (including substances that stimulate
the production of red blood cells.

What to Watch For

Several symptoms are present when your cat begins to suffer from CRF.
These include:

Lethargy

Vomiting

Bad breath

Anorexia

Weakness

Lack of coordination when walking

Depression

Increased thirst/excessive drinking

Increased urination (sometimes noted as pet using the litter box more
frequently, urinating in abnormal places in the house or increased
weight of the litter box)

Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests are needed to recognize CRF and exclude other diseases.

Treatment

Although there is no cure, early detection can slow the progression of
the disease. CRF can be a life-threatening condition that requires
hospitalization and treatment for stabilization in extremely ill pets.

Treatments may include:

Fluid therapy for dehydrated pets

Dietary therapy with a protein/phosphorus restriction

Free access to water

Supportive care and careful monitoring of urine output

Control of vomiting with diet and drug therapy as needed

Management of anemia if needed

Management of blood abnormalities such as high potassium levels,
low potassium levels, metabolic acidosis and high phosphorus levels

Home Care

Chronic renal failure is life-threatening, and if you suspect your
cat has this condition, you should see your veterinarian as
soon as possible.

All About Weaning kittens

2006-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

The best time to separate a kitten from its mother is between
seven and eight weeks of age. It is at this point that weaning
has been completed (the switch from nursing mother's milk to
eating solid food) and a kitten can best adjust to living in a
strange home with a new family. If taken away too early, kittens
may have to be bottle-fed by their new families and frequently
behave badly due to premature departure from the nest.

Kittens need milk feeding for the first four to five weeks of
life, so formula needs to be provided for a newborn kitten in
cases where the mother cat is unable to nurse it. If a kitten is
orphaned when it's two weeks old, for example, it needs to be
bottle-fed for at least another two weeks until it can be
introduced to solid food at four weeks.

The milk produced by the queen in the first hours following delivery
contains colostrum, which is rich in protective antibodies that can
defend a kitten against illness during the first three months of life.

Here are some things to look out for with kittens who are
orphaned too early: First, they tend to have oral fixations
throughout their lives--they either suckle objects, such as
blankets or their new parent (you, the pet owner) or themselves.

Many cats will suck on their owner's fingers, hair or skin
whenever given the chance. This may go on for their whole lives!
Most owners seem not to mind, however. Cats who lick themselves
can do so to the point of baldness, usually on their bellies or
sides. Another possible result of early adoption is a kitten who
is slow to learn or one who displays aggressive behavior.

Kittens who are separated from their mother when older than seven
or eight weeks will have a harder time accepting the new family,
as they have become accustomed to their mother and siblings.

In order to make this transition easy for the kittens, you should
start introducing kitten food early on. At about four weeks of
age start mixing a good quality kitten food with milk or water,
and soak it until it resembles oatmeal. Place the food in a
shallow bowl and stimulate the kittens to eat it by placing a bit
of the food in their mouths. Once the kittens are eating well out
of the bowl it is safe to stop the nursing with the queen.

New Born Kitten Care

2006-11-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

Interact with kittens as soon as possible. Studies show that a
litter of kittens born in a location inaccessible to humans will, as
early as two to three weeks, hiss at humans. A litter of kittens from
the same mother, if handled daily, will not react fearfully. Some
research suggests that handling kittens each day during the
first month of their lives may improve their learning ability.

Handling kittens requires general common sense. Just as with human babies,
you should be very careful when holding your little kitten.

You may cause serious harm to your kitten through incorrect handling, so
always pay close attention to how you hold your young cat.

Kittens tend to react more readily to humans when the mother cat is present.

The belief is that she does not send alarming signals to her kittens and her
presence reassures them.

The February 1993 Animal Health Newsletter published by the
Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine reports a study
indicating that handling kittens very early in life accelerates their
development. Siamese kittens handled 20 minutes each day during their
first 30 days of life opened their eyes earlier and emerged from
their nesting box earlier than littermates not handled that way.

However, although you may be tempted to constantly handle your kitten,
do not pick it up too often since this may cause undue stress to both
the mother and kitten. Handling kittens helps in their socialization
to humans, but over handling should be avoided.

Even though a mother cat is able to pick a kitten up by the scruff
of its neck, you should avoid this yourself to keep from harming
the kitten. To safely pick up a kitten place one hand around the
kitten's stomach and the other hand under its hind legs. Support
the kitten's head and neck to prevent injury.

Remember that kittens are not toys and should not be handled roughly.

Though they love to play, kittens have fragile, developing bodies.

Make sure that children in your house know how to correctly hold the
kitten and are supervised in their play with it. Most kittens prefer
not to be carried around the house by their young owners.

Recognize the importance of play as it helps introduce
young kittens to their environment. During this critical play period
when kittens are four to eight weeks of age, socialization to humans
is extremely important. Frequent handling and petting of the young kitten
can make it more responsive to his owner when he becomes an adult cat.

Introducing a young kitten to many people is important in socializing
kittens to humans. This seems to lessen their fear of strangers as
adult cats.

Kittens should also be introduced to children and children should
be shown how to pet them. A kitten not socialized with children may
reject them after it has matured.

Provide a healthy start with regular visits to a veterinarian.
All kittens, even strictly indoor cats, should be vaccinated to protect
them from deadly diseases.

Some viruses travel through the air or may be brought into the house
on people’s clothing or shoes. There is also a risk that an indoor at
may get outside or that a disease-carrying cat may wander into the yard
or even get in the house.

Be aware that a kitten’s rapid growth and high energy
requirements present a special nutritional need. Research show that a
kitten grows from infancy to young adulthood in approximately one year.
During its first 20 weeks a kitten can have a 2,000 percent increase
over its birth weight. At 26 weeks of age, the growth level starts to
level off. However, a kitten continues to develop inside with normal
growth ending at about one year of age.

