Cat Care 101: Keeping Your Home Clean and Your Cat Healthy
Our cats are full-fledged family members – there’s no doubt about it. Their loyalty, their love, and their ability to comfort us are unparalleled. Sometimes, though, their hair or odors can leave an unwelcome footprint in our homes. Just as we clean up the spills made by our kids (or our spouses!), it’s up to us to clean up after our cats. Luckily, there are any number of products that make pet care a breeze.
Cat Litter Boxes
Cats are generally low maintenance pets, but their litter boxes often contribute little to you home decor, and can become a smelly nuisance. Today’s litter boxes, though, can bring a touch of whimsy to your interior design, while their functionality can put an end to messes and odors.
One line of litter boxes comes in an assortment of patterns and colors, from solid silver and solid black, to polka dot, leopard print and wood grain. The litter tray door pulls out, and a metal sifter rake pulls and lifts litter out of the tray for easy cleaning. Another ingenious design has a triangular shape so that you can easily place it otherwise used corner space.
If you want to make cat care even easier, self-cleaning litter boxes are the answer. One style has an internal grill that traps used litter. You simply roll the enclosed litter box on its side and remove the waste tray. Another type takes self-cleaning to the next level by having a slowly but rotating system that quietly but continuously scoops used cat litter into a receptacle. The ultimate litter box is one that automatically flushes cat waste down your toilet. Instead of cat litter, this box uses permanent granules that are washable. After your cat uses the box, the granules are automatically washed, disinfected, and dried. Liquid and any solid waste are flushed down the toilet with fresh water.
Kitty Litter
When it comes to kitty litter, many cats have a preference for one brand over another. But if you start with the right litter or are persistent, you can find kitty litter that can help eliminate odors while keep your cat healthy. One brand of kitty litter on the market not only neutralizes litter box odors, but also changes color if your cat has a urinary tract infection. Given that urinary tract infections can quickly become life threatening, early detection is key. It’s also helpful to have information about a potential infection to give to your veterinarian.
Shedding Tools
Many people who love cats are troubled by allergies, or by the cat hair that clings to furniture and clothes. Products that help with shedding take one of two approaches: either they work at the source of the problem (your furry feline) or they make it a snap to clean up hair off of furniture.
Cats typically shed their undercoat (rather than the hair you see), so a product that helps you remove hair from your pet – a “furminator” of sorts – means you’ll never see it on your couch. These products brush out the dead hair from the undercoat (but don’t cut it), while bringing your cat’s natural oils to the surface. Because this type of product also helps stops over zealous self-cleaning, your cat may be less likely to be bothered by hairballs.
Cat care isn’t difficult, and the great litter boxes, kitty litter, and shedding tools make it even easier!
Linda Cain at Rain Shadow LLC and Rain Shadow Gardens. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2007
(NOTE: Article shown above may be linked and circulated freely on web sites, as long as ALL article content, links, author and copyright information remain UNCHANGED in any way whatsoever.)
When Should Kittens Start On Solid Food? When Should They Be Seperated From Their Mothers?
We have 2 kittens that survived out of a litter of 5. When should kittens start on solid food? We are keeping 1 of the kittens and a friend is having the other. When should they be separated from their mothers?
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The Importance Of Cat Care
Having a pet can be a wonderful experience as our furry friends integrate themselves into our daily lives and become cherished members of our families. We all certainly have our allegiances when it comes to our pet of choice. Just as dog owners will brag of the canine’s family-friendly quality and loving demeanor, cat owners will boast of the cat’s intelligent nature and subtle personality. Of course, part of having a pet – of any variety – is the responsibility for their daily care. And cat care, as any cat owner will tell you, is paramount to ensuring your feline’s good health and longevity.
First and foremost, when it comes to cat care – just as you would do for a baby – you must take steps to make your home a safe place for a curious kitty. When doing this, it is helpful to get down on the floor so that you can get a perspective for what may look interesting to your tiny new family member. Remove any small things from the floor that could be a choking hazard, and look for small, dangerous places where your kitten could inadvertently get stuck. Also, be mindful of lit candles and open windows!
Of course, cat care also means proper medical supervision. If you don’t already have a reputable veterinarian with whom you feel comfortable, it is important that you seek one out. Do some research among the animal lovers in your community; you will often find that there is a consensus among them regarding the best choice in area veterinarians. It is essential that you set up an initial appointment for your cat to make sure that all of your cat’s protective shots are in order. The same veterinarian will be significant going forward for regular check-ups, teeth cleaning, and any other medical intervention that you may need.
