special needs cats

Special needs cats: You don't often hear about or see information for special needs cats. These may be blind, very old (with limited mobility), or disabled in some way. Disabled cats may be amputees

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Cat Litter Box Strategies For Special Needs Kitties



You don't often hear about or see information for special needs kitties. These may be blind, very old (with limited mobility), or disabled in some way. Disabled cats may be amputees, or even paralyzed. There are special mobile devices you can purchase for your paralyzed cat.

But this article will talk a little bit about the cat litter box concerns for special needs kitties. Due to their limited mobility or lack of site, litter box type and location are absolutely critical.

If you have a blind cat, your best bet is maintain location consistency as much as possible. When your blind kitty has become accustomed to finding his cat litter box in one location, the most successful strategy is to leave the box there. However, if you have to move the box, you'll need to help retrain your blind cat to find his way to it again. A lot of patience will be necessary. You could even confine the blind cat to that particular location for awhile, so he'll re-learn how to find the litter box easily.

You'll also want to think about the type of cat litter box. If it's too high to climb up in, he's going to get discouraged, and he'll find another, easily accessible location to void his urine. You may even need to buy a large storage container, cut out a "U"-shaped entrance (the bottom of the "U" should be up about 3 - 4" to hold the cat litter in the box), and train kitty to find it.

Obviously, this depends upon the type of dwelling you live in, how many other cats and litter boxes are in your home, and if you own a multi-story house. Consult with your vet for other strategies.

Very old cats often develop mobility issues. If this true for your kitty, you may need to strategically place cat litter boxes in places you didn't previously consider, just to make it easy for your senior cat to make it to the box in time. Again, if you live in a multi-story house, you'll probably have to place cat litter boxes on different levels.

However, if your senior cat voluntarily confines herself to one area, then you may only need to consider litter box placement in that part of your home. And just like blind kitties, consider the type of cat litter box that's best for your senior cat. If she has stiff joints, be sure she can easily climb in and out of the box. If she's unable to squat to urinate, you'll need a high-sided box. The solution given above may be just the ticket to avoid cat urine odor problems for your senior kitty.

Talk to your vet to see if there are any medications that may ease your cat's joint pain. This removes most of the challenge of getting to the cat litter box in time.

Paralyzed cats face daunting challenges. They can't feel anything back in that region, so very often their voiding functions simply happen. I have had cat owners tell me that the best solution is to diaper the cat. The downside is you have to constantly check the diaper, but if it stops a cat urine odor problem in your home, and you can keep your wonderful, special kitty, that's a small price to pay.

You will probably want to make certain that your home has as much tile floor exposed as possible. Carpet cleaning can be costly, and eventually the material will not clean up as well as it used to, making replacement necessary and costly.

Some cat owners confine their paralyzed kitty to one area of their home that's easy to clean up. Consult with your vet on the best strategy for your paralyzed kitty.

If your special needs kitty is an amputee, you may either have a few cat litter box problems, or absolutely none. I have met cat owners who tell their three-legged cat has no trouble balancing in the litter box. Others report that the only thing they need to do to accomodate their amputee cat is to make sure they buy cat litter boxes that are low enough for kitty to hop in and out of.

Cats that lose a limb later in life may have some initial balancing issues. I recommend confining kitty to one area with a floor that's easy to clean up, while the amputee practices new cat litter box skills. Consult with your vet for more ideas.

With a little bit of thought and preparation, special needs kitties can as trouble-free as any cat when using the cat litter box.


About the Author: Nancy solved the cat urine odor problem in her home, and kept the cat that caused it. Read "18 Ways to Stop Cat Urine Odor Problems" to discover your solution. http://www.stopcaturineodor.com

Source: www.isnare.com


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How to Litter Train A Kitten

If the mother cat is still in the home and she is already litter trained, then litter training her kittens is a natural process. Her kittens will simply follow what she does. However, ultimately, each cat should have its own litter tray or else it may create a host of other litter tray problems for you!

For most kitten owners, the mother cat is not in the home if the kitten was orphaned or purchased. But this is not a problem. It is easy to litter train a cat when it's still a little kitten. Cats are creatures of habit and it may not be as easy to litter train once they have become used to their favorite toilet spots.

The key to litter training a kitten is to let it get used to the litter tray as soon as possible. You will need to manually place your kitten onto the tray initially, as it is neither used to it nor is it able to climb over the edge to get in.

Most kittens would defecate soon after waking up and after a meal. You could place your kitten in the litter tray during these times and after a few weeks, your kitten would get used to the routine and it would become a habit.

