Petforhome.com is a website you can find information on all pets including cat,kitten,take care daily,cat diseases and more. http://www.petforhome.com Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:33:11 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.petforhome.com/general/the-right-cat.html A cat in the house THE RIGHT OWNER When you think of adding a cat to your household, ask yourself honesty, “Is this a good home for a cat?” If a cat could make a survey of prospective homes, with a change to choose the one he liked best, he might ask such questions as these: Does the lady of the house like cats? How old are the children, if any? Will I have to sleep outdoors? Will my meals be regular and balanced? Will I have fresh water every day? What other animals live there? Will the owners take me to a veterinarian if I am sick? Will they have me altered, or will they abuse me if I spray the furniture or keep on Having kittens? Will they abandon me when they are tired of me or move away? Is anyone in the family allergic to cat hair? How you answer such question will have a bearing on whether you and your cat should set up housekeeping together. THE RIGHT CAT There are two basics breeds of cats, the longhair and the shorthair. The most common among shorthairs is the domestic shorthair. ( An alley cat is not a breed. It is just a homeless feral cat which must make his own way in alley, meadow and woodland.) . Historians often assume that our modern domestic shorthair is directly descended from the famouse Egyptian cats. Among the foreign shorthairs are the Siamese (brown-masked faces, and blue eyes), the Burmese (dark brown all over with yellows eyes), The Abyssinian (ruddy-brown, salt-and-pepperish coats with green or gold eyes), the Manx (the tail-less cats of any color, with extra-long hind legs), and the Russian Blue, Rex, and Korat. The longhaired cat is commonly called Persian (Angora) in honor of the land of its origin. Of the several kinds, the domestic shorthair, the Persian,... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/before-the-cat-comes.html GETTING THE RIGHT START BEFORE THE CAT COMES In order to give a new cat or kitten a proper welcome, you will need the following basic equipment: 1. A sanitary pan, preferably of enamel, but a carton, box, or metal tray will do. Fill this with a sanitary litter (which you can ordinarily buy in your petshop), or with shredded newspaper, sand, or sawdust. 2. Food and water dishes. These should not be so deep that the cat soils the hair on his throat nor so narrow that his whiskers touch the sides. 3. A bed. This may be a cardboard box, a carton, a shallow basket, a discarded plastic dishpan, or anything similar. Put into it something soft, like an old sweater or piece of blanket, or a worn bath towel. If the room cannot be darkened, place one carton sideways inside another carton to make an L-shaped retreat into which the kitten can crawl with a roof over his head. This also serves to keen out the light. 4. A detention cage, for protecting your cat against his enemies and for confining him when you need to observe his health. Before you go for your cat, place the sanitary pan, about two-thirds full of litter, into a small room where the cat can be confined for the night. Near it place his food dished and his bed. For a day or two, plan to confine him to one room, letting him explore it thoroughly so that he’ll feel at home. His bed becomes the place where he can flee for safety or for cover if he should become ill. Use the same pan each day, for your cat comes back to his own odor. Be prepared to spend some time in the room talking to your cat so that he can become used to the... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/choosing-a-kitten.html CHOOSING A KITTEN Most people deliberately buying a feline companion prefer a kitten so that they can enjoy its youth as well as its adulthood. Sometimes, however, a grown cat adopts a family and brings wisdom right with it. Either circumstance is a promise of potential happiness, except in those cases where an owner, disappointed that the cute kitten has grown into an adult, expels or abandons the grown cat care for himself. If you can’t see a permanent relationship with your kitten, don’t buy him. Choose a kitten that is eight to ten weeks old and entirely weaned. Be sure he has made a healthy start toward adulthood before you take him home. As soon as he is four months old, he should have permanent “shots” against distemper (contagious enteritis). If you are adopting an adult cat, take it immediately to a veterinarian for protective vaccination against distemper. Beware of kittens with runny eyes or noses, rough, dull or dirty coats—especially around the hind legs and tail. Weight-for-age is a good measure of a cat’s well-being. Starting from a birth weight of a few ounces, a cat should gain about a pound a month for the first six months, thereafter a half to three-quarters of a pound each month up to maturity. Adult females usually weigh from six to ten pounds, males from eight to as much as fifteen or sixteen pounds. Castrates of either sex will gain one to five pounds or more over their “whole” siblings. The first night or two, placing a hot-water bottle or an electric heating pad, set as low as possible, in a kitten’s bed nay keep him from crying. For a day or two, keep him in one room, letting him explore every inch; then introduce him to other rooms, one at a time. This is especially important... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/feeding-a-cat.html Feeding a cat The cat is a flesh-eating animal and needs meat, always have fresh food, and more frequent eatings than a dog. A cat digests food very slow, so he should be fed at long intervals and should never be allowed to nibble.The cat under two months old may need four feeding a day, given at about 8 a.m., 12 noon, 5 p.m., and 10 p.m., although the last feeding may be eliminated if the kitten does not seem to want it. The five o’clock feeding possibly raw or cooked meat or canned dog or cat food. The other feedings should comprise mainly of warm milk with a little kitten or puppy meal stirred in. Unsweetened canned milk diluted with equal parts of hot water is easiest and best. The Kitten "2 to 6 months old" should be fed like the weanling, except that the ten o’clock feeding should be eliminated. Regulate the quantity by seeing. Weanling kittens need four feedings a day. Warm milk, kitten meal what the kitten will clean up quickly. Never leave food to be finished up later. The older Kitten "six months to maturity" should get only two feedings, one morning and one evening. If your kitten is growing normally, you could gradually replace some grainy or crumb-type dog or cat food for the kitten meal. Always change to a new food gradually. A cat normally prefers its big meal of the day in the evening, although individuals may vary. Give as much variety as possible, keeping in mind that “first class” protein in some form must always be the main ingredient. Raw meat should be given at least once a week, More often if and canned kitten and cat foods should make up the bulk of the diet. Possible. Chopped horseflesh is cheapest though ground... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/routine-house-care.html Routine house care Fleas Most cats and dogs have fleas, no matter what anyone may tell you. All your best efforts will not keep them out entirely, but do your best, for they not only make the animals miserable, but they damage the coat and encourage worms too. Be especially watchful in warm weather. Use a good flea powder at least every five days (the life cycle of the flea); use one made especially for cats-flea powders for dogs may contain DDT, which is a deadly poison for cats. Comb frequently, giving particular attention to the head and neck. Keep handy a bowl of hot water, with a little “Clorox” or “Creolin” in it to drown them before they can hop back on the animal again. A “dry shampoo” applied with a piece of sponge and well rubbed in helps discourage fleas and other vermin. See that the cat’s bed is kept clean and the bedding changed frequently. Commercially available coat preparations and pesticidal agents will be invaluable to you in keeping your cat free of infestation by parasites. EAR MITES These are tiny parasites that cause dirt, evil odour, and irritation in the ear canal. If left undisturbed, they can produce an abscess which may get through the brain with fatal results. They are highly communicable and young kittens are particularly susceptible. The victim will shake his head and scratch frantically at the affected ear, often drawing blood in his efforts to dislodge the unwelcome visitors. If you find dirty wax or dark brown dirt in the cat’s ear, in tiny scab-like particles, suspect ear mites. Using any good baby oil, swab out the dirt very gently, using the small Q-tip type of commercial swab. Grip the tip of ear firmly, to hold the cat’s head steady while you work. The external... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/take-care-a-cat.html Take care a cat Grooming All cats and kittens kept in the house even part of the time require to be groomed. A longhaired cat have to be groomed everyday. Once or twice a week will suffice for a shorthair. For a shorthair, use a stiff-bristled brush, finishing with one of those little rubber gadgets designed for suede shoes, spongy on one side and with small “fingers” on the other. For a longhaired cat, use a brush with long bristles, and a special steel comb. Most cats dislike getting their stomachs and tails combed but this need it, especially in the late winter and spring, when the old coat comes out completely and is replaced by new hair. Be very careful, for the tail hairs grow slowly. Work consistently, using a long broom on the back and tail, but a short, choppy outward-and-upward motion on ruff, belly and pantaloons. Be specially thorough in the angles between the body and legs; this is where “fingerstalls” (hard lumps of matted hair) collect more often. Make your fingers through the fur, feeling for small lumps; the comb will not find them. Make them loose if you can; if not, cut them out carefully with small sharp scissors, being careful not to cut the skin. For working ease, have the cat to stand up against your chest, so that you can rub his back and sides. For those ticklish bellies, turn the standing cat away from you, with this his forepaws hooked over one of your arms, while you brush down his neck, chest and belly with your other hand. If you are gentle, and follow each combing with a simple rubbing of your hand, a cat soon learns to enjoy his daily grooming, especially if you begin when he is young. In the longhaired, unchanged male, a black... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/cats-irritable-bowel.html Cats Irritable Bowel Irritable Bowel Syndrome and its Effects on Cats Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not only common among humans but also among animals particularly cats. Basically, the IBS that is experienced by people is the same type that cats also feel. The Irritable Bowel Syndrome among cats is the same gastrointestinal disorder that is also felt by human. The large and/or small intestines are also affected. IBS in cats usually affects the contractions of the digestive tract resulting to irregular bowel movement. Aside from that, IBS also interferes with the normal distribution of food and waste material inside the cat's body resulting to the accumulation of toxins and mucus in the cat's intestines. These accumulated toxins often obstruct the normal function of the digestive tract. In the process gas and stool are trapped causing bloating, constipation and distention. It is also surprising to note that the same IBS factors in human have been identified to cause the same effects among cats. Factors causing IBS such as stress, overuse of antibiotics, poor eating habits, bacterial, and viral infection, parasites and food allergies were found to affect cats as well. Likewise, a blockage is also very common among cats since they love to chew as well as swallow objects. This too can trigger IBS symptoms. Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Cats It would be surprising to note that cats and humans exhibit the same Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. And here are some of them: • Constipation among cats is just like in humans. It is also exhibited by hard, small, pebble-like stools, which make bowel movement very difficult. • Diarrhea is a more frequent bowel movement wherein the stool is often soft and watery. Cats with IBS usually experience successive loose bowel movement alternating with constipation. • Abdominal pain is also common among cats with IBS. The pain... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/diseases-of-a-cat.html Diseases of a cat Minor ailments Most illnesses afflicting cats are relatively minor in nature. Catarrh is similar to the common cold in humans, with running eyes and nose, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, and snoring in sleep. It can be treated in the same way as a human cold. Running eyes and nose, however, are more likely caused by worms. Eczema is of two types, “dry” and “weeping.” The dry form is a scaly, scabby condition in patches, usually limited to the back, shoulders, and crown. The weeping variety shows red, raw, gooey spots in the same area. Eliminating all starch from the diet for a week or two and feeding chiefly raw meat will bring about a complete cure. If not , see your veterinarian. Diarrhea is usually caused by worms, but may come from such other causes as allergenic foods, acute or chronic colitis, coccidiosis, or infectious enteritis. If altering the diet does not correct the condition within a few days, see your veterinarian. Coccidiosis is an infectious condition caused by a microscopic intestinal parasite. It is not common. It should be considered as a possibility when diarrhea persists without apparent cause and the cat is not very sick otherwise, merely having “off days, when he eats poorly or not at all, and seems logy and a little feverish. The veterinarian can very quickly identify this condition and prescribe treatment. MAJOR AILMENTS Contagious Enteritis (Feline Distemper) is about the worst thing that can happen to a kitten or a young cat. It is enzootic and becoming more prevalent and dangerous each year. It is highly contagious. If one cat on the place gets it, every other cat or kitten is almost certain to contract it also. It is practically always fatal to kittens under six month old; from six months to a year, the chance of... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100 http://www.petforhome.com/general/the-orphaned-kitten.html THE ORPHANED KITTEN Sometime, you may have to care for a very young kitten, one under six weeks old. If possible, get a surrogate mother, a cat or even a small dog, if there is no more than two or three weeks difference in age between your orphaned and the surrogate mother’s own young. If this is out of the question, you could try to do the job yourself, but you will need time and courage. Usually it is a heart-breaking task, as your chances of success are slim at best, but if you want to undertake it, get the advice of a veterinarian first. He will probably suggest a “formula” of diluted canned milk, sugar or milk sugar and lime water, to be fed with a medicine dropper at two-,three-, or four-hour separations, depending on the kitten’s age, for 24 hours. In addition, the kitten must be kept clean and very warm. A small basket, lined with wool material and covered up with something confused but washable such as a piece of bath towel should be placed where the kitten will be free from drafts and where the temperature is as uniform as possible at all times. Remember that the mother cat usually dedicates nearly all her time on the first month to washing and feeding her kittens; you will must do the same. Change the bedding as soon as it is soiled. Brush the kitten’s pelt several times a day with a soft brush, Keep in mind that this is a necessary form of exercise for him, as well as grooming. Wipe his backside with a bit of mineral oil when they become dirty, then wipe off the oil with a piece of dry cotton. Wipe his eyes, ears, and nose with cotton dipped in weak boric acid solution.... articles - General Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:18 +0100