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Posts Tagged ‘ cat care ’

10 Tips to Keep the Peace in a Multi-Cat Household

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Congratulations, you’ve added another cat to your household!  Having multiple felines can be fun but it also has its challenges.  Following are ten tips to maintain order and keep all the feline residents purring:

  1. If you have one cat currently and are now adding another, choosing a new cat of the opposite sex can reduce fighting among them.
  2. If your current cat is older, rather than adopting one kitten, consider adopting two so they can keep each other occupied.
  3. Never leave a new cat alone with the resident cat(s) until you are certain they won’t fight.
  4. Never give treats to one cat and not another.
  5. Window perches create space and allow your cats to sun themselves.
  6. Grooming your cats regularly can help reduce their stress.
  7. Do not allow play between cats to become aggressive.
  8. If fighting occurs between cats, do not attempt to separate them by hand.  Distract them by making a loud noise and put them in separate locations.
  9. Learn to understand feline body language.
  10. Make sure each cat’s needs are met and that each cat is treated as an individual member of the family.

Enjoy your feline family members and have a purr-fect day!

Information from Cat Fancy Magazine, August 2010 used in this post

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Posted in cats, pet behavior, pet care | 9 Comments »

Does Your New Cat Know the House Rules?

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Congratulations, you’ve just adopted a new cat!  What sort of gear do you need to keep your feline friend happy and healthy?  The list includes litter and a litter box, bed, food and water bowls, a carrier and an ID tag.  Another important thing to remember is to check with the shelter or breeder where you adopted the cat to check on his/her current diet and eating habits.  Cats can be particular about food and it can cause digestive problems if you change the type of food you feed your new pet.

If you have other pets, it is important to introduce the new addition correctly.  Confine the new arrival to a specific area, being very careful to limit the amount of exposure to the other pets in the home.  Gradually increase the space available and exposure time the new arrival and the established pets.

Is your new addition a kitten?  If so, there are some basic “rules of the road” to enforce that will prevent problems later.

  • Be sure there are the correct number of litter boxes for the number of cats in the home.  The rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one additional box.  Be sure the boxes are in easy-to-reach locations and provide a level of privacy for the cat(s).
  • Offer plenty of toys and interactive playtime to satisfy her instincts.  If she attacks your ankles or tends to bite when you pet her, redirect these behaviors to a feather wand or other toy she can clutch and sink her teeth into.
  • Provide posts and cat trees for scratching, climbing and playing.  Posts and cat trees will satisfy a cat’s natural instinct to climb and jump, sharpen your claws and help protect your furniture.
  • Reinforce good behavior and redirect unwanted behavior.  Cats often like to “counter surf”, a way to prevent this is covering the counter with aluminum foil (cats hate the sound of the foil and how it feels on their paws).  Another trick is to put pennies in clean, empty soda cans and line them up on the counter.  Your cat will be startled by the sound the cans makes when they fall.

Adding a feline to your home can be a plus, but be sure they know and obey the “house rules”.

Information from this post derived from Cat Fancy magazine, April 2010 and The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cat, Cat Breeds & Cat Care by Alan Edwards

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Posted in Human Pet Connection, cats, pet behavior, pet care | 3 Comments »

How Can I Afford Care for my Pet?

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

As all pet parents know, care for pets can be quite costly.  So what are some options to help with pet care costs?

A popular choice for pet care payment is pet insurance.  Normally, treatment is paid for at the time it is given, then a claim form is submitted to the insurance company for reimbursement.

With more than 1 in 3 pets needing emergency care annually, and 2 out of 3 pets experiencing serious health problems in their lifetime, pet insurance demands have grown significantly in recent years.  Since there are several per insurance companies offering coverage, it is important to do some research to determine what company and coverage works best for your pets.  Following are some points to consider when selecting a pet insurer:

  • Are there any breed specific exclusions or higher rates for specific breeds?
  • Are there exclusions or higher rates based on pet’s age?
  • Are there plans to cover multiple pets?  Are there discounts if insuring multiple pets?
  • What is the deductible, co-pay?
  • What procedures are covered?
  • What, if any, are available optional coverages?
  • Is there a maximum amount that will be covered annually or per occurrence?
  • What sets one company apart from another?

