The Importance Of Cat Care
Having a pet can be a wonderful experience as our furry friends integrate themselves into our daily lives and become cherished members of our families. We all certainly have our allegiances when it comes to our pet of choice. Just as dog owners will brag of the canine’s family-friendly quality and loving demeanor, cat owners will boast of the cat’s intelligent nature and subtle personality. Of course, part of having a pet – of any variety – is the responsibility for their daily care. And cat care, as any cat owner will tell you, is paramount to ensuring your feline’s good health and longevity.
First and foremost, when it comes to cat care – just as you would do for a baby – you must take steps to make your home a safe place for a curious kitty. When doing this, it is helpful to get down on the floor so that you can get a perspective for what may look interesting to your tiny new family member. Remove any small things from the floor that could be a choking hazard, and look for small, dangerous places where your kitten could inadvertently get stuck. Also, be mindful of lit candles and open windows!
Of course, cat care also means proper medical supervision. If you don’t already have a reputable veterinarian with whom you feel comfortable, it is important that you seek one out. Do some research among the animal lovers in your community; you will often find that there is a consensus among them regarding the best choice in area veterinarians. It is essential that you set up an initial appointment for your cat to make sure that all of your cat’s protective shots are in order. The same veterinarian will be significant going forward for regular check-ups, teeth cleaning, and any other medical intervention that you may need.
Ask your veterinarian about the food most appropriate for cat care. As you will find, there are a variety of cat foods on the market today, all advertising their own all-important nutrients; it can be difficult to navigate. Your cat’s nutrition needs will change as it ages so it is important that you keep pace. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you what is nutritionally most important for your kitten – as well as your older cat.
Finally, when it comes to cat care, it is important that your cat feel comfortable and that is has a place of its own. A litter box placed in a removed area of your home will offer your cat a place to go to the bathroom. Talk with your veterinarian about how best to introduce the litter box to your cat.
Ultimately, the most important cat care is the love and protection that you offer, allowing your cat to grow healthy and strong.
Find Out if You Need Health Insurance for Your Cat
Before cat owners purchase health insurance for their family cat there are a few questions they should ask themselves. Asking themselves these questions will give the cat owner a reasonable idea of what type of policy will best suit them.
The first thing they should consider is whether or not they would like a discount insurance plan or a comprehensive insurance plan.
The next question cat owners need to ask themselves is how attached are they to their local veterinarian. Some veterinarians will not accept pet health insurance from various pet health insurance companies for a variety of reason. If the cat owner does not feel comfortable taking their family pet to a different veterinarian they should look for an insurance company their veterinary clinic accepts. Cat owners should also be aware that in certain instances the local veterinarian or animal hospital cannot help their pets and might refer them to the State University veterinary clinics. When purchasing a health-insurance plan for their owner should double check and make sure that any expenses charged to the university veterinary clinic will be covered by the insurance plan.
Before cat owners purchase a health-insurance plan for their family cat they should decide if they would like to neuter or spay their cat. Some pet insurance companies offer health insurance plans for pets that will cover the cost to neutering or spaying. If the policy you are thinking about purchasing does not include neutering or spaying you might want to purchase an additional rider to help with the expense. Remember that if you have adopted your cat from a local animal shelter you will be required to neuter or spay your cat if the shelter hasn’t already done that. This is also a good time to get the first round of your cat’s annual shots out of the way. How much can you actually afford to pay in addition to the monthly or yearly cost of your pets health-insurance plan? If you have to bring your cat to the veterinarian will you be able to pay a deductible? A deductible is the amount of money you have to pay the veterinarian out of your pocket each and every time you visit them. The higher the deductible you carry the lower your monthly premiums are on your pet’s health-insurance plan.
If your cat gets injured in a freak accident or suddenly becomes sick will you be able to pay for any medication that the veterinarian might prescribe. Prescription drugs are expensive whether they are for humans or for pets. If you are concerned about the potential cost of prescription drugs you may want to purchase a rider that will help cover the cost. Purchasing a co-pay option a prescription drugs get help lower your annual fee.
Before purchasing a health-care plan for your cat find out if the plan just coverers your cat’s immediate health care issues or if it will also cover the cost of the veterinarian’s office visit. Cat owner should remember that the time to research the various types of pet health-care insurance is normally before they purchase their pet. Most injuries and illnesses occur during the pets early years of life.
