Why Cats Scratch Furniture Why Cats Scratch Furniture: Easily one of the biggest disputes we humans have with our feline friends is their great need to "sharpen" their claws on our furniture and carpets.



Why Cats Scratch Furniture




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Why Cats Scratch Furniture and How to Convince Them Otherwise

Easily one of the biggest disputes we humans have with our feline friends is their great need to "sharpen" their claws on our furniture and carpets.

We think it's a terrible idea, they think it's their inborn right. They probably even wonder what our problem is when we react to their scratching! Ever wonder why it's impossible to make them stop scratching our things? The reason's simple, really: They're doing something they should do.

For a cat, scratching is as natural as meowing, chasing mice, or loving tuna. Actually, scratching serves several purposes for the cat:

1. It conditions the claws by removing the outer dead nail sheath. 2. It leaves a visual mark which speaks to its territorial fetish. It also leaves a scent behind due to the scent glands in the cat's paw pads. 3. It serves as an emotional outlet. That's why many cat's favorite time to scratch is right after their humans have come home from work, before mealtime, after eating, after playing, or when everyone gets up in the morning.

They aren't intentionally being destructive or trying to make us mad, they're simply following instinct.

Since the scratching will continue, as surely as the ability to meow will continue - the trick, then, is to provide the cat with an alternative object on which to scratch. A scratching post!

When choosing a scratching post, be sure that it's large and sturdy enough. The cat needs to be able to really "get after it" without the fear of toppling over. The scratching post should be large enough for your cat to stretch out on, so keep your cat's size in mind when purchasing, or making, the post.

Finally, make certain the material is rough and enables the cat to sink her claws into it. (Carpet covered posts are actually too soft.) Even bare wood serves the purpose.

WHERE TO PLACE THE SCRATCHING POST

Pay careful attention to WHERE and WHEN your cat scratches and place the post accordingly. Actually, several throughout the house would be ideal, especially if you have a living room AND a den - that's almost too much temptation for her!

Just a quick word about declawing. In my opinion, declawing a cat is completely inhumane, and unspeakably painful. I've read countless stories of declawed cats being in so much pain they couldn't even sit up. It also leaves the cat totally defenseless. Our pets depend on us to protect them, and keep them from harm, and that is more important than any sofa.

Buy, or make, several scratching posts and everyone will be happy!

About the author:

Joi is the human behind Cat-Pause.com and the Blog. She is a cat fanatic with six of her own: (5 rule the outside, 1 rules the inside).

Feel purrfectly free to use this article, as long as the above paragraph stays intact - with the links active, please. I need the traffic! Thanks. You can, feel free to remove this paragraph, though.


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Problems That Aging Cats are Susceptible to

It’s a given that a cat ages more rapidly than what humans do. Some veterinarians will tell you that a one-year old cat is equivalent to a 16-year old child, although I think this is extreme. The different schools of thoughts propounded by vets and feline experts will tell you that the ratio is anywhere from 4 to 7:1 when it comes to comparing the aging process of a feline to that of a human. Despite the difficulty in predicting an exact age, most vets and experts consider a feline to be “geriatric” once it is 10 years old.

Cats are now living longer than ever before with the average age of a house cat that has been well cared for being around 15 years of age. Additionally, cats that have been neutered or spayed tend to live longer than those that have not been. The speculation here is that cats that have not been “fixed” tend to roam around a lot more and are there prone to even fatal injuries. It also holds true that they succumb to diseases and health maladies because of exposure to the outside environment.

Felines are amazing pieces of machinery, so to speak, in that they have the capability of repairing themselves. For instance, despite the fact that they have two kidneys, they only need a part of one of them in order to stay healthy. Eventually, the aging process in cats takes its toll on them, just like it does with us, and therefore they experience those bodily changes that are characteristically associated with getting older.

The bottom line here is that the key elements of exercise, health care, and proper nutrition, combined with the special care they need once they have entered their “golden years,” will affect your cat’s life expectancy positively. The following list, though quite lengthy, are the more common conditions and problems that older cats may eventually face and that you as an owner will have to deal with when they arise:

* Anemia
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* Blood pressure problems
* Bone brittleness and weakness
* Breathing issues resulting from less flexibility of the lung muscles
* Cancer
* Decreased brain cell count
* Decreased control of body temperature
* Decreased functions of the kidneys and liver
* Decreased intestinal and stomach functions which oftentimes lead to impaired digestive processes
* Decreased production of saliva and difficulties in swallowing
* Decreased sensitivity to all the senses excluding touch
* Dehydration resulting from a decreased sensitivity to thirst
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* Increased bone brittleness
* Mouth ulcers
* Muscle dysfunction and weakness
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* Shallower sleeping patterns which leads to irritability and temperament issues
* Skin abnormalities such as abnormally brittle or misshaped claws, alopecia, and dullness of the coat

From the time they are kittens, cats need to be provided with four critical elements in order to enter their golden years in the best possible shape – an appropriate amount of regular exercise, good health care, proper nutrition, and a stimulating lifestyle. About the Author
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For more easy, practical tips on taking great care of your cat be sure to visit the author’s feline health site now.



