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Diet Cat Food Tiips

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

Obesity can be a major health concern for cats just like it is for humans. Kidney problems, diabetes, arthritis, and many other serious diseases can be caused, in part, by excess body weight. If your kitty is overweight, what kind of cat food should you be feeding?

One option is diet cat food. You can find foods labeled weight maintenance or light at your local pet store. When choosing between brands, go with the options that offer more protein. If these do not prove to be effective, then you can ask your vet for a recommendation. Often, prescription diets can offer optimal nutrition along with lower calories.

So you are feeding you cat the ‘diet’ cat food, and kitty is crying all day out of hunger. You hate cutting calories, too, right? One solution you can try is a prescription high fiber diet for weight loss. The fiber will help your feline feel full while still promoting weight loss.

If you have time, you may want to investigate making your own cat food. Choose a recipe that imitates what a feline would eat in the wild. Since this option involves raw meat, it will probably prove to be more pricey than purchasing ready-made food.

How should you introduce a new food? Start by mixing in a little with the old food. Gradually change the proportions until you are feeding all of the lower-calorie food.
Also, iIf you are switching from canned to dry food, make sure that kitty is getting plenty of water as the change can lead to digestive issues.

Your cat does not have to be overweight and suffer healthwise as a result. You can find a cat food that will help your kitty to lose weight and be as healthy as he or she can be.

Tags: weight maintenance, cat food, obesity, optimal nutrition, pet store

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Categories : Kittens

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Should You Use Cat Pan Liners?

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

No one likes cleaning litter boxes. Cat pan liners promise to help cut down the mess. But, are they really worth it?

If your cat has claws that are uncovered, they probably are not. Those claws tend to tear up the plastic, and you end up with a shredded liner along with a plastic box that still needs to be cleaned out after removing the liner.

Some kitties refuse to use litter boxes that have liners. They may not like the feel of the liner under their feet. The noise scares some. Still others don’t like the scented bags.

Does kitty like to dig around in the box? Good luck finding a liner that will stay put. You end up having to clean the box, anyway, because the bag more often than not ends up bunched in a corner.

Expense is another consideration. Is it really worth spending dollars on bags every week when a quick washing out with soap and water plus drying will keep the box fresh? Even with liners, you will still have to do this on occasion.

Finding a liner that fits your particular litter box well can also be difficult. Some come with elastic or a drawstring that does help somewhat. Still, a large or oddly-shaped box is often next-to-impossible to fit.

Allergies are another issue. The plastic or that lovely scent to mask the odor may prove to be an issue for your cat or even you.

A box with just litter is recommended for kittens, since they tend to chew and even ingest foreign items which could lead to sickness. Also, you may not find cleaning up little pieces of plastic to be fun.

So are cat pan liners worth it? If you can find one that fits your litter box well while standing up to kitty claws, you may decide that the expense is worth it. In many cases, it is not.

Tags: litter boxes, Kitty, soap and water, good luck, litter box

Categories : Kittens

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How Many Cats Should You Own?

Posted on January 19, 2013 by admin

Many cat lovers want to save as many feline lives as possible and adopt numerous animals. But, how many is too many?

First, consider where you live. Some neighborhoods and cities have ordinances that limit the number of animals you can house. It’s best to make sure you are in compliance so that you don’t have the heartbreak of getting caught and having to give away beloved pets.

Finances are another major stumbling block. Food and litter costs can add up quickly. Vet bills can be very expensive, especially if one or more of the cats has special needs. You might have to give medicine daily, provide a more pricey special diet, or even pay for surgeries. It is irresponsible to adopt animals if you are not able to meet their basic medical needs and any unforeseen needs. Remember, felines do get old eventually, and that alone will lead to more costs. Also, if one gets an infection such as an upper respiratory virus, you may have to medicate all of your animals.

Do you have enough room for multiple cats? They like plenty of room to play and places to hide to get away from it all. You can probably get by with more cats in a large house than in a tiny apartment.

Kitties are territorial and do not like to share their space with others. If you have several cats, there are bound to be spats. What will you do if two or more just refuse to get along? The more cats that you have, the more that likely that you will have personality issues among the group.

Can you care for the animals properly? You will need at least one litter box per cat plus one more and a pan on each level of your home. Keeping several litter boxes clean can take quite a bit of time. And, if you don’t keep them scooped, you are likely to have issues with soiling outside of the litter box. Your flooring could be ruined quickly if a trend of not using the litter box gets going among your feline friends. Not to mention, the odor can be horrendous.

