Signs of a sick cat

First, changes in regular habits can be a sign of illness. Especially look for litter box habits. If a cat is going to the box several times an hour, or straining to use it, you need to go to the vet immediately. If a litter box trained cat goes to the bathroom somewhere other than the box, you may have a problem. Also, look for changes in eating or drinking habits.

The more subtle behavioral clue is hiding. A sick cat will often seek out a dark, quiet place. This makes it difficult to realize that the kitty is ill. If your cat doesn’t socialize as usual, you might want to go looking for it. Also, if it is slow or unresponsive to meal time cues, you might want to make sure it’s okay.

Lastly, any symptoms you would notice in a person like runny eyes or nose, throwing up, changes in weight, losing hair, coughing, etc. If you see these symptoms, you might want to check with your vet that all is okay.

Tips for leash training your cat – Part 2

Did you ever envy those dog owners always getting plenty of fresh air and physical activity along with their dog?

Well, think again, because truth is cats can also be leash trained. I have had my cat leashed trained as a kitten and we both enjoy our little evening strolls to the park.

But cat owners must be aware: kitties are independent creatures with heads of their own; you will not walk you cat, rather the cat will walk you. You must know from start that you will not be able to pull on the leash and have the cat follow you as a dog.

Pulling a cat can hurt the cat and can quickly turn a pleasurable event of going outdoors into an unpleasant experience for the cat.

Having accepted these two vital aspects, then you are ready to get your cat trained.

Leash training does not happen in one day, rather it may take up to a couple of weeks, but once you both have it down you will be walking pals for life.

It is important to choose a good harness to which you will eventually attach the leash.

Do not use a regular collar and leash; a harness is much safer and will make escaping less likely if your cat gets spooked of something.

Ideally, leash training should start when the cat is a kitten but older cats have also been able to learn rather promptly. You and your walking pal will have to follow the following instructions:

-On day 1 you want to have the cat sniff the leash and harness and play with it. Let kitty get used to the material and associate good things with it such as play, food and treats. Leave leash and harness next to kitty while kitty is eating. Then let kitty play with it again, this will prepare kitty for day 2.

-Day 2: let kitty wear the harness without attaching the leash onto it. If it bothers kitty, take it off for a few minutes and then retry later. Try putting it on right before meal time and have kitty eat with it on, he/she should hardly notice it if he/she is eager to eat as most cats are. Afterward, have the cat play with the leash while wearing the harness. Take off harness and repeat at next meal time.

Day 3 Put harness on again. Repeat as yesterday but let kitty keep it on longer and do not take off after meal. See if kitty is comfortable in it now. Continue to let kitty play with leash. Always monitor cat when wearing harness, you never know it could get caught somewhere and cause injuries.

-Day 3 Put harness on at meal time and attach leash while kitty is eating. Do not hold leash rather let the leash

How to keep your cat from destroying your home – Part 1

Keeping your cat from tearing your house apart can be quite the challenge. No matter how hard you try, a cat is likely to cause some damage. However, with some planning and a little training, it is possible to minimize the destruction.

First off, you have to understand the core nature of your relationship with you cat. You don’t own him, he (or she) owns you. It’s his house, you are just living in it with him. From the cats point of view, tables, chairs, counters, benches, bathtubs, beds, sofas, priceless glass vases, socks, and any sort of dangling power cord (preferably plugged in) all belong to the cat. If you’re a good owner he may let you borrow them from time to time.

The first practical step to take is to “cat proof” your home. Like “baby proofing”, this means you need to be aware of fragile and delicate things that kitty may knock over either intentionally or though idle curiosity. Tall vases, delicate lamps, crystal – all need to be arranged and displayed in such a way that the cat is less likely to knock them over. Don’t assume that items placed up high are not accessible, cats are notorious for getting up in high places that you would never expect them to reach. Often a cat will not be trying to damage things like this, rather they do it accidentally when they are just poking about, investigating the room, or maybe when they are chasing something.

Provide your cat with accepted toys. Cat toys don’t have to be expensive or complicated. Many cats will be entertained for hours with things as simple as a paper grocery bag and a short piece of string. I’ve had kittens that will chase a wadded up piece of paper around the floor for hours – it doesn’t get any cheaper than that. By providing toys that the cat knows are ok to play with, you minimize the chances of the cat picking things to play with that you’d rather not have him chewing on.