Just be sure to place the litter tray a reasonable distance away from where the kitten is fed and where it sleeps. Cats and kittens are fastidious creatures and do not like to do their toilet near where they eat and sleep.

When a kitten is still very young, it will not be able to "cover up" very well after its toilet, as most adult cats are capable of. But you don't have to worry about this. Once they are about 1 to 2 months old, they will instinctively know how to cover up their poop.

In the wild or in the garden, cats will scoop soil and earth to cover but in the home, if you provide commercial cat litter, they will naturally scoop the litter to cover up the poop. You will notice, even if you only provide a newspaper for their soiling, your kitten will still scoop at the newspaper in an instinctive act to cover up their poop.

Although you can expect to pick up poop after your kitten in the first few weeks, litter training a kitten is relatively easy and can be 100% trouble-free once it gets used to the routine of using the litter tray.

About the Author
Rona Limsy
For more tips on how to litter train your kitten, visit http://www.My-Pet-Cat.com

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Step 1 Make up the bottle of formula. To do this, first sterilize the bottle and nipple in boiling water for several minutes and allow to cool thoroughly before adding the KMR (kitten milk replacement) formula. KMR is specifically formulated for kittens, and cow's milk is not an adequate replacement. To avoid clumping, add just a little bit of water to the powdered mix and stir until thoroughly combined before adding the rest of the hot water. The final temperature of the formula should be about 95 degrees. If the bottle gets cold, just warm it up in a small bowl of very warm water, but always check the temperature before offering it to the kitten.

Step 2 Prepare the kitten. Place a warm, soft towel either on your lap or on the feeding surface, then place the kitten gently on top of it. When feeding newborn kittens, they will need to be lying flat on their stomachs. It is best if you can do this with the kitten gently cuddled against you, because you need to be sure that the kitten is warm before feeding. Cold kittens do not digest their formula well.

Step 3 Feed the kitten. Gently work the nipple against the kitten's mouth. They will get the idea quickly and take it in. If not, very gently stroke the kitten until it gets the idea. You will need to do this six to ten times per day, around the clock, just like a newborn human. Newborn kittens will need a little over one ounce of formula per day, divided between feedings. Be careful to not overfeed them.

Step 4 Clean up and burp the kitten. While the kitten is still on the blanket, gently slip one hand under its belly and hold it while you very lightly pat its upper back. This will stimulate the burp response. Then, using a warm, damp, slightly rough cloth, gently clean its anal and genital area to stimulate urination and defecation.

Step 5 Put the kitten back to bed. It is worn out from its feeding and needs to rest.

About the Author
newbornkittens.net.
Learn more about newborn kittens and other aspects of kitten care by visiting the author's website at http://newbornkittens.net.

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Should You Feed Stray Cats?

The answer, of course, is yes, you should feed strays. Since cats became domesticated they are no longer wild animals that can fend for themselves outside. They don't survive very well outdoors on their own without human intervention.

The best that stray cats can usually do is to eat from garbage cans. Every now and then they may find a mouse to eat, but in general most stray cats are starving.

A lot of people are reluctant to feed strays for several different reasons. One of these is the idea that strays will breed out of control if you feed them. The truth is that strays can breed out of control whether or not they are fed. Not feeding stray cats will NOT reduce the stray population. Even very hungry cats can still breed and then they will produce starving and unhappy little kittens.

Also, remember that it isn't the cat's fault that he or she is a stray. Often strays are cats that have been abandoned by their owners for some reason. Other times, the strays are born outdoors to other stray cats. In any case, it isn't the cat's fault that they have no home. Also, cats are intelligent animals with feelings and individual personalities and it is cruel to let them go hungry.

A lot of people don't want to feed strays because they worry that if they feed a stray cat then it will hang around looking for more food.

So what! Cat food is fairly inexpensive and it cost very little to feed a cat, however, it will make a huge difference in the life of the cat you are feeding.

Putting out dry food is best, otherwise you may get all of the neighborhood cats looking for a handout - owned or not. If you put out only dry food you will usually only get really hungry cats. However, if you put out dry cat food you will often attract the other local wildlife, such as possums and skunks, which you don't want.

