Cat Q&A

Posts Tagged ‘pets’

Most cats can take care of themselves when it concerns cleanliness. Yet in order to keep your cat in the best possible hygienic health, you also need to do your own share. When you groom your cat it is a good opportunity to check for fleas and ticks. Moreover, you ought to examine the skin for unusual conditions, damage, or balding when you groom. Continue reading for tips on the essentials of cat grooming.

Before you begin grooming, the necessary pet grooming supplies should be obtained to help make the job less challenging with a better outcome. Buy items such as a comb, brush, grooming scissors, and cat grooming glove. Only use products specially made for the care of your cat.

To keep your cat looking good, you will have to groom her on a regular basis. You’ll have to remember to comb and trim the hair regularly in order to accomplish this. Utilize a brush with a lot of tiny pins for grooming your cat’s coat. The head should be small so it is less challenging to brush. To properly groom your cat, brush it in the direction that its hair grows. If you don’t do this, you might receive lots of scratches from your angry cat.

An important part of cat grooming is that you need to give them a bath every so often. To make it less difficult, be sure to bathe her while she is in a carrier. Have a towel available to keep her a little calmer. The shampoo you choose ought to be formulated for cats and work up lots of lather. It ought to also be able to remove dead, itchy skin, and thereby make your cat more comfortable.

Grooming your cat also comprises making sure that your cat’s hair isn’t knotty or tangled. If your cat’s hair is naturally long, give it a hair cut frequently with a professional pair of grooming scissors and grooming comb. Always move carefully to avoid puncturing or scratching sensitive skin on your cat.

To lessen shedding and make brushing smoother and gentler, use a grooming glove on your cat. Try to find a pair that can be laundered. You can also make use of it to remove cat hair from your home furnishings.

Good grooming tools can mean the difference between a well groomed cat and a mangy looking one. The tools you use for grooming ought to be utilized in a way that makes the experience calm and pleasant for your cat.

Abdominal pains, vomiting, dehydration and watery stool are all signs that a cat is suffering from feline coccidiosis. Kittens and debilitated cats are prime candidates for its more severe manifestations.

Coccidia is not actually just a cat ailment, dogs can also be affected. Recent surveys suggest that about 37% of cats and dogs are infected by coccidia. They don’t, however, all show signs of having contracted it.

Protozoa, which are one celled organisms, are the cause of coccidiosis. These organisms take residence in the intestinal tract of the cat and may cause symptoms that resemble other parasites such as worms.

However, though the symptoms of worms and coccidia are similar, the conditions must be cured using different treatments. You should therefore take your cat to a veterinarian for a diagnosis before proceeding with any treatment, to ensure that you get the correct medicine.

So, how does your cat get it? Through coming into contact with infected fecal matter. Oocytes, which are immature protozoa, reside in cat stool and mature in the open environment. Once they mature, they may infect the cat once again. Another way of cats developing coccidiosis is from licking or eating protozoan infected mice.

There are various things that, as a pet owner, you can do reduce the risk of your cat or dog getting coccidia. You should:

1. Keep basic sanitation for catteries and kennels. You should make sure your catteries and kennels are tidy and well-maintained. Of particular importance is the disposing of stool within a day or two of it appearing.

2. Disinfect. Before doing this, you may want to move your pets to a different location for the time being. You don’t want your pets to inhale the potentially harmful fumes from disinfectants. You may then spray the area with a disinfectant that contains a considerable amount of ammonia or a little bleach mixed with a good amount of water.

3. Not forget to tend to crevices, and hard to reach areas. Pets, being curious, end up sniffing around in lots of places that you might not expect. They are exactly the places that parasites lurk in so don’t forget about cleaning and disinfecting those areas too.

4. Consider repainting. Coccidian oocytes living on the walls of your house will instantly be killed should you repaint the areas where they are.

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Stop wasting money on toys for cats. Most people will put feline play things at the top of the list just under essentials like a food dish and litter box.

