Cat Q&A

Archive for December, 2008

The domesticated cat of today has become the pet of choice for a great many people worldwide. In the United States alone, over 30 million domestic pet cats now eclipse the dog population by many millions, with the gap increasing every day. Why has the household cat gained in popularity? What is it about this puzzling animal that so many of us find appearling?

The answer to this definitely has to be the enigmatic personality of the cat. Extremely intelligent, it possess a remarkable amalgamation of personality traits not found in other houshold pets. Captivating and quiet, poised and self-sufficient, fastidious and athletic, the cat is seldom needy. It loves company but is also content to go it alone for hours at a stretch, making it an ideal pet for single people especially, let alone a family.

This autonomous streak, a result of felines in nature living a largely solitary life, gives the household cat a slightly cavalier attitude for life; for them, the sun does not rise and fall with people, although they will take us when they can get us, thank you very much.

The capacity with which cats survive, with  or without humans could perhaps be one of the primary reasons why we like them so much. Pets (or people) that are emotionallly needy tend to become increasingly irritating after a while; cats are delightful egocentric creatures. This, combined with their dignity, grace, beauty, and ease of care, make them always desirable.

We also like cats for their ability to say, ” we are your roommate, not your servant,” and for their ability to recognize the value in taking a nap. And who can fail to appreciate the cat’s clean, fastidious nature and built-in toilet training? The best of luck to you in getting a Schnauzer puppy to use a litter box!

Cats enjoy all the attention we humans lavish upon them, though they will, given the chance, never confess it. They are perfectly happy to stay with us because we love them and look after them, but if we vanished from the planet tomorrow, it#s more than likely that the cat would feel sorrowful for a (short) time, meow some, and then continue with the business of finding a furry little meal – all the while lampooning the millions of rudderless, doleful dogs aimlessly wandering about, trying to gigure out what to do next.

In my experience, closer ties have been developed with a cat when an owner enables the cat to decide for itself when and where it wants affection from its owner. As my grandmother used to say: “You’ll never own a cat but one may choose to live with you”.

start potty training

Cat owners know, scooping a smelly cat box and lugging large sacks of kitty litter home is nobody’s idea of a good time. You may have seen pictures of cats using a toilet and wondered how that pet owner got so lucky. Cat toilet training can be conducted in as little as 3 or 4 weeks, or for harder to teach kitties, up to 3 or 4 months. Learn how to potty train your kitty and the reward for your effort will be the end of scooping a stinky litter box.

To start potty training your kitty, go slowly. The transition from litter box to toilet should be accomplished in a series of stages. If at any time he has a setback and uses a rug instead of the potty, then you may be going too quickly. Just back up a stage or two and try again.

The first step in cat toilet training is to place your cat’s usual litter box next to the toilet. Give him several days or even a week to get used to the new location. Over, say a week or two, elevate the litter box a few inches at a time until it is the height of the toilet seat. You can use telephone books, a stool and stacks of magazines or newspapers; just about anything that will add height but is stable while your cat is using the box.

Now, move the litter box over so that it is sitting directly over the toilet seat. Let your cat adjust to this for a few days. The next step in potty learning is a big one. Take away the box entirely.

Toilet training for cats is big business and many companies sell “kitty potty training” kits or a toilet training system online and at pet retailers, or you can purchase a metal mixing bowl or aluminum roasting pan for this next step. Place either container (measure the inside of the rim to make sure your bowl or pan is big enough) inside the toilet bowl and lower the seat. Fill it with a few inches of scoop-able litter. You may need to tape it in place to prevent it from sliding around.

Begin reducing the litter in the container every few days. Go as fast as your cat will feel comfortable with. Make sure to flush the waste immediately to minimize both the smell and the possibility that your cat tries to cover it up and ends up tracking unpleasantness into the rest of the house.

By now, you should be down to a teaspoonful of litter in the bottom of the container. Start adding a little bit of water to the container. Increase the water level every few days. Remember that if your kitty isn’t adjusting well, back up a step and try again more slowly.

