CAT CARE DISEASE SYMPTOMS AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE THEM

When we feel pain in our bodies, we can easily tell someone that there is something wrong and that person will be able to take you to the infirmary. Pets cannot do that merely observing them can tell you a lot of things. which is why owners should employ cat care and be aware of the symptoms.

Here are a few diseases you should watch out for and their symptoms.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most feared disease by cat owners. It is a acknowledged fact, that it is the leading cause of death amongst cats. It is caused by a coronavirus infection and what is yet worse, is that the symptoms are very much like other diseases so it is really hard to diagnose.

There is also Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) that is similar to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Just like the version in humans, it is a life long infection that progresses slowly and kills the cat.

Cats may as well be infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). This is a is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non cancerous diseases. As Luck Would Have It, it can be easily treated by using some household bleach and detergents, also your pet must be kept warm. This disease is transmissible through the saliva, tears, urine and feces of other cats that are infected. unlike the other two diseases, it cannot live that long in the environment. Hence, it is only transmissible when the infected cat stays with some other cat for any period of time.

Worms are another threat to cats and this is caused by a fungal infection that is spread through spores.. Since this disease is self limiting, you will not have do anything to make it clear up. It will in time clear up on its own, but it may take a few months to do so.

If you have a overweight cat, then the prospects are it will already have feline diabetes. The symptoms of this disease are pretty easy to see and are excessive urination and thirst as well as weight loss or gain. Veterinaries are of yet uncertain what is the cause of this, but recent research studies that have been done, have indicated that there is a link between pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalance and particular medications.

The symptoms of most of the diseases mentioned are very similar. These include diarrhea, vomiting, lameness lasting for more than five days in one leg, a reduction in sight, excessive panting, a seizure, blood in the stool or urine, hair loss, repeated coughing or gagging and breathing heavily or rapidly at rest. In order to find the answer, your cat will have to undergo some tests.

Your veterinarian will take some blood, urine and feces samples and ask for input from you, about any observation you have made. When the tests results come back, only then will the proper treatment be administered to your cat as each case is different, so what worked for another cat may not have the self same positive effect with yours.

Your cat will always be healthy if you give it constant attention. This is done by feeding it superior quality natural food, giving it fresh water daily, allowing it to exercise, proper grooming, making sure it stays indoors and taking it for frequent visits to your veterinary surgeon.

If you miss any of these simple steps, then something wrong is certain to happen to your cat and you will soon notice a change in the behavior of your cat and if you do nothing about it, it is just going to make matters far worse. So you require to observe proper cat care and watch out for any symptoms.

CAT CARE

Below are some cat care tips we've compiled that will make life for both you and your cat happier and healthier.

Handle your cat frequently. Some cats just don't like to be picked up. If you can start handling your cat when it's a kitten, chances are better that it will enjoy the handling later in life. It will also be easier when it comes time for check-ups at the vet, having claws trimmed, etc. Also make sure you massage your cat's feet and toes often so your cat gets used to having it's paws restrained.

To prevent hairballs, improve the look of your cat's coat, and give yourself an excuse to check on your cat's well-being, groom your cat at least once a week. Most cats learn to enjoy the grooming process, although some will become over-excited by it and can only take so much.

Use weekly (or more frequent if possible) grooming sessions to examine your cat for common health problems. Check your cat's gums, teeth, eyes, ears (look for signs of ear mites), skin, and limbs for possible problems. Check for signs of pain, swelling or injury. Clip your cat's nails regularly. If your cat's claws get too long, they may curve back into the toe pad. It's also more likely that your cat's claws will get caught on something if they're not trimmed.

Every major cat care organization recommends keeping your cat indoors for safety, better health and a longer life.

One of the most important cat care tips is regarding the litter box. Place the litter box in a place your cat likes. The number one reason adult cats are brought to shelters is for unresolved litter box problems. Place the box in a relatively quiet area that your cat likes to frequent and make sure there are multiple escape routes. Also make sure to provide enough litter boxes for your cat. We suggest following the one plus one rule - one litter box for each cat in the house plus one more.

Play with your cat daily. Play with dangle toys and chase your cat around the house as much as possible. Get your cat exercising daily and it will help lower risks of diseases and minimize vet bills.

Give your cat at least 10 minutes of physical attention every day. Take time to pet, stroke, scratch or brush your cat for at least 10 minutes daily. It will calm and relax both not only your cat but you too. Recent evidence shows that contact with cats may actually reduce your risk of heart attack by as much as thirty percent! What a great bonus for giving good cat care!

Allow your cat to choose favorite spots to hang out around the house, then make them more comfortable with blankets and pillows..