Blocking off rooms and parts of the house as “off limit” areas can be another way of preventing kitty from tearing things up. This can be hard to accomplish, as many cats love to skitter between your legs and sneak themselves in to places they know they aren’t allowed. My cat now isn’t allowed in the garage, which of course has turned in to the only part of the house that she wants to be in.

Assuming your cat has claws, it is vitally important to train him or her not to use them to shred everything in sight. This is often easier said than done. Be sure to regularly trim your cats claws. This MUST be done with a proper pair of cat claw clippers, not human nail clippers. Mistakes in trimming claws can be very painful, be careful and research the proper procedure before attempting this. You must also provide your cat with something they can use to scratch. Commercial scratching posts are easily available, although often not cheap. Homemade posts can be made easily with some wood and a few scraps of old carpet. Train your cat early on that scratching on the furniture is a definite no-no, but that the provided post is ok. Cats are smart enough to know the difference if they are given proper training.

Obviously there is much more that goes in to training a cat that can’t be included here. But with proper precautions and care, it is possible to keep your cat from making your house look like it was overrun by a Division of Tanks. Give your cat toys to focus on, provide scratching posts and be sure to train them on proper behavior and you should save yourself and belongings from kitty destruction. Good luck!

Cats and litter box training – Part 7

Litter training a cat should not be too difficult in most cases. Cats are naturally drawn to cat litter to “do their thing”. Even cats that are raised out of doors, such as on a farm, are instinctively drawn to areas that are very easy to dig into and then cover their leavings. (parents; if your children have an outdoor sand box and you have cats in the neighborhood, make sure to cover the sand when it is not in use:))

We live in a split level house and have three cats. We keep their litter boxes in the basement. When we got our last kitten, he was so tiny he could barely make it up and down the stairs and even if he did make it down to the regular box, climbing in was very difficult and quite comical. We remedied this by lining a small flat box with a garbage bag (put the box inside the bag to keep things from slipping) and then placed that box inside a taller box with a portion of one side cut down for easy access. We kept the “baby’s box” upstairs where he could easy access it. We then watched our new baby for signs of needing to relieve himself such as suddenly sniffing around like he is hunting something or squatting and promptly placed him in his new “litter box”. He could do his thing and be as messy as he wanted with covering as the taller box sides caught the flying debris. After the first day, the baby was making it into his box 99% of the time on his own.

Once he was able to get down the stairs easily and was able to hop into the regular litter boxes, we started getting him headed to the basement for his needs. We placed “his box” down on the landing for a couple days until he got used to it having been moved, then we placed it downstairs next to the “big kitty’s box”. After he was making it to that location on a regular basis, we removed the baby’s box and he was using the regular litter box like the big boy he was!

Tips for litter box training kittens – Part 6

Teaching your kitten to use the litter box is just as easy as 1-2-3. Kitten litter box training could take as short as a day but if it takes longer, don’t despair. Just keep your cool and be patient with them. Sure enough, all kittens that I have had were easily trained into using a litter box in less than two days.

To understand how easy it is to teach kittens to use a litter box, we must understand their instincts. In a kitten’s first two weeks of life, they rely on their mother to lick their underbelly and thus stimulate their urination and defecation. The mother cat then digests all of the kitten’s waste. This is their natural instinct to keep their nest clean and bury their scent. They do this to prevent predators from smelling their nest. This is a blessing for cat owners because this makes them a clean buddy for the home as they do not have any urge to dirty up their nest. After the kittens first three weeks of life, they start exploring the outside of their nest. It is at this time that they start to eliminate outside their nest. It is their mother’s rule that they do not dirty up their nest. When they are big enough and can walk well enough, litter box training should be immediately started.

The best way to start litter box training is to have a clean litter box available for your kitten. If you are adopting or buying a cat, be sure that your litter pan is clean when you take your new kitty home. There’s a wide variety of litter boxes and litter available in the market now. Keep in mind that you want a box that your kitty could comfortably get into without a problem. As for the litter, you may change into a different kind depending on your kitten’s preference. Some cats do not want scented litter while others do. Just watch out if the litter type causes accidents to happen in your home. And then, be sure you also have a scoop so you could scoop out the kitten fecal matter from the litter box.