10 Minutes to Train Your Cat
If you have a cat – or more than one cat – then you’re in the market for some quick and easy training tips. The following tips . . . tricks . . . and techniques cover a variety of situations that most cat owners encounter.
The key to effective training is consistency. Whatever you choose, be sure to do it on regularly, otherwise, you’ll be sending your cat mixed signals. And that will only make it that much harder to train her. Forget about cat training in 10 minutes!
Below are ten “must have” tips that will get you through your initial phase cat ownership.
1. Cats really don’t care that you punish them. It’s true. If you’ve owned a dog, you know that punishing him will help change his behavior. It doesn’t with cats. Bottom line. Don’t waste your time. They’ll sit there purring at you and just perform that same behavior again.
2. Corporal punishment is out of the question. Because a cat’s body is so delicate, you can’t “spank” a cat the way you do a dog to get its attention. That means when you’re training your cat, you have to match wits with it. Don’t worry. I’m confident you’ll win. There are things out there like cat clicker training, but I don’t recommend it.
3. Use a form of positive reinforcement. As you become a seasoned cat owner, you’ll discover that it’s difficult to catch your cat in the actual “crime”. It’s far easier, then, to reward your cat when you see her performing a right behavior. Keep some cat “treats” on hand. Feed one to your cat whenever she is doing something positive – like using the litter box or using her scratching post.
4. Keep plenty of toys – either store bought or make shift – around the house. Much of the “bad” behavior of cats is simply because they’re board. The feline is by nature a predatory animal. Remember the scene in the Disney movie, The Lion King, where little Simba gets “pouncing lessons.” When you think your cat is literally bouncing off the walls and tearing down the curtains, he’s only practicing his predatory skills. Provide him with alternatives and he’ll tame down – at least some.
5. When you’re away, keep him busy. If your cat is used to company, he may get bored and inadvertently destruction while you’re at work or are gone for any length of time. Here’s a quick hint. Buy a timer for your television set, make sure the TV is tuned to an animal-friendly channel (an outdoor channel or Animal Planet for instance) and then have the television automatically turn on at different times of the day. Cats can see images on the screen. He’ll come to investigate the noise and stay to watch the picture – at least for a while.
6. The value of a spray bottle of water. In some instances, spraying a cat with a harmless water bottle is enough to get their attention and stop the bad behavior. You only need a simple spray bottle that you use for misting plants. ****** the cat if it misbehaves. Soon, he’ll know that he can’t do that.
7. Blow a harmless puff of air in your cat’s face. Yes, this sounds crazy, but it really works. If your cat is literally in your face and you need to teach him to keep a certain distance and give you some space, try it. Blow a puff of air into his face. It’ll startle and puzzle him. Soon, he’ll associate the two and you won’t be bothered by the unpleasant attention he gives you.
8. Make sure you cat has “a room with a view”. You know what they say, “curiosity killed the cat.” More appropriately, an irate owner went berserk over something a bored cat got into. Much of the bad behavior of your cat is simply due to his innate curiosity. Make sure he has a ledge or window sill that he can sit in comfortably to check out the birds and squirrels in your yard. If your window sill isn’t large enough for him to sit for extended periods, you can by an extension at the pet store. Or, if someone you know is handy, you can make your own.
9. Spend quality time with your cat. As a training technique, this may sound a bit unorthodox. But, it’s really a savvy move on your part. The more time you spend with your kitty, the better you’ll be able to communicate with her. Cats definitely have a form of communication skills that involves more than just “talking.” The better you know your cat – and just as importantly, the better your cat knows you – you’ll be able “to read her mind”. You’ll just “know” when she’s considering an improper move. And she’ll know when you disapprove just by reading your body language and the look on your face.
10. Confine the aggressive cat. Reward the victim. Got more than one cat? Then you probably have that occasional “cat fight.” Felines are territorial animals. They will get into a fight now and then over their “catdom.” If you view the fight, your first step is to disengage the action. Using a water sprayer is the best method. ****** the aggressor. Try to avoid ********* the victim. After that, confine the “bully” in a less attractive space. In the meantime, reward the cat who didn’t attack – even when she was being attacked. Give her a treat and let her free roam the house. When you do put this pair of felines together again, try to keep them as supervised as possible.
