Cat Health

Tip: Health

If your cat is hiding, pay special attention to why. Hiding can be an excellent sign that something is wrong with your cat, or that he may not feel good. Be sure to rule out stress from noisy visitors, or furniture deliveries and other stressors that will cause a cat to hide. Closets, under beds, and in dark areas are some favourite hiding areas.

Tip: Excessive licking and grooming

Your kitty’s excessive licking and grooming can have several causes: stress, food allergies, and more. Your first step is a visit with your vet to determine whether it’s a health or behaviour problem.
Many cats are allergic to corn, a main ingredient in most dried cat foods. If your vet suspects an allergy, change the cat’s food and watch for improvements in your cat’s coat and behaviour. Your vet can suggest brands of food that will help the most.

If the licking is due to stress, try to remove the source, or simply manage the stress. This is particularly important in multiple cat-households. We have four, & the low man on the pecking order stopped chewing his fur when I started feeding him without the others present. I also give him ´special time´, i.e. an hour per day, when he is with me alone and gets undivided attention.

Tip: Where do heartworms come from?

Cats contract heartworms from mosquitoes, so if you live in a typically heavy mosquito-populated area you should get your kitty tested for heartworms.

Spring is a good time for a Check up, so your vet can test your cat or kitten for heartworms, and then give you all the necessary feline heartworm treatments to combat parasites.

Tip: Increased Thirst

Kitty seems to drink more than ever! Increased thirst is an indicator of diabetes, kidney or liver problems, and these are important to consider with the health care of an elderly cat.

Although your older cat needs fewer calories and more fluids as he ages, to rule out cat health problems, it would be best to take your cat to the vet for a thorough check-up when you notice he is drinking more than normal.

Tip: Caring for Pregnant Cats

To make sure your cat has a safe pregnancy and a healthy birth, take your cat to see your vet – he or she may suggest basic blood work to establish baseline readings and to spot any potential health problems.

Follow your vets recommendations for prenatal care and don’t give your cat any extra medications, vitamins, or any other pills without discussing them with your vet first.

Your cat will become restless about two weeks before giving birth and will look for a safe place to have her kittens. She should be confined at this time to the house and be provided with a box for birthing. It might be better to confine her to a single room, maybe your bedroom, so you can keep a close watch on her.

Make sure she delivers where you have easy access to them later on, because it’s important for them to be as well socialized as possible.

Tip: Find a Top Notch Vet for Declawing

Declawing of Cats – I can’t lie: there is a lot of negative press detailing the horrors of declawing your cat. I know that some of that press stems from bad experiences with less than qualified persons performing the surgery. Some of the bad press is from animal rights activists. Regardless of your political views on this topic, you should make certain you have an experienced and reputable vet.

You don’t accept second best with your own health or the health of your children; don’t settle for second best with the quality of your vet. Ask your vet about her experience level; how many times has he performed this operation; what is her success rate; has he had any failures; what is his/her personal opinions about the operation. Ask neighbours, friends, and local breeders who they use for their vet.

The most important step in declawing your pet is to make certain you have a good vet.

Tip: Upper Respiratory Ailments

Cats and kittens suffer from upper respiratory ailments just as humans; allergies, colds, infections are just some of them. However, cats do not recover from them as easily as humans; they need veterinarian cat care to recover completely.

If they don’t see a vet, and get the proper medications, they will be sickly for a long time, possibly for the rest of their life.

You should take your cat to the vet for feline medicines to treat upper respiratory ailments. Some human medicines are poisonous to cats, and all of them are toxic in the high dosages for humans.

If you budget is strained, contact your local animal shelter/pound, ASPCA, humane society or rescue organization. They will have a list of low cost vets in your area, and in some cases, the non-profit organizations can help you pay for the vet bills.

Tip: Ear Mite Symptoms

The general symptoms of ear mites include:
Scratching behind the ear and inside the ear; A dark brown wax inside the ear; Plus other signs that are not visible without the special equipment a vet uses.

Ear mites are highly infectious little pests that feed on the lining of the ear canals. Because of their highly contagious nature, ear mites are especially common in shelter cats and kittens.

A quick trip to the vet can quickly determine if it is ear mites or something else, and to get the right medication for your kitty. Ear mites can be difficult to get rid of, so be persistent, and use the vet’s medication recommendation, and not the pet store variety.

Cat Health Care Good News: The means of controlling ear mites have greatly improved in the past few years.

Tip: Poisonous House plants

Be cautious when choosing houseplants for your home, if you have kitties or children.
The Berries on Mistletoe are poisonous to cats and humans. Other dangerous plants to cats include: dieffenbachia, poinsettia, English ivy, crocus, and others.