Establish a grooming routine for you and your kitten.
When a kitten becomes accustomed to grooming, it will be easier to
groom as it matures.

Longhaired cats should be groomed daily. Shorthaired cats should be groomed
at least once or twice a week. Appropriate grooming
equipment for longhairs and shorthairs is available at pet shops.

The grooming routine should include a careful inspection
for external parasites such as fleas or ticks and skin disorders
such as ringworm. Grooming also provides an opportunity to accustom a
kitten to be examined for lumps or skin lesions. If any are observed,
prompt veterinary treatment is recommended.

During the examination check for:

* eyes that are clear and bright. Any discharge from the eyes is usually a sign of illness

* ears that are clean and pink. Redness or sores or an offensive odor may be an indication of ear mites or bacterial infection.

* teeth should be clean and gums free of any soreness.

Set ground rules for your kitten’s behavior and be consistent
in working with your kitten to enforce these rules. Once you have
decided on a name for your kitten, enlist the cooperation of family
members by calling the kitten only by that name.

Some misbehavior results from a kitten’s desire to play. Provide
diversions such as toys made for kittens (look for this information on
the product label), a scratching post, box, a crumpled piece of paper
or a golf ball. Avoid rough play with your kitten which encourages
scratching and/or biting. Pinpricks from tiny teeth and claws can become
bites and scratches as a kitten matures.

Kittens are sensitive to the tone of voice. When you see your kitten
being naughty, a firm “no” usually stops the misdeed. If your kitten
develops a bad habit and you catch your kitten in the act, a squirt
from a toy pistol or spray bottle is usually an effective deterrent.

Begin training your kitten to use a litter box immediately.
A plastic or enamel pan is easy to clean and will not rust.

Keep the pan in a secluded area in your house. Place your kitten in
the litter after meals, after periods of energetic play, long naps,
first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Be consistent in
taking your kitten to the litter pan during this training.

Do not allow your kitten freedom of the house until you
are certain he is using his litter pan regularly. Make certain you
keep the litter pan clean. Many cats will not use soiled litter. A sieve
or scoop designed for cleaning cat litter is available at pet supply
stores and departments. When you change the litter, wash the pan with
soap and warm water. Do not use strong disinfectants not specifically
designed for use around cats. For sanitary purposes, wash your hands
thoroughly after cleaning the litter pan.

All About Taking Care of Orphaned Kittens

2006-11-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

Should I take in an abandoned kitten?

Be certain kittens are really abandoned before you disturb a nest.
A momcat can be harder to spot than the stealth bomber, but just
because she’s not there now doesn’t mean she’s not around. If the
kittens are clean, plump, and sleeping quietly in a heap, odds are
that they’ve got an attentive mom and should be left alone.

Abandoned kittens will be dirty and the nest will be soiled,
and they will cry continuously because they’re hungry.

Ideally, kittens should not be taken from the mother until they are
5 to 6 weeks of age.

However, kittens born to feral mothers should be taken away,
if possible, at about 4 weeks old. At this age, it is easy to
tame them and they have gotten 4 weeks' worth of the precious
antibodies mother's milk provides. As they get older, it gets
increasingly harder to tame them; kittens over the age of 8 weeks
who have had no human contact will probably take months to tame ...
if it can be done at all.

Warmth and First-Aid

If a rescued kitten feels cold, warm it immediately, but gently.
Place it on a heating pad wrapped in towels and on the lowest setting,
or warm a hot water bottle to about 100 degrees (wrapped in a
towel) and place it with the kitten. Many veterinarians have
incubators to warm a chilled kitten.

Do not feed a kitten until it is warm, since it can't properly digest
when cold. It is okay, though, to syringe feed a few drops of 5% sugar
water or to rub a little bit of Karo syrup on the kittens’ lips.

Kittens under 3 weeks can’t control their body temperature. Keep them
on a heating pad, set on low, wrapped in towels (at least 2 layers of
towels-- or one towel folded over-- should cover the pad.

You'll know if it's too hot if the kittens tend to sleep on the edges.
The heating pad should be used until the kittens are about 4-5 weeks
old, or until you notice that they're avoiding it. An alternative that many
fosters prefer is a heat lamp over the kitten nest.

Kittens should be kept in a box or cat carrier in a warm, draft-free place,
completely isolated from other animals. Keep the container covered with
a towel or blanket; a small towel or cloth inside the carrier will also keep
them cozy. Change the bedding of their "nest" daily, since
kittens tend to have accidents! As they get older, they will need
more room to exercise, play, and explore. A spare bathroom is ideal
for this.

It is a very, very, very smart idea to take them immediately to a
veterinarian to be checked for dehydration and general condition.
Bring a stool sample if possible to be tested for worms and parasites.
Young kittens are always at risk for being dehydrated and it can
happen very quickly; a dose of fluids injected under skin is
necessary in this case.

Ask your vet or vet technician to show you how to do it. This will be
convenient if your kitten becomes dehydrated rapidly or in the middle of
the night. Even the most squeamish fosters have mastered this and it's
not as horrible as it sounds. Really.

Many vets will give you a courtesy (free) office visit if you tell them
this is a rescued kitten you are fostering; their staff can give you lots
of advice and supplies along the road as well. Don't skip this step!
You can also contact your local shelter or rescue group and ask
if you can become an official "foster parent" through their
organization as you raise your kitten. Many of these organizations
help cover the cost of necessary medical care as the kitten grows
towards adoptable age.

If you're planning to raise your kitten (s) yourself, the best idea is
to find a "foster" momcat who is still nursing. Your local animal
shelter and rescue organizations will probably be able to help
you with this.

