Signs of Cat Illness

The initial indication that your pet cat is unwell is a change in its usual behavior patterns. For example, an active cat becomes inactive and is noted to be sleeping more and refuses to eat. Note also changes in the cat's physical appearance and movements. If the stealth-like movements of your cat be com clumsy or awkward then your cat might be unwell.

Look for the following signs of illness in a cat"

- unusual behavior (inactivity and reclusion)
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- excessive grooming
- excessive drinking of water
- regurgitation of food
- difficulty in breathing
- loose stools
- cloudy eyes
- awkward movement
- poor balance
- excessive vocalization

Cat Litter Tray and Litter Boxes

A  cat litter tray is an indoor toilet for your cat.  It acts a replacement for the place where the cat would usually perform these functions outdoors.  An outcoor cat would toilet in loose soil or leaf litter and would cover up its wastes.  For practical, health and feline privacy reasons,  covered litter trays are best.

There are many litter materials available, the best is the one a cat willingly uses.  materials range form economic wood and paper chips to expensive dolomite varieties - based on usage, the best may be the fine, granular "clumping litter".  This material is also easy to clean, as the results of a cat's toilelting are absorbed, clumped and easily isolated from the whole tray.

To encourage a new kittern ot use its litter tray, it is a good idea to place a kitten that is just waking up directly into the tray.  Instinct will often take over as it moves its paws around the litter material.. Once your kitten has used a tray once, it will instinctively try to "over-mark" its own toilet scents.

It is wise to change litter material on a daily basis but young kittens will not usually produce large amounts of urine and feces so you can clean the trays after a few days.

Cats are very clean animas.  to maintain an adult cat in good health, it is important that its litter train is always kept clean.

Dried Cat Food

The development of "complete" cat food has changed the way cat owners feed their pet cats.  Here are the disadvantages and advantages of dried cat foods.

Advantages:

- storage life and weight-t0-cost ratio are comparable with that of canned and semi-moist foods

- valuable vitamins and minerals are stabilized

- contents do not deteriorate as quickly as with tinned or fresh food

-food can left in the bowl for the cat to eat as and when it requires.

-crisp texture can help to keep the cat's feet from plaque.

-quantities can be accurately measured out with no left-overs in the fridge.

Disadvantages:

- it is a predictable diet and the cat may become bored with it.

- additives and taste enhancers have to be added to make it more attractive and interesting to cats

- cats will need access to more water and will then have to urinate more.

Feeding for Kittens

(Note:  photo from Winona Area Humane Society)
The type and quantity of food varies greatly with the age of the kitten.  From 4 to 6 weeks, a kittien should eat moist food, after which it can be given a combination of mostly solid foods (fresh, tinned or diet).  One feed can also consist of a paste based on a special cat milk and baby kitten food.
At 8 weeks old, it should be on solid foods already.  The following months should be a gradual reduction i the number of feeds to two or three bigger meals per day.

An active outdoor kitten burns more calories than an indoor kitten so it willl need extra protein to help with body and muscle growth.  Food quantities for the outdoor kitten should be more compared to the indoor kitten.

feeding guide for kittens:

0 - 3 weeks:   requires a substitute for the mother's milk plus vitamin and mineral supplement
                                       
4 - 6 weeks :  1 teaspoon or slightly more moist kitten food mixed with baby milk subsitute, should be fed  4-5 times a day.


                                                              
6 - 12 weeks:  2 - 3 large teaspoons of solid kitten food (tinned moist and semi-moist or dried), 4 - 5 times a day
                       .            
3 - 6 months :   increased quantities of solid foods, decrease feeding from 5 to 2-3 times a day.

FEEDING GUIDE FOR CATS

For cats 9 - 12 months of age: they may be fed 2 - 3 meals daily.  Food:  1 titbit, 1 dry, 1 moist

For cats 12 - 36 months:  Active cats should be fed 2-3 meals daily; food should consist of 1 titbit, 1 dry, 1 moist.  Indoor and less active cats are fed 2 meals daily and are given 1 dry, 1 semi-moist or titbit.

For cats 3 - 5 years of age:  Active cats are given 2 meals daily, food is usually 1 dry, 1 semi-moist or titbits.
Indoor, less active cats are fed once daily with completely dry food and small amounts of titbit treats.