There are thousands of cat toys on the market, so choosing the right ones for your feline friend can be confusing and overwhelming.These helpful tips will help guide you to items your cat will have fun with as well as find mentally stimulating.

Although it is tempting to buy all the best catnip toys in the store, make sure to limit the number to just a few.To prevent boredom and over exposure just keep a few toys out at any time. Keep other toys stored away and occasionally switch them out.This will be like new presents after a few months.

Remember that, just because your friends cat liked a certain toy does not mean that yours will be the same. All cats have a unique personality, the toys that made one feline happy for days may not interest another cat at all.

Just because your cats behavior makes them appear bored with a toy now does not mean he will not love it three hours from now.You should always give a new cat toy some time to catch on before you give up on it. Your feline friend may surprise you by playing and pouncing with the toy he hated yesterday.

Favorite toys for cats

When choosing toys for cats, there are certain types that generally are a success, no matter what the cat’s personality may be.

The infamous laser pointer is often a favorite.Felines will chase the light beam for hours and this is also good at entertaining multiple cats.  Just make sure not to shine the light into kitty’s eyes or into any person’s eyes either for that matter.

Another favorite is the something on a string.Items at the end of the string can include bouncy balls or fur mice.You might buy a string on a stick type toy for hours of fun for all involved.Give the string thing a dangle over your cats head and you will almost always get some kind of reaction.

There are lots of clever toys for cats that use the hiding pray feature.  Plastic balls on a track, or mice hidden in a big plastic piece of cheese will peak your cat’s interest and stimulate his mind while he tries to figure out how to capture the toy.

In addition, you may want to consider the classic favorites: the little ball with a jingle bell inside, the furry mouse, a good scratching post, and the crackly toy.  

Just remember that, when choosing toys for cats, that your pet may love one toy and hate the next.Just remember that finding the best toy may take some trial and error. Have some patients and do not get upset if your pet hates the toys you have chosen.  

Give him a little time, and if he is still not interested, then try a different type of toy. Play time is important to overall cats health. So do not give up, you are sure to find the right items to keep your cat happy and active.

Deciding to get a kitten is a big step in expanding your family. Kitten care also requires more responsibilities, but kittens can grow to become excellent companions and are well worth the time and care in their upbringing.

To prepare your home for the new kitten, there are several things you should consider. First, look around your house, keeping in mind that kittens love to explore, to hide, to chew and to climb. Next, remove or place any dangling strings from curtains and such in high places so as not to tempt the kitty. Also remove breakables from shelves and secure low cabinets. Finally, keep the toilet lid down or, better still, restrict the kitten from the bathroom area.

Your kitten will have pretty basic needs, including a bed, a clean litter box, food & water, and a scratching pad. Maintain these items as you would your own. When the cat’s bed becomes too full of loose hair, have it cleaned. When feeding a kitten, try to clean the food and water bowls at least once a day to prevent bacteria growth. You should also see that the litter box is cleaned often, fully replacing the litter every few days. It’s also a nice idea to have a few toys ready when you bring your kitten home.

Certain household plants and chemicals are deadly to kittens and cats in general. For example, antifreeze is poisonous to both cats and dogs. Research on the internet to find out about these items and substances so that you never put your furry friend in danger.

Responsible pet maintenance includes veterinary care for a kitten. Be sure to have your kitten examined by your vet as soon as possible. Your kitten needs a series of vaccinations to ensure a happy, healthy and long life. Be sure to stay current with their shots. Also, many communities require that you register your pet with the local authorities. Your vet will be able to provide more information.

Owning a kitten is a fun and rewarding experience. Love and take good care of your kitten and you will have a loyal companion for years to come.

A cat whisper is somewhat similar to a dog or horse whisperer, although cat whisperers relate quite well with cats.  These types of people are unusually lucky and very successfully with cats.  In most cases, a cat will be abandoned or just show up at someone’s door.  In this event, the cat will adopt this individual as the cat whisperer.