Why is this so crucial? The immunity against disease that mother's
milk provides kittens lasts until they are 6 to 14 weeks old. Kittens
who don't get this immunity (from their mom's antibodies) are at
a huge disadvantage and you might be in for a great deal of
medical care. Local shelters and rescue groups can help you
place the momcat after the kittens are weaned.

Feeding

Unfortunately, cow’s milk is not nutritious enough for kittens--they will
slowly starve to death on it. If you can't get to a pet store right away,
see our Web page for emergency kitten formulas, we also have some
good info on that page with more care tips for the kitten.

Your first purchase should be a pet nursing kit and kitten formula,
available at pet stores. The nursing kit usually includes a bottle,
several extra nipples, and a cleaning brush. Cut an "X" in the tip
of your first nipple with scissors.

You know that you have made the nipple opening just big enough if, when
the bottle is held upside-down, formula drips slowly from it. Too small
an opening will make kittens work too hard to get their formula, tiring them
out before they've had enough to eat. Too large an opening will force too
much formula into them too fast.

Before each feeding, sterilize the bottles and nipples by boiling them in
water. Formula should be warmed to room temperature. You can
do this by microwaving it in the bottle for no longer than 10 seconds
(never let it boil), or placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water
for a few minutes.

Before each feeding, you should also sterilize your hands with
antibacterial sanitizer or water with a touch of bleach added. It's
a good idea to re-sterilize after you're done with the kittens each
time. This way, the kittens and your own pets will be protected
against one another's germs. An alternative to this is to purchase a
box of latex surgical gloves and use a new pair for each feeding.

Many fosters like to keep a special t-shirt, sweatshirt, or apron in the
room where the kittens are kept, and slip it on before feeding. Some
viruses can live on clothing!

Kitten positioning for feeding is very important; this is where the
crucial surrogate-mom bonding happens. Different people have
different "styles" of bottle-feeding. Kittens are most comfortable
in a position similar to the position they'd be in if they were nursing
from a momcat.

One position is simply to place the kitten on its stomach on a towel
or cloth on which it can cling; it will "knead" its paws on instinct. You
can also sit cross-legged on the floor with the kitten inside your legs,
and let the kitten place its paws on your leg as it nurses. Remember
to keep a towel on your lap for this-- and use a fresh, clean towel each day.

Open the mouth gently with the tip of your finger and slip the nipple in.
Once your kitten gets the hang of it, they will search out the nipple
enthusiastically!

You will feel a real "vacuum effect" when the kitten gets
into suckle mode.

To keep air from getting into the kitten's stomach, hold the bottle at a
45-degree angle, keeping a light pull on the bottle. The kitten should
be allowed to suck at its own pace.

If a kitten refuses to take the nipple or won't suckle, try rubbing it
vigorously on its forehead or stroking its back. This replicates the activity
of a momcat's cleaning and can effectively stimulate the kitten to nurse.
Sometimes you will hear a "clicking" noise which means the kitten's
nursing instinct is in gear and should be ready for the nipple. Sometimes
a kitten is simply picky; there are two kinds of nipples out there, one
shorter and one longer, so you might have to make sure they don't prefer
one or the other.

Kittens who seem too weak to nurse can often be stimulated by rubbing
some Karo syrup on the lips. If a kitten still refuses to nurse, and this
happens beyond the first few "getting the hang of it" times, it
indicates illness and you must take the kitten to a vet immediately.

Kittens have been known to accidentally suck formula into the lungs;
if this happens, hold the kitten upside down until it stops choking.

A kitten should eat about 8cc's of formula per ounce of body weight per
day; nursing bottles are marked with measurements so it's easy to keep track.
Weigh the kittens daily or every other day to calculate the amount of formula
they need; a kitchen or small postal scale should be used. Kittens under
one week old should be fed every 2 - 3 hours; at two weeks old they
can be fed every 4 - 6 hours; after three weeks old, until they are weaned,
they should be fed every 6 - 8 hours.

Divide their needed daily intake by the number of required daily feedings,
and you'll know how much they should eat each time. Kittens who
are extra weak or recovering from a "crash" may need to eat
more frequently.

Keep in mind that the younger kittens are, the more accustomed they
are to staying "latched onto" a momcat's nipple all the time,
nursing small amounts periodically. If you notice that your kittens
are not eating enough in one feeding, increase the frequency of feedings.

If you're feeding multiple kittens, you'll have better luck with them eating
the required amount if you feed them each several times, taking turns.
Feed the first kitten until it stops nursing, feed the second, etc.
Then go back to the first and repeat this round-robin. Usually after
2 or 3 nursing turns, a kitten has had enough for one feeding.

When a kitten has had enough formula, it will usually get some bubbles
around its mouth and its tummy will be very rounded to give it a real
"Bartlett Pear" shape. After feeding, you should burp the kitten just like
you'd burp a human baby; hold it upright against your shoulder and pat it
on the back. Do not overfeed kittens, since this can cause diarrhea and
a host of other problems. Kittens under four weeks will go happily to
sleep after they're fed and full; older kittens will want some serious
play and cuddle time.

It's natural for kittens to suckle on each other or on your fingers, even
after they're finished eating. This is harmless unless you notice that this
kind of activity is causing irritation to other kittens' fur or skin.

Stimulation and Litter Box Training

By nature, momcats lick the "back end" of their babies to stimulate the
bowels and bladder on a regular basis. If you are the babies' new
momcat, guess who gets this duty! After each feeding, gently rub the
kitten on its low abdomen, as well as the genitals and rectum, with a
cotton ball, cotton pad, or tissues moistened with warm water. Make sure
you rub only enough to get them to eliminate; over stimulation will
irritate the area. Keep an eye out for chafing and lingering dirt.

