What Every Cat Owner Must Know

Adopting a cat is an important responsibility. Cat owners should have a good understanding about:

• how to meet their cats basic environmental needs 
• how to properly care for their cat and keep them safe 
• understanding their cat’s behaviors 
• understanding feline health conditions, treatments and diseases 
• and last, but importantly not least, the need for routine preventive veterinary visits

• Every Cat Needs Routine Preventive Physical Examinations

  Preventive care examinations or check-ups for all cats should occur a minimum of once yearly, and more frequently for senior cats and those with chronic conditions. These visits are important to your cat’s individualized healthcare plan. Some things that will be discussed and assessed are your cat’s nutrition, lifestyle, environmental enrichment, disease and parasite prevention, and behavior.
  Preventive Care Examinations:
  • Information discussed along with a thorough physical examination provide you and your veterinarian with a plan to help your pet remain healthy.
  • Cats age more rapidly than we do so preventive care examinations are a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle.
  • During the physical examination, veterinarians can often detect conditions that may affect your cat’s health long before they become significant so they can be managed or cured before they become painful or more costly.
  • As a member of the family, your cat deserves the best possible care. Together, you and your veterinarian can best decide how to accomplish that by meeting at least annually to talk about your cat and any changes that have taken place in their life. With the information you bring and a good physical examination, a plan will be created that meets the needs of your cat and the family.
  You are an important member of your cat’s healthcare team. You can be instrumental in helping your cat live a happy and healthy quality of life.                                                                                                         
  Click the video below to see why routine veterinary checkups for your cat are important:

• What Your Vet Looks for During Exams

  Are you curious about what’s going on during your cat’s yearly check-up? It may seem like your veterinarian is just petting your cat, but they are examining your cat’s entire health and lifestyle during the checkup. Some of these include:
  • Abdomen and Body
  • Muscle Tone and Weight
  • Coat, Fur and Skin
  • Ears and Eyes
  • Mouth, Gums and Teeth
  • Heart and Lungs
  • Joints and Spine
  • Under the Tail
  • Taking and Analyzing Samples
  
  
  SOURCE: http://www.catvets.com/cat-owners/caring-for-cats/cat-owner-must-know

Missing the litter box

You have a problem. Your cat is thinking outside the box, and not in a good way. You may be wondering what you did to inspire so much “creative expression.” Is your cat punishing you? Is Fluffy just “bad”? No, and no. House soiling and missing the litter box is a sign that your cat needs some help.

According to the Winn Feline Foundation, house soiling is the number one complaint among cat owners. The good news is that it is very treatable.

An accredited veterinarian can help you determine if the problem is medical or related to social or environmental stressors. In addition to a complete physical exam, the doctor will ask you specific “where and when” questions.

Health factors

Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, a specialist in feline urinary disorders at The Ohio State University, and founder of the Indoor Cat Initiative says that many veterinarians recommend a urine test for every cat with a house soiling problem. The urinalysis will determine if blood, bacteria, or urinary crystals are present — signs that your cat might have feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).

FLUTD is very common and can cause painful urination. Cats that begin to associate the litter box with pain will avoid it. Other medical possibilities include hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, and arthritis and muscle or nerve disorders that might prevent your cat from getting to the litter box in time.

Environmental factors
If there is no medical cause, the next step is to look at environmental factors. Start with the litter box. Your cat might be avoiding the litter box because it is not cleaned well enough, you’ve changed the type of litter you use, or there is only one box for multiple cats.

Another possibility is that your cat is “marking” — spraying urine, typically on vertical objects such as walls and furniture, or in “socially significant” areas near doors or windows. Both male and female cats mark. The most common offenders are cats that have not been spayed or neutered.

Buffington says that stress can cause elimination problems too. For example, subtle aggression or harassment by other house cats or neighborhood cats may be an issue.

Even unremarkable changes in your home can make your cat anxious or fearful. Look around. Did anything change right before your cat started having problems? Did you get a new pet? A new couch? Maybe you just moved the old couch to a different part of the room, or had a dinner party. Cats are sensitive creatures and changes that seem small to you can throw your cat off his game. Check with your veterinarian about finding solutions that work for both you and your cat

SOURCE: https://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/pet_health_library/cat_care/behavior/missing_the_litter_box.aspx

Keep Your Cat Safe in a Heat Wave

The temperature is soaring, and it’s only going to get hotter. Make sure you know how to keep your cat safe in the summer heat.

1. Watch out for heatstroke. Symptoms include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting and       collapse. If you think your cat may have heatstroke, get the vet ASAP — the condition can cause permanent organ damage and death. Learn more about heatstroke in pets.

2. Offer your cat several ways to cool off. Leave a fan on in a place where your cat can sit in front of it, add some ice cubes to her water or offer her a cool treat (check out our recipe for catsicles.)

3. Let your cat find cool spots in the house. Your cat will seek out the cooler parts of your home, so make sure she has access to areas with tile floors or rooms that don’t get much sun.

4. Play in the morning or evening. Any exercise should take place during the cooler hours of the day. This is especially important for young kittens and seniors, both of whom are very vulnerable to heatstroke. (If your cat has just eaten, make sure you give her some time to digest before you begin playtime.)

5. Brush your cat often. A well-groomed, tangle-free coat will help keep your cat cool. (Learn more about grooming your cat.)

Article originally published by PetFinder.

COLD WEATHER CAT SAFETY TIPS

Brrrr—it's cold outside!  The following guidelines will help you protect your pet cats when the mercury dips.

1.Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.


2.During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.


3. Make sure your cat always wears ID tags.


4.Thoroughly wipe off your cat's legs and stomach when he/she comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. They can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking their paws, and their paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.


5.Never leave your cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.


6.Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.


7.Make sure your feline has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.






SOURCE: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cold-weather-tips

Cats & Screendoors

Time to open your doors and feel the nice breeze of spring! Remember to put your screen door in so your cat doesn't try to enjoy the breeze on their own! They are enjoying the outdoors longer as the urge to explore new territories grab their attention. Even if your feline friend never wanders away, remember that cats can wander too far to retrace their steps.