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Important Cat Litter Box Health Concerns

Cats are the most popular pets in the United States. According to the latest version of the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook (2002 Edition) there were almost 70 Million pet cats in the United States. Why are cats so popular? There are as many answers to this question as there are cat owners, but the low health risks cats pose to their owners is certainly near the top of this list. Even though the potential health risks cats pose to people are small, it is important that cat owners are aware of these risks and understand how to reduce them.

The majority of all risks stemming from cat ownership are associated with the cat litter box and/or cat feces. There are two categories of risks. The first category contains health risks posed by bacteria and parasites to both cat owners and their cats. The second category contains injuries resulting from an automatic litter box or self cleaning litter box.

Primarily the health problems experienced by cat owners or their cats come from the first category and the most significant of these risks is called Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which can be found in raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, dirty cat litter boxes and outdoor soil where cat feces can be found. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 60 million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite(1). Fortunately, very few people ever experience any symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and individuals who have compromised immune systems, such as individuals infected with the HIV virus, are at risk and should take precautions to avoid being infected by the parasite. For people in this group a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems to the individual or to a pregnant woman’s unborn child.

Again, most of the 60 million plus American’s infected with Toxoplasmosis parasite will never experience any symptoms. Most of those who do experience symptoms will simply think they have the Flu as the most common symptoms include swollen glands, fever, headache, muscle pain, or a stiff neck. For those in the high risk group, Toxoplasmosis can cause damage to the brain, eyes and internal organs. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, children born with Toxoplasma gondii can suffer from hearing loss, mental retardation, and blindness with some children developing brain or eye problems years after birth(2). The CDC estimates that 400-4000 fetuses are infected with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite each year and as many as 80 infants die from Toxoplasmosis annually (2).

So how does an individual contract Toxoplasmosis? A Toxoplasmosis infection is caused by ingesting the Toxoplasma gondi parasite. Most cat owners are infected with the parasite by accidentally ingesting infected cat feces. This happens when a person touches their mouth after handling a cat litter box, working in a garden or sand box or touching anything that has come in contact with cat feces
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Multi-Vitamin for Cats

Many pet owners wish to provide their animals with the best health possible by giving them a multi-vitamin for cats. Cats require a certain careful balance of vitamins and minerals as well as other nutrients in order to function at their best. By ingesting the proper combination of these vitamins, your cat will remain healthy and strong and is more likely to enjoy a long, happy, and illness free life.

The exact vitamins which your cat will need are slightly different from the vitamins which you may see in a human multi-vitamin supplement, however, so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics of feline nutrition before you purchase anything.

Benefits of Multi-Vitamins for Cats
Ideally, a good cat food will provide your pet with all of the different vitamins and nutrients that he needs. However, there are a number of reasons why he may still require a vitamin supplement as well. First, many cat foods do not provide the highest quality nutrients as a result of lower quality ingredients in the food. Second, sitting on the shelf for weeks or even longer can mean that the vitamins and nutrients which are naturally in cat food are reduced in quantity, thereby not giving your cat the nutrition he requires. For this reason, multi-vitamins are a good supplement to help your cat overall.

Components of a Cat Good Multi-Vitamin Cats require certain enzymes and amino acids that can only be found in meat sources. For this reason, cats that do not eat meat will not be healthy and, ultimately, will not survive. Thus, many of the multi-vitamin supplements that are available for cats focus on some of these types of nutrients which are usually found in meat sources. These include:
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Focus On Cat Health

Cat Health

TOXOPLASMOSIS

Toxoplasmosis (commonly called toxo) is a disease caused by a microscopic protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. You may have heard about this infection because of the danger to newborn children if a woman becomes infected while pregnant. Another reason cat owners should be aware of toxo is that the cat is considered the "definitive host" of the toxoplasma organism, meaning it is the only animal that sheds infectious toxo in its feces.

All mammals can become infected with toxo. Infection can occur in two ways. One is by ingesting toxo that has been shed in the feces of a cat. This can occur through contact with soil where cats have defecated or through direct contact with a cat or its fecal matter. This is a very uncommon occurrence. The much more common method of acquiring toxo is by eating meat or prey which contains toxo in the form of a tissue cyst. In cats and other predatory animals this occurs commonly when they eat uncooked prey. In people it occurs most commonly through eating raw or undercooked meat since beef, pork and lamb can all contain toxo.