Kittens should (and almost always will) urinate during each stimulation.
They should defecate at least once a day. One trick is to slowly count
to 60 while you're stimulating a kitten; at that point, you'll know if
they're done or if something's on its way out!

When kittens get to be about four weeks old, they are usually ready
to experience the wonderful world of litter boxes (and you'll be
liberated from stimulation duty!). After each meal, put the kitten
in the box and see what transpires. If they don't get it right away,
try taking its paw and showing it how to scratch in the litter. They'll
catch on before you know it!

Cleaning and Flea Control

After each feeding session, you should also give them a full-body once-
over with a barely damp washcloth, using short strokes like a momcat
would use. This keeps their fur clean, teaches them how to groom,
and gives them the attention and "mothering" they crave.

Kittens will often get very dirty and mucked-up in between cleanings;
it's okay to wash a kitten under a sink faucet, but try to focus only
on the areas where they need it. A simple "butt-bath" will usually do
the trick, but if you must get a kitten wet over more than half of
its body, it's safe to dry kittens over one week old with a hair dryer
set on low and used carefully, avoiding their faces.

You should also check their ears regularly for dirt and, especially
after initial rescue, ear mites. Dirt can be cleaned gently with a cotton
ball or swab; consult your vet if you find the telltale ear mite
"coffee-ground" type dirt.
If you find fleas or flea dirt on kittens of any age, you must get them flea-
free as soon as possible. Young kittens can easily get anemia from flea
infestation and really endanger its life. First, use a flea comb to remove as
much of the dirt and fleas from the fur as you can.

Ask your vet for a flea spray that's okay to use on very young kittens;
always read the warnings on any flea product to confirm at which age it is
safe. Place the kitten on a towel for about 20 minutes; then discard the
towel with the dead and dying fleas that have come from the kitten.

After using a spray, you can give the kitten a bath in gentle or surgical
soap; make sure water temperature is lukewarm so as not to chill the
kitten. Dry the kitten, if old enough, with a blow dryer or you can towel-
dry it, then put it in a carrier and aim the blow dryer
into it to gently dry the kitten with warm, circulating air.

Other skin irritations to look for are ringworm and mange. If a kitten
is scratching excessively and there are bare patches where fur is missing,
isolate the kitten from littermates and consult a vet immediately for treatment.

Weight Gain

Kittens should gain about ½ ounce every day or 4 ounces per week.
Weigh them at the same time every day with a kitchen or small postal scale.
Lack of gain or weight loss beyond 24 hours is cause for alarm and a
visit to the vet. Their bellies should always be rotund-- if you squeeze
them between two fingers and slowly try to bring the fingers
together, you should NOT be able to do it!

You can check to make sure a kitten is properly hydrated by pulling up
the skin at the scruff of the neck. If it bounces back nicely,
hydration is good. If it doesn't bounce back, or goes back down slowly,
they will need at least one dose of subcutaneous (under-the-skin) fluids.

Weaning

Weaning occurs at about 4 weeks, but keep in mind that some kittens
take a bit longer, especially without a momcat to show them the wonders
of eating solid food. You will know that a kitten is ready for the weaning
process when it is (a) biting its nipple often and forcefully, and (b)
able to lick formula from your finger. The next step is to get the kitten to
lap up formula from a spoon. Once they've mastered that, try putting it
in a flat dish.

At that point, you can mix the kitten formula with baby food (we
recommend Beechnut Chicken Baby Food) into a gruel and try
to get the kittens to lap it up from a dish or a spoon. Eventually,
you can mix dry food with formula, gradually reducing the amount
of formula until they're eating just the food. It is not uncommon for
weight gain to slow and minor, temporary diarrhea to occur during weaning.

(See below for our recommendations on what to feed kitty)

Some kittens grasp the concept right away; others take days. Keep
bottle feeding while weaning to make sure they get enough to eat. Reduce
bottle feeding as their solid-food consumption grows. If you give dry food,
moisten it, because kittens can’t chew dry food
well until about 8 weeks.

Remember that changes in diet can quickly cause diarrhea, so keep an
eye on your kitten's stools. Diarrhea can be life-threatening to a
kitten if left untreated; usually, a dose of one or more types of
antibiotics prescribed by your vet will get them back on track.

Development Milestones

Kittens weigh about 2 to 4 ounces at birth; they should double their body
weight in the first week.

Eyes open at 7-10 days. If eyes seem to be pus-filled or sealed shut, open
and clean with a warm wet cloth and apply Terramycin ointment (sold
at pet stores) until the infection clears up; if it doesn't, consult your vet
as it may be a more serious eye infection.

Eyes will stay blue until they are about 3 to 4 weeks old, but true eye
color won't settle in until the kitten's about 3 months old.

At 2 weeks of age, the ears will start to stand up. At about 3 weeks,
they will try to walk. At 4 weeks, they'll start to play with each other
and develop teeth.

A first dose of roundworm medication should be given at 6 weeks; a
second dose for roundworms, as well as a dose for tapeworms, should
be given at 8 weeks. (Always check with your vet...we don't recommend
worming any cat unless a veterinary checkup is done first)

The first FVRCP (4-in-1) vaccination should be given at 6-8 weeks.
A first FELV (Leukemia) vaccination should be given at 8 weeks.
Consult your veterinarian for schedule of follow-up vaccinations; these
vary with vaccination brands and types.

When the kitten weighs two pounds (usually at 8 - 9 weeks old) and
is healthy, they are old enough to be spayed and neutered. At this
age, they are also old enough to be adopted; if you plan to put your
kittens up for adoption, you must not do this before they are 8
weeks old.