These ideas are only the tip of the iceberg when you’re training your cat. As you and your pet begin to know each better, you’ll discover a language of your own. It may be through speech – you talk and she meows. But more than likely, the two of you will eventually be able to read each other’s body language. You’ll soon learn the subtle nuances of this very effective form of communication . . . and teaching your cat what she needs to know will be easier than you can ever imagine.
Why Learn About Cat Care?
A Few Simple Reasons To Improve Your Cat Care
The more fully you educate yourself about the ins and outs of cat care, the more able you will be to create an ideal care regimen for your pet. The better your cat care, the longer your cat will live, and the higher the quality of life it will have. In case that isn’t reason enough for you to invest a bit of time and energy in learning to offer your feline pet the best possible cat care, here is a quick breakdown of a few of the many benefits to outstanding cat care.
Great cat care means that when your cat needs medical treatment, you will recognize the signs early, possibly even long before invasive or costly procedures or drugs are necessary. Conscientious cat care will help you notice any health problems as soon as they manifest in even minor symptoms. This can help you catch issues early, when they are at their most easily treatable. By providing great cat care, you are helping to stop diseases and other health problems in their tracks by getting your cat the medical attention he or she needs as early as possible.
Regular, excellent cat care means that you will be able to be more efficient and save time in your cat care regimen. If you take a bit of time each day to complete a few simple cat care tasks, you will be sure that nothing builds up until it gets out of hand. In fact, you can spend less time overall by making efficient cat care a part of every day. Habitual and thorough cat care can actually be less work than taking care of a cat who you have ignored even a little bit. After all, grooming a slightly scruffy cat once every week is easier overall than grooming an utterly filthy cat once a month.
When you fully understand the different aspects of cat care, you can be sure that you aren’t neglecting any part of the cat care equation. Cat care is a multifaceted process that includes everything from stern training to playful snuggling, and an inexperienced or uneducated cat owner may not be aware of all of these different sides to having a cat. When a cat doesn’t have all of its needs fulfilled, it can develop behavior or health problems that could have been avoided through simple, responsible care on the part of the owner.
Last but not least, one great reason to improve your cat care is simply that there is no good reason not to. Learning how to care for your cat more fully and completely is easy, so you might as well give it a try. Even if you think that you already know everything under the sun about cat care, it never hurts to double check. Take some time to skim a book or a few websites on the subject, and you just may discover your own reasons to improve the way you care for your pet.
Cat Eye Care – Diagnosing Cataracts As Part Of Your Cat Eye Care Program
A solid cat eye care program includes understanding the impact of some cat eye disorders on your cat’s eyesight. Cataract problems are relatively rare in cats and are usually related to complications from diabetes. Some breeds inherit a tendency for developing cataracts: Birmans, Himalayans, Persians and British Shorthairs. The incidence is low and the cataract tends to remain small, often small enough to be ignored.
Of those cataracts that do cause or threaten blindness, many are treated with surgery. If blindness does result from an inoperable cataract, your feline should live a safe life if she is kept indoors. The cataract itself is not painful.
Recognizing Problems
It pays to catch the problem early. A long-term cataract is denser and harder to remove with longer surgeries tending to involve more complications. A cat owner should suspect a problem and seek veterinary attention whenever the eye appears different than it usually does.
Don’t just think your cat’s eyes are getting older when you notice a distinct disparity in eye clarity, increased opacity, cloudiness or a change in pupil size. These changes indicate a real problem.
Causes
Diabetes is the most common cause of cataracts in cats. The second most common cause is an inflammatory disease, like uveitis. You can readily recognize the signs of uveitis: the eye color changes, the surface of the eye is roughened and the pupil becomes smaller. This condition is painful to your cat. He may squint, have watery eyes, and eyelid spasms.
The most common causes of uveitis are the feline leukemia virus, feline infectious peritonitis, toxoplasmosis, or feline immunodeficiency virus. Early treatment of the cause can prevent a cataract or minimize the effect of one that has already formed.
Another cause of cataracts is an eye trauma. If your cat’s eye is punctured in a cat fight or other incident and the outer layer of the lens is damaged, your veterinarian may talk with you about removing the lens. This is because damaged lenses tend to develop cancer in cats. Removing the lens negates the chance of cancer.
Treatment
Cataracts that go untreated can lead to glaucoma, which is a painful disease. If your cat’s eyes look cloudy, watery, squinty or just don’t look normal, it’s time for a visit to your veterinarian. If uveitis is suspected, your veterinarian might run tests for the underlying causes and prescribe a medicated eye drop to bring the inflammation under control. If a cataract is formed or there has been eye trauma, you will probably be referred to an eye specialist, a veterinary ophthalmologist.
Surgery
Just because a cataract is present, it does not necessarily mean surgery. The size and location of the cataract are factors in treatment. If the cataract is large or very dense, then complications can be controlled with medications.
It is completely reasonable to expect your cat to have a good life even if he becomes blind. Keeping him indoors helps protect him as well as keeping things in the same place so he can learn the paths to his toys, litter box, food and favorite areas. Keep the lights dim helps him see better with what eyesight he has left.
A puncture to the eye lens or larger congenital cataracts are more likely candidates for surgery. Some cat owners forgo cataract surgery that is caused by uveitis. Uveitis already causes inflammation to the eye, so surgery can just lead to more inflammation, complications and pain.
Other Considerations
The pre-op analysis, surgery and post-surgery checkups run from $1,500 to $3,000. Then there is the post-op medication. Opting for a small monthly cat health care insurance program helps with the financial burden. It certainly reduces the necessity of a cat eye care decision based upon limited financial resources.
Cataracts in cats are rare. As part of your cat eye care program, take a few minutes to check out your felines eyes. If you notice cloudiness, watery eyes, squinting or a significant change in your cat’s eyes or navigation, look to your veterinarian for cat eye care guidance. Not all cataracts warrant surgery. A blind cat can lead a normal, happy life indoors and with proper eye medications.
Why You Should Be Concerned with Your Cat Health Care
The more fully you educate yourself about the ins and outs of cat care, the more able you will be to create an ideal care regimen for your pet. The better your cat care, the longer your cat will live, and the higher the quality of life it will have. In case that isn’t reason enough for you to invest a bit of time and energy in learning to offer your feline pet the best possible cat care, here is a quick breakdown of a few of the many benefits to outstanding cat care.
Great cat care means that when your cat needs medical treatment, you will recognize the signs early, possibly even long before invasive or costly procedures or drugs are necessary. Conscientious cat care will help you notice any health problems as soon as they manifest in even minor symptoms. This can help you catch issues early, when they are at their most easily treatable. By providing great cat care, you are helping to stop diseases and other health problems in their tracks by getting your cat the medical attention he or she needs as early as possible.
Regular, excellent cat care means that you will be able to be more efficient and save time in your cat care regimen. If you take a bit of time each day to complete a few simple cat care tasks, you will be sure that nothing builds up until it gets out of hand. In fact, you can spend less time overall by making efficient cat care a part of every day. Habitual and thorough cat care can actually be less work than taking care of a cat who you have ignored even a little bit. After all, grooming a slightly scruffy cat once every week is easier overall than grooming an utterly filthy cat once a month.
When you fully understand the different aspects of cat care, you can be sure that you aren’t neglecting any part of the cat care equation. Cat care is a multifaceted process that includes everything from stern training to playful snuggling, and an inexperienced or uneducated cat owner may not be aware of all of these different sides to having a cat. When a cat doesn’t have all of its needs fulfilled, it can develop behavior or health problems that could have been avoided through simple, responsible care on the part of the owner.
Last but not least, one great reason to improve your cat care is simply that there is no good reason not to. Learning how to care for your cat more fully and completely is easy, so you might as well give it a try. Even if you think that you already know everything under the sun about cat care, it never hurts to double check. Take some time to skim a book or a few websites on the subject, and you just may discover your own reasons to improve the way you care for your pet.
Cat Insurance Is A Must For Your Emotional And Financial Benefit
Even though your cat probably doesn’t come to you when called and seems to have an agenda of her own most days, your life would undoubtedly be missing something special if your feline friend was not part of your household. It is also very distressing to the cat lover who’s cat has become ill and needs veterinary pet attention. For these situations, cat insurance policies can be both a financial and an emotional benefit to the owner.
When an adorable cat becomes ill or is somehow injured, most cat owners will worry and stress over the cost of proper veterinary care. Because all health costs have been soaring in both the animal welfare segment of the market, as well as in the case of human health care, there has been an increase in interest in pet health insurance. Because felines are one of the most popular types of house pets, insurance for health and wellness care has become very much sought after.
One aspect of cat insurance that is very important to cat owners is the peace of mind they enjoy by knowing that if their beloved cat encounters an illness, that the costs will be covered. This can greatly reduce the stress levels of a cat owner who may already be distressed by the illness or injury to which their feline companion has succumbed.
If covered by insurance, then this means that the animal will receive treatment more quickly. This is because the cat owner can immediately take action by getting the animal to the veterinary pet office, when there is an indication of illness or in the event of injury. Unfortunately, some pet owners must delay veterinarian visits because of the financial aspect of the office call.
With feline insurance coverage in place, you will not need to delay the visit and can relax knowing that the majority of the costs will be taken care of by the pet health insurance policy. The ability to quickly get the animal in to see the vet can make the difference between a quick and full recovery, or possible long-term health problems and even death.
In the worst case scenario, when a pet owner does not have insurance to help with the high expenses of animal care, it could mean having the cat put down to sleep. This occurs when there is simply no way that the family can bear the cost of expensive veterinary pet treatment or surgery that might be needed to extend the life of the animal. While pet health insurance cannot guarantee that your cat will never succumb to a fatal illness, the best pet insurance benefit is knowing that your pet will be guaranteed proper treatment.
There are many options that you can choose from regarding cat health insurance, which will have a direct impact on the cost of the pet insurance premium you will pay. You can choose a policy that will cover wellness care and preventative health care procedures, such as vaccinations and routine health screenings.
You might choose a form of cat insurance that only covers veterinary pet treatment for times of illness or to cover diseases and injury. This approach will help to reduce the cost of your premiums, but means that you would need to pay for preventative care out of your own pocket. Many times your veterinarian can guide you in making coverage decisions because they can provide insights about your family pets based on the animal’s health history and age.
Basic Cat Care
Having any family pet is a big responsibility so you must know all the underlying steps on how to take care of it. So if you are keen to keep a cat, you need to know more about feline care. Owning a pet cat is not as easy as feeding it daily. Food is not the only thing a pet cat requires to stay healthy and happy. Just like you and me, cats also need some of their basic needs to be met. Caring for cats is more than just the caring part, you have to know what to do and how to do it. As a conscientious cat owner, here are some things to be aware of.
Some people feed their family cats leftover foods or table scraps, but you have to understand that human food may be harmful to cats. A combination of the two gives the correct kind of nutritional food for your pet. It can be affordable if you include it in your monthly household shopping budget.
Next, they need a home. You have to make sure the immediate surroundings will be safe and secure for your pet. Much like the way we take care to remove all potentially dangerous and threatening items from the home area when we have a child in the house. Of course, there’s also the need for a litter box for your feline. These can be very inexpensive or more pricey like the self cleaning type. Cats love toys to bring out their playful side, so you’ll want a few of those. Then to further show you care, cozy cat beds are nice. Again, these run from very affordable to more expensive like in the temperature regulated heated cat beds.
Exactly like an infant, your cat needs to be looked over by their veterinarian on a regular basis. It’s also important to take them to the veterinarian to have them neutered or spayed unless you intentionally plan to breed. Cats require vaccinations from time to time, and the costs of such shots may vary. Cats also need annual check-ups with their vet. Regular veterinary visits, as well as emergency visits from illness or injury can turn into a sizeable sum, so be prepared and plan extra money into your budget. It’s better to be prepared for the worst than to be sorry later. Cat care may seem like a cake walk in the beginning, but it is a full-time commitment to be a fully responsible cat owner. Before you dream of owning a pet, or actually getting one, please make sure you’re able to care for it in every sense.
Important Tips When Traveling with Cats
Animal lovers would love to be able to take their pets along on trips. However, the whole activity can be nerve wracking especially with the cats when they begin hissing, clawing and even moaning. Nevertheless, there are ways that individuals may comfortably travel with their cats.