When researching pet insurers, check company websites for customer feedback to see the experiences of other customers.

If you aren’t sure pet insurance is for you, there are other options available.  Companies such as CareCredit and Wells Fargo Health Advantage offer financing options based on the cost of the treatment provided by an ever increasing number of vets and vet clinics.

Regardless of the option you pick, pet insurance and other financing can help pet parents provide care for their four-legged family members.

Cat Fancy (May 2010) was a reference used for this post.

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Posted in Pet Wellness, cats, dogs, pet care | 5 Comments »

Spring favorites can be deadly to cats

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Bo, the astute cat:  I love that Spring is here!  It is the best time of year!  However, if you are tending to a beautiful garden or are a flower enthusiast of some sort, I am here to caution you about one of the most gorgeous flowers around:  the lily.  As stunningly beautiful as they are, they are a health risk to your cat.  Members of the plant genus Lillium, which includes Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, Rubrums, Japanese show lilies, Stargazer lilies, and Daylilies can pose a toxin risk to your cat.  When cats chew on the leaves of these plants, they can sustain kidney damage or even death.  All parts of the plant are toxic, and your cat can become ill just chewing on one leaf.

I have always known that we cats are unique in an abundance of ways, but we are also unique when it comes to lilies.  Dogs, rabbits, and rats do not seem to respond to the toxins in lilies as cats do.  While dogs may experience some minor tummy troubles from eating the leaves off these plants, they typically do not get renal damage.

Cats who are afflicted with the toxins of these plants will first present with vomiting, usually wtihing two to six hours after ingestion.  While the vomiting may stop for awhile, it will usually return over the course of the next few days.

If your cat has ingested any part of these types of plants/flowers, please get him or her to your veterinarian immediately.  If you postpone treatment more than 18 hours, your cat is at risk for kidney failure or death.

While we may enjoy the visual delights of these flowers at a distance, please keep them away from us.  If you love lilies so much, but also love your cat, consider just posting photos of lilies in your home.  Sure, not the same thing, but you will still have the pleasure of our company!  Besides, a lily will not crawl up into your lap and snuggle!

(Information for this post was found at http://www.care2.com/greenliving/lilies-deadly-for-cats.html)

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Posted in Pet Wellness, cats, pet care | No Comments »

How do you know if your pet is in pain?

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Bo:  This is a great topic.  Jessie is a pain in my side, and I have to tell someone.  Who will listen?  Maybe the experts at www.myjoyofliving.com in Kansas City can help me find out.  They are the best pet sitters in town and seem to boast a wealth of knowledge when it comes to pet care.

Jessie:  What about YOU?  Perhaps you are even a bigger pain to me!

Bo:  Well, I am smart enough to realize that we animals can “talk” through the various subtleties in our body language.  Pain is a universal language.  Most pet owners can tell that their pets are in pain by a visual clue such as a limp or an audible clue such as a whine or whimper from us.  But what about chronic pain or pain that we can somewhat tolerate but needs to be explored?

Jessie:  Isn’t it obvious that I can barely tolerate you?

Bo:  When we are uncomfortable, we tend to show a change in behavior or temperament.  If we are usually happy, playful, and affectionate, pain can make us irritable and perhaps even make us not want to be held or petted.

Jessie:  Speak for yourself.  I adore a good massage.

Bo:  If your dog or cat is normally on the go, if he or she is in pain, you might find them sitting alone and being unusually quiet.  If the dog or cat can reach the source of pain, such as a sore paw, he or she might begin to lick or bite at the area in an effort to make the pain go away.  As a pet owner, if you notice any changes in your pet’s behavior, be sure to contact your veterinarian right away.  Remember, our “language” is limited, so please take the time to “listen” to us.  The sooner we get rid of the pain, the more playful we can continue to be.

Jessie:  I know how to get rid of cat pain!

Bo:  Oh, really?  How?

Jessie:  Lock the kitty in the closet!

(Information provided for this blog can be found at www.vetmed.wsu.edu.)

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