Love and Attention

This part's the easy one. Emotional and physical closeness to you is as
important to a kitten as food and warmth. Pet the kitten often,
letting it snuggle. You'll be surprised how this early cuddle activity
will stay a basic instinct as the cat grows into an adult. We've
found that hand-raised kittens have a much deeper bond to their
owners and are highly loyal, intelligent, and affectionate.

Playing with the kitten with a variety of toys is also important;
this will help them develop motor skills and also help them bond to you.
Exercise will keep their energy up and make them happy, healthy,
and extra-adorable.

Once kittens are about six weeks old and healthy, it's okay to let them
interact with other cats and even dogs.

One Last Thought . . .

All this sounds much harder than it really is. Raising "bottle-babies"
is a labor of love for almost everyone who takes it on. Keep in mind,
though, that it can be a difficult process and some things are beyond
our control. If you "lose" a kitten, you should never blame yourself.

Reprinted from Kitten Rescue, Los Angeles

Tips On Finding Good Homes For Kittens And cats

2006-11-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

Finding good homes for cats and kittens can be a difficult task.
Giving them away from a cardboard box in your supermarket's
parking lot is not considered finding a good home! You need to
make sure that the adopters are willing to make the commitment
to care for a cat for the next twenty years.

Did you ever wonder what happened to them after they were taken away?
To be honest, not everyone who adopts one of your sweet little kittens or
puppies is being totally honest with you when they say the animal will have
a good home.

Giving away any animal. whether it be an adult or a baby, without
screening the potential adopter and without charging some sort of
good faith fee can put your animal in dangers that you never would
have considered.

There are people who make their living by go around picking up these "Free
To a Good Home" animals and sell them to labs for medical research. You
don't want to know what happens to them there. They will even bring kids
with them so you believe they are a happy family looking for a little kitten

Free animals are also taken for sacrifice, they are used for bait to train
attack dogs, they are even used for food for snakes. By just giving them
away, you are basically saying that these animals have no value at all.
By putting a set price on them you are making it less desirable for
these people as you are eating up their profit.

If you don't feel right about asking a price for a kitten, you can request
that a donation be made to your favorite charity or local animal shelter.
You've cared enough about this animal to find it a good home, that
entitles you to a donation, or to asking for one for your chosen charity.

How To Find Potential Good Homes For Your Kittens

* Place posters in your local veterinarian's office, or humane society or
animal shelter if they will allow it....always ask first.

* Be careful about putting an ad in the paper. At the very least - do not
put a "free kittens or puppies to good homes" ad in the paper.

Here are some of the people that might answer those ads:

Third-class dealers who sell the cats or puppies for about 30 dollars
a piece to labs that perform medical experiments on them.

Although animal labs typically get their "subjects" from breeders (and
some breeders make a lot of money selling kittens and puppies and other
animals to labs), some protocols also call for an "unknown" group
of animals, to be used as a control group in the experiment.

You may also get a visit from a fighting dog trainer. Sadly, some dog
owners train their dogs to be killers by using live animals as targets.

Then, there are the just plain mean people who abound. Of course, none
of these types of "adopters" will identify the true nature of
their interest.

* Talk to trusted family members and close trusted friends who are
interested in adopting the kittens or puppies. Preferably you want them
to live with someone whom you would trust with your own pet, and
who has had pets before. Granted, this isn't always possible.

Once You Get A Contact

Screen adopters carefully! Grill them all you want. See if they've had
pets before. Find out why they want a new pet. Ask for identification
and get an address. If at all possible, try to visit their home to observe the
condition, particularly of other animals in the house.

You can draw up a small contract - it is legally binding, in fact (although
enforcing it may be a problem.) You can call a shelter, rescue group, or
breeder organization for guidelines. In writing, the adopter should
commit to the following:

They will spay or neuter the kitten

They will give the kitten proper veterinary care - yearly exams,
vaccinations, and visits to examine suspected health problems

The adopter will make the pet a member of the family. That means
a companion FOR LIFE.

"Red flags" to watch for. These certainly aren't automatic
disqualifications, but they do merit additional investigation.

Many young kids in the house Frequent traveling or business trips

A small apartment that already has other animals

College students living on campus

Military families

Sadly, the latter two categories contribute heavily to the feral cat
colonies that abound college campuses and military bases, because
of their transient nature.

Don't be shy about requesting a follow up visit or three.

Screen people very carefully over the phone and check all
references before allowing them to come to your home to see the
animal. The best reference is one from a veterinarian. It's very
easy for a person to list their friends, who may not be honest,
as references. A veterinary reference is the best way to check
the person you are dealing with.

Don't hesitate to say "no" to someone who doesn't "feel right,"
even after they have visited the pet. If no is difficult to
say, tell them that other interested people are coming later, and
you'll call them.

You should ideally leave time to visit the home of the new owner
before giving up your pet; this allows you to see the pet's new
surroundings and to see if the person in fact resides at the
address given.

Nasal Discharge In Cats

2006-11-13T22:57:00.000-08:00

n cats, chronic viral nasal disease develops from one of two viruses involved in upper-respiratory tract diseases. Both the feline rhinotracheitis virus (FVR) and feline calici virus (FCV) are extremely contagious. Clinically, the difference between these two viruses is unnecessary for diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms and Causes

The typical signs associated with chronic viral disease include sneezing, bilateral nasal discharge, nasal bleeding, increased breathing sounds, and discharge from the eyes. Any bleeding associated with viral disease is usually very minimal; however, if nasal bleeding becomes extreme, it may be suggestive of a tumor.

Nasal discharge from one side of the nose is more typical of a foreign body, tumor, or tooth-root abscess. Moderate to severe bleeding or deformity of the facial bones suggests an erosive process, such as cancer fungal or a foreign body.

