Are These Five Killers Chasing Your Cat?

As a cat owner, your first responsibility is to keep your pet healthy. However, even with balanced nutrition and a good amount of love and attention, cats can still get sick. Learn about the most common ailments that affect cats so you can try to prevent them or cure them quickly with the proper medical care when you first spot the symptoms. Fleas Although cats and dogs can live with fleas, flea infestations should be controlled for several reasons. The most common flea, the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) may carry the Dipylidium caninum tapeworm larvae. If cats eat fleas during grooming, they may become infested with these tapeworms. Fleas could also transmit other infectious agents to both you and your pet. If kittens are exposed to fleas, they may become anemic. Cats can also develop an allergy to flea bites, resulting in excessive scratching or possibly skin disease. Finally, humans are also susceptive to itchy flea bites, usually on the ankles. You may suspect your cat has fleas if he seems particularly itchy, or you see bites on human members of your household. To check if your cat has fleas, groom him over a sheet of white paper. Look for a few fleas caught in the comb’s teeth or flea dirt on the paper. Flea dirt is actually excrement of undigested cat blood, and appears black and comma shaped to the naked eye. If you place it on damp cotton wool, the flea dirt dissolves into bloody streaks. To control fleas, all mature fleas must be killed and reinfestation prevented. Many commercial products are available both to kill adult fleas and remove fleas from the environment. Ask your vet for specific recommendations. Make sure what you use kills both the adult mature fleas, as well as the eggs left behind, usually on carpet and bedding. Nothing is worse than to think you have conquered the problem, than several months later to have your family and pets attacked by blood hungry new hatchlings. Hairballs When cats cannot digest hair and food debris, they regurgitate hairballs. Hairballs are formed either at the back of the throat or in the small intestines. Hairballs not only sound disgusting while your cat is producing them for you, but they also make an unsightly mess on your carpets and floors. Any cat owner who has had the thrill of watching their pet suffer through the process of hacking up fur balls will be highly motivated to prevent new ones from forming. The simplest method of hairball prevention is grooming your cat to remove excess hair. The next step involves many products already on the market to prevent hairball build-up such as oils, treats, and diets. If your cat vomits frequently and the problem isn’t resolved with regular brushings, you should consult with the veterinarian to be certain that a more serious problem is not the cause. Overactive thyroid Overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, is a condition where the thyroid gland becomes enlarged and produces excess amounts of thyroid hormone. The condition is often provoked by a benign tumor on one or both lobes of the thyroid gland. The good news is that thyroid tumors have only a 2-5% chance of malignancy. Symptoms of an overactive thyroid include: increased appetite or thirst, unexplained weight loss (particularly muscle mass), nervousness or irritability, frequent vomiting, lethargy and weakness, diarrhea, or a coat that looks ungroomed. A cat with the condition may not present every symptom, but the presence of two or more should prompt a visit to the veterinarian’s office. At the vet’s, your cat will be given a physical exam. If she notices enlarged glands, a CBC (blood panel) and a thyroid-specific test can make the diagnosis more conclusive. There are three treatments that offer a good chance for your cat’s full recovery: anti-thyroid medication, surgery, and radioiodine treatment. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you should learn more about the disease and its treatments and discuss your options with the veterinarian before making a decision. Diabetes Feline Diabetes can affect cats of any age, but is most common in older, obese cats—typically males. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is caused by insufficient insulin production while Type 2 results from a body’s inability to handle insulin effectively. Another type of diabetes, secondary diabetes, occurs as a side effect of drugs or diseases that impair the natural secretion of insulin or its effects in the body. The symptoms of feline diabetes include vomiting, dehydration, weakness and loss of appetite, increased thirst and urination, weight loss, breathing abnormalities, and an unkempt-looking coat. If your cat has any or several of these symptoms, take him to the vet. The vet will test for blood sugar levels and sugar levels in the urine. Doing both tests rules out an increased blood sugar level due to the stress of the office visit. If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes, it is usually treated through one or a combination of five methods: diet and weight control, insulin injections, oral medications, monitoring glucose and insulin levels, and nutrient and botanical supplements. Each method of treatments has unique benefits and drawbacks, so be sure to decide on a treatment plan with your veterinarian. Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) This disease is a painful inflammation of the lower urinary tract that has the potential to be fatal. Feline lower urinary tract disease has a number of causes from decreased water intake and urine retention to viruses, bacteria, or diet. Symptoms that your cat may have FLUTD include inappropriate or difficult and frequent urination, appetite loss, listlessness, blood in the urine, or frequent licking of the genitals. Vet treatment for FLUTD can include catheterization, fluid therapy, antibiotics, or even (rarely) surgery. At home, cat owners are often encouraged to change their pet’s diet and style of feeding (more frequent, smaller meals). It is also important for your cat to drink plenty of water. We all want to keep our cats healthy and with us for as long as possible. Understanding and being on the lookout for these common ailments will allow the discerning cat owner to take action before a small health problem turns into something more serious. Using good observation skills to evaluate any potential change in your cat's condition will allow you to take simple steps to keep your cat healthy, happy, and disease free. If you notice a continuing pattern of symptoms that may point to flea infestation, hairballs, an overactive thyroid, urinary tract disease, or even diabetes, timely consulation with your vet will allow you both to plan the best course of action. Your happy, healthy cat will thank you. About the Author: Romi Matsushita craves constant close contact with her calico cat. Find great tips, articles, and cat care advice at http://www.cat-advisors-online.com Read more articles by: Romi Matsushita Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg

Who Else Wants To Avoid These Cat Claw Catastrophies?

Don’t get caught holding the bag when your cat decides to claw house guests and unsuspecting members of your family. Even after you have gotten your cat used to using her own personal scratching post to sharpen her claws on a regular basis, there are still times when your pet may suddenly lash out to claw people. But before you rush to judgment and perhaps punishment, ask yourself to consider the motivation behind such acting out behavior. Cats, like most animals, will lash out when they are afraid. So when your cat suddenly claws people, before you play the blame game with your pet, try to consider both sides of the equation. Is it your cat’s fault, or the people around her who have provoked her or made her frightened? I was prime witness to just such a situation when the family who gave me my cat Abby dropped by for a spontaneous, unannounced visit. They had not seen Abby for about a year. As she had been an exclusively indoor cat, she had no contact with people outside my family. I could tell she was startled when a group of five people barreled into the house. Abby’s first response was to dive under the dining room table. The children proceeded to try to yank her out from under the table. I could tell she was frightened. From under the table I could hear her hissing. A low rumbling growl which I had never heard before was coming from the pit of her stomach. The children kept poking and prodding her even though to me it was obvious she was distressed. They kept waving their hands in front of her face and then pulling them away. To make matters worse, they had also brought one of her litter mates, who she now seemed to consider a stranger. In a panic, I rushed to open a sliding glass door so Abby could jump through before the two cats could square off against each other. I remember thinking that this whole experience was so abrupt and traumatizing for Abby that I couldn’t blame her when the claws came out. Yet I’m sure from the looks on the faces of my guests that day, that they blamed me and my cat for their claw marks. They assumed Abby was afraid of or didn’t like children. I didn’t think that was the issue, it was their sudden entrance which had startled both of us. There are some cats that are afraid of children, but I think most pets respond well to acclimatization. You can expose your cat to young children, like I did. Just wait a while before you let them loose around your cat. Sit the child next to you and feed your kitty treats, then gradually let the child take over. Do this for small stretches over several sessions. This worked well for me. Abby is now comfortable around the neighborhood children. I’m grateful that Abby was able to get used to being around children, but I could detect that at times she would get jealous of the attention the children received, and would proceed to jump between us. Some cats do get jealous of certain people. Some cats start acting out and being mean to certain people too. If this situation persists, the only thing to do is remove the cat from the situation. When your cat starts growling or clawing, pick her up and take her to the bathroom until your guest is gone. You may also advise your guest that if they are also a pet owner, your cat may be responding to the scent on the person’s clothes. The worst thing is when your cat consistently claws a family member. If it’s a family member, try a commercially available cat repellent or lemon juice to keep the cat away, then acclimatization to get them used to the other person. If all this fails, you may be forced to consider declawing your pet. Remember that when your pet acts out, there is usually a reason for it. When animals are frightened, they go into defense mode. In these situations, we can often forgive their clawing mistakes. To avoid cat clawing catastrophes, try the steps outlined above. Small doses of exposure to people will usually cure your cat of its’ clawing outbursts. Then again, cats like people, can be finicky with their affections. If you have tried and tried for instance, to get your cat used to your mother in law, but to no avail, what can you do? How can you blame kitty for not liking her? After all, if the truth be known, it’s not like you like her that much either. About the Author: Romi Matsushita works hard not to frighten her cat. Find great cat care advice, tips, and articles at http://www.cat-advisors-online.com Read more articles by: Romi Matsushita Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg

Cat Claw Survival Solutions To The Rescue!

Cats can be ill tempered and mean on their worst days, but even the most annoying problems have a remedy somewhere. If your cat is clawing your furniture, your carpet, and your legs with the same ferocity, understanding the how and why behind the behavior can help you redirect your feline friend’s clawing instinct to be expressed in less destructive ways. So why IS your cat clawing everything in sight? Here’s the jaw dropper: a cat’s claws never stop growing. Let me repeat that: They NEVER stop growing. When I found that out, a big light went off in my head. Just like a pet hamster that constantly needs to knaw on wood to keep their teeth from growing too long, what cats are actually doing when they sharpen their claws is removing the outermost layer of their claws. O.K. Kitty Cat, we finally get it! So what to do? What to do? The first thought bubble that forms is to scoop kitty up for a little declawing action at the nearest vet’s office. But before you take such a drastic step, keep in mind that once those claws are gone, they’re GONE. Take away those claws, and you’re taking away your pet’s primary form of defense. Even if you have an indoor cat like I do, chances are, sooner or later, a window of opportunity is going to open up just long enough for your cat to slip outside and be vulnerable to attacks from other animals and people. O.K. So now you know why your cat is actually using you as a scratching post. Let’s move away from the word “using”. In a way, it’s kind of flattering. That doesn’t make it hurt any less. Let’s get your cat to branch out. It’s time to get a REAL scratching post, so that your pet can get into the habit of using it instead of YOU, whenever those claw sharpening impulses may strike. So how do we get kitty to break her bad habits and start to use the proper place where she can scratch to her heart’s content? The answer lies in you. That is of course, IF you are your cat’s favorite person in the family. If so, then try hanging an article of clothing that belongs to you on your virgin scratching post. The idea is to make the area smell familiar. A day or two should be enough for your cat to become accustomed to its’new scratching outlet. Don’t want to part with something from your wardrobe? Time to get a little sneakier then. Catnip can be your secret weapon. Sprinkle catnip over the scratching post and watch what happens. This one may be even worth breaking out the video camera for. This next option sounds a little weird, but believe me, it WORKS! Try sprinkling the post area with powdered chicken bouillon. The idea is to get the cat to feel friendly enough toward the scratching post to attack it. While your cat is making the transition to a designated area for scratching, there are several ways to make your cat’s favorite scratching areas a lot less attractive. This will help ease the transition from the old spots to the new. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice over them. Cover or wrap the areas in aluminum foil. Remember what it felt like when your fingernails went down the chalkboard? Ever try it again? Cats will experience the same thing and be deterred from using the areas. Finally, clean the areas well to eradicate any cat odor. This will go a long way toward removing the aura of familiarity that creates the habit of using the space. Also, just keep the doors closed to make those places inaccessible to the cat. Now that you know more about the how and why of your cat’s clawing instinct and behavior, take these simple steps and you’ll soon see a resolution to the cat clawing issues in your household. With a little time and patience, your cat’s claw sharpening activities should be limited to its favorite spot: the scratching post! About the Author: Romi Matsushita is a Cat Claw Survivor who has the scars to prove it. Learn more reasons your cat’s claws come out at: http://www.cat-advisors-online.com Read more articles by: Romi Matsushita Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg

Curbing Your Cat’s Natural Nasty Enthusiasms

If your cat’s bad behavior is driving you crazy, here are the best solutions to the most common problems you may be facing. 1. Eliminating Outside the litter box. Is it your fault or the cat’s fault? Many cats won’t use the litter box if it is too dirty. They just don’t like it. If you think this may be the problem, change the litter box twice as often as you currently do. When your cat goes outside the box, make like a speed demon to clean all the places the cat goes. Spray the areas down with Lysol or something similar with a nice strong smell that will obliterate the blessed odor of you know what. What is your cat’s favorite place? Put the litter box there. Maybe if you simply put the litter box in the bathroom, the situation will change. If it’s not in too obnoxious a place, you can put the litter box on top of the place your cat has chosen to go to, just to make the point. As a last resort, put down bleach, safely, in those spots, and cover the area with aluminum foil. 2. Spraying Male animals of many different species do this to mark their territory, and cats are no exception. You may find your cat does this when it feels threatened, especially by dogs and small children, or maybe perhaps when other male cats are around. There is little to be done for this beyond neutering your male cat. Don’t punish your cat for this behavior though. They won’t understand at all. 3. Clawing people This is another example of something cats tend to do when they feel afraid or threatened. But again, is it the cat’s fault, or the people around him? If you have a cat that is generally afraid of children, you should do something about it. Try exposing the cat to young children in small doses until he gets used to it. Don’t just let children loose around the cat. Have the child sit in your lap or next to you and feed your pet kitty treats. Some cats are afraid, but let’s face it, some are just mean to certain people. As soon as the cat starts clawing or growling, quickly pick her up and remove her from the situation. If the object of derision is a family member, try spraying lemon juice to keep the cat away. Again, try exposing the cat to the person in small pockets of time, until your pet gets used to being around that individual. If the derided person is your mother in law, there may be nothing you can do. 4. Caterwauling What is that sound? Who hasn’t wondered or thought that some disaster has occurred after hearing their cat making ululating noises in the middle of the night. Siamese cats actually do this by nature, so you may not be able to get them to stop, but other cats do it because they are tired, hungry, or sick. There aren’t many things you can do about this unfortunately. If you think it’s a hunger thing, feed your pet more promptly, and refuse to feed her when she caterwauls. She won’t understand what you are doing, but she’ll almost certainly quit after she figures out it does her no good. If she caterwauls because she is in heat, you should get her fixed. For other caterwauling problems, try to ignore her, and keep her as far away from yourself as possible. However there are times when your cat caterwauls to let you know she has done something good. If you approve of the behavior, by all means praise your pet to let her know. 5. Running Outside Curiousity killed the cat. The cliché exists because it’s so true. Indoor cats get very curious about the outside, what’s BEYOND THE DOOR. The first thing you should do is not open the door when the cat runs out. Try to get the cat accustomed to the outdoors by getting a cat leash and walking her on it or by carrying her in your arms when you go outside. Once the mystery of what’s out there is gone, she’s less likely to want to get to it, particularly if you expose her to snow or other extreme conditions. Your cat can be by turns lovable and frustrating. Like children, pets often behave in ways that perplex us. By being aware of what makes your cat do the things that it does, you can learn how to curb its’ enthusiasm for undesirable habits, as well as to accept those you cannot change. About the Author: Romi Matsushita curbs her cat's natural nasty enthusiasms daily. Find great cat care tips, articles, and advice at http://www.cat-advisors-online.com Read more articles by: Romi Matsushita Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg