How Is A Kittens Fur Supposed To Feel?

I have four kittens. They are about 16 days old. There fur is fluffy and not silky. I’ve never had any of my cats have kittens before, so this is my first time. I’d like to understand many things.
Could someone help me?
Give me some good pointers on kitten facts and such?
Also answer the Question I asked?

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Kitten Care for the First Three Weeks

The first three weeks in the life of a newborn kitten is truly the most important for the development of the overall kitten health, personally, and character. Keep in mind that the kitten is is a lot like a newborn human baby. It eats around the clock and is of course totally dependent on the care giver for everything. You are very lucky if the mother cat is there to take care of the little kitten. If not you will need to provide a dry, warm place. You do not have to worry about being all fancy, just some clean rags or towels in a cardboard box will work fine. There is milk replacement if you need it. Available at most pet stores or veterinarians, you may need supplies like a eye dropper, syringe or even a small bottle may be found. Just follow the manufactures instructions and the kitten will begin to blossom.

Week one will see the growth of the kitten in a incredible rate. The birth weight will almost double. It is believed that the first few weeks of development does determine the personality traits of the kitten. While still growing in week two, the kitten will also start to begin opening the eyes. Most of the eyes of the kittens will stay blue for several weeks. But the vision will be blurred due to the fact that the pupils will not dilate and contract at first. It is a good idea to try and keep the kitten out of bright lights during this time. Their sense of smell is developing and it is common for the little kittens to hiss at smells that a new to them. The sex of the kitten is still hard to determine at this point. By week three the ear canals are open. This is the time that the kittens will start being social with humans and other kittens that are in their litter.

If the mother cat is not there, you will be responsible for the other parts of the care of the kitten. It is very important to bath the kitten after each feeding. Use a warm cloth and stimulate the urogenital reflex of the kitten. For the first three weeks the kitten can not voluntary eliminate the urine or the feces. The warm cloth will help to stimulate and also feel more like the mother cat. After the three weeks you can also start weaning?a bottle fed kitten. It is suggested to take some can food and mix with the milk replacement to the consistency of a milkshake to begin the weaning process and start the kitten to eat from dishes.

Cat Care – The Best, The Easiest, The Most Natural

Caring for your cat is easy when you try to remember her origins. Being domesticated doesn?t mean you should abandon how she would live in the wild. Cats have evolved in the wild over millennia. They have been domesticated for a mere trifle in comparison.

This means that their nutritional and emotional needs remain identical to those of their forebears. In attempting to provide the best cat care means looking at these needs.

Lets look at their nutritional needs first.

Wild cats hunt on their own. They hunt small animals, sometimes up to about their own size, but mostly smaller than themselves. They rarely eat anything other than freshly killed meat.

Contrasting this with a typical domestic cat?s diet of dried pellets and you realise how off the mark commercial pet food is. Even if dried pellets were made with the best cuts of meat (which they aren?t), the meat is still not fresh or raw.

So, if you?re trying to provide the most complete cat care, what should you feed your cat?

In my opinion, the best cat food is raw meat and bones. You can?t completely duplicate a wild cat?s diet, but you can come so close as to not compromise her health. Cat care starts with food as this is consumed daily. Something done daily has much more impact on our health than say something that only happens once a year.

When a cat eats her prey, she will eat all the meat, including the bones. Bones are the best source of calcium for a cat. And meat can only be properly digested when it is consumed with bones. After all, all carnivores eat meat with bones.

Not only that, crunching up on bones is the best way of keeping her teeth and gums healthy, as long as they?re not too big. No dried pellets can do that as well, despite the promises on the label.

Some think that giving a cat raw meat will trigger their hunting instinct. In my experience, it does the exact opposite. Because raw meat is nutrient dense, your cat will be satisfied and won?t feel the need to supplement her diet as when fed a nutrient deficient diet.

Natural cat care also means providing your cat with her basic emotional and physical needs. Cats are intelligent and inquisitive. They need visual stimulation. This is best served by being outdoors, where nature provides an abundance of stimulation.

If it?s impossible or too dangerous to let your cat outside, do make sure she has access to safe stimulants, perhaps in the form of toys. Make sure you play with her to ensure she gets adequate exercise.