For cats 5 years +:  Active cats are fed twice daily with 1 complete dry or semi-moist food and 1 titbit while indoor, less active cats are fed once daily with a completely dry "mature cat" food and occasional titbit treats.

If a cat is given a healthy, balanced diet which includes complete cat food and fresh food; this usually suffices for all the vitamins and minerals it needs.  However if the cat is physically or mentally stressed (recovering from an injury, surgery or pregnant cat, post natal) it would be advisable to add supplement to the diet.

CAT FOOD

Some food that are intended for human consumption are not suitable for your pet cat. You pet cat would probably refuse to eat them.

Cat foods are developed by major pet food manufacturers and they have spend a great amount of time and money on research so that the cat foods they sell offer an ideal, balanced diet. Cats need a meat-based diet because they are carnivorous.

Pet owners of domesticated cats have so many choices of food to offer their pets. There are dried, tinned, semi-moist and fresh foods. There's also a wide range of tasty food treats raniging from a freeze-dried to fresh prawns, tuna and all kinds of meat.

Low cost food many not contain the ideal balance between proteins, carbohydrates, bulk, vitamins, and minerals but these can sustain a cat. More expensive foods offer the ideal dietary balance as well as the freshness ot the ingredients.

What is a cat run?

A cat run is an outdoor, free-standing structure or pen.  It provides a safe environment in which a cat or cats can enjoy the opportunity to explore and bask in the sunshine, fresh air and provides a peace of mind for us  cat lovers.
What are the benefits of a cat run?  A cat run offers security and protection for vulnerable cats, for expensive pedigree cats, for cats in high urban feline population, cats in areas with a high density of road traffic and cats in areas with a feral cat population.
Feral  cats often carry diseases such as cat flu, fleas and worms.  Some toms and feral cats can also be territorial and aggressive towards house cats.
A cat run ensures that cats are guarded against road traffic and aggression from other outside cats.

Note:  Photos from The Cattery and Shalyn Cattery

Kitten Bed

A kitten would really not have much difficulty in finding a cozy place to sleep even if a kitten bed is not provided.  They can cuddle up and sleep anywhere - in the cupboard, sofa, human bed or even under the cars.

But it is still a good idea to provide a kitten bed because it will be there where most hairs will be shed.  It would be better for cat or kitten hairs to be shed in the cat or kitten bed rather than in one of your family beds, isn't it?

Allow your kitten to explore

A confident kitten is more likely to explore and taste new substances than an adult cat.  Older pets have already learned what is safe, what should be avoided while young animals are more active and curious.  A kitten will meet more new aspects in a home than an adult cat.

The kitchen is probably the most dangerous area for any cat.  This room is also attractive to animals because it where the food is prepared.  However, the kitchen also includes hot surfaces and pans filled with boiling water.  Sharp knives, plastic bags and rubbish bins, detergents are also found there.
The kitten should not be allowed to roam into your kitchen!  It would be wise to install a child gate covered with a mesh barrier.  Any detergents, medicines and poisonous plants should be removed away from the kitten.

Before you allow your kitten to outside, it should be given all the necessary vaccinations first.

About Stroking Your Kitten

Although it is important to have a positive contact with your new kitten, this should be done correctly without developing dependency on the side of your kitten.  A small kitten may be scooped up with one hand holding its hindquarters and the other hand gently holding its body.  A cuddle session will encourage it to take a cat nap.

When a kitten cries, should you go immediately and pick it up?  Our instinct is to go to it and check the kitten because our maternal or paternal human behavior is stimulated and that would be directed towards the kitten.
You must know that a young kitten can easily learn to manipulate the owner and could cry at every whim -- from being hungry to being wanting attention.  Over-dependency  should not be encouraged at all.

Learn to identify the different types of kitten cries the same way as that of our babies.

Genuine hunger cry - associated with feeding patterns
Attention-seeking cry  - if the kitten has just been fed and comfortable
Distress cry - if it is a high-pitched cry

By learning how to distinguish these different cries, you will know the appropriate response - whether the kitten can be ignored or it really requires attention.

Introducing a kitten to other pets

The most likely a pet kitten will get to know in your home is a dog.  If your pet dog is friendly towards cats, play a retrieval game with the dog in the same room while the kitten is exploring.  However, if the dog shows aggression or hyperactivity towards cats, the dog should be muzzled as a precaution. Reward your dog with food treats if it displays positive behavior towards the kitten.