To prevent this you can put out dry food during the day and pick it up at night, however, shy or feral cats will usually only come to eat at night. Canned cat food doesn't typically draw other wildlife like the dry food does and so unless you have a lot of your neighbors' cats that are coming to eat at your house then you should probably put out a few plates or bowls (depending on how many cats you are feeding) of canned food at night. You should also provide a bowl of fresh water every day and each evening.
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Cat Behavior Facts Few People Know

Epics, novels and movies have always portrayed cats as unpredictable and moody creatures. Many consider cats as mysterious creatures. However, the truth cannot be further from this. A cat is as normal and predictable as any other animals. The only condition is that we need to know what to expect from a cat in terms of normal behavior.

People consider cats as 'cute' little animals only to give them up at the slightest hint of aggression or litter issues. Most people do not do their homework well before keeping a cat. Cats are different than dogs and that's where people greatly misunderstand cats.

Being distant relatives to the much larger cats we see in the wild, (of course our kitty is much smaller), they are able to eat at frequent intervals. COnsuming anywhere from 10 grams to a quarter of a cup at a time.

The reason for this is that it is instinctual to keep their digestive system in optimal condition. In addition to eating frequently these instinctual creature just like their relatives can go a day to two without eating anything, and as long as they don't seem to be sick this is a very normal behavior.

Cats love to sleep! In fact, sleeping is the main activity on their agenda followed by hunting, chasing and eating. At time it may seem like all a cat does is sleep and eat.

Unlike a dog that sleeps with his ears cocked and gets up at the slightest noise, a cat can sleep through anything. So don't be surprised if your cat finds some warm and soft place and disappears for a while for his catnap.

Cats are a clean creature and like to keep things private. They like their litter boxes to be hidden in a private place. In fact after a cat uses the litter box they bury it in litter covering up and hiding their business. This behavior is a learned behavior that they pick up from their mothers at a very young age.

These are just a few cat behaviors cat owners should know. Now, that you know these behaviors it is easier to know when a cat is being normal and when a cat is acting odd.
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QUICK CAT FACTS

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ARE GINGER CATS ALWAYS MALE?
No. This is a common misconception. Ginger cats can be either male or female although ginger females are less common.

The genetics of ginger is explained in more detail in Tortoiseshell and Tri-Colour Cats (ginger is caused by the same gene as tortoiseshell), but this is a short version for those wanting a quick answer.

The ginger gene changes black pigment into a reddish pigment. The ginger gene is carried on the X chromosome. A normal male cat has XY genetic makeup so he only needs to inherit one ginger gene for him to be a ginger cat. A normal female is XX genetic makeup so she must inherit two ginger genes to be a ginger cat. If she inherits only one ginger gene, she will be tortoiseshell with some ginger areas and some black/brown areas.

The ginger gene is called a sex-linked gene because it is carried on a sex chromosome.

Also, if you look closely, ginger cats have tabby markings though these may be faint or only visible on the face, tail and lower legs. They are also visible in the ginger areas of tortie cats. This is because the gene that turns off tabby to give solid colour cats does not work on the ginger colour.

ARE GINGER FEMALES RARE?
No. They are less common than ginger males, but they are not rare. It is possible to selectively breed ginger female cats by mating ginger males and ginger females together. They will have ginger offspring.

ARE GINGER FEMALES STERILE?
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PICA In Cats: EATING THE INEDIBLE

Pica means eating non-food items. The behaviour ranges from sucking, chewing and biting through to swallowing bites of items. Pica (from the Latin for "magpie"). It should not be confused with the suckling/nursing behaviour that some cats retain into adulthood. Commonly consumed target items include wool, string, elastic bands, electrical cords, tissues, tinsel and houseplants. Other objects have included cassette tape and the rubber "teat" section of a child's dummy (pacifier). Eating a little grass or herbs is normal cat behaviour; indoor cats may eat houseplants if there is no grass accessible.

Like many obsessive or abnormal behaviours, the cat persists in doing it because the it is comforting or rewarding. The reward might be a nice taste, a full stomach or simply getting attention from the owner. The challenge is to make the behaviour unrewarding and redirect the behaviour into something rewarding for the cat and acceptable to the owner. Sometimes it is a displacement activity where an abnormal activity is substituted for normal behaviour because the cat can't express the more normal behaviour i.e. the normal behaviour is being thwarted.

PICA, WOOL-SUCKING OR PREY-PLUCKING?
Wool-sucking (or fabric-sucking) is a misdirected form of nursing. It's similar to a child's thumb-sucking in providing comfort.. Though sometimes mistaken for wool-eating, the item (sweater, blanket etc) is only sucked, not chewed, bitten or swallowed. Other commonly suckled objects include the cat's own tail, other cats or pet dogs. Behavioural treatment may be needed to build up the cat's confidence so it no longer resorts to "comfort nursing".

