Congratulations! You have a pregnant cat!

How to Prevent Nasty Hairballs!

Watch any cat for a few minutes, and if he or she's awake, you’ll see them grooming themselves with the help of their rough pink tongue. While this is a natural part of cat behavior, it is also the main cause of hairballs.

A hairball is just what it sounds like: a ball of hair. The technical term is trichobezoar. If you get hair in your mouth, you can just spit it out. But you cat can’t do that. Instead, she has to swallow the hair that comes off on her tongue during grooming. The bad news is hair can’t be digested.

Normally that’s not a problem either. The hair can still pass through the digestive tract and come out as part of the waste. However, sometimes the hair builds up in the stomach and can’t pass through the cat’s intestines. When that happens, the only way your cat can get rid of the nasty ball of hair is by throwing up!

Although seeing a cat vomit can be a disgusting and nauseating process to witness (the sounds alone make some pet owners gag), it’s better than the alternative. When your cat can’t throw up the hairball, they could end up with an obstruction that could be life-threatening and require surgery. Most feline owners would rather clean up a disgusting hairball then watch their beloved pets go under the knife.

But, thankfully, we have more options. We can actually prevent the formation of hairballs and reduce the risk of complications. Here are three tips that can help you help your cat.

Method #1: Reduce Excessive Hair

When your cat is shedding a lot or needs a good brushing, he or she is more likely to develop hairballs that will need to be coughed up. You can help by spending time each day brushing your cat. Some cats love being brushed and will actually beg you to do it. Others aren’t crazy about being restrained and brushed so they are more resistant. But you can teach your cat to like getting groomed. Over time, even the most reluctant cat usually learns to love being brushed. Besides helping get rid of too much hair, regularly brushing reduces the amount of shedding your cat does (that’s good news for your furniture and clothes) and provides you with a great opportunity for bonding.

Method #2: Give Special Treats as treatment

If you look at the treat section of your pet store, you’ll probably find some specially formulated treats designed to help break down hairballs in your cat’s stomach. Most of these treats come in delicious flavors – at least as far as your cat is concerned – so they eat them well. This might be a good idea if you notice your cat coughing up a lot of hairballs, or even just coughing without throwing anything up.

Method #3: Pass the Hairball

Sometimes a stubborn hairball can use a little help. Most pet stores also carry petroleum-based products that can be used to lubricate the cat’s hairball and intestines to make its passage easier. These products are 100% safe and come in cat-friendly flavors. Sometimes they can be added to the cat’s food.

A combination of all these methods can help control your cat’s hairball problem and can prevent life-threatening complications. And for you, the advantage is that you'll spend more time grooming your cat, and less time cleaning up.

Learning to Coexist With a Trouble Making Cat

Even the most ardent fan of the feline species has to admit that cats can be little trouble makers.

While dogs can cause quite a bit of mischief themselves, your cat's intelligence, size, and nimbleness can help him or her cause more than a little bit of aggravation for you from time to time. But don't worry. The two of you can learn to live a harmonious life. Here are some strategies that can help you when you have cat trouble.

Strategy #1: Learn Feline Nonverbal Communication

You'd be surprised how much easier your life would be if you simply understood the nonverbal communication messages your cat is sending your way. For example, if your cat has a habit of nipping you as you pet him, start watching for a few key signs, such as pinned back ears and a flicking tail. These are all signs that affection time is over. If you don't take the subtle hints, your cat has to give you something you will notice: a nip with her tip. By stopping when you see these signs, you can end this problem for good.

Strategy #2: Appreciate the Value of Scratching

While scratched up furniture might not be much of a value, your cat's claws are valuable to her. She uses them to give her a sense of safety and to help her manipulate her environment. Sometimes your couch just gets in the way. The best way to stop these types of unwanted behaviors is to invest in a scratching post and rub some cat nip on it. This will encourage your cat to use the post and to leave your furniture alone. There are also special adhesive strips to avoid this problem. NEVER think of declawing. This surgery is cruel and unnecessary.

Strategy #3: Learn Their Language

Cats are like human babies. An infant cries to get what it wants, but because the baby can't articulate what it wants in a vocabulary we understand, fulfilling the child's needs can sometimes be frustrating. That's the way it is with cats and their meowing. Incessant meowing can, admittedly, be annoying, but it is not being done to make you go crazy or to make ear plug manufacturers wealthy. Your cat is trying to say, "I want this. Please give it to me." As the human, you have to learn what "it" is. Sometimes it's food, a change of litter, or affection. A non-spayed female will meow a great deal when she is ready to mate. Trial and error is the best approach. Just remain calm and remember the meowing is a cry for assistance and not a tool for torture.