Sun is an important aspect of good cat care. Cats love the sun and it is essential to good health for all of us, not just your cat. Regular outdoor access will allow her to choose for herself. For confined cats, make sure there are times when you can open a window (safely) to allow the sun?s rays in, unhindered by glass or plastic.

Easy cat care really means allowing your cat the freedom she desires. Confining cats indoors is going against good animal husbandry,

I am also of the opinion that declawing cats is not only painfully inhumane, it deprives the cat of the natural joy of stretching. If you are considering declawing your cat, maybe you should also consider having a cat is not for you. Cats have already adapted a great deal to live with us. Putting them through an unnecessary, inhumane and painful operation is purely for your benefit, not your cats.

Cats provide us with an abundance affection, love and enjoyment. To provide even adequate cat care, we should at least do the same for them.

A Guide to Holistic Cat Care for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

Have you ever wondered if holistic cat care would help with feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD?? Many cat owners who have had a long and frustrating battle with feline cystitis wonder if natural feline urinary support would help.

What Is Holistic Cat Care?

Holistic care involves looking at your kitty as a whole, as an alternative to? focusing on her kidneys and bladder when she has cat urinary problems.? Instead of just treating the symptoms of FLUTD, a holistic practitioner will want to know about your cat’s diet, and stress in her life.? Natural remedies for pets are often used, too.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease And Your Cat’s Diet

Many cat owners don’t realize that there’s a direct link between their cat’s diet and feline lower urinary tract disease.? Ads on tv and in magazines tell us repeatedly how great dry food is for our cats.? It has all the nutrients your cats needs, yes.? But that’s not the whole truth.?

In the wild, cats don’t drink much water, for the simple reason that they’ve been designed to get most of their water from their food.? All people and animals are over 90% water.? A cat who eats mice and other prey animals will almost completely satisfy her water requirements.?

It’s a different story for our kitties.? We want to do the best for them, so we feed them what we have been told is the best possible diet.? But dry cat food has a moisture content of less than 10%.? This is good for a long storage life, but it’s not so good for your cat’s health.? A cat who eats only dry food is probably a chronically dehydrated cat, since it’s hard for her to drink enough water to make up the difference between what’s in her diet, and what her body needs.?

Did you know that kidney failure is the leading cause of death in older cats?? It can be the result of a lifetime of chronic dehydration.?

It’s also been proven that the best way to prevent FLUTD is to increase the amount of water going through your cat.? A more than adequate water intake flushes impurities out of your cat’s body and his urinary system.? Be sure your kitty always has access to plenty of clean fresh water.

Cat Stress Is Linked To Feline Cystitis

Most of us would think that our cats lead a charmed life.? Wouldn’t it be great to just lay around and sleep all day?

Well, maybe not.? Cats face a lot more stress than most of us realize.? Just being an indoor cat is a stress on an animal that’s meant to be outside hunting, and slinking around in the dark.? Add a lack of exercise, too much of the wrong food, not enough water, annoyances from other cats and pets, and just being cooped up inside, and you can see that maybe life isn’t quite as easy as you thought for your furball.

Feline interstitial cystitis has been linked to cat stress.? If your vet can’t find any reason for your cat’s bladder inflammation, maybe you should be looking for hidden stress in your cat’s life.

Natural Feline Urinary Support

You may be interested in one of the many natural remedies for pets available now.? You should look for one that contains the herbs uva ursi and barberry, along with the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagris.? These remedies work together to provide natural feline urinary support to keep your cat’s urinary system working well.?

Your goal now?? To use holistic cat care to keep your cat healthy and to prevent feline cystitis.

Proper Pet Cat Care: What Your Beloved Cats Need

Cats have especial needs, which should be provided to them if you want to have them as pets.? What they need are the simple and basic pet cat care, such as cat food, basic cat items such as beddings and litter container as well as cat grooming tools. Likewise, what pet cats need is the attention and affection that you can provide and share to these lovable animals.

One of the most basic pet cat care is the nutritious and enriched cat food. Nothing fancy, only the simple but full of nutrients and vitamins that the animals need for maximum growth, body building and development.