In general, the younger a kitten is when it is weaned, the stronger the urge to nurse and the more persistent the comfort-nursing. Usually it decreases naturally as the kitten grows up, but it may persist or resurface in early-weaned or hand-reared cats, particularly at times of stress. More rarely it becomes a compulsive behaviour or progresses to pica.

Some owners provide an old sweater for the cat to suckle on while protecting other garments by storing them away from the cat or dabbing hot chilli sauce onto them.

Plucking the target resembles pica but is a misdirected prey-related activity. The cat holds down the (often woollen) blanket or garment with its paws and uses its teeth to pluck or tear at it. This is the same behaviour found when a cat plucks or tears fur, feather or flesh from larger prey items (e.g. pigeons). The clothing/blanket isn't swallowed anything the cats tears off is discarded. One of my cats, Sappho, exhibited this behaviour towards crochet blankets.

In the case of one Siamese cat, it took a sock to its eating area and plucked at it periodically during the meal (canned food). The owner attributed this to "teeth cleaning" but it was probably misdirected prey-plucking/tearing behaviour as it only occurred at mealtimes.

BREED PREDISPOSITIONS
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History, Temperament of the Maine Coon.

History of the Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons have been on this earth for many centuries, they were well documented at being in large numbers at American Cat Shows in the mid 1800’s alongside the other popular breed at the time the Persian cat.

There are several theories as to the origin of Maine Coons, the Darwin Theory of an animal’s origin being disregarded and obscured, from being an outcross between a Bobcat/Wildcat and a domestic, coming across as ship cats from Scandinavian countries as Forest type cats and mating with the domestic cats, to Marie Antoinette sending her royal cats on a ship to the safety of Maine, prior to her beheading. Nobody really knows and the cat’s aren’t saying.

Maine Coons are a natural breed of cat or at least the original ones were, and anyone who has ever met one and to everyone who has ever lived with one, the Maine Coon is a very special breed of cat. [1]

Appearance of The Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons are the largest breed of domestic cat and have a rugged, working cat appearance. They have a lovely semi-longhaired coat of varying lengths and were well built to survive in the harsh North American winters. This coat is very water repellent, but quite soft to the touch. An amazing plumed tail of large proportions finishes off this wonderful coat. They come in a large variety of colours and in several tabby patterns as well as solid and particolours. Brown tabby is the original colouring of a Maine Coon but the rainbow of colours range through blues, reds and creams, silvers tortoiseshell and solid blacks through to solid white.
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Cat Affection: Can You Make Your Cat Cuddly?
One of my cats, Cooga, is a Burmese. He is genetically designed to enjoy human company and cuddles. He is an attractive cat and his humans can hardly walk past him without touching him. He usually allows us to cuddle him like a doll...he will relax into our arms and enjoy the attention and warmth, rubbing his head against our faces. Cooga is likely to be cuddly all his life. He is bred that way and we are lucky to have him.

Behavior Issues: Cat Behavior Training
Is your cat's bad behavior driving you up the wall? Many people are under the impression that cats are too independent to be trained. This is not true. Any animal can be trained. You just need to condition its reactions in a consistent and predictable manner. Animal behaviorists call this Pavlovian Conditioning. Although the most famous of the experiments revolved around dogs, subsequent scientists have successfully shown this effect even in human children. In reality, a cat's behavior and resultant societal relations with other cats are dependent on factors such as population density of neighborhood cats, premature knowledge and the amount of food available in the vicinity.

Feline Diabetes Is Not A Cat And Mouse Game!
Feline Diabetes is one of the most common feline endocrine diseases. Its direct link is to the high carbohydrate diet of dry food. Many canned foods contain too many carbohydrates, which your cat may eat with great speed and gusto; but your poor choices, will definitely damage the health of your pet. Cats by nature are obligate carnivores and their system, as created by the nature is not suitable for a carbohydrate diet. Just don't put anything and everything before your cat. Understand its requirements, from its biological point of view. Feline Diabetes is not a cat and mouse game

Feline Acne – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Feline acne is a common problem seen in cats. It is found on the cat's chin & lips. It is generally accepted that this is caused by plastic bowls and for many cats the solution is simply substituting the plastic bowl for a stainless steel bowl or a glass bowl. The problem may be caused by the inability of the cat to clean his chin properly after drinking the milk resulting in a nutrient rich habitat for bacteria. Several factors appear to be associated with its development including stress, a suppressed immune system, poor grooming habits, the presence of other diseases, contact or atopic dermatitis, and skin conditions in which abnormal amounts of oils are produced.



