Category Archives: Cat Care Tips

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Why Your Cat Needs Good Dental Care

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February is dental month! Dental disease has become the number one health concern in adult cats. Your cat needs good dental care just like you do. Without it, cats are more prone to problems associated with poor dental hygiene and can get serious and painful dental diseases. Without good dental care cats can suffer from having a painful mouth and as a result, can even stop eating. Good dental hygiene is as important to cats as it is to humans and contributes to your cat’s overall well being, comfort and happiness. The good news is most periodontal disease in cats is completely preventable with good dental care and annual wellness checks.

Roughly 4 out of 5 cats develop periodontal disease. Why? Partly because dental care in cats is often overlooked and left untreated. Cats hide their pain very well though they may be silently suffering, and many cat owners don’t take their cat for regular annual wellness exams each year. Untreated gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) often progresses into gum infection, chronic disease and can even impact vital organs.

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Cat Care Tips, Library & Resources

Top Dangers for Cats in the Home

When you think about it, our homes can present a minefield of possible hazards for cats. Here’s some help navigating the dangers, and making your home safer, happier and healthier for your cat. Checkout our full list below.

Top Toxins in Your Kitchen for Cats

Top Dangers For Cats in the Home
Garlic and Onions are Toxic to Cats

1.  Garlic – in all forms
2.  Onions & Onion Powder, Chives – in all forms
3.  Cheese & Milk – cats are lactose intolerant, they aren’t able to digest dairy products due to their digestive system
4.  Alcohol – this may seem obvious, just even a tiny amount is toxic and can cause coma and death
5.  Raisins and Grapes – these can cause kidney failure in cats
6.  Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, Cola, Caffeine — these can be fatal in cats depending on the amount, and this is true for any caffeinated beverage
7.  Chocolate – any kind of chocolate can be lethal due to methylxanthines, but dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate are the most toxic
8.  Candy, Gum and Foods Sweetened with Xylitol – Xylitol sweetens “diet” foods and can lead to liver failure and death
9.  Fatty Foods & Bones – avoid giving cats meat or chicken scraps from your dinner plate or meat served to humans, the danger is in the bones that they could ingest but also in the cooked and uncooked fat that is harmful
10.  Raw Fish & Meat – can lead to food poisoning due to bacteria; and certain fish enzymes destroy thiamine in cats which can cause neurological damage, convulsions and coma
11.  Raw Yeast Dough – this is toxic due to yeast fermenting leading to alcohol poisoning and yeast expanding, which if ingested causes severe gastrointestinal pain and problems
12.  Moldy & Spoiled Foods
13.  Avocados – all parts of the avocado are toxic to cats due to Persin, sometimes it can even be fatal
14.  Kitchen Cupboards – be sure to keep your cupboard doors closed as many products can be harmful for your cat; store your food in cabinets above the kitchen counter not in the cabinets above the floor where your cats may be able to open the doors and go inside

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Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

How to Find a Great Veterinarian For Your Cat

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Whether you have recently moved, adopted a new cat or kitten, or are having some concerns about your current veterinarian—finding the very best health care available for your cat is one of the most important decisions you can make for them. While there are many excellent veterinary practices out there, there are also significant differences between practices, so you want to carefully evaluate and choose a veterinarian that meets your expectations and one you can feel comfortable with. Overall, you want to look for a practice that offers the highest level of standards, medical expertise and quality of care possible in an office that offers both modern diagnostic and state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology.

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Cat Care Tips, Holidays

How to Create the Best Holidays for Your Cat

HOW TO CREATE THE BEST HOLIDAYS FOR YOUR CAT
Image by guvo59 on Pixabay.com

The holidays can be an extremely busy time with holiday parties, last-minute shopping, family members visiting, or maybe you are leaving home for the holidays—it can all add up to our cats feeling neglected, stressed, ignored, and depressed. And some cats even get sick as a result. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, we can make the holidays a time when our cats feel included, comforted, relaxed, and part of the family. Here’s how to create the best holiday for your cat and keep her safe and happy during the holiday season.

To make the holidays a special time for your cat, there are some simple things you can do to help her through all the excitement, reverie, noise and stress. Simple changes in your home, like putting up the Christmas tree or rearranging the furniture to accommodate the tree, can mean something new, different, and stressful for your cat. Small changes to their environment can cause undue anxiety for them. Be aware of the impact the holidays may have on them and be extra attentive and vigilant to their needs. The following tips will reduce any emotional and physical stress your cat may experience and will help your cat have a much happier, merrier holiday!

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Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

The Costs of Cat Ownership – Can You Afford a Cat?

Adopting a new cat or kitten is exciting, but it’s important to understand the initial and long-term costs of cat ownership before you actually bring your kitty home. There are the initial expenses of purchasing supplies to prepare for your new cat, and there are recurring expenses that you’ll incur throughout the year and over the cat’s lifetime. In addition, there are often unanticipated veterinary costs that can happen at any time during the year that need to be factored in to your annual expenses.