Cats can become voracious when it comes to food, and so as pet owners it is a must that you watch their diet. 4 meals a day is enough for the young cats. However, as they grow older, you should have the meals reduced to 2 to 3 small meals a day. Sufficient water should be given to your cats. It would be great if you can concoct yourself the cat food of your pet in order to assure the nutritional value and as well as the freshness of the food that they take in.

?Another important pet cat care is providing your beloved animal with cat grooming. Definitely you must not neglect this aspect of caring for your cats. Regular and proper grooming should be given to them. Time comes when you notice that your cat?s fur is getting thicker and longer. You then must take time out to trim it or at least brush the hair regularly.? Bathing is also desired as you see your pet becoming unkempt.

Likewise, you must also make sure that your cat does not have fleas and ticks problems. Parasites should be taken care of by using safe anti tick and flea products. It should be noted however that not only should you take care of the parasites on your cats but also on the surroundings and furniture on your home as they are very likely to be infested too.

Pet cat care can be very meticulous but if done properly and regularly, it turns out to be not that difficult to do. The important thing is that you provide your pet with the best care and attention that you can.

For more about pet cat, cat care and other cat articles, do visit our Pinoy Pet Blog site.

9 Reasons For Adopting A Senior Cat – And 6 Reasons For Not Adopting A Kitten

He leaped out of the cage and grabbed me around the shoulders. My shock quickly turned into amazement. He hadn’t sunk his claws into me! My thought was, “This cat definitely knows good manners. Somebody has worked with him.” I looked at the ticket on the cage door. It read, “Morgan, male, age 14.”

Age 14? I hesitated. That was pretty old. I put him back in the cage and walked around the shelter, looking the other cats over. There were many nice ones, as well as a few kittens.

But my mind kept going back to Morgan, and I realized that, in fact, I had bonded with him. Fourteen years notwithstanding, we had become buddies.

THE PLIGHT OF THE SENIOR CAT

One of the saddest things you’ll see in Animal Shelters is the number of older cats waiting for adoption. By and large, people are looking for kittens.

The older cats languish, many from happy homes where they were loved and cared for, but brought into the shelter for some reason known only to the owner and the cat.

Many people, who don’t like older cats, like kittens. Kittens are cute, cuddly, and funny. They make pleasing pets – but lose their “playfulness” when they grow up, and with it the “love” of their owners.

Somebody said that the mark of a true cat lover is to desire to have grown cats over kittens.

A KITTEN ISN’T ALWAYS WHERE IT’S AT

Many people don’t think through the consequences of adopting a kitten, or of taking one or two kittens from the litter a friend is trying to get rid of, or bringing into your home one left on your doorstep.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you adopt a kitten:

1. Taking care of themselves. Kittens are pretty marginal in being able to take care of themselves, especially when it comes to using a litter box. Do you have time to house train your kitten?

2. Young children. Do you have young children in the house? A child of 2 or 3 may inadvertently kill a kitten. Older children need to be taught how to play with them and need to be closely supervised.

3. Other pets. Are you bringing a kitten home to a household with other, older pets? Make certain you have the time to spend introducing and acclimating your pets to the kitten (and vice versa)

4. House dangers. Is there anything dangerous in your house that could harm a kitten? If you are not home during the day, have you made sure your kitten is safe while unsupervised?

5. Adoptions other than from an animal shelter. .If you are adopting a kitten from a friend, or taking one from a mother cat’s litter, are you prepared to neuter or spay the kitten and give her the vaccinations she needs?

6. Vaccinations. A kitten receives all of her vaccinations over a period of time. You should make sure you have the time and interest to get her the full regimen.

ADOPTING THE SENIOR CAT

Somebody said cats are like shoes: one size doesn’t fit all. Still there are some arguably general reasons for adopting a mature cat over a kitten:

1. An older cat is easier to take care of. In fact, to a great extent, an older cat pretty much can take care of itself. Great for the working person who can’t be home during the day.

2. Older cats are generally calmer than younger ones, and adapt more easily to a new environment.

3. Older cats usually come with their vaccinations and spaying or neutering. A kitten, even adopted from a shelter will need a series of vaccinations.