Feed your cat premium cat food. High quality cat foods meeting AAFCO cat food standards will ensure that your cat gets a balanced diet with the right nutrients. Feline diets deficient in certain nutrients can cause diseases, including blindness.

Take your cat to the vet for a check-up at least once a year.

CAT TRAINING BASICS

Cats can be trained, but not in the same way as dogs. In general, dogs respond to commands to please their owners whereas cats perform to please themselves. Cats only do what you want them to do if there's some reward in store for them. Using this little piece of information, you can select positive training methods combine with lots of love and treats to achieve maximum results.

With plenty of patience, persistence and positive reinforcement, cats can also be taught to perform tricks and entertain audiences. However that's not most cat owners really want. Instead, what cat owners really want is for their cats to stay off countertops and refrain from climbing the draperies or clawing the furniture.

Here are pointers when training your cat:

Consistency and timing is the key to training your cat. Correct your cat's mistakes immediately if it does anything wrong. Your correction must be at that exact moment when you see the mistake being made, not minutes or hours later but immediately. If you don't correct immediately, later on if you come home, and find that while you were away, your cat has clawed and tarnished your furniture and then you start screaming at it, you will only succeed in making your cat fearful of you. Your cat does not have the ability to connect the corrective action to the misdeed hours after it happened.

If you are able to anticipate your cat's misbehavior, initiate your corrective action at the moment before your cat misbehaves. The end results will be much better.

Use a stern tone to reprimand. Your voice is your most accessible disciplinary tool. Use your voice in a stern but not overly forceful tone. At the same time, you can clap your hands sharply. Use a negative word such as "NO" or "BAD" and consistently use that word in a firm and stern tone whenever you correct your cat's behavior. In time to come, your cat will come to acknowledge it with bad behavior.

Avoid linking negative remarks with your cat's name. Refrain from using your cat's name in any reprimand. For example, do not say "No, Baby" or Bad girl, Baby". By refraining from such usage, your cat will only develop positive and pleasant associations when its name is being called.

Whatever training methods and tools you use, train your cat with love, not fear, so that your cat will learn to trust you, not fear you. Never ever strike your cat with your hand or any object. Be swift, stern and immediate when a correction is necessary and remember to communicate your displeasure clearly. But be even more generous with your praise and pats when your cat behaves appropriately.

A CAT WITH A URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Your cat has been diagnosed: he has a UTI! The veterinarian has prescribed antibiotics, given you instructions on any dietary changes that need to be made, and has set up an appointment for you to come back with your pet to see how treatment is progressing.

If he or she is a good vet you will have gotten an explanation of the causes and effects of urinary tract infections, the symptoms to watch for, and the long term prognosis for your own pet. But now you are home, and you may feel a bit insecure. It can be comforting to review the information, think a bit more about the treatment involved, and plan ahead.

What is making my cat sick?

There are two common elements in most feline urinary tract infections. The most obvious element is the infection itself: a bacterium will have entered the urinary system, found a hospitable environment, and taken up residence. Once there it will have caused inflammation, irritation of membranes, discomfort, hardening of the bladder walls and other symptoms. Urination will have become painful and unpleasant for you cat, which may have caused him to urinate outside his litter box.

Common places for inappropriate urination include cool kitchen tiles and porcelain tubs. It is not entirely clear why cats choose smooth, cool surfaces. What is certain is that this trait has often proven a life saver for many a cat with a urinary infection, causing owners to realize something is wrong and take the cat in for examination.

The second, underlying cause is likely to be less obvious. Diabetes, with a surplus of sugar in the urine, is a condition that often promotes UTIs. Likewise there are two metabolic conditions which may be involved. One, the most common contributor to UTIs, involves low pH urine. The other, rarer metabolic dysfunction involves normal or high pH.

Each causes chemically different crystals to grow in your cat's urine. The crystals act as an abrasive, rubbing the surface tissue of the bladder and urethra raw, leaving open wounds for bacteria to settle in, and blood to nourish the infection. There are other things that can cause a cat with a urinary infection, but these are likely to be the first on your veterinarian's list to consider.

How can I help my cat?

Follow the veterinarian's instructions, completely and carefully. Do not discontinue medication because you think the infection is gone. Do not alter dosage. Provide your cat with the food your doctor has recommended: in the case of crystal formation your cat's long term health will rely on the metabolic control that can be gained through dietary change.

Provide your cat with constant access to clean, fresh water, which will dilute the urine, preventing crystal formation, starving bacteria, and promoting kidney function. Allow your cat peace, and give him affection if he needs it. Let him rest.

Beyond that you can consider holistic and alternate approaches to help him heal, and after he heals to promote continued health: there are a number of herbal homeopathic remedies that some veterinarians consider appropriate when used for a cat with a urinary tract infection.

