My Beloved Cat

By Alison Wood

There are two basic types of people in this world, cat people and dog people. Although there are some individuals who tend to cross the line in this regard, everybody has a favorite. For those of us that love our felines, there are a number of different things that we can do in order to make sure that they are happy and healthy in their environments. This not only includes the food that they eat (which is very important) but it also includes making sure that they are mentally challenged from time to time.

Regardless of your cat and its personality, one of the things that every cat needs is a lot of attention and affection. Some felines will simply pass you by and act as if you are not even there. When things are quiet, however, you may see them reappear and at that time, it is necessary for you to give them the affection that they need. Even whenever they are ignoring you, make sure that you always acknowledge them when you enter your home and whenever you happen to see them in passing. It will make a difference in how content they are.

Something else that all cats need is some time out in which they are able to play. For an indoor cat, this becomes your sole responsibility and you must make sure that they are regularly playing or getting the exercise that they need. There are plenty of toys that are available on the market which will help to keep your cat interested in whatever it is that you’re trying to do. Make sure that you utilize plenty of these toys, and always be looking for the “new favorite”. Whenever you find it, you would be surprised with the hours of entertainment that your trusted feline will get out of it.

One thing that you should always keep in mind when it comes to a feline is the fact that essentially, they are an outdoor animal. Even if they are comfortable indoors, it is still necessary to provide an environment for them that will excite their senses and give them fresh territory to explore. All cats enjoy exploring in this way, particularly whenever the lights are out and nobody else is around. By mixing things up a little bit and providing them with fresh territory from time to time, you are really doing a great kindness for your feline. It will help to keep them happy and interested in the area in which they live.

One other thing that I would recommend, even though it is not for every cat owner that is out there, is to provide another feline companion for your animal. Some cats really enjoy having another feline in the area and they will quickly adapt to the new company that they are keeping. Be cautious, however, in choosing the right sex of cat as not all felines are going to get along with each other, particularly whenever they are of the same sex. If you choose wisely, and make sure that your cat adjusts to it well, you would be surprised with what it is able to bring to your family.

By Steph Boone

Right now we are going to talk about dirty ears and ear mites. So here’s this wonderful cat and he has some dirt in his ears. When I flip the ear back you can see that there’s some brown, crumbly wax in there. So in order to clean this out and check it for ear mites, jus put a little bit of cleaner on the gauze and kind of soak a little q tip in there and scoop some of that nasty stuff out of there. You can see that his ears are very itchy. He’s helping actually with the process and that thick wax. It’s pretty indicative of ear mites.

This type of mite wax is usually crumbly and thick like that. The ear mites are actually microscopic so you can’t see them without magnification, but they’re little white bugs that craw around dint their ear. So make sure to have this cat some treatment for his ear mites to take care of that itchiness that he’s experiencing goes away. If your cat goes out frequently or if it is an indoor outdoor cat, or if you come across a stray that you decide to make your own, you may notice that these cats get problems with their ears and their skin and basically ear mites are extremely common.

Fleas and ticks are also very much prevalent and so is a ring worm which is really a fungus of the skin. All of these have caused significant harm on your beloved cat or dog. The ear mites are the most common cause of ear infection in cats. An ear infection will show up in two ways: one you will see dark debris inside the kitty’s ears and two, one might see the cat really batting at his ears, shaking his head and then one would notice the debris afterwards.

They could just be infected, but in most cases, those cats have ear mites. There are over the counter products for ear mites that are little bottles of things that one can put in the cat’s ears. The thing is, cats hate it! Cats hate getting wet and they hate putting stuff in their ears and you generally have to do it two weeks on, two weeks off, two weeks on so that you can get the eggs. This is mainly because it will only kill the adults, it won’t kill the eggs and you will have to wait until the eggs hatch and you may have to do that for a couple of months. So treating them over the counter is cheaper, but can be very difficult.

