How To Care For Your Cat

Keeping your pet safe and healthy at all times should be one of your major concerns, and especially around the holidays. There are a number of special considerations you must make for your cat around the holidays. Your vet can give you more specific instructions, but here are just a few of the things you need to contemplate.

Holidays are not festive without a little decorating, and this includes, in many cases, the use of flowers. If you have a cat in your house, make sure that flowers are well out of reach if they are toxic, remembering that cats can jump very high. Some of the most popular flowers that are harmful to your pet include bleeding hearts, calla lilies, poinsettias, daffodils, Easter lilies, irises, ivies, tulips (the bulb part), and a number of other plants. Most cats will not go out of their way to eat these things, but to be on the safe side, make sure you use them safely in your home or, better yet, opt for faux versions instead. There are many kinds of plants that can harm your cat, so check with your vet to make sure before bringing any new kind of plants into your house.

The holidays also may bring a number of friends and family into your home for parties and gatherings. This can be very scary for your cat, unless he or she is used to high levels of traffic. It's a good idea to keep your cat in a room away from the party with the door shut. This will prevent your cat from being scared. When people are entering or leaving your house, there's also the potential that your cat could get outside, and there is also the danger that guests will feed your cat unsafe human foods. It is better to keep your cat away from the party.

Remember also that alcohol and animals do not mix well. Alcohol, in fact, is deadly to animals. Although you or (more likely) a guest might think it's funny to slip a little vodka into your cat's water bowl, this could prove fatal. When you have guests, put your cat's food and water bowls somewhere safe where no one can tamper with them.

Candles and electrical lights could also be unsafe for your pet. Cats are attracted to bright lights, and a candle could not only burn your pet, but you may find that a cat knocking over a candle will start a fire in your house or, at the least, spill wax onto furniture or carpets. Use electric lights instead, but remember to keep the cords covered and taped down so your pet isn't tempted to play with them. Overall, keep an extra eye on your pet during the holidays to make sure they are safe at all times. You can have a good time without compromising your cat's health.

Our cat was a wonderfully docile and loving cat....until we tried to give her a pill. The vet had shown us how easy it was, but our experience was disastrous!

Giving a cat a pill can be a nightmare. No cat wants something shoved down its throat, and it will fight you tooth and nail to prevent it. Although most cats are small in size, you'd be quite amazed with how much power they actually have. There are ways that you can get your cat to take its pills, which we will cover below.

The easiest way to give a cat pill is to crush the power into a powdery form by putting it between two spoons. Once the pill is powder, mix it in with some wet cat food. Cats that are used to eating dry cat food will see the wet food and think of it as a treat. They will normally eat it up, unaware that they just took their medicine. Our cat could sense that it was in the food, and refused to eat it!

If the medicine happens to be in capsule form, all you have to do is pry the capsule apart then sprinkle the medicine on some wet food and serve it to your pet. If the food also contains the pill or if your pet is sick, chances are he won't eat it. In this event, you should look into a pet piller. You can get these handy devices from your veterinarian. They are plastic rods that hold the pill until you press a plunger. When you get one, you should always get a long one with a softer tip.

When you get your gun, your vet should show you how to use it. The most difficult aspect of using the gun is getting your cat to open his mouth. The gun will more or less shoot the pill in the cat's mouth, and down his throat. You'll need to hold him tight, to make sure that he doesn't wiggle his way loose. Once you have his mouth open, you'll need to squeeze the trigger and pull the gun away quickly. After the pill has been inserted, make sure you give your cat a treat. (I don't believe in shooting cats, even with a soft-tipped gun.)

If you aren't comfortable using the gun, you can always try giving your cat his pills by hand. To do it this way, you'll need to hold your cat still, and open his mouth with your hand. Once you have his mouth open, you should aim for the back of his throat and throw the pill in. Once it is in his mouth, you should close his mouth with your hand and hold it shut for a few moments. This way, your cat will swallow the pill if he hasn't already.

If you can't get any of the above techniques to work, you can always go to a local pharmacy and get them to a make flavored gel or liquid using your cats medication. You should use this as a last resort though, as it can tend to get expensive.

Our solution was to get what is called a pill pocket, which is a soft, treat-like cube, with a hole in one end. By putting the pill in the hole, and sealing the hole by squeezing the treat material with two fingers...voila! Our cat actually looked forward for her "treat".

To us humans, cat behavior can seem very strange and impossible to understand. Of course they want food and water and a clean litter tray and will try to get our attention when they have a need, but why do they do so many other weird things? For example, why does your cat always want to jump up on the lap of your friend who hates cats, even when there are lots of cat lovers in the room who would just adore for him to go be fussed by them?