Ask your veterinarian about the food most appropriate for cat care. As you will find, there are a variety of cat foods on the market today, all advertising their own all-important nutrients; it can be difficult to navigate. Your cat’s nutrition needs will change as it ages so it is important that you keep pace. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you what is nutritionally most important for your kitten – as well as your older cat.
Finally, when it comes to cat care, it is important that your cat feel comfortable and that is has a place of its own. A litter box placed in a removed area of your home will offer your cat a place to go to the bathroom. Talk with your veterinarian about how best to introduce the litter box to your cat.
Ultimately, the most important cat care is the love and protection that you offer, allowing your cat to grow healthy and strong.
Holistic Cat Care for Feline Urinary Tract Infections: Ten Benefits for Your Furry Friend
Let me ask you a simple question: do you know what holistic cat care is? And do you know why natural remedies for pets are the best way to treat feline bladder infections? Read on to discover the answers to these questions.
What Is Holistic Cat Care?
Holistic medicine is a different way of looking at illness. Conventional medicine treats the symptoms of cat urinary problems, but doesn’t address why your pet is showing these symptoms.
Holistic practitioners, on the other hand, look at the animal as a whole, not just as a urinary tract. Holistic pet care follows the principle that your cat’s body is able to maintain a balance that protects her from disease and helps her to heal herself. If this balance is disturbed, your cat gets sick. The holistic approach is to restore this balance.
Our pets are exposed to many toxins in their food, from the environment, and even in the grooming products you use on them. Choosing to use only natural food and pet supplies will go a long way toward keeping your kitty healthy and protecting her from a feline bladder infection.
Ten Benefits Of Natural Cat Care
Feeding your cat a natural diet reduces her exposure to artificial coloring agents and preservatives which can upset her system. Better nutrition will help her to resist feline urinary tract infections.
A high-quality natural diet will prevent health problems like allergies, digestive problems, and cat urinary problems.
Less stress in your cat’s life will help her to stay healthy. Try to identify stressful situations she may be facing. Is she having territory issues with another cat? Is she lonely? Exercise can also help to lower her stress levels, too, as well as keeping her in shape.
With excellent natural pet care, your kitty will live a long happy life.
If your pet doesn’t feel well, her quality of life won’t be as good. Natural cat care will improve your feline friend’s quality of life by helping her to stay healthy.
If your kitty should suffer an injury or illness, she’ll heal faster. Ingredients in natural remedies for pets are absorbed better, which aids in the healing process.
By using natural products for pets, you’ll reduce your own exposure to toxins. You and your family are exposed to the ingredients in the products you use on your cat.
Natural products are more earth-friendly than conventional remedies. They break down quickly, and don’t leave harmful residues in the environment,
You’ll save time by not having to take your kitty to the vet as often. With natural cat care, you’ll be treating the source of feline bladder infection, not just the symptoms, which will help prevent new feline urinary tract infections from developing.
And, finally, you’ll be saving money in the long run by avoiding expensive products that can lead to more health problems for your cat.
The Best Natural Remedies For Pets
It can be overwhelming to try to choose the best natural remedy for your pet from the many on the market. Look for a product that’s specially formulated for pets, not people. Deal only with a company that has a great reputation for producing the highest-quality pet remedies. Read testimonials from other pet owners who have used the product, too.
Believe me, once you’ve started to use holistic cat care, you’ll see an amazing improvement in your cat’s health, as well as preventing feline urinary tract infections.
Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health. Learn how to avoid feline urinary tract infections, and find the best place to buy herbal pet remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com
Pictures Sell Kittens
Do you have a cute and cuddly kitten that you are ready to sell? Many cat owners suddenly find themselves responsible for a litter of kittens after their beloved kitty becomes pregnant. Or, in some cases, a cat that you don’t even own may show up at your home and have a litter of kittens. Regardless of the situation, you will want to find a good home for the kittens as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there are so many kittens in need of homes, finding a home for your kittens can seem almost impossible. Therefore, if you want to increase your chances of getting your kittens sold or even if you simply want to give your kittens away, it is a good idea to use pictures to help you sell kittens.
Why Use Pictures to Sell Kittens?
