-
No More Kitty Hairballs!
Posted on September 9th, 2013Help lower the amount of hairballs your cat is bothered with.
Not only do we not like cleaning them up but they are unpleasant for your cat, causing intestinal blockage which can be a serious health problem.
Hairballs develop as a result of your cat’s fastidious grooming cycle. When your cat grooms himself he catches loose and dead hair and swallows it. If some hair stays in the stomach, a hairball is formed.
We would like to clue our readers in to learn how to help your cat reduce the amount of hairballs he gets.
- Help out your cat with his grooming, especially long haired cats. The more fur you remove from your cat the less likely he will end up with a hairball. Cats usually loved being brushed so this can be a great bonding time for you and your cat.
- Pick up some hairball formula cat food at The Country Feed Store. These high fiber foods are designed to improve the health of your cat’s coat.
- Use a hairball product or laxative. We carry hairball remedies at the Country Feed Store, most of which are very mild laxatives which help hairballs pass through the digestive tract.
-
Should You Free-Feed Your Cat?
Posted on April 19th, 2013Feeding tips for your cat.
Do you wonder how much your cat should eat? Is your cat overweight? Check out some helpful tips below to find out what type of feeding schedule your cat should be on:
Age: Of course age makes a huge difference in how often your cat should eat. Kittens require more food per pound of body weight to support growth than adult cats do. Kittens should be fed more often throughout the day. Kittens up to six months of age may require three meals a day. Once an adult, a cat can get fed once or twice a day. Senior cats age seven and above, should maintain the same feeding schedule.
Health: If your cat suffers from a health problem like diabetes, you may need to feed him depending on when his insulin he is administered. It is best to check with your veterinarian. If your cat has hyperthyroidism, he may want to eat all the time. When a cat ages, his teeth may go bad or may develop gum disease making it difficult to chew dry food. If this is the case, offering wet food is usually best. Or you can mash up dry food in the wet food to make it easier for your cat to chew his food.
Dry vs. Wet Food: Feeding only dry food is fine as long as it is complete and balanced. Cats that only eat dry food must be provided with lots of fresh water, especially if they are prone to developing urinary tract issues. It is usually a good idea to provide both dry and wet food to your cat.
Schedule: Pick a time that is easiest for you to prepare your cats meal. If mornings work best, make that a time you can give him his wet food. Once you start doing that for a couple days, your cat will already know his schedule and expect his food in the morning.
Do you have questions about feeding your cat? Please comment on our blog!
-
Arthritis And Your Cat
Posted on May 25th, 2012Dealing with arthritis with your cat.
Since it is CAT MONTH at Clear the Air, we would like to share some tips on what to know about feline arthritis, what you can do to ease the pain and more.
What Is Arthritis? Arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, causes pain and inflammation in a cat’s joints. Although fairly uncommon in felines, arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike—but many joints can be afflicted.
What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis in Cats? Felines suffering from arthritis may show overall stiffness, swelling of the joints, lethargy, lameness, decreased flexibility and discomfort when you pet or handle them in certain positions. You may also notice subtle behavioral changes, including:
- Decreased activity
- Lapsed litterbox habits (due to pain caused by getting in and out of the box)
- Hesitancy to run, jump or climb stairs
What Causes Arthritis in Cats? Joints naturally degenerate as part of the aging process. Cartilage forms a cushion between the bones at a joint. As cats get older, the cartilage deteriorates and becomes less flexible.
Arthritis can develop due to injury, dislocation or infection in the joint. Extra weight can also put extra strain on a cat’s joints.
How Is Arthritis Diagnosed? A veterinarian may conduct a physical exam, take radiographs and perform other diagnostic tests to help determine the cause of the pain and inflammation in your cat’s joints.
Which Cats Are Prone to Arthritis? Arthritis most often affects older cats, as their joints degenerate naturally as part of the aging process—but can occur as result of trauma or infection in cats of all ages.
How Can Arthritis Be Treated? Once symptoms of arthritis set in, there is no cure—but you can work with your veterinarian to minimize your cat’s pain while keeping her healthy. Some general treatment options include:
- Anti-inflammatory/pain medications
- Possible use of nutritional supplements to help replenish cartilage
- Weight loss if necessary, which has been shown to benefit overweight cats with arthritis.
Are Cats with Arthritis Able to Exercise? Talk to your vet about an exercise program for your pet. Short, gentle play can be helpful in some cases, but you’ll need to introduce these sessions slowly and gradually. Vigorous play involving leaping, jumping and turning is to be avoided.