It is not good to keep a dog and a kitten/cat permanently separated in your home.  There will always come a time when they might accidentally be brought together, and this might bring about disastrous and umpleasant consequences.  For this reason, "controlled socialization" with food with both kitten/cat and dog for good behavior is done.

Introducing A Kitten To Your Existing Pet Cat

This would depend on the nature of the existing adult pet cat that is already a member of your family.  It your pet cat is confident, non-aggressive and contented, then it will not find the presence of a new kitten as threatening.  But as the kitten develops into maturity, this may change.

The meeting between the kitten and the cat should be supervised calmly.  If everything is okay, the kitten may even curl up to the cat (as replacement for its litter mother) or the adult female cat may become maternal towards the kitten (replacement offspring).

An insecure and nervous adult cat will view the kitten as an intruder and a potential rival for attention from the loving owner and a competitor for food and territory.  This unfriendly adult cat should be exposed to the kitten slowly and carefully over a period of time with close supervision.

Introducing Children To The New Kitten

Infants and small kids should be supervised during encounters with a new kitten.  This will avoid the possibility of rough handling and accidental aggression or undue attention by either party.

Once you are confident that your new kitten has begun to settle, you encourage other family members to enter the kitten's room.

This method of introducing the kitten to new people will make this less scary and less stressful for the new kitten.  After a couple of days when the kitten begins to be more sociable, subsequent introductions can be less formal.

How can you help your new kitten to settle into your home?

Once home, place the cat carrier and the kitten in the room that has been chosen for the first night.  A small room would be less daunting to a disoriented kitten.

It is important to close any windows, doors that may be open because they might offer the frightened kitten an opportunity to escape.

The most important thing you can do is avoid exposing your kitten to everything and to everyone all at once.  Ideally, the kitten should be allowed to rest in the initial 24 hours.  It should be allowed to explore in one room that is secure from other animals.  It should be visited only by few persons at a time.

Basic Equipment For The New Kitten

There are few essential items that are needed for the new kitten in its new home.

Food bowl
Water bowl
Litter tray
Collar
Cat bed

For grooming:  Comb, brushes, hand glove brush, soft cloth or chamois

Optional equipment:  claw clippers

How should a new kitten be transported to its new home?

Cats and kittens should be transported in a special cat carrier.  A warm towel placed inside the carrier will create a safe place for the kitten, which will have no real concept about the journey or its new home.
It is important to use a cat carrier because a frightened kitten may panic when first placed in a vehicle with someone unfamiliar.

Pick up the kitten gently by supporting its bottom with one hand and place it in the carrier.  Clopse the carrier quickly and secure the fastener.  Place the carrier on your or your helper's knees to prevent any sudden movements which may cause the carrier and the kitten to be thrown about.

It is important not to leave the kitten unattended while it is inside the carrier.  It is also vital to make sure that it cannot become either too hot or too cold.

This trip is usually the first time that the kitten has travelled in a car and that is probably frightening for a kitten.  This is also the first time that the kitten is separated from its litter siblings.

What cat accessories are needed in transporting a kitten to its new home?

The basic need that is essential is a cat carrier.  A clean towel and newspaper on the bottonm of the carrier is necessary to soak up any mishaps that may happen.

It is a good idea to take someone with you, whose job it is to concentrate on the needs of your new kitten while you drive (or your companion can drive and you take care of the kitten.

What is the ideal age for a kitten to leave its litter mother?

The ideal age for a kitten to be passed to its future pet owner is between 7 to 9 weeks, but many cat breeders release the kittens at 12 weeks because they say that the kittens are much more socialized to other kittens and are already handled by humans.

The kittens' learning process continues for as long as the litter mother remains with them. Extended time with the litter mother and sibling kittens improves socialization with and tolerance towards other cats. This is important in later life.

Basic skills developed by extended interaction with the litter mother include stalking, pouncing, and prey-kill behavior which are learned through feline activity. Kittens should be introduced to as many aspects of human life as possible to help in future socialization with their new owners.

Introduction

Cats, by their nature, will always cause us to ask questions.

What makes it eyes reflect in the dark? Does a black cat bring us bad luck?
Cats are one of the most domesticated pets around the world. Is it because of its natural independence or its predisposition to aloofness?

Cats are popular companion animals because they are practical pets.

If you are an ailurophile, then you're in good company.

Welcome to my blog about caring for cats!

Meow!