Often times, alley cats and black cats will show up at someone’s door and decide to move into their homes.  This can be a result of abandonment, or the cat’s family moving away and simply leaving the cat behind.Quite few times, it is seen that a cat may loves living in someones else’s home instead of its owner’s home.

Many a people will explain you that a cat whisperer can be taken as a therapist for cats.Normally all cat whisperers have not gone through any training, it seems that what they know is by birth.  These types of people understand the way a cat thinks and knows how to work with the cat to achieve the results they want.Although many think that cat whisperer are a therapist, it really could not be related to the truth.

Cats who have been abused or mistreated, often times won’t respond to anyone but a cat whisperer.  Although others may have tried to help the cat, it will only make matters worse by making the cat feel scared and afraid.  In most cases, these cats will end up in a pound.  This is very tragic, as the cats have already endured more than they ever should have.  A majority of the cats who have been abused were once loved pets.  Along the way, they were abandoned, mistreated, attacked by dogs, and in some cases tortured.

Cats who have been treated unfairly often times won’t trust anyone. They are often times confused, in a lot of pain, and not sure what they should do.  Like humans, cats feel pain.Those who have been abused physically are a sad sight indeed.A cat which is damaged emotionally may appear to be fit in health, but its emotions might be ruining it.  Emotionally abused cats are much harder to get through to, especially if they were stray cats to begin with.

Cat whisperers on the other hand, can communicate with physically and emotionally abused cats.  Cats know who they will choose to be their cat whisperer, which is normally an individual they sense trust with.Cat whisperers are familiar with the cats, even though many of us wont have ever heard about them before.  Even though a cat whisperer may be able to communicate better with cats, it will still take time to heal a cat that has been abused.

There are a lot of great gifts that you can give to cat lovers, although photo frames are among the most popular.Any one can afford a photo frame because of its price, and present as a gift to the person who owns any pet or a cat. owners of more than one cat will really appreciate the photo frames – as it is an opportunity to show off your pet cat to others.Those who loves cats can frame pictures of thier pet cat also – and keep it life long.

Before you give a cat lover a gift, you should take into consideration what type of cat the person owns.  There are several breeds out there, including tabby, pure breeds, calico, Persian, and of course the infamous Siamese breeds.  Someone may own several cats as well, which is why you should know a little bit about the breed or breeds someone owns before you get them a gift.

You should take into consideration whether or not the cat lover has an outdoor or indoor cat. Cats, unlike dogs, are more than happy to spend all of their time outdoors.  Outdoor cats can be a lot of fun, especially if the owner spends a lot of time outdoors.  Cats have a natural urge to go outside, even if the owner has an indoor cat.

Indoor cats are less exposed to sicknesses and general disease compared to the feline who lives vagrant.  Indoor cats are almost always trained to use the litter box, which makes them easy to maintain for their owners.Almost all the gifts that you can buy for a feline lover are designed for those pet lovers who keep their pet indoors.

If you’re looking for a humorous yet exciting gift, you can always give the gift of catnip.  Catnip is one of the most popular treats for cats, as it’s a naturally occurring plant that has a unique affect on a cat.  Catnip gives off aromatic oils that will often make cats appear to be drunk and very hyper – which is always great entertainment for both owners and guests.  Catnip is completely safe for cats to consume, often times being included with gifts such as chew toys and play balls.

Other great gifts for cat lovers include decorative mats with cat pictures, which you can get personalized for the owner if you prefer.  You can also give cat videos, musical cat dolls, cat shaped mail boxes, toys and treats, and various other goodies that are directed towards cat lovers.  If you do your shopping on the Internet, you’ll find that the possibilities are endless.Cats are extremly popular pets- this implies that you will face no problem in your life in getting an appropriate gift for the feline lover.

Giving a cat a pill can be a nightmare.  No cat wants something shoved down his throat, and he will fight you tooth and nail to prevent it. Though most of the cats are not big in their size, however you would be surprised to know that they have much more power than your estimate.We will mention below, ways to give your cat his pills.