The reason is linked to another typical aspect of cat behavior. You have probably noticed your cat rubbing up against furniture and pushing its head inside things like cartons and spaces. When cats go into a new place for the first time, or into a room that you have just redecorated, they will brush along the walls and go all around behind and under everything as if they are curious to see what is in all the hidden spaces in your room.

In fact this is not curiosity at all. What the cat is doing is putting his saliva on the objects in the room, so that his scent is on them. This makes it clear to him and any other cats that the room is your cat's territory and those objects are part of it. In cat terms, your whole house and everything in it belongs to him. So why don't you see the cat licking everything? Because he doesn't need to. A cat spends so much time licking his fur, that rubbing his body against something is enough to transfer saliva and scent.

For the same reason it will rub against any strangers who come into your house, and do the same to you if you have been out any place where there were other cats. It seems like he is welcoming you home, and he is, in a way. He is making you his property again. You may sometimes feel that your cat owns you instead of the other way around. Your cat would agree!

This is why cats seem to target people who have pet allergies or don't like cats. Your cat wants to make all of your visitors belong in his house by giving them his scent. Most people will happily let him rub around their legs as soon as they walk in the door, or stroke him or let him lick their fingers, and his job is done. Those people have been accepted and he can ignore them for the rest of their visit, unless they wash or change their clothes. But people who are allergic will avoid the cat, and so the laws of cat behavior require that he keeps on trying to get close to them!

The best way to train a cat is by letting it imitate you as though you were its mother.
This is easier done when it is a kitten as older cats become a lot more difficult to teach.
We all know how cats have a mind of their own and are very independent animals.
This only becomes more so as they age.

You need to get your cat to trust you and shouting and growling at it is not the right approach to do this. Speak softly and encourage and reward it when it does the right thing as this is the fastest way to get your cat to do what you want.

Cats love praise, and teaching them that they will get more from doing something that you want them to do, will ensure that they will be more inclined to obey you for the reward.

If you do have to reprimand your cat don't use its name when doing so as you don't want it to associate its name with something that might upset it.

When you are training a cat you have to remain consistent at all times and be very diligent until you get the desired results. Expect it to take considerably longer than if you were teaching a dog but don't believe that you can't teach a cat to do many things very well.

If there are other members in your family, they can help by always ensuring that the same commands that you give to the cat are also given by them.

With the help of other people doing this you will have a better chance of training your cat a lot faster.

Cats can be a lot of trouble, and that's part of the reason why we will love them so much, but there will be times when you will need to reprimand your cat and stop bad habits. This can be done by flicking a bit of water at it or by giving it a small fright by making a bit of noise when it does something wrong.

A trained cat is a lot more fun and as we have them for many years it is well worth the time and effort.

It is important to take your cat to the dentist at least annually for checkups. Many people don't think about it, but good dental health can keep your cat happy and disease-free.

Whenever you take your cat to the vet, make sure that dental health is checked and discussed, and if your cat is acting strangely at all, especially with eating habits, make sure that dental health problems are not a concern.

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No cat wants to be dirty, and it's up to you to ensure that your cat stays clean. Grooming is very important, as it helps your cat remain clean and healthy. Grooming starts with brushing, as brushing helps to keep the cats hair from becoming hairballs. Brushing will remove loose hair, and help prevent the risk of hairballs.

Cats that have long hair need to be brushed and combed on a daily basis, while cats with short hair need to be groomed on a weekly basis. When you brush your cat, you should always watch for lumps in the coat and skin irritations. You should start brushing along the cat's back, going from his head to his tail.

When brushing your cat, make sure that you check his ears, eyes, teeth, and claws. His eyes should be bright and clear with nothing residing in the corners. His ears should be clean, pink in color, and no sign of ear mites. Ear mites result from dirt built up in a cat's ears, and can result in the ears shriveling up and your cat losing his hearing.

Each time you groom your cat, you should always aim to go a bit further with your examinations. When your cat remains still, you should always praise him and give him a treat. If your cat doesn't cooperate and starts to struggle, you shouldn't fight with him, but instead let him go and try the next day.

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The decision to get health insurance or not depends on many factors. have outlined six of the most common questions. Remember, in the end, you are the only one that can make the decision.

There is no pet health insurance plan that will be perfect for every pet and owner. You will need to consider each of these questions depending on where you live, whether you have other pets and a trusted veterinary service already, and your financial circumstances.

1. Which pet health insurance companies will your veterinarian accept?

Most veterinarians prefer to only deal with a small number of companies or even just one. Some veterinarians will not accept any.