4. Older cats are better with small children than a kitten is. Better to get an older animal that can defend itself.

5. Older cats are usually housebroken. You’ll have to train a kitten.

6. Older cats can feed and take care of themselves whereas a kitten may need your help – not good for a busy working person.

7. An older cat can “hold its own” against the other family pets (like the dog) better than a kitten can. Unless you’re there to defend it, certain life situations aren’t good for a new kitten.

8. Older cats can better handle a move if you relocate your household. The only thing you have to make sure of is that your cat recognizes your new location as “its den” and doesn’t try to return to your old place.

9. And finally – older cats catch mice. In these days of smarter mice that avoid all known mousetraps, a mature cat can be invaluable.

THE JOY OF OWNING A SENIOR CAT

Well, his name was “Morgan”, but I renamed him “Tab” because he had the typical marks of a Tabby. Tab and I eventually learned to respect each other, and he – although a tough old alley cat – eventually enjoyed sitting in my lap having his battered ears stroked.

He lived five more years, and died at the ripe age of 19. During that time he was my companion during two years of unemployment, providing plenty of understanding, comfort, and love.

One day he definitely “earned his keep”. I found a dead rat in the living room, its neck bitten almost in half. The rat was almost as big as Tab was, but he’d wrestled it down and killed it.

So much for adopting kittens. I’d rather take a tough old alley cat any day of the week.

How Do I Get Kittens To Accept Another Kitten?

A few months ago I found 2 kittens in my grandmothers backyard & ever since I’ve been feeding ‘em & they’ve pretty much made the back yard their home. The other day I found another kitten back there & for some reason they dont like him. Every time the kitten runs up to play with ‘em they’ll hiss, how can I get the 2 kittens to accept the new kitten? or should I just leave things the way they are? & What are some possible reasons as to why the kittens don’t like the new kitten?

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Cat Care Means Having Pet Insurance

Cat care and dog health can be expensive matters. After all, accidents and diseases happen, and veterinarian costs are quite high. We fall in love with our pets easily, though. When something goes wrong, many people are hard-pressed to make the decision to put a feline down or have a dog put to sleep.

Many people don’t realize that pet insurance should be part of dog and cat care considerations. Having coverage can help offset expenses should a pet need serious veterinary care.

The average domestic dog and cat can live up to twenty years, which means you’re looking at a reasonable sum in premiums over the course of your pet’s life. One site advises that instead of paying insurance premiums, simply put the money aside in a separate fund for emergencies.

That’s not a bad idea, if you can do it. Having an emergency fund means that, if everything goes well, when all is said and done, you’ll still have the money there.

Some dog and cat lovers still opt for the security that insurance offers rather than risk going into debt. Over the last few years, there have been major technical advances in the field of veterinarian medicine. It is the addition of these discoveries that have increased the cost of dog and cat care.

We are all familiar with how expensive the hospital can be for a human, whether it’s a visit to the emergency room or for a long-term illness. Many of the same treatments used on humans are now used on animals. Dog and cat care can include organ transplants, radiation therapy, and a multitude of other treatments reserved for terminal illness.

Veterinarians rely on MRIs and other high-end pieces of equipment to help reach a diagnosis. In the past five years alone, vet costs have risen 73% and add up to a staggering $19 billion dollars.

While pet insurance might help to defray some of the costs of dog and cat care, a policy won’t solve all of your financial problems. As with any other medical coverage, policies may also include a large deductible and a limit on how much you can spend in a year.

Pre-existing problems are usually not covered. In addition, premiums increase the older felines or canines get. Some pet insurance companies won’t cover a pet over a certain age, while others will tack on a hefty surcharge for senior animals.

Deciding whether dog and cat care should include pet insurance isn’t an easy choice. This decision becomes more difficult when you need to choose when enough is enough, as pet insurance may make it easier for you to choose long-term dog and cat care for terminal illnesses when the animal might be more comfortable being put down. Only you can make the choice of whether pet insurance is a good one for your needs.

Better Cat Care Defined

Your cat will always rely on you for food, water, safe shelter and regular veterinary cat care even though they appear independent. By doing this consistently you place yourself in a much better place to develop a mutual and rewarding relationship. The guidelines in this article should allow you to consistently perform optimum cat care.