Once the water in the bowl or pan is a couple of inches deep and your cat is comfortable with everything, take the container away, leaving the bare toilet. The task of potty training is now complete.

Cat toilet training can take a short time or long time, depending on the kitty. Don’t forget that if your cat becomes reluctant at any stage of the training, go back a step or two. Just slow down, follow these potty training tips and your patience will be rewarded. Felines adapt to toilet training quite well.

Practically anybody who possessed an indoor cat knows how much of a chore it is, to take care of a cat litterbox and sanitize it day after day. And so many owners of indoor kittys have experienced what an even greater chore it is when the cat doesn’t take the litter box! Of course there are those among us always dreaming of more important achievments and do not want to settle for litter box cleaning. For these cat owners, there is good news now. Yes, believe it or not, cats can be trained, to use a real toilet. When you are toilet training your kitty, you will teach it to to do business on the toilet instead of using the litter box. In case this sounds too good to be true, moderate your imagination a little bit with the realization that you will still have to flush the toilet for your cat.

1. Moving Your Cat’s Litter Box

If your cat’s litter box is not yet in the bathroom, you will need to move it there. The box should be close to the toilet on the ground for some days. Every few days you should put your litter box up several inches using something very stable to sit under it. If you have no appropriate furniture to secure the box, you could use books if they are stacked in a stable manner. Of course, to reach the point where the edge of the litter box and the toilet bowl are even. Only then you should put a sturdy aluminum pan over the toilet bowl in a manner that will allow it to support your cat steadyly as you start the toilet training with your cat. You should put less than an inch of cat litter across the surface of the pan.

2. Making your Kitty feel Comfortable when using its new Toilet Seat

Once you have removed the litter box and have the cat using only the pan, you are prepared to begin the last part of toilet training of your cat. You can begin the training by putting some holes in the surface of one side of your aluminum pan. Of course, you should reduce the cat litter so that it doesn’t go down the toilet. And, you should consider using flushable cat litter at this point. The holes will direct your cat to stand with its front paws on the toilet seat when it needs to potty. Once your kitty has been doing this for some days, you should make holes on the other side of the pan and that the cat will be standing completely on the toilet seat. The critical step of the toilet training instructions is that after your kitty has been doing this successfully for a some time, you have to totally take away the pan. If you have been successful with the cat toilet training, your cat should from now on use the bathroom toilet!

One Last Info on Toilet Training your Cat

These 2 steps take maybe as long as two or three months time with a narrow minded, senior cat. So be patient with your feline companion. Always remember a wet environment isn’t something cats are naturally comfortable around. Don’t give up if your cat does not want to use the new toilet every day. Don’t throw away your pan in case your cat is against it or is momentarily not in the mood using the toilet. Put the pan back again on the toilet seat and the cat can be re-trained to take the toilet again quite quickly. The rewards of toilet training your cat are many.

Healthy Cats

If you are new to owning a cat, you may be surprised to find that health problems are a common thing.

No matter what breed of cat you own, cat health is one of the major topics you will have to know about.  With any breed certain problems are to be expected. Some may be hereditary, while others can easily be prevented. No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.

Cats are more susceptible to getting Tapeworms, Roundworms and Hookworms. There are several symptoms that indicate your cat may require testing for worms including trouble gaining weight, fleas, or white specks in his stool. Although they can be treated with medicine, worms can prove to be fatal if they are left untreated.

Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats. All cats groom themselves on a daily basis, normally swallowing the loose hair that comes from their coats. Sometims the stray hair will become a large ball and get caught in the cat’s digestive tract instead of passing through the stool. When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball – as a popular cat owner manual confirmed recently. Cats usually are able to expel hairballs without complication. Although rare, a hairball can occassionally become lodged in the cats intestines, this creates blockage.