Taken in combination with prescription medicines they may support the immune system and help defeat the infection. Products containing Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Berberis vulgaris, Cantharis and Staphysagris are available through homeopathic suppliers, and many feel they help promote long term urinary tract health. Most vital, though? Love your cat and follow your vet's instructions.

VALUABLE TIPS FOR CAT CARE

It is normal for cats to be healthy even in an old age because of the help of modern veterinary technology. You must know some useful tips on how to take care of your pet as a cat owner. 

Here are some useful tips.

1. Take your cat to veterinarian for checkup once a year. Take the advice given if your vet gave one. The vet can take care of your cat because he already has a professional degree. To keep your pet healthy, make sure to give him his needs.

2. Neutered cats are healthier and tend to live a longer time. Neutering will also reduce the chance for a male cat to wander around. Female cats will have premature aging and stress.

3. Cats that are astray or live outdoors die younger compared to those who live indoors, say experts. When the pet is indoors, accidents, fights and diseases are avoided.

4. Cats need different kind of nutrition, different from that of a dog and human. When you give pet what they really need in terms of nutrition, they will become healthy.

5. Make sure you do not make your pet heavy than what it should be. Cats like human need their proper nutrition coupled with proper exercise. Exercise your cat by playing with them. Cats which are very fat will experience more feline diseases like diabetes.

6. See a veterinarian for supplement prescription. With sufficient vitamins and minerals as well as fibers, diseases can be prevented.

7. Teeth of pets need checking and this can be done during annual checkups. This is because their teeth need cleaning too. Teeth that are left unclean may result to kidney problem and once the cat has problems in its kidney, other diseases may be come out and may result to death.

8. There is a need to comb the cat on a daily basis. It is during the combing that you get to notice any unusual in the cat's skin. See the vet immediately when you see something suspicious.

9. Make sure you avoid cleaners that can endanger your cat. Cats are very sensitive,even if they are in touch with harmful chemicals on their skin. You can make use of cleaners that are not toxic to be sure your cat is safe. At the same time get rid of plants that are poisonous such as poinsettias.

10. You must provide the pet a place to sleep and relax so that you avoid the pet from getting stressed. There are many possible stressors like people, other animals and even people.

CAT HEALTH AND CAT FOOD INFORMATION

Cats need a high-protein diet, rich in fats. They normally eat small meals all through the day. Cats maintain their body weight by sticking to the diet they take in. To keep cats healthy, owners have to ensure that the foods they give to their cats are rich in minerals, protein and vitamins.

In addition, the diet needs to be limited. Increasing the food intake for cats may invite serious health problems.

Necessary Nutrients:

Cat owners need to check, if their pet food offers the following nutrients:

1. Pet food has to contain vital nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. One vital nutrient is Vitamin A and vitamin E, which helps to build resistance against a variety of diseases.

2. Animal protein from poultry, meat, egg sources and fish helps to keep bones sturdy and strong.

3. The diet needs to have accurate balance of fatty acids that nurture the skin and coat health.

4. Taurine, an amino acid, extracted from meat sources such as fish and chicken. This helps in keeping the eyes healthy and preventing heart diseases. Taurine supports fetal growth, development and reproduction in cats.

5. Next, a fiber source such as beet pulp, which maintains the digestive system of cats, is also a necessary nutrient.

Special Dietary Needs for Pregnant or lactating cats:

Pet owners have to take enough care of their pregnant cats. Increase their intake by 50 per cent than their current diets. The owner may give kitten food as a nutritional support to cats at the time of conception.

After the mother cat gives birth to young kittens, gradually increase the intake to 75 per cent. Maintain this diet until the kittens get used to eating canned or dry food. The moment kittens begin eating substitute food, incorporate the normal food again so that the mother cat keeps away from any weight gain.

Avoid Obesity:

Generally, indoor cats do not get the opportunity to exercise as compared to outdoor cats. Due to this, indoor cats fall prey to obesity. To avoid this, pet owners have to allow their cats to exercise in open the way they wish.

Preventing Cats from Developing Hairballs:

Cats take their own time to arrange themselves neatly. They constantly lick their fur and in the process, sometimes swallow hair. If the hairball fails to pass into the intestines, the cat may land in trouble. It may try to eject the hairball. To avoid this, pet owners have to make sure that they supply a nutritional diet to their cats.

What Every Cat Needs:

No matter what food they get to eat, owners need to make available plenty of water for their cats, always. It is advisable to place water at a distance three to five feet from the food.

This prevents the cat from swallowing water hastily. Cats demand comfortable place to eat and prefer to stay away from people around them. Last of all, the cat owners need to take their cats to the veterinarian at regular intervals. This will help in keeping pet cats healthy and happy.