Strategy #4: End Bad Digging

Cats enjoy digging - something you may have noticed. They use digging to cover up their waste in the litter box, but they will also go digging as a way to entertain themselves. Your cat might, for example, decide to dig up your garden or your houseplants. Be proactive. Go to the grocery store and buy some fresh citrus fruits. It doesn't matter what kind you get. Cats aren't font of anything citrus. Remove the rinds from the fruits and bury them in the soil where you do not want your cat to dig. This will work wonders. But it might be a good idea to give her a safe outlet for her digging passion, such as a small sandbox in your fenced in backyard or a pot of dirt of her very own.

Following some of these strategies can make living with your cat much more enjoyable for both of you.

How to Make Your Cat Love Getting Groomed

Regularly grooming your cat can help reduce hair ball problems and can ensure that your cat’s coat continues to look healthy and beautiful. However, not all cats enjoy getting groomed. Some love being brushed and can even get a little bit demanding about their regular grooming time. Geisha, my long hair calico is very vocal about this.... trust me. Others would prefer to keep their distance from the brush permanently.

So, grooming a cat can be difficult. But even a resistant cat can be taught to enjoy grooming. The key is to utilize the cat’s enjoyment of human contact. The most aloof cat enjoys some great periods of petting, but some have parts of their body that are more sensitive, and they don’t want to be touched, especially not with a brush.

Understanding Your Cat’s Reluctance

Before you can change your cat’s negative attitude towards grooming, you need to understand what causes it. First, you should realize that cats, just like people, have sensitive parts in their bodies. The cat may have been injured at some point or maybe just does not like being touched in a specific area. This is why it’s important to know your cat before you begin grooming. If you know which parts of your cat’s body are sensitive, you can avoid those areas and still provide what he or she needs.

If you bring a new cat home that hasn’t had a lot of grooming before, you may want to work slowly and get her used to it. Spend a few minutes each day stroking or brushing your cat gently and make sure to give her some type of reward afterward. You want her to think the grooming is pleasurable. Avoid any trouble spots as much as possible, too.

Another issue that might cause your cat’s reluctance to submit to grooming is a dominant personality. When cats have dominant personalities, they might refuse to let you touch some parts of their body touched as well, particularly the head and neck. Now, if you’re not sure whether your cat is resisting because he or she is nervous or dominant, think about some of your cat’s other traits:

• Does the cat make direct eye contact with you?
• Does your cat jump on people as a way of showing affection?
• Does your cat not like to be in a “down” position?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, your cat is probably dominant.

As I mentioned above, the key here is to help your cat enjoy being groomed. To do this, you have to first figure out how long your cat takes to get upset by your actions. Pay attention to his body language. As soon as you start feeling him get tense, stop. The key is to spend a small amount of time doing the grooming, and stopping just before your cat passes that threshold, this way, you can continue showing him that grooming is a pleasant experience.

Here are a few additional tips to help your cat love being groomed:

• Do the grooming sessions before feeding your cat so you can use the food as a reward and as a way to bond with your cat
• Let the cat play with the comb if he or she wants to
• Alternate brushes with the comb and strokes with your hand to help your cat feel more at ease
• Set your grooming sessions in the afternoon when your cat is most relaxed
• Talk to him or her while you brush, this will also serve as a bonding experience.

Pick the Right Tools

There are a number of brushes and combs on the market designed specifically for cats, but some of these tools can be quite painful for them, despite what it says on the packaging. Using them can make a reluctant cat even more fearful of grooming. A long hair cat might adore being brushed with a wire brush, but a short haired cat might prefer a grooming glove (my short hairs absolutely love the glove!). All of them, long and short haired, love the Zoom Groom!

Whichever brush they choose, you will be doing your cat or cats a favor if you get them used to getting groomed often. It will make them look beautiful and help them with any hairball problems they might have.

Why Does a Cat Stop Using the Litter Box?

While cleaning out the litter box is not a wonderful chore that anyone enjoys, it is a necessity for your cat. This is, after all, your cat’s bathroom area and cats have a tendency to be very fastidious.  If your cat suddenly starts having litter box problems and using the bathroom elsewhere, this might be a sign that you need to be cleaning that box more often. However, it can also be a sign of other problems, including serious medical conditions.

