How to keep your cat healthy

Cat health information: Why not declaw your cat? Guidelines to using flea control products Poisonous household items for cats Healthy Cat Food - Is more expensive food actually better?

Complete Cat Care - the best way to look after your cat, for life! (ebook) Caring for your pregnant cat (ebook)

To Declaw or not?

Scratching is a natural behavior of cats and cats may be defenseless without full use of their claws. Cats use their claws for scratching, climbing, balance, defense, playing, kneading, and even self-expression. Animal behaviorists currently believe that the main function of scratching for the cat is communication. It is natural, instinctual behavior. Scratching involves not only leaving a visual mark but it is an attention getting, happiness display. Ideally the cat should be encouraged in this behavior; however, because of damage to furnishings, most cat owners reach a compromise with the cat by claw clipping and redirecting to other acceptable surfaces or using the relatively new claw guards, and most cats are adaptable enough to accept this arrangement.

Declawing of cats (onychectomy) and the severing of digital tendons (tendonectomy - a surgical procedure) are without benefit to the cat. This is an amputation of the claw and the end toe bone joint. The surgery has a reputation for causing pain for a week or more and the possibility of postoperative complications, such as infection, hemorrhage, nail regrowth and altered feeling in the toes for some time after surgery. A declawed cat will still scratch but without damage to furnishings. Because of the this lack of benefit, the discomfort associated with any surgery and potential future behavioral or physical effects, serious consideration should be taken before deciding on routine declawing or tendonectomy surgery. Cat owners can look into the following alternative solutions to prevent household damage from cat scratching.

Alternatives:

• provide a scatching post

• properly retraining a cat to use the scratching post works for most cats (Click here for training info)

• trimming the claws

• using claw guards (relatively new concept)

Flea control top

Fleas are the cause of many diseases such as flea anemia, flea bite dermatitis, and tapeworm infestation. Getting rid of fleas usually requires the use of insecticides, either in the form of a mousses, spot-ons, oral suspensions, powders or spray mists. There are many safe insecticide products available for use on cats but caution must still be used. Products should be used strictly according to their label directions.

Guidelines for cat owners choosing and applying a flea control product:

• Never use insecticides on very young kittens, pregnant cats, debilitated, or elderly cats without consulting your veterinarian. 
• Before using ANY product on your cat, read the label instructions completely. Observe the species and age requirements listed on the label.
• NEVER use a product labeled "for use on dogs only" on your cats. Cats react very differently than dogs to some insecticides. Some dog products can be deadly to cats, even in tiny amounts because the type of insecticide used for dogs is not the same as for cats.
• Insect growth regulators like lufenuron, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen can be used in combination or alone with flea control products. They can help break the flea life cycle by inhibiting flea maturation. Growth regulators have minimal adverse effects and can improve the efficacy when used in combination with adult flea insecticides.
• Just because a product is labeled to be a "natural" product does not mean that the product is completely safe. Many such "natural" products can be harmful when used inappropriately on cats. For example, d-limonene and linalool are citrus extracts that are used as flea control agents. Though they are natural products, they still can have serious side effects if used on sensitive cats or if used improperly.
• Observe your cat closely after using flea products. If your cat exhibits unusual behavior, or becomes depressed, weak, or uncoordinated you should seek veterinary advice.

An alternative to insecticides: you could comb the fleas off the cat with a flea comb then submerge the fleas in a small container of soapy water. This would also be a good alternative for cats who love being groomed but who violently refuse baths or the application of a spray.

Poisonous/Harmful items for cats: top

• chocolate - one half ounce of baking chocolate per pound body weight or less can be poisonous.
• mothballs (one or two balls can be life threatening in most species)
• potpourri oils
• fabric softener sheets
• automatic dish detergents
• batteries
• play-dough
• cigarettes
• coffee grounds
• alcoholic drinks
• some house plants, lilies especially (click for full list of toxic plants for cats)
• Automotive products such as oil, gasoline, and antifreeze. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) can be deadly in a 7lb cat.
• Onions, garlic and related root vegetables (onion powder included)
• tomatoes, raw potatoes
• Grapes and raisins
• Cow's milk (although not toxic, does have adverse affects, can cause indigestion and diarrhea)
• Raw eggs

Healthy cat food - Is more expensive cat food better? top

Are cat food companies just trying to sell you more expensive food that provide no more benefits than no-name brands, or is it really worth paying the extra money? That is a question that many of us ask. Some cats will eat any food given to them, while others are very fussy. Is this any indication of the quality of food? One thing is for sure, all cat food is not equal. Although your cat may have its' preferences, this does not indicate quality. Poor nutrition is something that should be taken seriously because it can shorten the life expectancy of your cat. A common identifying sign of poor nutrition is dry, flaky skin and sparse, coarse, brittle hair coat. Healthy cats have thick, shiny fur, soft coats with healthy-looking skin.

Cats are carnivorous animals yet most cat food is made with a base of rice or corn. Does this make sense to anyone? It is because of the inescapable fact that corn and rice are cheaper to produce than meat. The higher the cost of the food's ingredients, the higher the price of the cat food, and since "whatever's on sale" sells the best, most cat food companies want to produce food as cheap as possible. The most nutritious food for cats is easy for cats to digest, has lots of nutrients, and therefore they do not need to eat as much of it. (Put another way, your cat will need to eat more food if it is less nutritious or less digestible.) Buying more expensive food can work out to about the same cost as the cheap stuff if you pet ends up not needing to eat as much. In general we have come to the conclusion that the higher the price, the better the quality and digestibility of the ingredients. Keep this in mind when buying your cat food, although it should not be the only determining factor.

Consider what the food is made of before you buy.

High Protein doesn't mean high quality. Consider the source of the protein and whether or not it will be digestible for your cat. This is not to say that cat food should not contain corn, rice or other grains, nor does it mean that it will be bad for your cat. Just ensure that it is not the main ingredient of the food, or the main source of nutrition for your cat.

Tips:

Canned or dry food?

One advantage of dry food is providing a rough surface that will help reduce plaque and tartar buildup on your cat's teeth. Thus, dry food as well as canned food is recommended by most veterinarians.

Does the type of food dish matter?

Stainless steel bowls are ideal because plastic and ceramic bowls can scratch, leaving crevices for bacteria to hide. The latter types of bowls (and resultant resident bacteria) have been associated with feline "acne" and skin irritation.

Complete Cat Care - the best way to look after your cat, for life! (ebook)

Caring for your pregnant cat (ebook)