INITIAL COSTS

Initial Expenses
Type of Expense Food – Wet & Dry (for 2+ weeks), Cheaper vs. Premium/High Quality Brands/Food $40 – $65
Spay / Neuter (Male vs. Female) $45 – $100+
Any Needed Vaccines, Deworming, Basic Routine Exam with a Veterinarian (Establish Baseline/Check Overall Health) $100
Microchipping $40 – $50
Food & Water Bowls $15 – $25
Litterbox $25 – $50
Litter $20 – $40
Cat Carrier $25 – $65
Scratching Post and/or Board (Tall is best) $25 – $70
Toys, Misc. Cat Supplies (replacing or adding cat beds, scratching posts, etc.) $25 – $40
Initial Total $360 – $600
 Cat Carrier

Cat carriers are needed for trips to the vet, emergencies, disasters, and for travel. It’s important to purchase a sturdy carrier, one that doesn’t collapse or fold, but provides structure and durability so your cat won’t be injured inside the carrier. The cat should have ample room to move and turn around and stand up in case they’re in the carrier for a prolonged period of time. It’s a one-time purchase so buy a quality carrier that will last. Never buy a cardboard carrier, cats can get injured or lost when using them. Good cat carriers will cost between $40 – $65.

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Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Watch Out for Signs of Heat Stoke in Your Cat

WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF HEAT STOKE IN YOUR CAT

Heat stroke or heat exhaustion is a very serious, life-threatening condition for cats. It can cause permanent damage to multiple internal organs, and can cause kidneys and the heart to stop functioning or fail. It can be fatal if not treated with urgency by taking your cat to a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital. 

Heat stroke can happen anytime throughout the year, but it happens more often during the warm summer months. Cats are no different than people when it comes to tolerating heat. But it is even harder for cats to respond to heat and cool their bodies since they pant and sweat only through the pads of their paws to reduce excess heat. It’s much harder for cats to regulate their body temperature as a result. If they cannot cool themselves fast enough, they will quickly become overheated and suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be fatal. Don’t wait until the eleventh hour to seek treatment when it can be late. Watch out for signs of heat stroke and know what to do.

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Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

How to Afford the Cost of Veterinary Care

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When you adopt a cat, you aren’t thinking about the day when your cat may become ill, or get injured, or need emergency care. But cats do get sick and sometimes do require expensive diagnostic tests and emergency care. You may be faced with veterinary expenses far beyond what you can afford, or need unexpected medical care that you didn’t anticipate and don’t know how you’re going to pay for it. Of course, you want to make the best decision for your cat, regardless of the cost, but how to pay for it? Here’s how to afford the cost of veterinary care.

I have been in this situation countless times with our many rescue cats. So often, I have needed to pony up and pay for complicated dental care, full-mouth extractions, multi-day emergency hospitalizations, or treating kidney failure to the tune of thousands of dollars—and I had no idea how we were going to pay for it.

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Cat Care Tips, Food & Nutrition

Cats Need Clean Water Daily to Maintain Their Health

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Cats are made up of about 70% water, so they need clean, fresh, cool water daily to maintain their health. If you feed your cats dry food, then water is even more critical as dry food has a very low water content (about only 10%), so they will need an additional supply of water.

It’s critical to always provide your cat plenty of fresh water in various places of your home. Make sure that the bowls are large enough and be sure to clean, wash, and refresh the water bowls at least every other day.

Just because you have larger bowls doesn’t mean you should wash them less. Be sure to wash bowls with soap and water. Bacteria and germs develop quickly when water sits still after a couple of days.

Cats Need Clean Water Daily to Maintain Their Health
Pyrex Glass Bowls for Cats Water

Consider using only glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bowls for water—avoid using plastic for water or food. Plastic can leach out chemicals and can hold bacteria.

The more cats you have the more water bowls you need. We have several in each area of our house and refresh them daily. I like and recommend using large Pyrex glass bowls, they’re very inexpensive, strong, ample, and safe for cats to drink from them.

Cat Care Tips, Medical & Health Care

Second-Hand Cigarette Smoke Causes Cancer in Cats

Was your New Year’s resolution this year to quit smoking? If it wasn’t and you’re a smoker, it may be time to quit smoking for your pets’ sake. An increasing number of research studies show that animals face significant health risks exposed to the toxins and carcinogens in second and third-hand smoke. And numerous research studies have revealed that cats exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke causes cancer in cats.

Toxic Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke

Cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemicals including hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, arsenic, ammonia and urea among them. Second-hand smoke is considered the smoke that is exhaled or comes from the cigarette itself and can be inhaled by non-smokers including our pets. Third-hand smoke is the residue from smoke and smoke particles that can be found on clothing, furniture, bed linens, skin, and fur even after the air is clear of smoke. Cats get into problems with third-hand smoke when they lick smoke and particles from smoke off their fur.

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Cat Care Tips, Holidays

Tips for Keeping Your Cat Safe On July 4th

Tips For Keeping Your Cat Safe On July 4th
Keep cats inside on July 4th!

The July 4th holiday may be a fun time for us humans, but it’s a stressful, terrifying time for cats. The sound of fireworks can frighten cats and send them running for cover or bolting out the door. Explosions – even miles away – can cause cats to panic. Every year, animal shelters around the country are suddenly flooded with scared, lost cats and dogs that could have been prevented with some simple precaution.

You can make the July 4th holiday less stressful for your cat by thinking ahead and following some simple tips to protect them and keep them as comfortable as possible.

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