Reason #1: Busy Location

Cats are private animals. While a dog will do its business outside with everyone in the world watching and think nothing of it, cats have to relax in order to get the job done. If the litter box is located in an area where people are always coming and going, that’s going to be upsetting to your cat and he or she is likely to go elsewhere in the house, usually some place quiet like a corner.

Now, if you haven’t moved the litter box and if the traffic in the area hasn’t increased lately, but your cat has suddenly stopped using it, there’s probably another good reason.

Reason #2: Cat Preferences

Cats seem to be a lot pickier than dogs about everything from toys to food to sleeping locations. They are also sometimes very picky about their litter boxes. Many cats like certain types of litter better than others, possibly because of the way it feels on their paws. Other cats have litter box type preferences. While some love to have the covered boxes for more privacy, others prefer something that is a little more open so they can what is going on around them.

As with the first reason, if you haven’t made any changes that might upset your cat’s preference but he or she has suddenly stopped using the litter box, there is probably a different reason as the root cause.

Reason #3: Medical Problems

In some cases, a urinary infection or some other health problem can cause cats to have litter box problems. They may have a hard time going to the bathroom or may associate the litter box itself with discomfort which makes the box undesirable. If the sanitary reasons and the first two reasons don’t seem to explain the sudden change in your cat’s behavior, you should seek advice from a veterinarian immediately. Your cat might have a very serious health problem.

If you cat is defecating outside the litter box, he or she may have worms, gas, or other intestinal distress so a vet visit is definitely recommended. Remember that once your cat starts using the bathroom outside of the litter box, cleaning it with a solution that will destroy the enzymes in the urine or feces is essential. Otherwise your cat is going to continue to view that spot as an appropriate choice for going to the bathroom.

Reason #4: Behavioral Problems

If you’ve ruled out all of the other reasons, you’ll have to start thinking like your cat and trying to pinpoint what may be the real problem. Anxiety can be one reason. A cat that doesn’t like to be left alone may use the bathroom outside the litter box as a sign of separation anxiety. A cat that's angry because a new family member or pet has come into the picture may also start protesting by not using the litter box correctly.

When emotional issues are involved, you may find it harder to pinpoint the cause. However, you may be able to work with your vet on figuring out the best way to solve the problem so your cat can start using the litter box again and you can cut down on cleaning the carpet and other areas of your home.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to fix a behavioral problem if you don't know the exact cause. However, with patience and love, you might be able to find the cause and fix the problem. Sometimes medication can help. Do your research before taking any drastic measures. Always remember that no matter what he or she does,  it's not done to spite you. Cats are not capable of those 'humanoid' feelings. If your cat is having litter box problems, he doesn't deserve to be punished or God forbid, euthanized, just because we don't understand his reasons.

Excessive Grooming in Cats

In many cases, cats develop issues that need special attention and that may be signs of potential problems. One of these issues is grooming excessively.

Cats must groom themselves. It’s a natural part of their behavior. However, under some conditions, cats can groom themselves excessively. While you may not think this is a serious issue, it can be. If you notice that your cat is grooming more than before, pay attention. They will vomit hairballs more often. In any case, try not to let it go on too long. The cat can end up with bald or red spots in certain areas of her skin, or an open sore.

Excessive grooming can be linked to a lack of attention, boredom, insufficient grooming by the owner, and even separation anxiety. Many of us have a misconception that cats don’t need attention because they are aloof, independent, and free-spirited. That’s not the case. They may not be as needy as dogs but that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention and affection regularly.

If you notice your cat grooming too much, try distracting him or her, play a little bit. If the behavior then stops, you can attribute it to boredom and then you might help by providing more distractions. However, if the cat goes back to grooming right away take him or her to the vet as soon as possible. The vet can rule out parasites or a fungal infection. Your cat may be having an allergic reaction or could be suffering from an autoimmune problem. He or she can help treat the medical problems and can also assist you in stopping the behavior to prevent future medical issues. The vet might prescribe antihistamines, herbal calming remedies, and antianxiety medications that can help break the cycle and calm your cat.

While knowing what caused the behavior is not always necessary for effective treatment, it may help you to understand what brought about your cat’s obsession with excessive grooming. Changes in the environment and the resulting stress can sometimes be a cause. For example, if you have just added a new member to the family – feline, canine, or even human.

You won’t be able to tell from the behavior itself whether the cause is psychological or physical, but excessive grooming should definitely be discussed with your vet, especially if it accompanies other changes in your cat’s behavior, such as reduced energy levels.

The bottom line is that you should talk to your vet if your cat’s behavior disturbs you in anyway. Observe your cat and groom him or her yourself regularly. Being aware of any changes in your cats behavior can avoid difficult medical problems down the line.