When any animal, including people and cats, become infected with toxoplasma it usually is an inapparent infection with no illness. This is because the body's immune system puts up a defense that stops the spread of the toxo and walls off the organism into a tiny tissue cyst which remains dormant for years. These are the same tissue cysts which if eaten can cause infection.

In people the situation is different if the person who becomes infected has a compromised immune system, such as a person with AIDS or a person on immune-suppressing drugs. In these cases, the spread of toxo may not be held in check and it can develop into an overwhelming and sometimes fatal infection which may affect many organs including the lungs, liver, eyes and brain. The situation is also different if the person who becomes infected is a pregnant woman.

The woman will generally have no apparent illness, but the toxo organism can pass to the fetus and result in damage to the eyes or brain causing congenital disease.

When mammals other than people become infected a similar thing happens. The vast majority never have illness but may carry tissues cysts of toxo for life. Only a few whose immune system fails to stop the toxo will become ill. This holds true for cats as well. A high percentage of cats have toxo cysts but are not ill, but we only occasionally diagnose toxoplasmosis in cats where it causes disease of the eye, lung, brain or other organs.
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Cat Blood Types

Cats have A, B and AB (rare) blood types. Most cats in the United States have type A blood - something like 99% of domestic shorthair cats have Type A blood. This ratio varies from country to country. Other cat breeds have a much higher incidence of Type B blood. As the popularity of purebred cats increases it is likely that the ratio of cats with Type B blood will also increase.

There is no "universal donor" blood type in cats - a very small amount of the wrong blood type can kill a cat if is is sensitized to the blood. This can be an issue in some cat breeds. In particular, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex and Devon Rex cats, where the percentage of Type B cats is much higher, perhaps as high as 50%. Other breeds with significant percentages of Type B blood include the Abyssinian, Himalayan, Japanese Bobtail, Persian, Somali and Sphinx breeds. (preceding information from Urs Giger, University of Pennsylvania, Kirk's XI).

If a Type B queen (mother cat) gives birth to Type A kittens, severe reactions can occur in the kittens
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Lab Blood Work Tests for Cats

Cats require blood work tests when they need to diagnosed for different diseases. Blood tests are widely used in veterinary medicine. The results are measured against normal values, which are typically present in healthy pets; these values differ across species. The lab test results may be influenced by certain drugs, so always inform your vet about the medication of your pet prior to blood tests. Prior to certain blood tests, your cat should fast.

Complete Blood Count
The complete blood count is a blood test that is very frequently employed to inform the vet about the amount of different types of cells in the blood flow of the cat.

The red blood cell count as well as the white blood cell count and the hemoglobin are important values to determine the condition of the cat. Red blood cells transport the oxygen to the vital organs, while white cells help fighting infections.

A low red blood cell count can indicate anemia, while a high amount of white blood cells can indicate an infection or a viral disease.

Platelets help the blood to clot. If the platelet count is low the cat may have a destroyed bone marrow or an autoimmune disease.

Hematocrit or packed cell volume (PCV) may also measure the red blood cell count.

Commonly Performed Blood Tests There are numerous tests that can be performed on a cat to determine his health condition. Some tests will show how a particular organ functions, while other tests will give a general overview.

The following tests are most commonly performed in felines:
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Focus On Cat Breeds

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Cat Breeds and Their Personalities

With the exception of a few true lovers of cats, Americans have always been less particular about the origins of their cats and their dogs. Cats are most commonly seen on farms and they worked to help keep the vermin population. As cats are becoming more of a companion of a firm hand, there was a growing interest cat breeds, their purity and pedigree. The Cat Fanciers' Association is dedicated to the preservation of race and race 39 recognized cat breeds. You will find below are some of these species as well as information on the characteristics of race and history.

Russian Blue - The Russian Blue is a nice, friendly chat with an appearance. These cats are dense, thick coats that are short in one color: blue. In agreement with the blue fur of cats have the bright green eyes and are known for their beautiful appearance as they are, for their modest provisions.

Cornish Rex - While the Cornish Rex is similar to images of ancient Egypt cats it is from Cornwall, England in 1950 where he was discovered in a barn cats littler. These cats are different in appearance with an egg-shaped head and size, large, erect ears, and enormous yellow-green eyes. This cat is very rare that the dress is soft, fine, very short, and grows in the waves. The Cornish Rex is affectionate, player, and keeps his kitten antics as throughout his life.

The Siamese-Siamese cat, originally from Thailand, is extremely intelligent and curious animal. It is thought to be the oldest anywhere. The Siamese cat is a people lover. It will be regularly tell his family how much he cares for them with his strong meow.
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Sphynx Cat

The Sphynx cat is a very unusual and rare breed. They are often referred to as the Canadian Hairless Cat. They have very little fur and lack of whiskers. What fur some Sphynx cats may have will appear as a very fine down. The skin of the Sphynx can exhibit colors and markings and they have sometime been mistaken for Chihuahuas.