So taking them to the vet, you might find that there are lots of things that are a whole lot easier: drops that go on their back, or even drops that go in the ears. This is specifically a one time treatment and it is just so much, the office call is well worth is compared to what you go through trying to treat it at home.

By Chris R Palmer

The two most common reasons are play aggression and over stimulation. If a kitten is kept with its mother long enough, it learns the limitations of playtime. If they get too rough with mom or their siblings, mom will let them know that it’s not appropriate, even going so far as to sit on a kitten that’s gone a little too far. Think of it as a “time out” for kittens. Ideally a kitten should be kept with its mom and littermates for 12 weeks so he has time to learn some life lessons. Those cats that bite into adulthood are often those kittens who were separated from their mother and siblings at too young an age and simply didn’t learn the boundaries of interaction.

Cats are hunters. Their playtime is centered on replicating hunting behaviors. Sometimes, a kitten may see your hand approaching them and sink its teeth in to catch their prey. They don’t know any difference between you and their hunting instinct. To them, a moving object is a moving object and needs to be caught.

As you know, cats love movement and react to it instinctively. One of the ways to channel this behavior is by introducing toys into your cat’s life. You should never use your hand or any other part of your body as a play toy. This simply teaches your cat that it’s O.K. to pounce on you, scratch you and bite you.

Before you ever consider disciplinary measures try to get your kitten or cat interested in toys. Stuffed mice, balls, and even crumpled up paper will thrill your kitty. Show the cat how to interact with the toy by tossing it into the air and catching it. They’ll catch on pretty quickly. Battery operated toys that roll along the floor are like a drug to a cat, especially it if has cutouts in it so the cat can actually catch it, hold it and release it to chase again.

Your cat may also bite because he is overly stimulated. Cats and even kittens only like to be petted and held for so long. One minute they could be purring away and then “Bam!”, they bite you. They’ve had enough.

You really can’t ramp up a cat and then expect him to know when playtime is over. It’s best not to take them to that level in the first place. But if you do, know your cat’s body language so you know when they’ve had enough. They may stiffen their body or hiss just before biting you, thinking that if they sink their teeth into you, you will finally get the message that they’re done for now.

Cats love to be loved, but on their schedule, not yours. This is true with kittens too. They can only take so much play and stimulation in a day and when they want to be left alone, they may resort to biting as a last resort.

On occasion, your cat may bite because you touched an area where they are sore. If touching your cat in that area again gets the same response, you may want to call your vet. He may have been injured or have something going on inside, such as infection.

Cat biting isn’t a lifetime habit. By knowing why your cat bites and doing some corrective discipline, your biter can become a lover, and a much better friend and member of the family in the process.

By Jeff T. Brantley

Cats enjoy digging around in the flower beds and using the area as an outdoor litter box. Unfortunately, the cat can kill some of the plants with its potent urine and that urine also leaves behind a horrible smell. Homeowners can keep cats out of flower beds using some simple techniques and common ingredients.

There are powder and liquid products sold online and in stores that can be sprayed on the flower beds to keep cats away. One powder product is called Shake-Away and it contains the scent of predator animal urine that will scare the cat away. The granules should be sprinkled on the ground in the desired areas and they will go to work. Shake-Away is organic, so it will not harm the environment, pets, or humans and it will not damage the flowers.

A very natural way to keep the cats out of the area involves using plants that repel cats. These give off odors that most cats dislike, causing the felines to avoid the area. Coleus canina, aptly known as “scaredy cat plant,” rue, lavender, and pennyroyal are all known for their ability to keep cats out of the flower beds.

The garden can be sprinkled with unappealing substances like blood meal fertilizer, mothballs, and cayenne pepper flakes. Mothballs are toxic, so they should be placed in a covered jar or can and then a few holes can be poked in the cover. Some also say that cayenne pepper can be harmful to cats, so this is a method that some may want to use sparingly.