Make it a point to get a cat ID tag and collar that has your address,name and telephone number information. By ensuring that your cat is wearing one you ensure there safe return home in the event they find themselves lost and outside in strange surroundings. Some of the ID tags have a radio responder built into them and by making sure your cat is wearing one you make it possible for another person can read it and bring your cat back to you.

Keep your cat inside if at all possible. This action will ensure that the community, your cat and you are doing what’s best for all involved. Plus if you have gone through all the trouble to find and train your kitty why risk losing them?

Make it a point to get your cat neutered or spayed. This will assist in reducing the problem of cat overpopulation and will keep them healthier.

It is up to you to train your cat from doing things you don’t like like jumping on counter tops and scratching furniture. They can be trained like any other pet if you also keep in mind a bit of understanding, effort and patience when doing so. If you set up a simple system of rewarding and praising them when they perform as you want will go a long way toward them acting and behaving the way you would like.

To keep your cat’s coat healthy, soft and shiny make a it a point to groom them often. To keep your cat’s hair from matting it should be brushed. This will also decrease the creation of hairballs by your cat. Hairballs are produced when cats groom themselves and in the process they ingest hair. Too much of that at once can cause problems for your cat.

Conclusion

In closing just remember to be patient and loyal with your cat. Also remember that the majority of behavior problems can be resolved and make sure you have reasonable expectations of your cat’s behavior. Contact the local animal shelter or veterinarian if you are having major issues with your cat’s behavior.

New Kitten Care – How to Kitten-proof Your Home

A very important aspect of new kitten care is keeping your kitten safe from danger. There are a lot of potential hazards round the home for little kittens. This article lists the most common ones and suggests ways you can minimize risks to your kitten and keep her safe.

Washing machine and tumble dryer:
If you leave the door open and there are clothes inside, there’s a good chance your kitten will climb in and go to sleep. Always check your kitten isn’t inside these before you use them.

Fridge and freezer:
As soon as you’ve used these, shut the door.

Hob and oven:
Shut the oven door as soon as you’ve finished with it. Cover hot hob plates.

Raw meat:
Keep it out of reach – it can give your kitten food poisoning.

Garbage:
Put all garbage in a sealed bin that your kitten can’t access.

Plants:
Many plants are poisonous to cats. If you’re not sure whether a certain plant is safe for your kitten if she eats it, put it out of her reach.

Pot pourri:
The oils used to scent this can be poisonous.

Open fires and candles:
Use a guard on the fire. Never leave a kitten in a room alone with lit candles.

Electrical wires:
If your kitten is a wire chewer, you’ll need to put wires out of her reach or buy plastic covers for them.

Curtain tie-backs and cords on window blinds:
Kittens can get caught in these. Either remove them completely or tie them up out of reach.

Filled bathtubs and sinks:
Make sure your kitten doesn’t have access to the room when the tub or sink is full.

Open toilet:
Try to get into the habit of keeping the lid down when the toilet’s not in use.

Medications:
Keep them in a cupboard that your kitten can’t get into.

Small objects:
Kittens can swallow small things like paper clips, rubber bands, staples and needles.

String, wool, fishing line and thread:
Kittens can swallow large quantities of these. For this reason, balls of wool or string and pom-poms aren’t good toys for cats.

Household chemicals:
Most cleaners etc. are highly poisonous to cats and need to be kept somewhere your kitten can’t access.

Tobacco:
Tobacco, nicotine patches and nicotine gum are all poisonous to cats.

Reclining chairs, futons, folding beds, drawers:
If kittens get caught when this type of furniture is moved, they can get crushed. Make sure your kitten isn’t asleep somewhere she could get trapped before you use any of these.

Safety is a major factor for new kitten care. It’s fairly easy to keep your kitten safe as long as you anticipate potential dangers and take the necessary steps to prevent them. Putting brightly colored post it notes up around your home is a good way to do this. Stick the notes on or near potential dangers – for example the fridge, washing machine, oven, toilet and futon – and anywhere else that could be a hazard.

Next Page »