CAT CARE AND YOUR HOME

Cat care can make a big difference on the look and atmosphere of your home. When you provide great cat care, you are ensuring that your home will look and smell clean and welcoming to visitors, and will be a place that you enjoy relaxing in. If you neglect cat care, your home can start to feel more like a prison than like an oasis. A cat is meant to make your household a more pleasant place to be, because the love and affection that a cat provides, not to mention the entertainment and refreshing energy, sweeten any environment. However, if you aren't providing adequate cat care, the joys of cat ownership can become buried underneath layers of odor and grime. Luckily, in just a few minutes every day, you can offer your pet the best possible cat care. Great cat care doesn't require expense or a lot of time or effort, and it can have tangibly positive results when it comes to your home's environment.

The overall impact of better cat care on your household atmosphere can be quite powerful because different aspects of cat care have many different effects on how your home feels. One important part of cat care has to do with hygiene and taking care of any messes that your cat creates. This side of cat care will keep your home smelling fresh and looking its best. Another part of cat care has to do with the love and affection that you give your cat. Showing your pet that they are safe in your presence and that they are loved is an important aspect of cat care that can have many different benefits.

Peace and quiet are two important parts of a relaxing atmosphere, and they are the core of a pleasant home environment. A cat's plaintive mewling can add an air of anxiety or tension to your home's atmosphere. Luckily, cat care can help you minimize this aspect of pet ownership. When you spend a lot of time making your cat feel safe and appreciated, it is less likely to whine or screech. Indirectly, cat care can actually help your furnishings and decorative items stay looking newer for longer. When you provide your cat with ideal cat care, it is less likely to indulge in destructive behaviors like scratching your furniture, climbing the drapes, and other activities that can take a toll on your home's appearance.

Cat care is often a matter of routine, and can sometimes feel like a burden. When cat care feels like work, it is tempting to avoid it, or to procrastinate for day after day. Nobody looks forward to dealing with cat care issues like a messy litter box or scruffy fur that is just asking for a bath. However, changing your attitude towards cat care can make these tasks much more enjoyable. Every time you take a step towards a healthier, happier, or cleaner cat you are taking a step towards making your home a better place to be.

Proper Cat Care

Cats are pretty independent beings, and frequently seem to have the attitude that they do not need you. But in fact, there is actually a great deal that enters into meeting the demands of the cat. It is not really all that easy to keep them happy and healthy. And also to make the situation more complex, various varieties and kinds of cats can require additional care due to their unique physiology. As an example, cats with flat faces (brachycephalic structure) have certain issues, just like cats with longer hair. This all shows that you absolutely do need to put some time into selecting the right cat for a pet, as well as realizing what it is going to take to deal with your new friend.

As mentioned, flat-faced cats have particular issues: they generally can't breathe as well as more longer-faced cats because their noses and nasal cavities are, well, "smoothed." And if you do not realize the problems with longer-haired cats, then you've probably never owned a cat! That's fine, so this is a tip to help you get started: they're going to need brushing a minimum of several times a month to help keep the hair from matting, to prevent the kitty from having hairball issues, and especially to keep your furniture from looking like it's growing a coat of it's own!

Although cats do sleep a lot, they also require a bit of exercise. If your cat lives indoors, you'll see them jumping, climbing, and flying (well, sort of!) to help keep themselves amused and in shape. A thing you'll want to purchase for your indoor cat is a scratching post. You will want to train your cat to scratch that so they will hopefully avoid tearing up your curtains and furniture. Once they get into the habit of utilizing your couch or chair as a scratching post, you may have an extremely tough time breaking that habit. You might like to try and serve two purposes by getting a "cat condo" sort of multi-tiered structure that will supply your cat with a combination jungle gym and scratching post.

You've certainly realized that your cat will need cat food, but have you given much thought to making sure that you're getting the right cat food? Needless to say, cats are known for their choosy ways in regards to food, but you do want to supply them with food which is balanced and nutritious. As a bonus, some foods have contents that help reduce hairballs and keep off extra weight as well.

Indoor cats will in addition need a litter box. There are different varieties around, and it's really your choice to select one that your cat feels happy with. Some cats, for instance, get fearful of those automatic kinds. In case you do choose one that utilizes moving parts and motors, make certain to get one as soon as you can so the cat can get familiar with it.

Finally, make certain you take your cat into the vet routinely. This is not only for vaccinations and checkups, but you also may want to think about getting the cat fixed to help keep from being a parent to multiple cats unexpectedly. Some thing you may not know is that a cat won't hesitate to mate with a brother, sister, or perhaps a parent. Also, you won't have to endure hearing your cat howling for a new "friend" during the night when it's in heat. With male cats, you will be able to avoid that territorial spraying that they will be prone to.