Maybe your plan is just to make the kitties outdoor cats. This can lead to disease, injuries, or even death, so you really aren’t doing them any favors.

You have other options if you want to help homeless cats. You can volunteer at your local shelter or even foster cats so that you do not have a permanent commitment to the animals.

How many cats can you have? This is really an individual question. Two may be plenty for some while others may be fine with ten cats. Know your circumstances before you take on another animal to make sure that all will receive the care and attention that they need.

Tags: litter boxes, upper respiratory virus, heartbreak, animals, cat lovers

Categories : Kittens

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Choosing the Best Litter Box for Your Cat

Posted on December 15, 2012 by admin

What is the best litter box to get for your cat? Kitties often have distinct preferences on where they will eliminate. Below are some considerations before you purchase a litter box.

Many cats hate closed-in litter boxes. Give them a choice, and they generally choose an open pan. If you can tolerate the looking at the contents and some escaped litter around the pan, this can be the best option. Be sure to scoop daily since you have no filtering system to get rid of the odor. Larger cats also like the big, open boxes so that they have room to turn around.

Self-Cleaning Litter Boxesmight be your favorite option, but kitty may not be as thrilled. The sifters and the noise scare some cats who may then avoid using the contraption. Also, the rakes can get stuck, and bags of waste still need to be emptied.

Covered litter boxes come in many types. If your cat will use one of these, you at least will cut down on odor and hide the waste. However, this types needs to be scooped daily as odor can build up quickly in such as small area even if you use a filter. Some felines don’t seem to like the feeling of being shut inside. I have been successful in getting such a cat to use this type of box by removing the door. While the advantage of not being able to see anything in the box is lost, it is still much better than having an open pan. And, kitty gets a little more ventilation while inside.

Top Entry Litter Boxea can be a great alternative for small cats. In my experience, larger cats do not want to descend through the hole. This also may prove to be an issue for elderly cats.

Consider getting different types of litter boxes. At a minimum, you will need one box per cat in your household plus one more. You may find that one feline prefers one style while another prefers a different type.

Your best chance of acclimating a cat to a litter box that is not conventional is when he or she is young. Kittens will get used to toileting there and are more inclined to continue the habit in adulthood. Adults may refuse to use anything other than their favored type.

The best litter box for a cat mainly depends on the particular animal. A little experimentation may be needed before you find the one that your pet likes..

Tags: sifters, Below, litter box, anything, Self

Categories : Kittens

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Adopt an FIV Positive Kitty and Save a Life!

Posted on November 11, 2012 by admin

Do you want to adopt a cat with special needs? A cat with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) might be the perfect fit for you.

FIV is similar to the human HIV virus. While not contagious to humans or most pets, it can be transmitted to other cats. Unlike HIV, roughly half of infected cats never display symptoms. Only a small percentage go on to develop full-blown FIV infection which is ultimately fatal. The remaining cats may have more illnesses, but they live relatively normal lives.

If you have other cats that are not infected in your household, an FIV cat probably isn’t a good fit. While the virus is not easily transmitted, it is carried in saliva and can enter through breaks in the skin. Some households have reported having cats live together with FIV positive cats and never becoming infected, but this is risky. Unless you have an arrangement where you can keep the FIV positive cats separate from other feline residents, adding an FIV cat is not wise.

If you only plan to get one cat AND will keep the cat indoors at all times, an FIV cat could also be a good fit. Just know that if you decide to adopt another kitty, you will want to find another FIV-positive feline. Since FIV is not transmitted to dogs, a canine companion could also work well.

How do you find an FIV cat? There are organizations that place FIV cats for adoption on the internet, try contacting local rescue organizations, or even ask your vet. Note that some rescue operations have a policy of immediately putting down any cat that is FIV-positive, but it’s worth asking in case you can save a kitty’s life.

Some owners will have what is known as an FIV house, meaning that all of the cats are FIV positive. This can be a great way to help kitties that are in need. If you publicize that you do this, you are likely to end up turning away animals due to the high need for permanent homes for FIV cats.

If you are looking for a cat and don’t already have kitties, please consider sharing your home with an FIV positive feline.

Tags: FIV, cat, household, percentage, arrangement

Categories : Kittens

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