Homeowners preferring to take more aggressive action can install wire fencing or motion detecting sprinklers. Cats do not like to get wet, so the sprinkler method should be quite effective. Using stone mulch or a groundcover such as sharp pine cones will deter the cat from stepping into the area. A feline does not enjoy walking on any material that feels bristly on its paws. One way to reach a compromise with the cat is to make a sandbox especially for the cat and locate it near some catnip plants. The cat will be happy and will defecate in the intended area.

There are many ways to keep cats out of flower beds and some are more inexpensive than others. Using commercial or natural repellents, cat-deterring plants, fencing, sprinklers, and bristly mulch are just a few. If the cat and the homeowner want to meet in the middle regarding the outside potty, a sandbox situated near catnip is a nice compromise.

By James Cropper

Does your cat keep you awake at night? Does it go in and out of your room constantly?

If so, you are probably going nuts.

During the day just about all cats take naps. They will hop in your bed as soon as you get up and curl themselves in a ball. Getting all this sleep will give your cat a lot of energy at night. This will result in your little feline friend keeping you awake at night. This will show, especially after your second or third day at work after being kept up during the night. This could cause you real problems by not being as efficient as you should be at work. Is your pet got something against you? Is it doing this on purpose? Probably not. Its not the animals fault. Cats are night time creatures. They prowl around at night looking for mice. Cats figured out hundreds of years ago that if they follow the humans, they will find mice and rats.

This was a beneficial arrangement for both the humans and the felines. The felines got a meal and the humans had rodent control. The cats virtually eliminated the mouse and rat problem and the humans figured out that they liked the cats. People started keeping these creatures as pets. Since their owners would feed the kitty’s, They did not need to hunt for rodents anymore. You can’t get rid of the felines natural instincts to go and hunt these rodents. What do you do when your cat keeps you up all night? If you have an outdoor cat you probably do not have this problem. Indoor cats are the main problem in this dilemma.

People that have indoor cats usually have good reasons for not letting them out.

Try playing with your cat in the morning before you leave for work and when you get home. Use up some of that energy that will be spent at night. Play with your pet with a string or some store bought toys. Play with your cat just enough to expend that stored up night time energy.

Increase the time spent playing each night if your little kitty gets bored the first time in a relatively short period of time. All this stored energy is what your feline would be expending trying to catch rodents. At the end of these energy expending sessions, the cat gets a some food out of it. When your done playing, give the little guy a couple treats.

This will mimic the animals natural actions and just may tire it out for most of the night. This may take some time, but it will be well worth it after you start getting more sleep at night.

By Robert Shorn

Feeding your cat some homemade cat food is a very appealing idea when it comes to making sure that your cat is eating as healthily as it can do. The downside of this may be that you struggle for any spare time what with holding down a job and looking after a family. It may be that you do not think you will have any spare time to make your own home made cat food.

However the benefits to having your cat healthy is more important than actually saving the few minutes a day it could take to prepare a home made cat meal. It may only take you a few minutes more to feed your cat some healthy home made food than it would to open a packet of shop bought cat food. Another advantage to your cat having a healthy meal will be that your cat will not need as much health care by the professionals which could end up saving you quite a bit of money.

It is important to know what food is healthy for cats and you could quite easily find this out by sticking to natural recipes.

Once you have discovered what foods are healthy options for your cat you can then decide what is the best way to actually feed your cat.

If you regularly do a weekly shop then you could incorporate buying your healthy cat food into this routine. That way you are at least guaranteeing that you have enough food in stock for a full week.

With all of your food in stock you could then plan recipes for the week. By sticking to certain food on certain days you can make sure that your cat is getting all the nutrition that it actually needs on a regular basis. It makes it easier for you too as you can just repeat your recipes every week.

You could place a couple of day’s food into your refrigerator and the rest can be frozen to keep their freshness.

Knowing about home made cat food and the making of such food just takes a little planning. Once you have got the hang of this it comes a lot easier to you and you can easily fit it into your daily or weekly routine.

