Cat Litter Box Habits

Cat litter box: If you have a cat who doesn't use her cat litter box, it might be the type of cat litter you buy for her. Cats are fussy about cat litter brands

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Cat Litter Brands Determine Good Cat Litter Box Habits

If you have a cat who doesn't use her cat litter box, it might be the type of cat litter you buy for her.

Cats are fussy about a lot of things, and the cat litter brand you think she'll likes might end up offending her for a number of reasons. If she doesn't like it, your cat will communicate the only way she knows will get your attention - she'll stop using the cat litter box.

There are a confusing number of cat litter brands to choose from. Some are made with humans in mind. These types often contain perfume or some type of smell that pleases you and me, but not necessarily to kitty.

A cats' sense of smell is much more sensitive than a human's. Cat litter that is drenched in a pleasant (for humans) scent may be very offensive to your cat. If her sense of smell is overwhelmed, she'll avoid the cat litter box.

If you suspect your cat doesn't like her cat litter, this can be an easy problem to fix. For example, if you faithfully supplied her with a brand she liked, but you decided to switch brands, she'll stop using the cat litter box if it doesn't meet her approval. In this case, switch back to the previous cat litter brand.

It may feel like defeat, but if you think about it in terms of saving money, time and frustration because you're not cleaning up cat messes, then everybody wins.

You may have had to switch cat litter brands because her favorite brand is no longer available. If this is the case, experiment with similar brands and see which one she prefers.

Here's an easy way to test cat litter brands to get kitty's approval:

Set up two litter boxes. Each box should have a different cat litter brand. Leave the boxes down for a few days. At the end of your test period, see which box accumulated the most deposits. If one box was preferred over the other, you have your winner. You may need to repeat this test a few times before your cat decides you got it right.

If you have several bags of cat litter left over from your tests, donate them to your local feline rescue organization. They can always use any type for their rescued kitties.

If you switched cat litter brands because your nearest pet store no longer carries it, consider making a trip to one a little further from your home. The trick is to stock up with a large number of bags so your trips are as infrequent as possible.

Cats are demanding creatures. Since we don't speak meow, and they can't talk, cats communicate clearly (according to kitty logic) with radical, startling actions. It's up to us humans (isn't it always?) to translate our cat's wishes and concerns.

By paying attention to past events (like switching litter brands on kitty), we can decipher and solve many cat litter box problems.


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 advice@stopcaturineodor.com

Source: www.isnare.com


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Homemade Kitten Food

Do you need a cheap, healthy alternative to store bought kitten food to help wean your kittens off their mother's milk and transition them to traditional canned kitten food? More than likely, they have shown little interest in regular canned food, preferring the milk to anything you might put in their bowl. Dry food will also be too hard on their developing teeth. The best option would be to start them on a food that reminds them of what they prefer, but can be mixed with traditional wet food to help transition them over. This recipe is simple to make, and kittens find it delicious.

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and mix in one envelope of unflavored gelatin. Be sure to mix thoroughly, and do not boil the gelatin. If the water tastes bad or has a heavy chlorine taste when it comes out of the tap, consider using filtered water instead.

Pour this mixture into a blender along with half of a 12 ounce can of goat's milk. Blend just long enough to combine thoroughly. Do not substitute cow's milk because cats tend to be lactose intolerant. Using cow's milk can lead to discomfort, diarrhea, and worse if fed to kittens.

Add the following ingredients one at a time. After each addition, blend briefly to combine before moving on to the next. You will want to use the lowest setting to avoid overmixing. Add: 3 tbsp full fat yogurt, 3 tbsp real mayonnaise, 3 tsp light corn syrup, and 1 raw egg yolk. Concerning the egg yolk, raw eggs carry a small risk of salmonella poisoning. To eliminate any risk of accidentally passing this on to your kittens, use eggs that have been pasteurized in their shells.

You can serve the completed homemade kitten food the way it is, or you can store it for use later. To store for later usage, cover the mixture tightly in a small container. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in your freezer for up to three months.

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Ensure A Good Relationship Between Your Cat And Your Kids

Many parents know that the best way for children to learn compassion and the importance of keeping commitments is by helping to care for a pet. Children learn from watching the adults in their lives. If a child can learn to treat an animal with respect they can take that lesson into later life. A cat can be a marvellous, loving companion for a child, but it is up to the adults in the family to ensure the cat and the kids live together happily ever after.