Blockages should be taken very seriously, as they can be fatal if not treated promptly. If your cat becomes constipated, isnt eating properly, or has a very dull coat, he could have a blockage. You should make an appointment with the vet as soon as you notice any of these symtoms.

By brushing your cat several times a week removes excess hair preventing hairballs and blockages. Urinary tract infection, also a common health problem with cats, can be controlled by feeding him food designed to control hair balls.

Female and male cats can suffer from urinary tract infections, however, this is more likely to occur in male cats that have not been neutered. When a cat suddenly stops going to his litter box, this problem is normally the cause. Another symptom is when the cats urine starts to smell really strong. If you suspect that your cat has a urinary tract infection, you should take him to the vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe medicine to treat the problem, and can give you advice on avoiding the problem in the future.

In the past, feline leukemia was the biggest cause of death in cats. These days however, there are vaccines available that can treat the disease. To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed. Even though death doesnt happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don’t have a long life span. If you know your cat has feline leukemia, you should never allow other cats around him, as the virus is highly contagious.

To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups. If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Although some health problems can’t be avoided, most of them can. If you take cat care seriously, take him to the vet and keep him healthy he will be your companion for years to come.

It is evident that in many countries around the world, people love theirs pets as much as they do family members. In many households, the animals are regarded as part of the family and their welfare is just as important as anyone else’s in the home. With the availability of pet insurance online, families are able to secure pet health insurance for their beloved animals.

When it comes time to assure and protect the health of your pets, it is very helpful to have pet health insurance coverage in place. Such insurance plans can help to offset the high costs of pet surgery and other veterinary pet procedures that may come up because of serious illness or accident. Before health insurance for animal welfare was available, often people would have to choose between the health of their beloved pet and other family financial needs. Now because pet insurance is widely available on the internet, individuals can take care of their pets in a convenient and affordable way.

Pet insurance online has helped to reduce the overall cost of pet health insurance. This is because of many different factors including reducing the marketing costs and making more people aware that this type of coverage is available. This has also lead to more companies offering pet insurance, including some that specialize in cheap pet insurance plans, also increasing competition and lower prices.

Many pet lovers appreciate the convenience of being able to shop online for their pet plan. For those who are frequent and avid internet users, it is a significant time-saver to be able to research options, coverage packages, the background of the pet insurance company and different pricing comparisons.

When choosing to purchase pet insurance on the internet, there are a wide variety of factors that will impact the premium and effect the monthly cost to your family. You can choose how extensive you want your pet health insurance coverage to be. You can opt to go with a plan that covers just about every pet health contingency from routine veterinary visits to emergency care. You can conversely go with a less expensive plan that is designed to cover the major and most expensive types of events such as cancer treatments, surgical procedures and care for any type of accident.

Another way to adjust the cost of pet insurance is to check what options you have for the deductible. The less that the deductable will be, the greater your pet health insurance premium will end up being. If you are comfortable with a higher deductible, then you will be able to save some money on your monthly premiums.

In addition, you can also check with the animal care insurance provider to see if they offer a range of co-pays. This is the amount that you pay for any veterinary visit regardless of other coverage and the reason for the vet visit. Choosing a higher co-pay amount will also help to reduce your monthly premium. Having a good feel for how many veterinary pet visits you expect to make on a monthly basis will help you to know what makes the best sense for your budget, with regard to the co-pay options you have.

Some companies that offer online pet insurance will allow you to choose how often you make your premium payments. While numerous individuals like the convenience and the capability to work the amount within their monthly budget, there are times when it is worth it to see if you can save cash by making other payment arrangements. Some pet insurance companies offer discounts if you pay your premium quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

One of the greatest advantages of acquiring pet insurance online is that you can easily check out and compare these various factors that impact the cost of your veterinary pet health insurance. Knowing what kinds of options you have available, in addition to selecting the type of coverage, will help you in your research. With very little time and effort, you will be able to design a plan for pet insurance for your family pets that will bring you and your family peace of mind.