Good Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors

For many cat owners, the choice of whether to keep their cat indoors or to let it roam free at least part of the time is difficult. Some cat lovers believe keeping your cat cooped up indoors all of the time amounts to cruelty. Other cat lovers argue that the dangers of allowing domesticated cats to run in the streets far outweighs any potential benefits for the cat. From the title of this piece, you can probably guess which side of the issue I’m going to side with. But I think it’s important for people to realize how dangerous things can be for cats on the streets.

The Disease Factor

Cats that spend even part of the time outside are at a significantly higher risk of catching one of the common feline diseases than those who live indoors. And don’t assume your cat is not at risk because he or she has been vaccinated. According to the Community Animal Welfare Society, most vaccines only provide up to 85% protection against these diseases so your cat is still a risk of becoming gravely ill.

Feline Leukemia is one of the most common diseases in cats and is transmitted through cat saliva, which means a stray cat that licks your roaming pet or a water source used by multiple cats can be a source of the disease. A second serious disease is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). This disease is transmitted through cat blood so if your pet becomes involved in a fight with another cat while roaming outdoors he could contract the disease. Unfortunately, FIV is fatal and no cure is available at this time.

The Human Element

While cats do run a serious risk of catching disease from other felines outdoors, that’s not the only risk they face. Not everyone in your community is going to appreciate the activity of these free-roaming cats. A neighbor fed up with the cat's visits to their yard, might deliberately leave out poisoned cat food or other dangerous things for cats. In other cases, toxic chemicals, such as those in antifreeze, are located in places where cats like to end up and can result in their death.

Humans can also be cruel. Around Halloween every year, hundreds of black cats are killed around the country in pranks. Cats that roam the streets are a very likely target for this type of behavior, especially since most owners let them out for the night when pranksters are most often on the prowl. They can also be caught and sold to research facilities, or taken to a shelter, where they will be euthanized in as little as 2 days if you don't know he is lost.

Other Risks

Besides disease and human cruelty, roaming cats have other reasons to be afraid. They are an easy victim for dogs and other predators, and traffic. Who knows how many pets can be found flattened on the pavement every night. Cats can also be killed by cars in other ways since they like to sleep under them.

Cats that run in the neighborhood are also much more likely to contribute to the out-of-control cat population. Unless you have spayed or neutered your free roaming feline, you are undoubtedly adding to the problem. Too many cats are already euthanized daily because they do not have a proper home.

In some cases, very cruel owners will have their cats de-clawed but still allow them to roam the streets at night. This leaves the cat defenseless in the face of an attack. Not only can the cat not fight back against predators or other cats, but he or she cannot even scale a tree or a fence for protection from the attackers or from other threats.

The bottom line is that letting your cat outside provides no real benefits – only very real risks – to your cat’s health and safety. Don’t do it.

If you feel your cat is missing out, provide him with a good cat condo, if you lack the space you can always buy cheap Ikea shelves, glue on pieces of carpet that you can get as scrap at carpet places, and put them on the wall so your cat can climb up on the wall. They even look cool!

Give him or her a nice window seat to look out.

Teach them to walk on a leash. Yes they can be trained. They will initially feel confined by the harness, and their first attempts at walking on a leash might look uncomfortable and a waste of time, but with love and patience on your part, most cats will enjoy leash walking.

Build them an outdoor condo where they can come out and enjoy the sunshine if you have the space. You don't have to spend a fortune.

Get them a mesh front carrier. Most are for dogs, but they can be used for cats as well. You can take them with you and go for walks, or get them a kitty stroller. You can get them at good prices online.

The point is, you can keep them safe and satisfied, and exercised, and they will never miss the great outdoors.

Preparing For a New Kitten

Chances are your entire family is going to be excited about bringing in this new kitten or cat to your family. But you’ve got to remember your new feline addition doesn’t know to be excited. He or she just knows to be nervous. That’s why you want to make the transition as calm and smooth for your new pet as possible. For starters, try to remain calm when your cat first comes home. If you have children, discourage them from chasing, holding, or trying to give the cat a lot of affection for the first few days. Let the cat get settled first.

You should also remember that cats are extremely curious. Because cats should be kept indoors for their health and safety, you want to make sure there are no escape routes to the outdoors your cat might find while snooping around its new environment. Keep in mind that cats can make themselves pretty small if necessary to sneak out so don’t take any chances. Posting notes on all of the doors to remind family members and guests to watch out for a potentially escaping kitten is also a smart idea.