The face of the Sphynx is quite expressive and dominated by its large eyes and ears. Naturally occurring skin oils means that the Sphynx needs occasional bath. This is an intelligent cat that is devoted to favored humans. Affectionate and playful, this unique breed can make a great companion cat.

Sphynx Cat History
The Sphynx cat originated from a natural mutation in a kitten born in Toronto, Canada in 1966. The Cat Fanciers Association included this breed in the miscellaneous category in February 1998 and championship show recognition in 2002.

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.

Feline Health Considerations
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Grooming Tips for Preventing Matted Cat Hair

Matted cat hair is entangled hair that ends up in tight knots. Long haired breeds are more susceptible to the condition than other pets. Cat hair is divided into three categories as each type of hair performs a certain role. The types of cat hair include awn hair, down hair and guard hair. The various function of cat hair involves protection from environmental contaminants, heat and cold. The uppermost layer of cat hair also determines the color of individual pets.

Cat Hair Conditions
Cats shed their fur during specific periods. However, fur loss that's caused due to skin conditions such as alopecia, dermatitis or skin allergy needs medical treatment. Although cats routinely groom themselves to maintain their fur coats, pets also develop conditions such as cat hairball due to the ingestion of hair during routine grooming. Pet owners should thus groom the cat with a brush to avoid excessive self-grooming and cat hairballs. Cats that appear sick or lethargic may avoid their routine grooming which in turn leads to matted hair. Thick knots are difficult to detangle with a comb and may cause the pet pain, if the mats are located towards sensitive areas of the body.

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Adopting a Cat from an Animal Shelter
When choosing a cat to adopt from an animal shelter, there are several things that must be considered. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that adopting a cat means the furry friend will most likely be around for a long while. In fact, a cat can easily live up to 20 years. Therefore, owning a cat isn't just a small commitment in time. Once the decision is made to adopt a cat, there are four main things to look for to ensure the pet will be healthy and a good match for the family and its lifestyle.

Are Feral Cats Reducing Your Property Values?
Feral cats can drive property values down in several ways. Urine marking by an unneutered male cat leaves a lingering stench that is extremely unpleasant. Cats like soft soil to deposit feces, making gardens and children's sandboxes at risk for disease transmission. Feral cats are not usually vaccinated and therefore are the first point of contact for disease to infiltrate to pets and people. The noise made by fighting or mating cats is annoying. Cats are extremely efficient predators that can severely impact wild species.



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Old Time Banana Cake
As a child this was and still is my favorite cake, it is a really a moist and a tasty cake as well. I have never had a cake as good as this before. Ok lets get started, I assume that everyone knows that all ingredients should be at room temperature.

The Original Old Fashion Punczki Recipe
This is the original recipe for making punczki that was brought from Europe by my wife's grandmother when she first arrived at Ellis Island and the onward to Pennsylvania Where she finally settled. Just how old this recipe really is I have no idea but the only thing I know is how good the punczki's are. You must follow this recipe exactly or it will not work well, I know, I have tried to create some shortcuts that were ok but not as good.



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Declawing - What You Should Know About This Common Cat Health Problem
Once a kitten or cat learns to use furniture and draperies to sharpen his claws, it will be hard to convince him to stop. Start him out right by training him on a scratching post. Show him what to do by holding him near the post and scratching his claws on the surface.

Norwegian Forest Cat - the Facts Every Owner of This Cat Breed Should Know
Norwegian Forest Cats lived in a harsh and cold climate for most of the year, so their coats are adapted to this environment. It is long and thick to protect them from the hash winters and virtually waterproof. They get a summer coat in spring, resulting in shedding that needs to be attended to. Some say that grooming so not necessary, regular grooming of a Norwegian Forest Cat is a useful tool in combating shedding, though they shed far less than other longhairs. They require regular brushing to help deal with tangles and matting and may require a bath at times if they get too oily (the oil is what makes the coat water resistant). The coats themselves appear in many colors and patterns.



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Whisker Pain - What You Should Know About This Common Cat Health Problem
Cats do not have whiskers just for looks. Whiskers are very important to your cat. He may use them as feelers to avoid bumping into things in the dark, to measure the width of a space to ensure that he will fit through, and when he is hunting.

Weaning a bottle fed kitten:
Weaning normally occurs at about 4-5 weeks of age, but keep in mind that some kittens take longer, particularly without their mom to show them the ropes

Does your Cat Have Lower Urinary Tract Disease?:
Has your cat ever suffered from a disorder of the lower urinary tract? Cats occasionally develop such problems, and the signs include frequent urination, straining to urinate, bloody urine, and at times inability to urinate



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