Cat Health Myths

As with everything, there are a number of myths surrounding cats and their health. If you want to provide the best health care to your cat, it is important to learn the difference between fact and myth. When in doubt, you should call your vet.

1.First and foremost, some people believe that spaying a female cat is not always the best choice. This is false, unless your cat has specific medical conditions, as diagnosed by your vet, that make the surgery risky. In the vast majority of cases, cats suffer more and are more at risk when having a litter of kittens.
2.It is not true that a cat needs to have a litter before spaying
3.It is not true that neutering your male cat will cause depression.

In a female cat, fixing can prevent
1.cancer
2.ovarian cysts
3.and a number of other health problems.

In a male cat, it will prevent
1. unnecessary roaming
2. unnecessary fighting

This can also help keep your cat healthy. Besides, there are hundreds of cats without good homes. If you really want kittens, go to your local shelter, because they often get litters that need good homes or foster parents.

4. Another myth about cats is that they cannot be happy or healthy if he or she does not have access to the outdoors. This is not true. If an older cat is suddenly confined, he or she may be very unhappy, but a cat that has grown up indoors can be very happy and healthy. Make sure that you provide them with lots of stimulating toys and some climbing towers for exercise. Don’t worry that your cat is somehow growing up unnaturally. Of course, you can use gates and leashes to take your cat outside in special cases. It is important to remember that your cat is naturally a carnivore, so if he or she does not go outside to killing mice and other small rodents, you’ll need to provide protein to meet dietary needs.

5. One of the scariest myths is that cat’s shouldn’t be vaccinated. A few years ago, there was a scarce amount VAS in cats, or Vaccine Associated Sarcoma. However, vaccinations are crucial in your cat’s life, and your cat’s vet should be able to tell you which ones are absolutely necessary. In general, when you have questions about health facts with your cat and his or her health, you should talk to your vet.

General Cat Care Tips

Many people think that because cats are generally independent creatures that don’t need love and care. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Although cats are small pets, they are comparable to a two-year-old child. You are responsible for all of your cat’s health care needs, so it is important to learn how to best take care of your cat. If your cat is a new addition to the family, you’ll need to work extra hard to learn how you can best care for your cat’s health.

First and foremost, it is important to get to know your cat. Cats are generally creatures of habit, so if you know your cat’s normal daily activities, then you’ll know when something is wrong. A cat who walks differently, losing or gains an appetite, or has a change in behavior, it may be ill or injured.

Your cat’s dental health is an important aspect that many people forget. If your cat is eating on one side or making loud noises, you should be concerned about sore gums or teeth. Cats with a broken canine tooth often sneeze a lot, which can indicate the problem to you. You should also brush you cat’s teeth regularly using a small toothbrush and pet toothpaste.

Remember, diet is important to your cat. Make sure that you purchase pet food that is formulated for your cat’s age and health. Your vet can make recommendations. Do not feed your cat human food unless your vet indicates that this is ok. Although cats like the taste of sweet things, items like chocolate can actually be fatal, even in small doses. Also avoid feeding your cat with dog food, unless you have no other option. Dogs and cats and genetically different, so dog food will not have the same nutritional value as cat food.

Grooming is also crucial. Cats self-groom with their tongues, but combing the fur of a long-haired cat is necessary. You can also use talcum powder to help remove dirt as you combing, and baths can be effective if you’re dealing with fleas. You can also have your pet professionally groomed, which he or she will probably find very therapeutic.

Lastly, it is simply important to make sure that you have all important numbers written down. If you got the pet from someone else, have their number on hand for the first month in case problems or questions arise. Also keep the number for your vet on hand, and make a note of the number you should call in an emergency. Doing this will help to keep any cat safe and healthy.

The Right Way To Feed Your Cats

Feeding cats is one of the most relaxing thing that you can do. Feeding your cat the right way is also one of the most important. Every plant and animal needs nutrition to grow. I think everyone agrees that this is the number one need of pets and the kind of food you feed them would also reflect the nutritional contents of the food intake.

We have to feed our pets with the most nutritious food so that they would be able to grow well and be free from possible sickness. Like a plant, poor soil and inadequate fertilizer can stunt growth. There are guidelines to remember like giving a balanced-diet to your cat and refilling his or her's water bowl. There are also things to avoid doing that could harm your cat.

Avoid giving to cats:
1. meals that include by-products
2. bone meal
3. meat by-products
4. animal digest
5. food with added sugars
6. food with corn filler
6. food with preservatives

If one doesn't know what to give to their cat, follow the guidelines below or ask your veterinarian.

Food good for Cats:
1. Protein
2. Quality Meat
3. Quality Fish
4. Quality poultry
5. Taurine
6. amino acids
7. certain Vitamins
8. Minerals
9. Enzymes
10. Fatty Acids

Do Cats Need Carbohydrates?
Well, they do not need such as much as we do. We could not get away from those carbohydrates fillers especially in canned cat food but it has to be ensued that it does not reach or exceed 50 percent of fillers. One big tip is feed your cat varied food from time to time; cats could get easily bored if you feed them with the same food all the time. It would plunge down appetite and of course, the total nutrition of the animal.

I hope that with these bits and pieces you are able to take note of the important tips you need to do which would deal with the right food for your cats.
Enjoy "growing" pets.

First Aid for your Cat

Cats sometimes get sick, but that isn’t the only reason you may need a vet.Your cat could also get injured. Injuries happen for many reasons, and sometimes nobody is to blame. However, you can increase you cat’s chance of survival or help to comfort a cat with minor wounds if you are prepared and know a little about first aid for cats. This is essential information that any pet owner should know.