How Can I Make My Arthritic Cat More Comfortable? If your cat has arthritis, here are a few things you can do to make her feel better:
- Give her a cozy blanket or cat bed.
- When she’s relaxed and at ease, give her a gentle massage.
- Groom the areas of her body that may be hard for her to reach.
- Make sure she has easy, direct access to her litterbox and food and water bowls.
This article is from the ASPCA.
-
Cat Care Tips
Posted on May 16th, 2012While cats are usually easy keepers as pets and don’t really require much activity as a dog would, there are some cat care tips that are important to educate yourself on.
Clear the Air would like to share some surprising top ten cat care tips from Dr Marty Becker, the author of “Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual”.
Cats Dig Running Water – A pet drinking fountain is one of the best investments you can make in your cat’s health. Cats find cool, running water to be appealing — it’s a natural behavior, because stream water is less likely to be contaminated than a stagnant pool. Cats tend to be chronically dehydrated, and feline fountains are proven to get cats to drink more water. Many feline health problems can be aided with proper hydration, and it’s more efficient than leaving a faucet dripping to entice your cat to drink.
Pick a Pretty, Allergy-Easy Kitty – While no cat is guaranteed to not be an allergy trigger — and people with life-threatening reactions are better off without a cat — it’s possible to pick a pet who might be less of a problem. Black, unneutered males are purported the worst choice for people with allergies, since they typically have higher levels in their saliva of FelD1, the protein that triggers sneezing and wheezing. Some breeds of cat, most notably the Siberian, have a high number of individual animals with low levels of FelD1. If you’re paying for a “hypo-allergenic” cat, insist on saliva testing. If you’re choosing a kitten, choose a light-colored female, and get her spayed.
Panting Is a Problem – Dogs pant up to 300 times a minute to cool themselves, but if you see your cat panting it may be a medical emergency. While sometimes it can just be from extreme anxiety, it can also be a sign of respiratory or cardiovascular problems, warranting an immediate call to the veterinarian.
Canned Cat Food Is Preferred – Veterinarians recommend feeding canned cat food over kibble. Canned foods have a higher percentage of protein and fat than dry foods and are significantly higher in water content than kibble (70 percent vs 10 percent). Also, canned foods tend to be more palatable to cats that are finicky, elderly or have dental problems. Better health for your cat can start by closing the all-day kitty kibble buffet and feeding measured amounts of a good canned food. Talk to your veterinarian.
Want a Cat to Love You? Look Away! – What can you do to get a cat to come to you? Avoid eye contact. Cats don’t like eye contact with strangers, so will almost always go to the person who’s not looking at them. This also is the answer to the age-old mystery of why cats always seem to go to the one person in the room who doesn’t like cats. It’s because she may be the only one not “rudely” — in the cat’s view — staring.
Tale of the Tail – You can tell a cat’s mood by watching his tail. Tail upright, happy; tail moving languidly, keep petting me; tail low, twitching erratically, I’m on the prowl; tail swishing rapidly, beware and leave me alone. If you’ve ever been surprised when a cat you’re petting suddenly grabs you angrily, you missed a tail tale: The unhappy twitch of the tail tip would have told you to stop petting, now.
Surprising Signs of a Cat in Pain – Chronic pain is not uncommon in cats, especially as they age. Cat-lovers miss the signs of a pet in pain because cats are good at hiding it. Any cat observed as being hesitant to jump up or climb, not using the litter box, not able to groom themselves as well, more aggressive or more withdrawn need to see the veterinarian. These are classic signs of discomfort, and need to be addressed.
What Litter Do Cats Really Prefer?
Forget the people-pleasing scents. Forget special formulas or alternative ingredients. Your cat is more likely to prefer unscented clumping litter, according to preference tests. And if you want to keep your cat using “the bathroom,” be sure to keep it clean, place it in a quiet, cat-friendly place and don’t use any liners in the box — cats don’t like them. None of these changes will address a cat who has stopped using the box because of illness. Urinary tract infections and other health issues need to be addressed by your veterinarian before box re-training can commence.
How to Prevent a Finicky Cat – Feed your kitten a few different foods so he or she will experience different textures and flavors of food. Just as people typically stick with the toothpaste they start with as youngsters, cats who are only exposed to one type of food will be less likely try other brands and kinds. That can be a real problem if the favored food goes off the market, or your cat needs to eat a special food for health reasons. So mix it up on your kitten.
Don’t Toss That Ratty Scratching Post – When a post starts looking worn is when a cat starts liking it best. Get a new one and your cat may switch to the arm of the couch. Instead, refresh your cat’s post by adding some coils of fresh sisal rope — it’s cheap, easy to add and cats love to dig their claws into it.