To find out additional information head on over to Pet Insurance Bird Lovers and go to ASDA Pet Insurance similarly Pet Insurance Ratings

On 27 August 2008, Sharp Corporation issued a press release that may someday be recognised as the true beginning of mankind’s war against bird flu! Incorporated in its ionic air purifier, the Plasmacluster Ion Technology (more on this in a later post) has just been scientifically proven to be 99.9% effective in destroying the bird flu virus known as H5N1.

With increasing regularity, the press reminds us that bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind’s next pandemic. Pandemic does not just sound terrifying. It is. That’s when a highly contagious and deadly virus goes global, in a very negative sense. In 1918, an invisible bug is believed to have wiped out 50 million people during the Spanish Flu pandemic! World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on 5 October 2005 that the 1918 Spanish flu was caused by H1N1, a bird flu virus.

Do I have your attention now? Is it time to PANIC?

Not now. The H5N1 virus was identified in China in 1996. Up to 10 Sep 2008, WHO data puts the death toll at 245, a “relatively small number” statistically. So what’s the fuss? The greatest nightmare for scientists monitoring the bird flu virus is to see it attain human-to-human transmission capability. As of now, there has been only one probable case of human-to-human transmission recorded in Thailand in September 2004. But if the dreaded virus mutation takes place, you can expect pandemonium on a global scale.

Quietly but conscientiously, many countries are preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). At our individual level, we should start doing some homework too.

Ok, so what’s all this got to do with Sharp’s ionic air purifier. Is it not just another ordinary ionic air purifier? Yes, because it takes care of the usual pollutants (dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine odors, pet odors, allergens etc) that contaminate the air that we breathe and live in. But if we can get protection from all these and more in one ionic air purifier, especially one that is a tested defense shield against a potentially deadly virus, why not? And that is precisely what Sharp is telling us; get the whole package with their Plasmacluster Ion Technology.

The next obvious question for the value-conscious, would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? At no extra cost, Sharp claims! They go so far as to say it may in fact be cheaper than any other ordinary ionic air purifier when measured over 5 years. Great value for our hard-earned money! But, how is this possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?

With the Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX as the basis, Sharp contends that it is great value for money as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. Upfront costs at US$399 for the Sharp model is higher than the typical competitor’s US$160. But the latter requires annual filter replacement costs of US$100, adding to a total cost of US$560 over 5 years.

If you have relevant data, be it on Sharp or the competitors, I would greatly appreciate your input. Please drop me a note if you have actual experience.

In the meantime, I’m going to investigate intently the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology. Especially since bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.

Join me in my quest. Fear etches itself deep in my psyche. Imagine thousands of frantic people going from drugstore to drugstore looking for the same face mask. The N95 mask was touted as the only effective weapon as a near-pandemic scare gripped Asia. For the uninitiated, it was the year 2003. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus originated in Asia, infected 8,096 people around the world before finally resulting in 774 fatalities. Being well prepared is half the battle won.

Watch this space as we track exciting developments in our pursuit of safe, pure and clean air with nothing more than an ionic air purifier.

To easily receive updates on new articles, subscribe to The Ionic Air Purifier Blog today.

In a time when there seems to be almost constant talk about the issues surrounding health care coverage for families in the United States, there is an insurance product that is often overlooked. Pet health insurance is designed to cover the veterinary costs for the health care of the four-legged members of the family. If your family includes one or more family pets, then seeking out policy information from a reputable pet insurance company might make good economic sense.

Just as the human members of the family need and deserve adequate health care, so do your pets. Household pets and even livestock such as horses, cattle and exotic animals are all subject to any number of illnesses and accidents that threaten their health and longevity. In fact, in the last decade or so there has been a significant increase in the incidence of cancer and other serious diseases in domestic pets and other animals. Because of this, it is a wise choice to seek out pet insurance coverage.