First and foremost, it is important to understand that your first aid efforts can never replace a vet. Your cat needs to have a primary vet in the area where he or she can be treated for emergencies. If you have any doubt in your mind as to how to care for your cat, you should contact your vet. Also, remember that your cat make receive internal injuries as well as external ones, so if he or she is acting strangely and you don’t know what is wrong, a vet is your best choice.

You should have first aid items on hand in order to care for your cat when injuries are not serious or until you can get to the vet’s office. It’s a good idea to keep a cat first aid kit on hand, and this should travel with you whenever your cat leaves home. In fact, most of the time it is in your best interest to make two kits—one for home and one for travel. Included in the first aid kit should be a small roll of gauze and a large roll of gauze. Surgical tape, an emergency ice pack, a bottle of 1% hydrogen peroxide, gloves, a pillowcase (for transferring the cat), a blanket, a towel, a bottle of saline eye wash, a rectal thermometer, a small flashlight, a pair of tweezers, scissors, antihistamine, and a box of backing soda.

Talk to your vet about the appropriate items to use if your cat is injured. If your cat is comfortable with it, you can practice bandaging and taking his or her temperature. You should also practice using a pillowcase to lift your cat, and if you are new to the area, make sure that you know the route to the nearest vet hospital.

Remember, a sick or injured cat can be difficult to control. Learn to talk soothingly to your cat and avoid eye contact when your cat is injured, as this is seen as threatening. If you fell uncomfortable approaching an injured cat, call an animal shelter, animal control officer, or vet for assistance. Your cat will be scared, but the sooner you provide first aid the better.

Common Cat Disease

Cats are also vulnerable to some common sickness. As a cat owner, it is necessary that you observe the health of your pet. It does really matter. Just like us, cats would surely have these phases of their lives when they would get sick or show signs of weak health. When this happens to your pet, you have to be ready and you have to do what is indeed helpful for it.

There are different health problems common in cats and they are as follows:

· Diarrhea
- When your cat has diarrhea for a consistent number of times, do not be alarmed. The first thing you need to do is change the diet. When you know what your cat likes to eat, you better give it to him or she for it would surely help. When there is still a continuous diarrhea, it would be best to bring your pet to a veterinarian.

· Diabetes
- Not only common to people, but also to cats. This occurs when a cat becomes aged. The more it grows old, the more it must stay at home. You have to watch its diet for improper food intake is what the real cause of diabetes is. When you notice signs and symptoms like the cat urinates always. You could obviously notice as well that it gets thirsty so fast.

· Throwing up
- This is a very common health phenomenon for cats. When this happens to your pet, you have to check the food you have fed to it. After doing so, it would be better if you try to change the food. As much as possible try a far different one from the food you have observed to cause such vomiting.
- It has been discovered that the min cause of this is hairballs so as much as you could, brush or comb the hair of your pet.
- There is also another angle, and that is allergic to food.
- Meeting your veterinarian is the best move to make. Make sure that you give enough liquid to your pet, throwing up may lead to dehydration.

· FIV
- This cat disease has something to do with HIV and the best thing for you to do is to seclude your pet from foreign cats. It would be better if you keep it in your home. You have to protect your pet well.

You have to be cautious about these diseases for they would surely be a threat to the life of your pet. When you encounter such health problems, you have to seek the help of the expert, you must not let your insufficient knowledge let you lose your pet.

How to Care for Kittens

Your cat’s health is very important. You should always ask your veterinarian when in doubt, but it is important to learn about such things on your own. That way, you will not only notice symptoms faster, you can also save some money and grief. If you want to be sure that you cat is getting treatment as soon as possible, you need to watch for signs that something may be wrong with your pet.

Kittens need extra care and attention in order to stay safe and healthy. If your cat has recently had kittens, you need to be a second mother to these new little additions to the family. It is crucial that you provide the best possible care and environment for them during their first few weeks of life.

What’s normal and what’s not: During the first few days of a kitten’s life, his or her mother will spend most of her time lying with the kittens. This is a natural for the mother cat. It is “programmed” into her through thousands of years of evolution. You should put the food and water to be very close to the mother so she doesn’t have to roam to find nourishment. Check the mother cat a few times during the day to make sure that she is producing milk properly. If the mother leaves her kittens along constantly, something may be wrong. First-time mothers are especially prone to bouts of anxiousness. When a mother is worried about her kittens, she may move them constantly. If she feels very threatened, she may even kill her kittens to “protect” them. If you see your mother cat exhibiting any unusual symptoms mentioned above, monitor her activity and the kittens closely. If things get out of control, consider keeping her caged.

The environment kitten needs: Kittens need a very warm temperature to survive. If the mother does not stay with the kittens (see above), you should probably use an external heat source, like a heat lamp. Large litters will typically stay warm by themselves. Make sure that the box where the newborn kittens are staying is about 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least the first week of life. However, mothers may feel as through their kittens are in danger if there is too much light. You can calm an anxious mother by placing a blanket loosely over the top of the box.

Kittens need to sleep: Don’t be alarmed if the kittens are not moving around much at first. Newborn kittens sleep and eat 90% of the time for the first two weeks of life. Crying is common if the mother leaves for any amount of time, but if the kittens cry excessively, it may signal that they are not getting enough to eat or they are sick. Call your vet if this occurs. You should also call your vet for special instructions if there are more than 5 kittens in the litter, which may mean that the mother cannot supply enough milk. In general, it is simply best to talk to your vet about what to expect with your new kittens.