Step one in training your little one is to introduce him immediately to the litter box once he comes to your home. Of course, it would be helpful if you could warm up with your kitten first by making him feel he is safe with you. To introduce the litter box, just put your kitty in the box and make his paws feel the litter in the box. It’s fine if kitty runs out of the box the first time you do this. Try it again after a couple of minutes or after feeding the kitten because this is the most likely time that they go. Another great time to try is after they

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About the Author

J. Ratliff has only child, his girl Samantha. Samantha is a 6 year kitty who is very special!

Pigs as pets

Your cute and adorable Babe.

Ever wonder what’s it’s like to have a pet pig? Well, it’s not any different from having a pet cat or dog actually. Pet pigs need to take walks just like any dog and pigs too, can be taught to use a litter box, just like kitty. In fact, pigs are easy to train and are now known to be smarter than cats and dogs. They also get along well with other domestic animals so you need not worry about bringing the pig home to accompany your cat or dog. Pigs are also one of the cleanest animal because they normally do not excrete anywhere near their living space. That I think is a great trait.

But then there are challenges to keeping them as a pet. One is that if their appetite is left unchecked, you could end up with one giant, ravenous pig. It’s in their nature to beg for food but as a loving owner, you must regulate their mealtime. Also pigs do not sweat, so during hot weather, they need lots of water to drink and a pool of water where they can cool themselves. That’s one reason why pigs in the wild or in farms tend to wallow in mud. They would rather go to the pool if given a choice!

Pigs also need veterinary care and it is important to find a vet that will take excellent care of your pet. It is also ideal to have a fenced area for your pig. They need space to roam around and play. Having a nice, warm bedding for your him to sleep on is also a must. And most important of all, you need to train your pet so he’ll know who’s boss. This is important because a well-trained pig will be an obedient and adorable companion for you.

How to clip a cats claws

I take a simple approach to trimming my cats’ claws. As such, I will present the approach simply, in a list article.

*Start at Your Pet Supply Store

Your favorite retailer of sundries for pets will sell you a specialized tool for clipping cat claws. Do yourself a favor and buy this item!

*Once Home, Be Gentle

I have had enough cats and scratches to know that any show of force only agitates felines and makes matters worse. With your new “weapon” concealed, pick up your kitty sweetly, almost inadvertently. You don’t want him or her to get the sense you are “on a mission”.

*Apply a Little Force

If you are not already seated, sit! Move your cat to your lap. (I hope you are wearing long pants!) Slowly, position your cat to where it is prone to your maneuvers. Getting and keeping the upper hand here depends upon the instance. Sometimes, you will need to gingerly trap “Fluffy” by the lower body, between your thighs. At other times, you will find you need to lean forward to limit the cat’s movement. Do whatever works, as long as it does not hurt your pet.

*Make Your Move!

Slip your new clipping tool from your pocket and work quickly. (And hope that you have caught your cat in a generous moment. I have one cat who sometimes purrs when I give his claws a snip.) Go first for the front paws, as claws on the hind paws will be a little duller. This may be important if your furry friend becomes “freaked”. At each digit, nimbly push on the cat’s joints to expose the claw. Place your tool into position. Clip! (Be conservative as you trim. You only need to take off the sharp tip, and going too deep will draw blood.)

*Stay Calm. Don’t Stop!

No matter how upset this “ordeal” makes your pet, keep your cool. This will help you and your pet “get it over with” as quickly as possible. Once you have trimmed one claw, move to the next. Be efficient and gentle. Before you know it, you will have trimmed all four paws.

*Let Go!

Your cat will want to get away from you. Let it. You can “pet and make up” later.

These steps present an easy way to keep your cat’s claws trimmed, and less likely to scratch items you want kept nice.

Good luck! If your cat takes the trimming hard, don’t fret. Cats forgive us quickly.

Teaching your cat to come when called – Part 2

Teaching your cat to come to you when you want them to is a fairly simple (if occasionally lengthy!) process.