Securing pet health insurance coverage from a reputable and reliable company can be of enormous benefit to a family, especially families with many pets in the household. Such a pet plan can guarantee protection against financial hardship for a family if they are faced with large veterinary pet bills. The stress and anxiety that a family is put under if they cannot afford a life-saving procedure for their animal can be devastating.

In our modern era, veterinary pet medicine now covers more areas and now treats more pet illnesses, that in the past were not treated, resulting in having to put the animal down. This expansion of veterinarian services has also led to increased costs. Because of increased fees, there has been more interest in getting coverage from a pet insurance company to safeguard the health of family pets. This in turn has created more competition in the pet insurance field which has helped to keep premiums affordable.

No matter which pet plan company you select to carry your pet insurance coverage, the reputable companies will strongly recommend that you take steps to try to prevent illness so that your pet can enjoy health and well-being to the greatest degree possible. The best pet insurance plans will cover wellness care, or preventative care procedures. This would include vaccinations, health screenings and other types of routine care that should be taken care of as advised by your trusted veterinarian. Also, new kittens or puppies introduced to the family should have a visit to the vet’s office for their first examination within 48 hours of bringing them into the home.

In most cases, your veterinarian will have you bring your new pet back to the office to get booster vaccinations three to four weeks later. In addition, preventative care routines dictate that you return for annual vaccinations and booster shots for the long-term benefit of all the pets in the household. These costs can add up to several hundreds of dollars a year, especially if there are multiple pets in the household. Before choosing your insurance company, be sure that they offer coverage for preventative care.

Although it can be tempting to buy the cheapest pet insurance you can find, often in the long-run it is better to choose a pet insurance company that believes in the value of preventative health care for domestic and other animals. A policy that covers wellness care might cost a bit more each month, but it will ensure that you never have to worry about being able to pay for the proper care for your family pets.

To find out more head on over to ASPCA Pet Insurance also head on over to Mature Pet Insurance similarly Quickcare Pet Insurance

Certainly, you are quite familiar with Feliway, the feline facial pheromone item that makes incredible strides for decreasing your cat’s stress and helping make a crazy cat haven significantly more calm and reducing inappropriate urination, at least by the kitties, that is! You’ve purchased a diffuser and now must have a Feliway refill so as to make the system wholly operational.

A Feliway refills unit is simply the essential oils condensed in a liquid form in a glass bottle having the spray solution. These are quite often bundled together in a 6 pack package, for your convenience. When screwed into the diffuser element and plugged into a wall outlet, the element heats up so as to induce evaporation, spreading throughtout the room. Each part does cover approximately 60 sq ft. You should make sure they are not set behind curtains or furniture, because this will not allow the evaporate from spreading throughout the place and preventing the beneficial effect gained from utilizing them in the first place. You will also want to be sure that the unit is cleared to the air on account of the fact the diffuser can become quite warm and you want to ensure this does not cause a issue. Used safely, they are quite beneficial to for cat health care issues.

Each Feliway diffuser refills vial is designed to be good for a time of some four to six weeks. It’s a wonderful method to keep continuous amounts of the calming and relaxing cat pheromones constantly circulating through your animal-friendly areas. Utilizing separate diffusers put throughout your home will help to keep the kitty population happy, soothed, and stress free, which helps keep you from going crazy. For this reason the 6 pack Feliway diffuser refill, which gives 288mL total measure, and makes it more convenient to buy and have sent. It’s much better to order en masse, instead of needing to order single packages with shorter intervals.

The packages are typically advertised combined with the diffuser, though it is quick enough to find them available individually also, if you already purchased that unit and simply must get the Feliway diffuser refill by itself, or of course the 6 packs that are also quite often sold.

If you’re a feline owner likely you are cognizant of a every day condition that afflicts cats:  cat hairballs.  But what have you learned of a hairball’s signs, triggers, and cures?

What Makes A Hairball?