2. Keep in mind that sometimes family veterinarians may not have the equipment or specialist skill to carry out some treatments themselves. This could result in a referral to a specialist animal hospital or the veterinary school of your State University.

3. What are the different options available with the insurance policy? Most companies offer several different levels of cover and some are much more comprehensive than others.

4. Insurance companies often also give you a choice of deductible, which is the amount that you pay from each claim. For example you might have 90% cover where you paid 10% of each claim, or 70% cover where you paid 30%.

5. Many plans do not cover prescribed medications, or they offer this option at an additional cost. Some plans do not cover the cost of the visit to the veterinarian's office, but only the treatment that is prescribed.

6. Wellness treatments are usually covered by health plans. Treatments such as vaccination shots, and spaying or neutering the cat. Wellness treatments are predictable costs and the insurance will probably not save you any money here but it will spread the cost so that your budgeting is easier.

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Male cat neutering is something that almost all male pet cats undergo these days. It is a simple surgical procedure that your veterinarian can perform when the cat is around 6 months old. The cat will be castrated, which means that his testicles will be removed. This stops his body producing the hormones that would give him the typical behaviours of a tomcat (an unneutered male cat). This makes life easier for you as his owner and also has advantages for the cat.

1. The number one reason why most people have a male kitten neutered is that unneutered tomcats will spray urine all over their territory to mark it out. This includes the inside of your home. So unless you plan for your cat to live all of his life outside, or you do not care how your house smells, you will probably want to choose neutering for your cat.

2. If your cat is not neutered he will want to be out looking for female cats to mate with almost all of the time. This can be dangerous if you live in a busy city street. He is also likely to wander far from home. You may not see him for several days, or he may even get lost and never be able to return. If you try to keep him inside the house, then any time you do let him out he may never come back for fear of being shut inside.

3. Tomcats are much more aggressive than neutered cats. They will fight other male cats to keep and grow their territory, where they have dominance and can mate with any female cat who wanders in. If your cat is not the strongest in the neighbourhood he may frequently be injured in these fights. Even a dominant cat will often come home with bites and scratches, and these small injuries can transmit parasites like ringworm or diseases like the feline leukaemia virus, which can be fatal.

4. In some male cats only one testicle descends, leaving the other in the abdomen. This increases the risk of developing a tumour and is a good reason for removing the testicles.

5. Unneutered cats are responsible for producing thousands of unwanted kittens every year. Some of these are taken in by rescue centres and are an expensive burden on the cat welfare system. Others grow up feral and live wild. With nobody to care for them or give them shots, feral cats are a major cause of diseases spreading to our pets.

Owners often ask veterinarians whether their cat could have a vasectomy (sterilization) instead of castration. While this can be done, most veterinarians will advise against it. The only benefit of this is that there will not be kittens. You will still have a tomcat who will exhibit all of the undesirable behaviours in the first three points listed above. The cat will still spray the house and try to mate and fight constantly. Full male cat neutering is the best option for a pet.

I have had the pleasure of sharing my adult life with four cats. Suzie was the first, and was chosen by my young daughter from a litter of kittens which friends of ours had.

She was a grey tabby, very gentle and sensitive. Our children treated her well, and she became a wonderful pet, and helped the children grow into sensitive beings, with a high regard for humans and animals. She was allowed to have a litter of kittens, which she looked after with pride, and which helped our children learn how to be gentle and kind.

Suzie was not overly affectionate, and liked to be outside as much as possible. We were lucky to live in a neighborhood which was quiet, and had lots of space to wander in. Our son brought a stray cat to the house, and persuaded us to keep it, and gradually Suzie came to tolerate our next cat, but they did not become "friends".

We had to move several hundred miles from our home in the East to the midwest, and she tolerated the move quite remarkably. She settled in immediately, and as we still had lots of room to move outside, she was quite content. As she grew older, she became more of a house cat, and did not go out often.

When she was fifteen, a very sad incident cost her her life. Our second cat was a lot younger, and liked to go out. One afternoon, he was outside and we heard a terrible row, a lot of barking and snarling. When I got outside, I realized that he had been cornered by some wild dogs, so I brought him inside. In the meantime, I had not thought about Suzie, as she hardly ever went out. When we called her, she did not come. My wife was beside herself, and so I went to look for her. I called and called, but there was no sign of her. It became dark, and so I gave up.

I went out again early the next morning, and sadly found her body on the side of the road. Evidently the wild dogs had caught her, as she couldn't climb out of their way, and because she was slow with her arthritic hips. We were very sad to lose her, and my wife and daughter were devasted. She had become one of the family.