To differentiate chronic viral nasal disease from other causes of feline upper-respiratory disease, you must know the past health of the cat. Any previous signs of acute infection would be expected with viral disease. An old injury or prior trauma might have healed externally but resulted in deep bone damage or changes in the nasal anatomy which can lead a patient to be predisposed to nasal disease.

Diagnosis

A cat with chronic viral nasal disease is generally in good condition. Chronic viral nasal disease can be diagnosed only by the elimination of other upper respiratory conditions, such as cancer, foreign bodies, bacterial disease, allergic disease, fungal disease, polyps, dental disease, and prior trauma. Not only will this guide your veterinarian in the proper course of treatment, but will also give you an accurate prognosis. If the diagnosis becomes chronic viral nasal disease, you may expect a long-term treatment or potentially negative results.

Your veterinarian will examine the skull and hard palate very carefully, along with an eye examination. The viruses involved in upper-respiratory diseases do not cause mass lesions or inflammation of the inner structures of the eye. If these problems are identified, then viral disease is unlikely.

To rule out the possibility of cancer, the lymph nodes around the cat's head and neck are also carefully examined. Your veterinarian may also look for a discharge from both sides of the nose or from the cat's eyes. After antibiotics are discontinued, there may be sneezing and relapse of symptoms. These signs are similar to what would be seen in a cat with a polyp.

If the history suggest a systemic cause, then a complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, and chest x-rays are indicated. These tests should also be done if there is any concern about anesthetic risk for the next phase of the examination.

The second phase of examination involves more aggressive testing, such as skull x-rays, endoscopy, and nasal biopsies to eliminate non-viral causes for the nasal disease. You may or may not want to continue with this aggressive diagnostic path, depending on the severity of clinical signs and the evidence provided by the history, physical examination, and other less invasive tests.

Treatment

Some form of antibiotic treatment is often prescribed for a cat with chronic viral nasal disease. If the chosen antibiotic is going to be effective, symptoms should improve noticeably in three to five days.

If improvement is evident, your veterinarian will determine the length of time that the antibiotics should be continued. Normally, the dose is tapered off slowly. In some cats, intermittent bouts of sneezing can be controlled by continued administration of low-dose antibiotics.

Symptomatic treatment also includes the use of decongestants, cortisone, and humidification. Your veterinarian will determine the best treatment for your cat. Local decongestant therapy can be very helpful. Local treatment also decreases the chance of systemic side effects. Decongestants can be given topically or orally.

The problem of using cortisone is that it can mask the development of other problems or decrease the ability of the abnormal nasal cavity to cope with infection. Cats who are virus carriers may start actively shedding the virus. Consequently, cortisone should only be used if absolutely necessary and with close monitoring.

Humidification is a very simple way to provide relief to some patients. Increasing the moisture content of the nasal secretions makes it easier for all the material in the nose to drain. Home vaporizers are inexpensive and easily obtainable from local drug stores. Placing the cat in a bathroom while the shower runs may also be helpful.

To increase your cat's comfort, frequently clean your cat's face, nose, and eyes with cotton balls and water. You can also heat the food to help your cat smell it and increase the appetite.

Although cats with chronic viral nasal disease are prone to intermittent attacks of upper-respiratory symptoms, they can lead normal lives. As with any chronic disease, open communication with your veterinarian and realistic therapeutic goals are essential.

Feline Asthma

2006-11-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

Feline asthma is an immune-mediated disease characterized by symptoms ranging from infrequent, hairball-like coughing, to sudden onsets of respiratory distress (which veterinarians call "acute dyspnea").

Episodes are usually triggered by an allergen or stress, and can be accompanied/followed by vomiting, sneezing, or even wheezing like a human allergy sufferer. Respiratory signs may be slow and deliberate (more abdominal breathing), to fast and labored.

True asthma, as opposed to bronchitis, normally responds quickly to a combination of bronchodilators, oxygen therapy, and fast acting steroids. Diagnosis is usually confirmed with an xray, and possibly a slide cytology of the airway.

Because asthma can mimic other feline diseases (bronchitis, heart disease, pneumonia), a veterinary diagnosis assisted by an xray is essential. In many ways, feline asthma is very similar to human asthma, although our understanding of the causes of clinical feline asthma has been growing in recent years.

Long-term treatment of asthma usually includes short or long- term use of corticosteroids (such as prednisone), and bronchodilators (such as terbutaline or aminophyline). While severe "episodes" of dyspnea can occur, the long- term prognosis for this disease is generally excellent. If diagnosed early, any structural changes to the lungs and airway are usually reversible, and damage can be minimized.

Recent investigation into alternative treatments for asthma include injectable steroids (for that patient that simply can't be pilled), Cyproheptadine (formally used as an appetite stimulant), Cyclosporin A (limited to severe cases), and Anti-Interleukin-5 Antibody (still experimental).

Removing allergens from the environment (use of an air purifier, dust free and unscented litter, no odor controlling sprays, etc.) could possibly help to relieve symptoms.

Veterinary diagnosis and treatment is always required.

Anorexia In Felines

2006-11-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

Refusal of food for more than two days is abnormal feline behavior.
Loss of appetite (anorexia) in cats is always potentially life
threatening and must never be ignored.

With this disease, once your pet stops eating, he no longer wants
to eat, then won't eat, and eventually, can't eat.

Whether the cause is emotional (fright, hostility, depression)
brought on by a new environment or pet, or physical (pain, injury,
trauma), brought on by oral dysfunction, internal obstruction or
illness, the results can be disastrous without quick action, and
the right nourishment.

Quick Action for Anorexia

Bring your cat to a veterinarian as soon as possible. An anorectic cat
should not be confused with a finicky eater.