By Kathy Robinson

Cats are creatures that love a routine. I’m sure you notice them rubbing at your legs and meowing when you’re preparing dinner. They no doubt can smell the food and they want feeding too.

Below are my favourite tips for a well behaved cat.

Feed your kitten or cat at the same time of day in the same spot. You can have a mixture of canned foods or dry biscuits. Check the quantity needed for the age or size of your cat on the packaging. I have found my cats do very well on less than the recommended amount and I’ve often wondered if this ’suggested amount’ is overstated so you purchase more of their product.

If you have a kitten, plan a time each day for playing and games. Continue this ‘play time’ even when your cat is an adult. They will still enjoy it and I’m sure you will too. We generally tend to play with kittens much more than adult cats as kittens love playing as it teaches them life skills. Having a set time each day, perhaps when the children come home from school or when you get home from work will give your kitten or cat something to look forward to and will do wonders for bonding.

If you plan to bathe your cat, it will be much easier if this is started while it is still a kitten. Your adult cat will be much easier to bathe if you have always done this. Trying to introduce an adult cat to the bath usually ends in scratches and a cat that won’t trust you. Make it part of the weekly routine.

Grooming is something that most cats love. Of course there are the exceptions to the rule but if you groom long haired cats daily and short haired ones twice a week, they will learn to accept it. I find grooming a pleasure while I’m watching TV at the end of the day. My cats are relaxed as they have been played with and fed and it’s time for brushing or perhaps a massage while they take it in turns to sit on my lap. Of course sometimes they need encouragement to move off so the other cat can move on.

Massage is another activity that can become part of a weekly routine. Cassie will sit on the arm of my chair when she wants a massage then curl up on my lap when she’s had enough.

After a few weeks or months of doing this, your cat will be in a well established routine and will have developed its own routine for what it wants to do. This includes finding a comfy place to curl up for a cat nap or stretching itself out on the climbing post. I find that Cassie will come and talk to me most mornings when I start work and after a few minutes of stroking her and talking to her, she’ll happily jump on my bed for some sleep. And at around 6.30 each night she will be sitting quietly next to her food bowl, just waiting to be fed.

We have our routines so why shouldn’t our cat. And by establishing these routines as early as possible, you’ll have a very well behaved and well trained cat that is a joy to have around.

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By Kathy Robinson

When people hear a cat hissing they usually try to stay clear of it. Hissing usually comes just before a fight with another cat or scratching and biting a human. Cats sometimes hiss at people as they walk past. One of my cats Cassie is most unusual in that she will be purring and rubbing at your legs then will suddenly hiss then purr again. She is the only cat I have ever met who can hiss and purr at the same time!

If your cat starts hissing at you for no apparent reason, try distracting her by calling her name. If this doesn’t work, very carefully put your hand out in a non-threatening manner while talking softly to her. Try to find out why she is hissing. Is she in pain? Hungry? Hurt? Anxious? Frightened? Some cats that have been teased in the past are always unsure if they are safe. They may just be ‘lashing out’ to get in first. If this is the case you need to spend time making your cat feel safe and wanted.

Cassie is like this. After she was spayed she became very fearful of everyone. She had previously been a normal kitten we had had from birth so this behavior was quite unusual. Even her mother Tikki reacted badly to her when she came home.

It took me many months of just talking to her each time I saw her, then starting to stroke her as I walked past. Overall, I suppose it took about a year before she trusted me enough to jump onto my lap. At first she would only stay for a minute or so but with gentle stroking and a soft voice, she slowly gained confidence and now sits on my chair waiting for me to sit down and would sit on my lap most of the day if she could. In fact, she complains if I have meetings or work too long on the computer. I still can’t pick her up but she no longer hisses at me when I try.