When traveling with cats planning well in advance is imperative. When making the travel itinerary and before embarking on a trip cat lovers need to ensure that they are conversant with rules related to pets; especially where they are allowed in motels and hotels.
The cats should be adequately prepared for the trip. It is important that the cat’s shots are updated. So this would involve a visit to the veterinarian where the cat is vaccinated in preparation for the journey. When traveling with pets such as cat, pet owners are required to provide the animal’s health certificate. The veterinarian may provide this on request. Traveling may expose pets to health risks which is why a visit to the vet is recommended. Cats may appear nervous and distressed about leaving familiar environments. In such a situation the pet owner may request the vet to administer a mild tranquilizer.
While traveling, it is advisable that the cat is confined, thus the need for a cat carrier. This helps to comfort the cat. However, before leaving for the journey, cat owners are advised to acclimatize their cats to their carriers. This involves letting the cat sleep in the carrier and sometimes taking the cat for short drives while in the carrier. In order to make traveling seem like fun, the cat owner may reward the cat by giving snacks. With time the cat is sure to get accustomed to traveling.
It is important that cat owners place some kind of identification on their pets. A harness on a cat is particularly important. An id tag with such information as the owners name and contact information such as address and telephone number should be attached to the harness. Tagging a cat is also a good idea. By fastening a leash on the harness, the cat owner may also be able to take the cat for a walk.
A litter box for use on potty breaks is a necessity when traveling with cats. The cat owner may make the litter box from a small card board box that contains clay litter, old newspapers, cloths or towels. The litter box should be placed in the cat carrier. Absorbent towels come in handy in case of potty accidents. Nevertheless, having out door breaks comes highly recommended.
Cat owners should refrain from feeding their cats just before embarking on the drive. A full bladder is likely to make the cat even more uneasy. Consequently, potty accidents may occur. In some instances, the cat may vomit. Cat owners are also advised to carry drinking water from home. Traveling may bewilder the cat; consequently it may refuse to drink water that has a strange taste resulting in dehydration.
Through careful planning, cat owners may make traveling with cats stress free and more enjoyable.
Flushable Cat Litters : The Purrfect Solution In Litter-al Terms
Americans love cats. In fact, these regal creatures have invaded millions of homes across the country and currently number about 60 million. You’ve probably heard that people don’t choose cats – it’s the other way around and with that in mind, we should be honored. It’s just that with that honor and that unique companionship also come certain responsibilities — like cleaning the nasty bits, for example.
The solution? Flushable cat litter – a newer, friendlier alternative to the older, messier litter boxes.
How they work
Forget what you saw in that Ben Stiller-Robert de Niro movie. Cats may be trained to use toilets designed for humans, but very few have gotten around to perfect that flushing mechanism. Besides, training is a two-way process and not all cat owners can train their kitties to do as they wish. Automatic flushable cat litters may hold the answer, without driving a wedge between your cat and yourself.
Automatic flushable cat litters are self-cleaning litter boxes that keep the cat box clean through the use of a raking system that gets rid of the solid waste by pushing it into a waste receptacle. A cat owner can then remove this plastic part and dispose of the waste easily. Some models even have an exit ramp that cleans the cat’s paws to prevent them from leaving track marks.
For the well-cared for cat, there’s LitterFree (TM). Dubbed as the ‘ultimate’ cat litter box, LitterFree is a new design from Pet Food Express and takes cat litter boxes to a whole new level. The product is connected to the water and drainage system and cleans automatically using water to wash the wastes and flush them down the pipes.
It also features a blower that dries the granules to prepare them for the next use. When the manufacturers labeled it ‘flushable’, they meant it. So if you want an innovative, worry-free cat litter box and are willing to spend more, this is for you.
Instead of ordinary litter granules, those that are used in flushable cat litters are dust-free and washable. The problem of unpleasant odor is also corrected by the flushable cat litter’s automatic system of treating the granules with a cleaning solution that both disinfects and deodorizes, ensuring that your kitty’s little toilet is kept clean and fresh.
No simple task
Flushable cat litters are the result of years of design, engineering and testing, as evidenced by the company that produces LitterFree