For a more complete list of dangerous plants, the symptoms they cause in pets, and what to do when a pet ingests one, check the Links page for the ASPCA link or the University of Illinois link.

Tip: Cats In Heat – Spaying and Neutering Cats

Cats do not necessarily have a period, like a human female, then have a time where they won’t be fertile.
Cats are not like other animals that have a particular season when they breed. Once a cat reaches puberty, she will go into, and stay in heat until she is bred or surgically sterilized (altered, neutered, fixed, spayed).

In rare cases, feral cats may have an infertile time during extreme cold that could last for several months.

Tip: Neutering Your Male Cat

Although it is preferable to have your male cat neutered at about their 6th or 7th month of life, it is not too late to have your adult male cat altered. Behaviours like fighting, urine spraying and roaming will be dramatically reduced, although some retraining for behaviour problems such as urine spraying may prove necessary. Neutering must be done only by a veterinarian, and requires general anaesthesia. Post-op care involves monitoring, keeping the incisions clean and dry, and keeping your male cat inside. The incisions heal within three to five days. Check with your vet for more details.

Tip: Controlling Hairballs

Hairballs are more of a problem in longhaired cats than short, but no one like to listen to a gagging cat. Hairballs are caused by too much hair in the cat’s stomach from their own grooming. Although there are many different remedies, I prefer preventative health care measures and training:

Daily brushing is my number one tip to prevent cat hairballs, especially during the warm months of the year. If you start brushing your cat during this time of the year, it is easier to train them to enjoy it. They are naturally trying to get rid of that excess undercoat, and your daily brushing will do that for them.

But if your cat’s pattern of coughing up the occasional hairball changes, take your cat to the vet to find out why.

Another suggestion to stop cat hairballs (or at least reduce them) is to feed your cat or kitten Iams or Science Diet’s Hairball Control. It has worked wonders for my longhaired cat.

Tip: Trim, don’t declaw

Here’s an alternative to declawing your cat or kitten: You can trim your cat’s nails to lessen the damage they cause, if you do not want to have him surgically declawed. Cats that are kept indoors need a regular manicure to prevent their nails from becoming overgrown.

Trimming your cat’s claws should be started at a very young age so that they become accustomed to the procedure. Trying to force an adult cat to having its nails trimmed can be dangerous. In this case, let a professional groomer do the job – they know how to handle a reluctant kitty.

Tip: Protect the Couch!

If your cat or kitten is constantly clawing your couch or chair, this is what worked magnificently for me:

Put a carpet covered scratching post directly in front of the area of the furniture the cat loves to destroy. Rub the post down with catnip and the cats will be drawn to the scratching post instead of the couch.

Now, my cats scratch the post instead of the couch and love the occasional sprinkling of catnip.

Tip: The Signs and Symptoms of UI

Urinary infection is a common cat health problem for cats, especially males due to their physiology. Although it is easily treated, it can lead to kidney failure and even death if left untreated. If you suspect UI, take your cat to a reputable vet immediately.

Some of the symptoms and signs to look for include:
Straining to urinate, discomfort while urinating, howling or crying while urinating, tinkling anywhere and everywhere (very small puddles), and discoloured urine (indicating blood in the urine).

Tip: Cats in heat conclusion – Spaying and Neutering

Male cats do not go into heat. They respond to the hormonal changes in a female cat’s body.
Males have a mating call, too, which will continue until another male cat has fought and defeated him, or until he impregnates the female cat.
If males are not neutered, they will develop behaviours that are perfectly normal, but undesirable in pets.
Male cats will mark their territory with urine, also known as spraying if they are not altered at 6 months old. This includes the bushes, tress, the front door-inside and outside, furniture, and carpets. Defecating is also a means of marking his territory (leaving solid waste outside of the litter box.)
Males become more aggressive and less affectionate if they are not altered at 6 months old.
Trust me, it is easier, safer, and much more pleasant to have your male cat neutered at 6 months old.

Tip: Upper Respiratory Ailments

Cats and kittens suffer from upper respiratory ailments just as humans; allergies, colds, infections are just some of them. However, cats do not recover from them as easily as humans; they need veterinarian cat care to recover completely.

If they don’t see a vet, and get the proper medications, they will be sickly for a long time, possibly for the rest of their life.

You should take your cat to the vet for feline medicines to treat upper respiratory ailments. Some human medicines are poisonous to cats, and all of them are toxic in the high dosages for humans.

If you budget is strained, contact your local animal shelter/pound, ASPCA, humane society or rescue organization. They will have a list of low cost vets in your area, and in some cases, the non-profit organizations can help you pay for the vet bills.