A hairball is caused by the tough exterior of a feline’s tongue pulling out free hair during cleaning themselves.  The hair is then ingested and drawn into the digestive tract.  Usually, this hair would not get digested, but would get flushed when the kitty uses the litter pan or goes outside.  In the end, cats are hunters, and are intended to be able to deal with ingesting fur, like from a poor rat it catches.   When hair congeals into a ball, the feline will likely end up with the unwelcome experience of puking it back up.  In certain situations however, this might not happen and the hairball can become stuck inside your animal, sadly bringing about major health problems.

Cat Hairballs and Cat Health

Cat hairballs are a hassle on their own, but can in addition cause a few corollary problems, speedily growing dangerous if not removed or cured speedily.  In addition to the unsightly and irritating throwing up, of course, the remaining hair can precipitate intestinal distress and constipation.  Your kitty might stop eating and start being lethargic as the hairball grows in size, while your pet are still unable to pass it.  Their insides can swell and this can clearly create many kinds of unsafe issues that you’d rather not have to worry about.  This danger could even wind up necessitating surgery to remove the hairball, which is a pretty unwelcome financial impact and danger to your feline, especially given the simplicity of preventing it in the first place.  Left alone, it could end up in a fatal illness.

Hairball Treatment

Kitties instinctively attempt to treat themselves by throwing up.  They can accomplish this by eating grass, which most of the time makes cats to vomit due to the irritating fiber content.  Other methods to eliminate hairballs use petroleum or mineral oil based products designed to coat the intestinal tract in such a means to ease the natural elimination of the hairball.  Products such as Laxatone for cats or Petromalt have been created to prevent hairballs in cats.  They are a semi-solid glop that you feed your felines before meals.  This encourages the impediment through the digestive process and is helpful to ease non-hairball induced constipation in addition.  They tend to be available in a variety of flavors like tuna or catnip flavoring.  One dose each day for two to three days, and your concern will be solved.

Preventing Hairball Recurrence

Hairball prevention is realized by certain different means, some of them complementary.  One is a 1/2 dose of Laxatone or Petromalt two to three times a week.  Cat Laxatone tends to be highly endorsed by veterinarians and pet owners alike. There exist also specific “hairball prevention” formulated diets available.  A huge percentage of hairball prevention is definitely correct grooming.  Be sure to brush your short-haired felines but comb the long-haired felines regularly.  They adore it and it’s a super means to spend time being sure your feline remains happy and healthy.

Does your cat have a kidney problem? Then you are not only going to need to learn more cat information in general so that you can comprehend the animal better but as well you are going to need to produce a proper feline kidney diet.

Changing to a feline kidney diet will help in a number of ways; it is going to make certain that your cat is receiving all the nutrition they require to strive. A feline kidney diet needs to include special vitamins and minerals than you do not generally get in a regular feline diet because there are kidney problems.

Where to begin

To understand what is going to help your cat and what dietary changes it will require you need to understand the cat. Cats are naturally carnivores, and the greatest way to formulate a feline kidney diet plan is to make sure to comprise foods that the cats would eat out in the wild, as this is where they initially come from.

The next step is where the challenge begins. You are going to need to understand how to read a pet food ingredient label, so you can make sure that you are selecting the correct food for your cat. The current labeling system for pet foods is gravely deficient in functional information and looking at the list of ingredients will tend to give an imperfect picture of what is in fact in the food in terms of the quantity of each ingredient.

Even though you may have heard different, the majority if not all of the so-called prescription diets that are sold in veterinary hospitals are not formulated for most favorable health of a carnivore. Most people believe that corn, wheat and soy should be included in a cats diet but this is not true.

Diet is the brick and mortar of health, and so if you want your cat to live a long healthy life, you are going to need to make sure that they are eating all the right foods. Make sure that they are drinking enough water and getting enough exercise.

You will want to do as a great deal investigation of your own, so that you can find out more about cats in general and as well about your cat in particular, what their health problems are and what you can do to obtain care of them and get them to a most favorable condition of health.