The easiest way to give a cat pill is to crush the power into a powdery form by putting it between two spoons.  Once the pill is powder, mix it in with some wet cat food.  Cats that are used to eating dry cat food will see the wet food and think of it as a treat. They will normally eat it up, unaware that they just took their medicine.

If the medicine happens to be in capsule form, all you have to do is pry the capsule apart then sprinkle the medicine on some wet food and serve it to your pet.  If the food also contains the pill or if your pet is sick, chances are he won’t eat it. In this event, you should look into a pet piller.  You can get these handy devices from your veterinarian.  They are plastic rods that hold the pill until you press a plunger.  When you get one, you should always get a long one with a softer tip.

When you get your gun, your vet should show you how to use it.The most crucial thing for using gun is to get the mouth open of your feline. The gun will more or less shoot the pill in the cat’s mouth, and down his throat.You will be required to hold him firmly, to be ensure that he does not twist and get loose from your hold.  Once you have his mouth open, you’ll need to squeeze the trigger and pull the gun away quickly. After the pill has been inserted, make sure you give your cat a treat.

If you aren’t comfortable using the gun, you can always try giving your cat his pills by hand. To do it this way, you’ll need to hold your cat still, and open his mouth with your hand.Your aim should be throwing the pill down through his throat, once you succeed in opening the mouth of your pet cat.  Once it is in his mouth, you should close his mouth with your hand and hold it shut for a few moments.In this way, your feline will be able to swallow the pill properly. 

If you can’t get any of the above techniques to work, you can always go to a local pharmacy and get them to a make flavored gel or liquid using your cats medication.  You should use this as a last resort though, as it can tend to get expensive.

In North America people love to have a cat as their pet.  They are loving pets, capable of providing you years of companionship.  Like other pets, catscan sometimes get sick.  There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes.  Feline diabetes is a serious disease, although it can be treated by a veterinarian.

Diabetes is more common with humans than with cats or other animals. The cause of diabetes is actually quite simple.Glucose, or sugar is found in the systemic circulation.  The level of blood sugar in the body or the animal is kept under control by hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces.When the insulin is not produced in sufficient quantity by the pancreas, diabetes manifests.

The symptoms of feline diabetes will vary.  The most common symptoms include an increase in urine and an increase in thirst.Loss of appetite, weight loss, and a poor coat are other symptoms of feline diabetes.  An increase in thirst is easy to detect, as you can easily notice the water dish empty throughout the day.

If you don’t get your cat treated for feline diabetes immediately, the cat will eventually become inactive, vomit on a regular basis, and eventually fall into a coma.On the other hand, if the diabetes is treated in time by your assistance, the cat will lead more normal and healthy life.  Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and dedication.

Cats that have feline diabetes will need to be given food at the same time every day. They should be prevented from going outside as well.  If your cat has diabetes, you’ll need to give him insulin shots once or twice or a day.  Once your veterinarian checks your cat, he will tell you how many shots and how much insulin you need to give your cat. 

Before you give your cat his insulin shot, you should always make sure that he has some food first.  If he hasn’t eaten and you give him a shot anyway, he could end up with a hypoglycemic shock.It can result from too much insulin also.  A hypo can be really dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.  If your cat gets a hypoglycemic shock and you aren’t around, he may end up dying. 

If you have to give insulin shots to your cat due to feline diabetes, you should always keep a watchful eye on him after you have administered the shot.  After your cat has been on insulin for a period of time, your vet may reduce the amount of insulin.He will lead a healthy life, even though he may have to stay on insulin throughout his life. 

When you decide to add a new cat to your home, it’s normally more exiting for you and your family than it is for the cat you already own.  Although most cats are solitary by nature, most will also come to accept or eventually tolerate any additions.  Cats can be very territorial, which is why you should always be careful when you introduce a new cat to your current cat.