If your cat hisses at regular visitors, try asking them to get down to the cat’s level and stroke her before coming into the house. If you are there while this is happening, your cat will start to get used to new people. By experimenting, you can work out if it is the people or the door bell that frightens her. If it is the bell, try muting it a little if possible or perhaps spend some time ringing it yourself and letting your cat see it’s nothing to be frightened of.

Remember, cats hiss because they are either frightened or because they are trying to scare someone away. By spending the time helping to understand your cat and to help it, you will find a wonderful friend in your pet.

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By Carolynne Woods

It can be a fuzzy moment when your feline friend jumps up into your lap and begins to purr – they are content and you feel relaxed too. Sometimes as cat owners, we love nothing more than to just curl up on the sofa with our furry buddy and share some quality time with them – bliss! It becomes even more of a pleasure when they come at times of need – when you are feeling low or mildly sick. It is almost as if they read your thoughts and offer their love and affection. The sound of the purr can vary between cats – sometimes we can hardly hear it, but still feel the vibrations, whereas in other cats the sound is very clear…one of my cats sounds like a rusty gate when she gets going. The big question is though – why do cats purr?

One veterinarian, who went on to write a book about cat behavior, suggests that purring begins as a kitten when they communicate with the mother. It is their way of telling the mother that they are feeling well and happy. The mother will then respond in the same manner to let them know that she is there for them.

This is not the only theory though and there remains some debate on the topic. What we have been told by leading professionals in cat behavioral studies, is that purring is just one of the sounds produced whilst a cat has its mouth closed. Cats also produce grunting sounds and murmurs which act as a form of acknowledgment. All cats, even inclusive of some wild cats, can purr.

When a cat is no longer a kitten, they will still use purring as a form of communication. Most of the time it is communicating with its owner or other pets within the household, to let them know they are in a happy state and experiencing pleasure. Sometimes however, a cat purrs when it is faced with danger or even sickness. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for a pregnant cat to purr whilst delivering her young, or taking care of them. Rather unusual on first thought, but a cat that is nearing the end of their life may also purr. It is not certain if this is due to fear of dying or a state of euphoria – which is also known in humans close to death.

Interestingly, the reason behind a cats purr while in stressful situations is thought to be very similar to when we might sing or whistle when we are anxious. For them, as it is for us, the sound produced is to take their mind off their predicament and try to reassure themselves! It might also be that they are offering peace to another, more aggressive cat.

More recently, further studies of the behavior of cats; have suggested that the happy hormones endorphins are the answer to why cats purr. As we may know, endorphins are released every time we experience extreme pain or pleasure – this would offer some sense to why cats purr in both difficult situations and more pleasurable ones.

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By Kum Martin

Most cat owners will tell you that the worse thing about owning a cat is watching your furniture being scratched constantly. As a result some owners resort to declawing their cats. What they do not realize that this requires a surgery that can be extremely painful for the cat. The surgery involves removing the claws that are connected to the toes so that they do not grow back.

Due to the pain involved, many cat owners are looking for alternatives to declawing. At this point it must be said that scratching is normal behavior in cats. It is a grooming process. In addition, the claws serve other purposes. They help the cat to defend itself from other animals.

If you do not want to put your cat through all the pain and psychological trauma of declawing, you can trim its claws. This can be done at home using a special nail clipper for cats. Claw trimming must be done when the cat is drowsy or in a relaxed state of mind. In case you are squeamish about trimming the nail, you can check with your vet whether he or she would be willing to do it.

Another option that most cat owners do not use is installing a scratching post for your cat. The post can be bought from any pet shop, or you can make one at home if you know how to. Try to have many posts of different shapes around the house. However, you will have to teach your cat to scratch the posts and not the furniture.

Another option to declawing is purchasing vinyl claws and then sticking them to the cat’s claws with the help of some glue. These are like caps that cover the claws. However, using these caps will not stop the cat from scratching the furniture, but at least your furniture will be safe as the caps are not pointed or sharp ended.

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