The right nourishment for an anorectic cat:
Water is the most important nutrient and is required in large amounts. Cats will instinctively cut back on food and physical activity to decrease water loss.

Increase caloric intake by adding honey to the water. Although physically inactive, your cat's caloric needs will usually increase in proportion to the severity of the disease or condition, responsible for the anorexia.

Increase protein supply. Protein needs are greater in anorectic cats and must be met with easily digested, and utilized, high BV (biological value) quality sources. Egg yolks or soft boiled eggs are easy to feed.

Lactose-free milk, plus honey and an egg yolk, adds up to fair nourishment.

Provide vitamin and mineral dietary supplements. In the cat's debilitated condition, daily pediatric doses of zinc, vitamin B complex and vitamin C, are recommended.

Give plenty of stroking and loving. This helps food go down and keeps your cat's spirits up.

Restarting Stalled Appetites
Mix one ounce of water with two to four ounces of a high fat easily digestible, calorie dense (and tasty) professional food.

Feed small amounts four to six times daily.

Finger feed (as opposed to force feed) your cat by placing pill size portions of food on his tongue.

Offer baby food chicken and rice. This is intended only as a temporary. fast fix appetite stimulant. After a day or two, the cat should be eased onto a complete, nutritionally balanced diet. Gradually replace small portions of the baby food with a quality alternative food. Heating )not cooking) the meal will enhance flavor.

Cat Scratch Disease

2006-11-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

For almost 100 years, cat scratches have been associated with illness in people.

Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is also called Cat Scratch Fever and benign lymphoreticulosis. While CSD is found all over the world, it is an uncommon disease.

One estimate by the Centers for Disease Control found that there were 2.5 cases of CSD per 100,000 people per year in the United States. While multiple cases of CSD in one household can occur, this situation is rare. A study in Florida found that more than one member of a family contracted CSD only 3.5% of the time. The majority of individuals who contract CSD are under the age of 17, and are usually under the age of 12.

Typically, a small skin lesion (resembling an insect bite) develops at the site of a cat scratch or (less commonly) a bite, followed within two weeks by swollen lymph nodes and sometimes a fever.

The illness is mild and self-limiting in the majority of patients, although it may take some months for the swollen lymph nodes to return to normal. Treatment is usually not required.

Reports over the last few years, however, have extended the spectrum of problems associated with CSD to include such things as tonsillitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, pneumonia and other serious illnesses in a very small number of cases. People with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS and cancer patients, are most at risk and can become most seriously ill.

Diagnosis of CSD may not be easy. There is no simple diagnostic test. Most physicians rely on history of exposure to a cat , the presence of typical clinical signs, failure to find another cause, and examination of tissues, such as biopsy of a swollen lymph node. Other diseases, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, and lymphoma, can cause similar symptoms.

Over the years, the cause of CSD had remained elusive, although bacteria were commonly suspected to be the culprit. In 1988, a bacterium called Afipia felis was cultured from the lymph nodes of patients with CSD. In recent years, many studies have implicated the gram negative bacterium Bartonella henselae as the primary (but not the sole) cause of CSD. B. henselae is related to the agent of Trench Fever, B. quintana, a disease common in the trenches of World War I. Other Bartonella species may also be involved in CSD.

Cats are the main reservoir for B. henselae. Surveys for B. henselae antibodies in cats in the United States have found average infection rates to be from 25% to 41% in clinically healthy cats. The lowest rates were in the midwest and great plains regions (4-7%) and the highest were in the southeast (60%).

Warmer, more humid climates are most supportive of fleas, which have been shown to transmit B. henselae from cat to cat. It appears that the majority of cats do not become ill when they are infected with this bacterium and kittens are more commonly infected than adults.

Experimental infections in cats, however, have caused a mild illness with fever, anemia, and transient neurological dysfunction. Once infected, cats carry bacteria in their blood for many months. It is important to note, however, that despite widespread presence of B. henselae in cats, CSD itself is uncommon. It appears that CSD is not easily acquired.

While most patients with CSD have a history of a cat scratch or bite, not all do. Some patients have had no contact with cats at all. This makes the exact modes of transmission unclear.

It is likely that CSD can also be contracted from environmental sources of the bacteria or from other animals. For this reason, the term “bartonellosis” is a better way to describe the variety of illnesses that are caused by B. henselae. Recently, it has been found that dogs can become ill with a related Bartonella species and the role of dogs as a possible reservoir for human infection is undergoing study.

CSD is primarily a concern in homes with immuno- compromised people. Since kittens are more likely to carry B. henselae than adult cats, it is recommended that people with compromised immune systems adopt cats older than 1 year of age as pets to reduce the risk of c ontracting CSD. Any cat suspected of carrying B. henselae should be isolated from sick or immuno - compromised individuals.

However, there is no reliable and available diagnostic test to determine if a cat is a carrier of B. henselae. Since carrier cats are always healthy and multiple cases of CSD within a household are rare, euthanasia of a s uspected carrier is not warranted.

Onychectomy (declawing) is also not recommended, since infection can occur without a cat scratch. As is always the case, any cut or scratch should be promptly washed with soap and water. In addition, children should be taught not to tease or annoy cats and rough play should be discouraged. A common sense approach is the best way to safeguard against CSD.

All About Feline Diabetes

2006-11-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Diabetes in Cats

Diabetes mellitus ("sugar" diabetes) is a complex and common endocrine
disorder in the cat. It is caused either by insufficient production of the
hormone, insulin, by the pancreas (type 1 diabetes) or by inadequate
response of the body's cells to insulin (type 2 diabetes).

Because diabetic cats are not able to utilize glucose properly, they ultimately
develop hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) and subsequent glucosuria
(sugar in the urine).