If you are introducing your kittens to each other, the whole intro process can be brief and can take upto 15 days.Introducing cats to each other depends on the personality and temperament of both the creatures.  When you introduce a new cat to your current cat, you should always make sure that you give your current cat plenty of love and attention.  This way, your cat will feel secure and know that he isn’t in competition with your new cat for affection.

When you bring your new cat home, you should let him stay in a safe room until you have finished introducing the cats.  Your safe room can be any small room in your home, such as a bathroom or spare bedroom.   The key here is to use a room that your current cat doesn’t go in.  In the room, you should leave your new cat a scratching post, bed, water dish, litter box, and food dish.

At first, your current cat may howl and hiss when he stands at the door, trying to tell the other cat that he doesn’t belong.  When this happens you should ignore it, as punishing your cat for his behavior will only lead to more problems.  After a while, the first cat will start to act calm when he is near the new cat’s door.  As he starts to act calm, you should pet him and give him praise.

When your first cat starts to go by your new cat’s door and doesn’t howl or hiss; you can start introducing them to each other.  The best way to do this is to get them used to each others scent.  You can start letting them eat out of the same food dish, although you’ll want to feed them at different intervals at first.  This way, the scent of each cat will be present at the food dish, and each cat will get the scent when he eats his food.

Once both cats have got used to the scent, you can begin to feed them closer together.  To do this, you should keep your new cat in the safe room with the door closed, and your first cat on the other side of the door with his food dish.  This time, feed both cats at the same time.  After doing this a few times, they should start eating without any hissing or growling.  At this point, they are ready to be introduced to one another.

When you introduce them to each other in the same room, a bit of growling and hissing is to be expected.  Although they may be used to each others scent; your first cat will still feel a bit awkward with your new cat being in his territory.At first you should play with both of them, as they can smell each other and greet in their natural way. If they start to fight you should break them up, and give them some time apart.

It may take some time to get them fully used to one another, although once they do – they will become playmates for life.  Cats love to be social, although it may be a bit rough at first, especially for your first cat.  Cats can be very territorial, especially if you have a kitten around. If you get both of them used to each other early on – it will be a lot easier to add future cats to your home.

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, health problems are to be expected.  Some may be hereditary, while others can easily be prevented.

Worms
No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.  Tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms are among the most common that infect cats.  Cats who have problems gaining weight, problems with fleas, or if you find white specks in his stool, you should have your vet test him for worms.Although it is true that they can be treated with appropriate medication, worms can prove to be serious if they are not treated in time.

Hairball
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.  On occasion, this loose hair will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cat’s stool.  When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball.After all it can be rather annoying later as many cats may come out from hairballs without having any problem.

In some cases, a hairball passes into the cat’s intestine, making a blockage.  Blockages are very serious problems, and can be life threatening if they aren’t treated.  If your cat becomes constipated, isn’t eating properly, or has a very dull coat, he could have a blockage.  If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take him to the vet immediately.  You can prevent hairballs and blockages by brushing your cat 2 – 3 times a week to remove loose hair.  You can also feed him food that is designed to control hairballs as well.

Urinary tract infection
Common health problem of cats includes urinary tract infections.  Urinary tract infection is more common with male cats that haven’t been neutered, although females can suffer from this problem as well.  When a cat suddenly stops going to his litter box, this problem is normally the cause.  Another symptom is when the cat’s urine starts to smell really strong.If you have a doubt that your cat is suffering from urinary tract infection, you should take him to your vet.Your vet will be able to cure this disease through medication, and recommend suggestins to help you in avoiding this in the future.

Feline leukemia
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.For treating the disease, your cat is required to take a shot before he or she is being exposed.  Even though death doesn’t 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.  You can also keep your cat indoors as well, which will protect him from a majority of health problems.  If your cat is an outdoor cat, regular visits to the vet will keep him healthy.  As long as you take your cat to the vet and keep him healthy – he will be your companion for years to come.