When you first bring a cat home, explain to your child that they will need to be patient, quiet and gentle to help the cat feel safe. Sit on the floor with your child and help him practice patience as the cat gets up the courage to come close. Let your child feed the cat a piece of food from his hand. If the cat is reluctant to come close, have your child gently toss a piece of food close to the cat. Once the cat realizes what your child is offering, the ice will melt.

Very young children can easily overwhelm a cat or kitten with their exuberance. Children under the age of five years should always be supervised when playing with or handling a cat. Children over 12 years can usually be trusted to be gentle, but be sure to occasionally check up on kids under 12 years when they spend concentrated time with the family cat.

You should remind children that they should not disturb a sleeping cat, or a cat that is using its litter tray.

Kittens appear to be amazingly flexible, and children often think nothing of draping a weeks-old cat over the crook of the arm and carrying it around like a toy, or picking up a kitten by the scruffof its neck. In this position, it is easy for the kitten to be dropped and seriously injured. Also, being carried like this leaves the cat feeling unsupported with it's hind legs swinging in space.
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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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Focus On Cat Health

Cat Health

Three Common Feline Skin Diseases

Feline skin diseases are some of the most common health problems that can affect your cat. The condition of your cat's skin and coat of hair is an important indicator of your cat's overall health, so it's important to be aware of it. Let's take a look at a few common feline skin diseases.

Acne
One of the most common feline skin diseases is acne. The most noticeable symptom of this condition is the formation of blackheads on your cat's chin. Although an exact cause is known, dermatitis, food allergies, and poor grooming can play a role. The veterinarian may not choose to treat feline acne is the case is mild enough.

If treatment of the acne is necessary, it usually comes in three forms. Your may have to bath your cat in a special shampoo that helps get rid of excess oil on your cat's skin. You may also have the option of using an antibiotic twice a day to get rid of the condition. If your cat is experiencing excessive inflammation, the veterinarian may choose to use corticosteroids.

Ringworm
Ringworm is also one of the most common feline skin diseases. This skin fungus frequently affects young, old, and long-haired cats although any cat can be affected. Symptoms include crusting, redness on the skin, and scaling. Some cats react to the fungus by over-grooming themselves which can cause hair loss. Treatment methods of ringworm include oral medication, shampoo, or clipping the cat's coat. You may also need to get rid of the fungus in the surrounding environment.
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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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Focus On Cat Breeds

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Tonkinese Cat and Kitten Information

The Tonkinese is a beautiful cat with a medium build, short hair coat and brilliant eyes. Their coat is soft and comes in a wide variety of colors, all of which are recognized for show purposes. Colors can be solid and pointed. Given the striking resemblance, pointed Tonkinese are often mistaken for Siamese cats. The nickname Tonk is used quite often.

These are energetic cats and will seek out ways to amuse itself, sometimes to the point of being mischievous. Tonks enjoy the company of favored humans and their warm affectionate nature makes them great companion cats. Intelligent and playful, the Tonk displays a fun loving curiosity, with individual personality.

History
The Tonkinese are said to be a cross between the Burmese and Siamese. Some say that they were first established in Canada, others say that they have been around for hundreds of years and still more say that they came to England in the 1800s as the Chocolate Siamese. The Tonkinese received championship recognition in 1984.

The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wildcat, the genus Felis Lybica. This genus is comprised of smaller cats. Cats are thought to have been domesticated with the advent of farming and the storage of grain. The grain attracted rats and other vermin which naturally attracted wild cats. As time evolved, certain of these cats were domesticated for the mutual benefit of both cat and man. The African Wildcat has certain features which is obvious in the housecat of today.

Health
Cats who reside in the house should generally visit the veterinarian yearly, unless health problems are evident. Cats who enjoy the outdoors may need to see the vet as many as four times a year. When you take your cat to the vet, be sure to bring along a fresh stool sample so the vet can do a fecal exam to check for internal parasites such as tapeworm, round worm, whip worms and hook worms. The vet will also check for external parasites such as fleas, ticks and ear mites.

Any vet check should include a dental examination and a cleaning if necessary. Cats who are eight years of age or older are considered geriatric and additional blood and urine tests may be necessary to screen for any health problems. At about six months of age, the kitten should also be examined for sexual maturity and decisions about birth control should be made.

Behavioral Traits
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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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