Tip: Food allergy

It is always recommended that you buy good quality food for your cat. Some foods contain ingredients that cause common allergic reaction in cats.
Some signs of allergies include: intense itching (scratching), diarrhoea, hives (small bumps) and hair loss.
Read the ingredients, and ask your vet for treatments of your cat’s allergies, as well as, other brands of foods that could help lessen the allergic reactions.

Tip: First Aid for a Cat or Kitten

To wash minor wounds, use witch hazel. Or add 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary or blackberry leaves to a cup of boiling water, and boil it for several hours.
If your cat has serious wounds, take it to the vet immediately for emergency cat care.

Tip: Caring for Pregnant Cats

To make sure your cat has a safe pregnancy and a healthy birth, take your cat to see your vet – he or she may suggest basic blood work to establish baseline readings and to spot any potential health problems.

Follow your vets recommendations for prenatal care and don’t give your cat any extra medications, vitamins, or any other pills without discussing them with your vet first.

Your cat will become restless about two weeks before giving birth and will look for a safe place to have her kittens. She should be confined at this time to the house and be provided with a box for birthing. It might be better to confine her to a single room, maybe your bedroom, so you can keep a close watch on her.

Make sure she delivers where you have easy access to them later on, because it’s important for them to be as well socialized as possible.

Tip: Cats In Heat – Spaying and Neutering Cats

Cats do not necessarily have a period, like a human female, then have a time where they won’t be fertile.
Cats are not like other animals that have a particular season when they breed. Once a cat reaches puberty, she will go into, and stay in heat until she is bred or surgically sterilized (altered, neutered, fixed, spayed).

In rare cases, feral cats may have an infertile time during extreme cold that could last for several months.

Tip: Neutering Your Male Cat

Although it is preferable to have your male cat neutered at about their 6th or 7th month of life, it is not too late to have your adult male cat altered. Behaviours like fighting, urine spraying and roaming will be dramatically reduced, although some retraining for behaviour problems such as urine spraying may prove necessary. Neutering must be done only by a veterinarian, and requires general anaesthesia. Post-op care involves monitoring, keeping the incisions clean and dry, and keeping your male cat inside. The incisions heal within three to five days. Check with your vet for more details.

Tip: Cats in Heat #2

A female will utter an unusual cry known as calling or chirping to attract a male cat for breeding. Also, her hormonal changes emit an odour-detectable by male cats-that will attract male cats. Male cats have a call of their own to entice the female to breed. This will continue night after night until the female is impregnated.

Tip: Cats in Heat #3

Altering/neutering/getting them fixed does not cause damage to your cat. It prevents many types of health problems when they are older. It keeps their personality in that ´kitten´ phase where they are playful and love interaction with humans. And it saves your sanity from the incessant and constant ´mating behaviours´ of the females being in heat.

Tip: Cats in heat #4

The female will roll around on the floor and exhibit other unusual behaviours depending on her personality, and her ability to reach male cats.
If she is not bred, these behaviours will stop for a few days-and only for a few days, before beginning again until she is impregnated.
Puberty for cats usually starts at 6 months, however, females can have their first ´heat´ as young as four months.

Tip: Cats in heat conclusion – Spaying and Neutering

Male cats do not go into heat. They respond to the hormonal changes in a female cat’s body.
Males have a mating call, too, which will continue until another male cat has fought and defeated him, or until he impregnates the female cat.
If males are not neutered, they will develop behaviours that are perfectly normal, but undesirable in pets.
Male cats will mark their territory with urine, also known as spraying if they are not altered at 6 months old. This includes the bushes, tress, the front door-inside and outside, furniture, and carpets. Defecating is also a means of marking his territory (leaving solid waste outside of the litter box.)
Males become more aggressive and less affectionate if they are not altered at 6 months old.
Trust me, it is easier, safer, and much more pleasant to have your male cat neutered at 6 months old.

Tip: Dull Dry Coat

Not all cat’s genetically have a glossy, shiny coat. However, all healthy cats should have soft fur and some shine, but not dry, brittle or rough feeling.
This usually is a sign of malnutrition; from not eating a balanced diet.
Your budget will determine what you can feed your cat, but the better quality of the food, the better health your cat will have. Look for a dry food with No Corn or very little corn in it. Our pets can’t digest corn properly, thus allowing it and the nutrition in the food to pass right through.

Tip: Dandruff

Dandruff, and a dull, brittle coat are usually triggered by malnutrition. No, I’m not saying you don’t feed your cat; the food your cat is eating is not helping her, or it is not a balanced diet providing all of the nutrients a cat needs to be healthy.
Corn is the number one ingredient in most name brand pet foods; and corn is very difficult for our pets to digest; thus allowing most of it to pass right through. This will prevent your cat’s system from absorbing any nutrition available in her food.
Your budget will determine what you can feed your cat, but the better quality of food, the more healthy your cat will be