The glucosuria leads to polyuria (excessive urination) and polydipsia
(excessive thirst). In spite of maintaining a good appetite, diabetic cats lose
weight because the body's tissues are unable to utilize glucose properly.

Progression of the disease ultimately leads to further metabolic disturbances
and causes vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, and dehydration.

Although affecting cats of any breed, sex, or age, diabetes mellitus most
often occurs in older, obese individuals; males are more commonly afflicted
than females.

The exact cause of the disease in cats is not known, although genetic
predisposition, obesity, pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalances, and
certain medications have all been incriminated.

After a period of time, a small percentage of diabetic cats lose their
requirement for specific therapy with either insulin or hypoglycemic
medications.

Signs of Diabetes Mellitus

Polyuria, polydipsia, increased appetite, and weight loss are hallmark signs
of diabetes mellitus in cats. In the earlier stages of the disease, cats remain
active and alert with few other signs of disease. However as the disease
progresses, poor skin and haircoat, liver disease, and secondary bacterial
infections become more common.

An infrequent disorder called diabetic neuropathy may cause cats to
become progressively weaker in the rear legs and assume a unique,
plantigrade stance. A dangerous condition called ketoacidosis may develop
in some cats. Signs of ketoacidosis include a loss of appetite, vomiting,
diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, dehydration, and breathing abnormalities.
Without proper and prompt treatment, this condition ultimately proves fatal.

Diagnosis

Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed based on the cat's clinical signs, physical
examination findings, laboratory test results, and the persistent presence of
abnormally high amounts of sugar in the blood and urine.

Treatment

Proper treatment of diabetes mellitus is based on the severity of the
disorder. Cats with ketoacidosis require intensive care.

Treatment includes fluid therapy to correct dehydration and electrolyte
abnormalities, and short acting insulin. Diabetic cats that are not ill usually
require insulin injections to be given once or twice daily under the skin, and
a carefully controlled diet. As an alternative to insulin, treatment with an oral
hypoglycemic drug (see below) may be attempted.

Insulin

Adequate control of most diabetic cats requires long- acting insulin
injections to be given once or twice daily.

Each cat responds differently to insulin, so the proper choice of insulin type,
dose, and frequency of administration needs to be individually determined.
Selection of the appropriate insulin type, dose, and frequency of
administration for an individual diabetic cat is ideally based on 18- to
24-hour blood glucose profiles.

In order to perform a glucose profile, the cat is hospitalized, and following
insulin administration, frequent determinations of blood glucose values are
made throughout the day. The proper dose of insulin may change with time
and may need to be adjusted based on blood glucose profiles, intermittent
blood and urine sugar measurements, and response to therapy.

Overdosage of insulin causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Signs of this
potentially dangerous complication include weakness, listlessness,
incoordination, convulsions and coma.

Left untreated, death may result. If hypoglycemia develops, the cat should
immediately be offered its normal food if it is able to eat. Alternatively, a
tablespoon of Karo syrup should be rubbed on the gums or, if the cat can
swallow, given slowly by syringe into the mouth.

Never force fingers, food, or fluids into the mouth of a convulsing or
comatose cat. Your veterinarian should be contacted immediately if your
cat experiences an episode of hypoglycemia so that further treatment
instructions can be given and a modification of insulin administration, if
necessary, can be made.

Cats requiring excessively high insulin doses (greater than one to two units
of insulin per pound per day) should be evaluated further. Other diseases
may be underlying or complicating the diabetes mellitus and as a result,
necessitate high insulin dosages.

Problems with insulin injection, poor absorption or too rapid metabolism of
insulin, or even insulin overdose are potential causes of an apparently
excessive insulin requirement.

Oral Hypoglycemic Medications

Healthy diabetic cats can sometimes be successfully treated with a
hypoglycemic medication, glipizide. Glipizide acts by lowering blood
glucose, but unlike insulin, it is given orally. Adverse side effects are not
common but include vomiting, loss of appetite, and liver damage. If
hyperglycemia persists after one or two months of therapy, or if the cat
becomes ill or ketoacidotic, glipizide therapy should be discontinued and
insulin therapy instituted.

Diet

Obese diabetic cats should lose weight gradually, with no more than 3
percent of their body weight lost per week. Your veterinarian will help in
tailoring a safe weight-loss program for your cat. High fiber, high complex
carbohydrate diets are useful, not only by assisting in weight loss, but by
helping to control blood glucose levels after eating.

Underweight diabetic cats should be fed a high fiber diet only after reaching
their ideal body weight after being fed a high calorie diet.

Cats receiving insulin once daily should be fed half the daily food
requirement at the time of the injection and the remaining half at the time of
peak insulin activity (as determined by a blood glucose profile).

If receiving twice daily insulin injections, cats should be fed half the daily
ration at each administration. Cats receiving oral hypoglycemic medication
should be fed a high fiber diet, but ideally as multiple small meals consumed
throughout the day.

Home Care

Topics to be thoroughly discussed with your veterinarian include:

Insulin storage and handling
Insulin administration
Signs and treatment of hypoglycemia Diet
Monitoring at home
Prognosis

Managing a diabetic cat requires good communication between you and
your veterinarian. A diabetic cat may live many healthy years with owners
who are willing to put forth the effort of monitoring the cat's condition daily.
Cats tend to be difficult to maintain on the same regimen for long periods of
time, and increases or decreases may need to be made in drug dosages.

Prepared by the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the
Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401.

The ultimate purpose of the Feline Health Center is to improve the health of
cats by developing methods to prevent or cure feline diseases and by
providing continuing education to veterinarians and cat owners. Much of
that work is made possible by the financial support of friends. ©1996 by
Cornell University. All rights reserved. Cornell University is an equal
opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.