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Corned Beef and Cabbage Casserole Dinner--suitable for Diabetics,
Here's a quick and easy meal for busy families. What's easier than having your meat, potatoes, cabbage, and cheese all in one dish. That covers, meat, vegetable, salad, and dairy all in one. And that's exactly what this Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe does for you. Add a simple microwave dessert of Date-Oat Bars for the fruit and grains.

Recipes for Festive Yam Souffle and Winter Apricot Compote
As we head into Fall, our thoughts turn to entertaining. It won't be long until Thanksgiving rolls around and a month after that it is Christmas. As Americans, our holiday traditions seem to center around good meals with family and friends. Whether it is up to you to host the festivities or just to take a dish to a friend or relatives house, here are a couple of old-fashion recipes from my vintage recipe collection. Both are great for holiday entertaining or just good sit-down family meals

Zucchini Pancake Recipe
I know that almost everyone has had potato pancakes but did you ever try zucchini pancakes, when I was a child I was a very picky eater and there was very little things that I would eat, my favorite was potato pancakes, I just loved them so much I could eat them every day so one day I came home from school and my mother had potato pancakes or so I taught, I sat down to dinner and began eating my favorite food but something seemed a little strange, I said to my mother these pancakes taste different and she said I used a different kind of potato this time and so I was satisfied with her explanation and kept on eating my fill as usual, when dinner was over she asked me how I liked dinner and I said it was wonderful as usual, then she replied these were a new zucchini pancake recipe that she just got from a neighbor and decided to try it on me. I was never so surprised in my life and since then I have been making the same zucchini pancake recipe and now I am passing it on to you.



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Meow Mix House - Cat Reality Television

My friends at Meow Mix have done it again, they have produced a reality TV show staring 10 homeless cats. All ten cats were chosen from animal shelters from around the country.
The cats are spending their time in a storefront window in New York City. The players are brought to life with the use of voice over and the public votes one of the cats out of the house each week. Sound like something you've watched before?
The best part is when the cats gets voted out of the Meow Mix House they go to an adopted new home and the winner will be the new Meow Mix spokes-cat.
Thanks to Meow Mix for providing great entertainment for us cat lovers.

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Stress Linked to Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases
You might blame your teenager for your ulcer, or even your high blood pressure, but researchers now know that stress can cause many medical problems for companion animals, too. One of the most frustrating disorders veterinarians commonly treat in cats is feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which is the broad term for diseases including, urinary stones, urethral obstructions and cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). Despite years of research, experts still do not know what causes the mysterious disease.

Cat Training for Your Intractable Cat
Cats are almost always depicted as loners, the lords of their realm, snobbish and downright stubborn. This is a type of animal that is quite proud, going their own way and rarely following orders. Think Garfield.

CAT HEALTH PROBLEMS:
Cat health care is an issue that you can now take an active interest in. Use your own curiosity and your Internet skills to keep up to date with all the cat health information that is available to you at your very fingertips.

What’s The Best Diet For A Pregnant Cat?
Pregnant cats have to eat for two, three, four, five, even six cats. So her regular meal is just not enough. What should you give instead? Pregnant and lactating queens need more calories than normal.



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New Article - Declawing - What You Should Know About


The Horrors of Commercial Pet Food: What Every Dog and Cat Owner Should Know
Some of the ingredients that end up in commercial pet foods are truly shocking. What’s more, many of these will not appear on the label and others are hidden under umbrella terms such as ‘meat meal’ and ‘meat by-products’. How can this happen? The pet food industry is highly unregulated. As Ann Martin, author of Foods Pets Die For, writes in her article The Pet Food Industry and its Questionable Practices, ‘Governments in the USA and Canada regulate the labeling of the food, the name and address of the company, the weight of the product, and whether it is made for a dog or cat - nothing more.’

How to Keep Your Cat Free from Diseases with This Quick Guide to Cat Parasites:
Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other creatures. Among cats, parasites generally feed on the animal's blood. Detecting internal parasites in cats can be difficult

Leashing a Cat
Shadow had been the cat in our house for over seven years when we moved from the country into town. His usual lifestyle including roaming our five acres whenever he wished. Moving to town required him to be a "house" cat"

What is a Cat Whisperer?
Similar to a horse or dog whisperer, a Cat Whisperer is a person who relates particularly well with cats. A Cat Whisperer has unusual luck and success with cats. Often people bring cats or a single cat will just "show up" at their home.



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