First of all you need to make sure that when you call them you do it in exactly the same way each time, I actually use a distinctive whistle to call mine in for food, as it is easier on the throat than yelling their name over and over again! If you want to use the cats name then ensure that the pitch differs from the one you use in normal conversation, kitty will find it very hard to filter their name out from the normal background drone of human chatter otherwise. Using a slightly higher, singsong pitch is most effective (baby talk, if you will).

When you start to use the cats name, don’t expect them to react straight away, if, as I have suggested, you use a different higher pitch than your normal voice, the cats attention will be caught almost straight away, but that does not mean the cat will walk over to you (handily, most do anyway!).

Ensure that you have a heavy supply of treats, the treats must be extra specially tasty. Pet stores do sell little bags of treats for your cat, and if your cat really likes them then thats great. I found that little bits if chicken worked on one of mine, but oddly not the other, he liked tuna; so I ended up carrying a well sealed bag of tuna flakes (and a pack of babywipes..ick!). Feed the snacks to your cat, whilst repeating their name or your chosen form of summoning. The cat has to decide that these are desirable and well worth having, so make sure he or she acquires a taste for them.

Now here comes the fun part (this takes at least fifty repeats). Every time your cat walks past use it’s name, when it looks up, throw a treat. Be very consistent, cats are bright and it will get the idea very quickly. Once the cat is responding (even flicking it’s ears in your direction warrants a treat, watch it’s body language) then try it at more of a distance, another room for instance. When you give the cat dinner use it’s name a lot, when you are dishing it up keep talking to it.

After a few days of this your cat will be responding reliably, like all animals they think with their belly!

If your cat is deaf you can STILL use this method (some breeds are prone to deafness). Simply swap the noise for something tactile, I had a deaf Siamese years ago, I used one of those little buzzers you can buy in joke shops to “shock” handshake someone, when pressed to the floor it vibrated hard, and the cat could feel it through it’s pads (soles of its feet). Do not touch the cat with the buzzer.. you will (deservedly) get scratched and then ignored for weeks!

Bear in mind that your cat will now link treats to actions, so you can continue to use them to train your cat to do other things if you wish to. If you do call your cat in always treat them, it will start to think you are a bit of a joker if you do it a lot and don’t reward, and believe it or not, pussy may well start ignoring you!

Basic cat care tips – Part 3

Inevitably, in the life of every pet owner, there are unexpected behavioral problems here and there that need dealing with. It pays to be understanding and patient with your cat, as many times the issue is fully fixable and just a matter of understanding pet behavior. Here are some of the most common problems owners report having with their cats, and suggestions on how to handle them.

Soiling outside the litter box.

This is something that many cats will do when the litter box is not kept clean. Like us, they want to relieve themselves in a clean environment. If you have a multiple cat household like I do, buy more than one litter box, use scoop-able cat litter and strain it frequently to keep it clean as possible. I have one robotic cat box that automatically cleans a few minutes after one of the cats leaves it. It does a great job but it must be kept clean or it will malfunction. The bottom line is, keep the litter box clean.

Wherever the cat has soiled outside the box, make sure the area is cleaned thoroughly with appropriate cleaner. You can buy cat repellent sprays at the pet store, those work pretty well. If you don’t have any, spray the fully cleaned area with potent perfume, cats usually hate perfume and will avoid the area totally to avoid the smell.

Throwing up on the carpet.

If you think your cat is sick, ask the doctor by phone if the symptoms are worth bringing in kitty for a checkup. Cats barf, it happens. They get hairballs from cleaning themselves, or they eat too fast and hurl it back up after-wards. If I see blood in the vomit, that is when I know to call the vet and bring kitty in, especially if he isn’t eating. Don’t delay if that happens. But for everyday barfing up hairballs or overeating, those I prevent as much as I can through their diet. I buy dry food that is for “Sensitive systems” or “Hairball management”. Ask a vet other tips on supplementing kitty’s nutrition so he won’t feel the need to hurl so much. Surely there are more ways to prevent this, but watching my cats’ diets has cut down on their needing to vomit, considerably.

You bring home a new cat, and the new cat doesn’t like it.

Cats are territorial, and it takes some adjustment for everyone when a new pet is added in. Cats naturally react with hissing, maybe growling and swatting one another when really mad. I introduced a new cat into my household a year ago and he instantly got along with one of my cats but hates the other one. But, they have learned to tolerate