Using pictures to help you sell kittens is a good idea for a number of different reasons. Perhaps the most important reason to use pictures to help sell kittens is because it makes it easier for the potential buyer to see what the kittens look like. After taking a look at the adorable faces of your kittens, who will be able to resist buying them or taking them off of your hands if you are giving them away for free? There is no doubt that tugging at the heartstrings of your potential buyers is the best way to inspire them to make a purchase.
Another reason to use pictures to sell kittens is simply because it will help set your ad apart from others. In fact, many people that are in the market to buy kittens won’t even bother with ads that don’t come with pictures. This is because it is human nature to take the simplest path possible, and narrowing down choices by looking at pictures is the easiest way to find the perfect kitten.
How Do I Take Pictures?
If you have a whole litter of kittens that you are trying to sell, you might want to take a group photo of all of the kittens. If at all possible, however, it is better to take pictures of each kitten individually when trying to sell them. This way, potential buyers can see the unique characteristics of each kitten you are trying to sell. If it is not possible for you to take individual photos when trying to sell kittens, take a group picture that shows them in the most adorable pose possible. After all, the cuter the kittens are, the more likely your buyers will be to fall in love with them.
When taking the pictures of your kittens, it is generally best to use a digital camera. This way, you can take several pictures until you get the one that shows your kittens in the best way. Many publications accept digital photos and, if you plan to sell kittens with the help of online ads, digital photography is the best route to take. If the publication requires a hard copy of the photo, it is easy enough to take your saved digital photo to the store and get it developed.
CS Swarens is the CEO of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065
For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet’s resource for kittens for sale.
Research over 45 cat breeds.
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.
For more information visit http://www.animal-world.com.
Cat Care & Sick Cats : Treating Flea Allergies In Cats
If a cat has flea allergies, they need to be taken to a veterinarian to receive antibiotic treatments. Treat flea allergies in cats with tips from a cat behaviorist in this free video on cat care.
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What Age Do Kittens Start Eating Regular Kittens Food?
My week old kittens are getting bigger everyday, what age do kittens start eating regular kittens food?
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Basic Cat Care
Having any family pet is a big responsibility so you must know all the underlying steps on how to take care of it. So if you are keen to keep a cat, you need to know more about feline care. Owning a pet cat is not as easy as feeding it daily. Food is not the only thing a pet cat requires to stay healthy and happy. Just like you and me, cats also need some of their basic needs to be met.? Caring for cats is more than just the caring part, you have to know what to do and how to do it. As a conscientious cat owner, here are some things to be aware of.
Some people feed their family cats leftover foods or table scraps, but you have to understand that human food may be harmful to cats.? A combination of the two gives the correct kind of nutritional food for your pet. It can be affordable if you include it in your monthly household shopping budget.
Next, they need a home. You have to make sure the immediate surroundings will be safe and secure for your pet. Much like the way we take care to remove all potentially dangerous and threatening items from the home area when we have a child in the house. Of course, there’s also the need for a litter box for your feline. These can be very inexpensive or more pricey like the self cleaning type. Cats love toys to bring out their playful side, so you’ll want a few of those. Then to further show you care, cozy cat beds are nice. Again, these run from very affordable to more expensive like in the temperature regulated heated cat beds.
Exactly like an infant, your cat needs to be looked over by their veterinarian on a regular basis. It’s also important to take them to the veterinarian to have them neutered or spayed unless you intentionally plan to breed. Cats require vaccinations from time to time, and the costs of such shots may vary. Cats also need annual check-ups with their vet. Regular veterinary visits, as well as emergency visits from illness or injury can turn into a sizeable sum, so be prepared and plan extra money into your budget. It’s better to be prepared for the worst than to be sorry later. Cat care may seem like a cake walk in the beginning, but it is a full-time commitment to be a fully responsible cat owner. Before you dream of owning a pet, or actually getting one, please make sure you’re able to care for it in every sense.
Debbie Foster is the owner of Pet Beds Unlimited and an avid animal lover. You?ll find a wide selection of quality pet beds, dog crates, dog carriers, dog pens, cat beds, cat carriers, large dog beds, pet strollers and more at http://petbedsunlimited.com.
Cat Care : How To Train Cats To Enter Cat Doors
Magnets on cat doors can be strong and thus a deterrent to a cat’s decision to use the door. Train cats to enter cat doors with tips from a cat behaviorist in this free video on pets and cat care.
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