Because your cat is going to need to feel comfortable riding in the car when you take him or her home, invest in a pet carrier and add some blankets, toys, or anything that smells like the cat’s previous living quarters. This is going to make her more comfortable. Always have your cat in the carrier while traveling by car. She will feel safer than if you let her roam freely around the car. Plus, a curious cat could cause you to have an accident.

For the first few days, you’ve got to resist that urge to cuddle and love your new kitten. She needs to feel safe and comfortable before you overwhelm her with your affection. And cats tend to be a lot more cautious than dogs.

When you first arrive home, take the carrier to a room in your home. It’s a good idea to use your own bedroom so the cat can become comfortable with the adults in the home first. Plus, children have a hard time resisting the impulse to hug the kitten. Inside the room, place the carrier on the floor and open the door. Have the cat’s food, water, and litter box inside the room as well. You want to confine the cat to this small space before opening up the entire house to her. Remember not to pressure or coax her to come out. When she feels comfortable, she will emerge from the carrier and begin a thorough investigation of the area.

Try to minimize the cat’s contact with your children or other pets for a few days. Then you can begin slowly introducing them. Make sure that your kids stay calm around the cat and talk in a quiet voice as to not startle her. As far as the introduction to the other animals, this should be done slowly and always in a very controlled way. You want to make sure they are going to get along well before you allow them to have complete access to one another.

When you are expanding your kitten’s access to the rest of the house, make sure to carefully kitten-proof it. That means eliminate anything that might look like a toy, including window blind cords and electrical wires. If there are any places you do not want your cat to go, spray them with a lemon-scented liquid. Give your kitten some safe toys to keep her occupied and out of trouble.

Now, you are ready to fully enjoy the presence of your new family member.

Neutering or Spaying Your New Kitten

There are just too many cats that are either homeless or feral, and people are starting to notice that it is important to neuter their pet cats. Cats mature quickly and can reproduce several times every year, so two feral cats can soon produce twenty or more.

Most feral cats are often pet cats who were not neutered or spayed, and released by their owners when they couldn't take care of them any longer. Feral cats live in colonies, and they can spread diseases to any pet dogs and cats in their vicinity. Even if they are otherwise healthy, they may be flea-infested. When the females come into heat, the colony can disrupt the sleep of an entire neighborhood with their crying and fighting. Cats who are hungry enough will raid garbage cans. Feral kittens can destroy landscaping and soil your yard or outdoor furniture. Neutering or spaying your new kitten in the long run can obviously reduce the number of unwanted kittens that are produced, but it also can provide other benefits. A female cat in heat is very loud. Her crying is quickly drowned out by the fighting and yowling of any local tom cats in the vicinity. Toms that are not neutered tend to roam far away from home if they are allowed outdoors and may get injured or killed. Unaltered tomcats that are kept indoors or outdoors will tend to mark all objects in their territory with urine, which is extremely strong-smelling.

Cats who are unaltered may come down with some types of cancers more frequently than altered cats. These cancers affect the reproductive organs. They are extremely rare in cats that have been altered by the age of one year. Unaltered cats may also catch any of several contagious diseases of the reproductive tract.

Unlike some animals, neutering or spaying your new kitten can be done at a very young age. Some humane societies and rescue groups recommend altering kittens at the age of eight weeks. Many veterinarians, however, suggest you wait until five or six months of age in most cases. The exceptions may be feral kittens who are trapped and then taken to be altered before being re-released to their colonies. By the time they are five or six months old, they may already be pregnant.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't alter your adult cat, it is just better to do it as young as possible.

If you have both male and female kittens in your home, you may want to neuter the males at a younger age, and wait until the girls are around six months old. This is recommended in many cases because the procedure is more difficult for females than males.

Most cats rarely have any problems after neutering, but sometimes incisions can become infected. Be sure to check your cat daily to make sure the incision is healing well. Symptoms of infection are puffiness and redness around the incision site. If your cat is licking or chewing at the stitches, you may need to have the cat wear an Elizabethan collar. This will prevent them from being able to reach the stitches. Male cats can go about their business quickly after the surgery, while females should be kept indoors for up to five days afterwards as they may injure themselves.

As with any type of surgery, there are some risks. In very, very rare occasions, cats might be allergic or have a fatal reaction to the anesthesia. However, statistically, the risk is minimal.

Neutering or spaying your new kitten is really a rather simple procedure. With a little extra care during recovery, your pet will have a happy, healthy life without worrying about unwanted litters and reproductive health.

Vaccinating Your New Kitten

Next Page »