Alleviating Stress in Cats

Cats are independent by nature, and like to be in control of things. When they are not, they can become quite distressed. Common causes of stress in cats include moving to a new house, travelling or being crated, visits to the vet, or the presence of other cats within its territory.

Obvious signs of stress include wild eyed frenzy accompanied with the desperate need to escape; irritability, including persistent meowing; urinating or scent marking; and scratching on furniture, bedding, or carpets. Some of these symptoms are often mistaken for errant behaviour, but in order to cure the behaviour, one needs to reduce the levels of stress being experienced by your cat.

Feliway Feline Facial Pheromones (try saying this after you've had a few) is a product recommended by vets to calm and comfort stressed cats, and alleviate unwanted stress related behaviour. This product uses artificial feline pheromones that cats naturally give off from their facial area to mark a safe territory once they feel comfortable and secure within the confounds of the area. Cats do this by rubbing their faces on objects within their territory, giving off facial pheromones to mark the area with their scent, which acts like a kind of kitty comfort blanket that gives them a sense of security and well-being.

The spray replicates the natural scent that cats leave when they conduct this scent marking routine, and in so doing, offers a sense of security to alleviate stress and calm the cat down. Feliway feline pheromones offer an effective solution to reducing stress in distressed cats by replicating the cats natural mechanism that it would use to relay a sense of comfort and well-being, in order to help him deal with a stressful situation.

This product can be purchased in a spray bottle, which is ideal for applying directly onto objects, for example spraying inside a travel crate to offer comfort and reassurance and alleviate stress associated with crating and travel.

The Feliway Feline Facial Pheromone Diffuser offers a novel method of keeping a well-adjusted, happy cat that always comes home to snuggle up in a cosy corner, or just laze contentedly around the house. The diffuser plugs into an electrical wall socket, giving off a constant burst of pheromones. Your cat will truly believe that there is no place like home. Besides relieving stress and anxiety in cats, this product is also affective for controlling behaviour such as territory marking by urine spraying, and clawing at furniture, which are often related to stress associated with the introduction of another cat or pet into your home (or rather, the cats home). The diffuser fills the room and the calming action of the pheromones reduces anxiety and alleviates the behaviour associated with territory and scent marking.

The Feliway Feline Facial Pheromone diffuser comes with a 48ml vial, which lasts up to four weeks. Refills for the diffuser can be purchased separately. Feliway Feline Facial Pheromones are also available in a 60ml spray bottle and a 15ml travel bottle for easy portability when needed away from the home environment.

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Declawing Cats - It's Time for Change

Some months ago when I was fostering a couple of very scared, semi-feral, kittens who were a little prone to scratching I was chatting to a workmate whose instinctive response was, 'Why don't you just get them declawed?' This wasn't said with any sarcasm or indeed any malicious intent it was just a matter of fact solution. Turns out she had grown up with cats, all of whom had been declawed and she had no idea, as many people don't, about what declawing actually entails.

Declawing, or, let's call it by its proper name, partial digit amputation, is by no means a solution to anything. Though it may sound like a routine procedure almost akin to nail trimming, this extreme surgery is far from routine. During the operation the last bone of each of the cat's front ten toes is surgically removed, meaning that muscles, nerves, tendons and blood vessels are irrevocably severed. In human terms this would equate to having the last joint of your fingers chopped off. Doesn't sound so great does it? As you can imagine, this is extremely painful, so painful in fact it is sometimes used as a tester for the efficacy of new pain medications for animals.

Following declawing surgery the cat's feet are bandaged up to prevent the animal from bleeding to death and this is unfortunately just the beginning. What follows is a brutal period of 'healing' which can involve abscesses, necrosis, lameness, lack of balance, suppressed immune system and of course extreme pain and distress. The risks of post operative complications are high and apart from the physical symptoms, almost equally as devastating are the psychological symptoms. Some cats simply never regain the trust they had for their owner (and remember we have a whole network of people to love and support us, for cats, we're all they have in the world). It's a familiar story, a declawed cat, who was once trusting, happy and playful then turns into a morose, fearful creature who often has litterbox problems due the pain of standing in the litter tray and biting problems due to an overwhelming fear of any human contact. Many of these cats then end up in shelters.

There are some vets who refuse to declaw at all but there are many who still do and of even greater concern is the number of vets who ignore their responsibility to educate and properly inform people of the risks and the effects of declawing surgery. Vets after all make a huge amount of money from carrying out this procedure. It is saddening to think that economics may in any way be an influencing factor in the fight to end this cruel practice.

An embarrassing fact is that Canada and the US are the only two countries that really stand out as not having taken a stand and banning this procedure. The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Israel, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, these are just a few of the countries in which declawing is banned or restricted. The United Kingdom even goes so far as to call declawing an 'unnecessary mutilation'. One very positive sign in the US, thanks to an organization called the Paw Project www.pawproject.org in California, is that municipal bans have been agreed in various cities such including West Hollywood, San Francisco and Santa Monica.

So what can we do? Well if you have a cat who scratches furniture, or know a friend who does, make sure they research and invest in a good scratching post. Encourage the cat to use the post by placing it by the furniture the cat normally attacks and try rubbing some cat nip onto the post for further encouragement. It may take a little time but your cat can easily be trained to use the scratching post instead of your sofa! Make sure your friends and colleagues who own cats are fully aware of what declawing entails so that if they or anyone they know were to think about the procedure they would at least know the full facts. Ask your vet where he or she stands on declawing. Ask them if they recommend it and whether they explain to people about the level the pain and the high chances of complications. Choose a vet to treat your cat who does not accept declawing as a justifiable course of action for a cat who may like the side of your sofa more than a boring scratching post.

Let's change this right now, let's call declawing what it is and make it history.

Helen Whitehead is a partner in Diamond Dogs Petsitting who provide a range of pet care services to the Vancouver, BC region. Check out their website on http://www.petsittingvancouver.com/

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Cat Urinating Everywhere - Making Your Pets Litter Box More Inviting

If you find your cat urinating everywhere but in their litter box then this may be a message from your cat to you that they actually don't like the conditions of their box.

Cats are very fussy animals and everything for them has to be at a high standard or they'll throw tantrums/start acting up which in this case would be to go about and pee on surfaces in your house because they don't like the conditions of their box.

Thankfully you can easily play around with different things to make the box more inviting to your cat to have them stop urinating all over the house and start using their boxes more often.

The litter inside the box itself is very important to your cat. If you have a new cat then the new litter may take some time getting used to but they may just despise the litter inside the box. If you have an old cat then a change you've done with the litter can cause them to avoid using the litter box and to start seeking out different material somewhere else in your house.

The litter that you put in the box can sometimes be:

Too muchToo littleToo roughToo softSmells off putting

Where you place the box can be a major factor in litter box aversion. For example cats don't have the luxury of using doors when they go to the toilet so if you put a litter box which exposes your pet and makes them feel uncomfortable (such as in the TV room where everyone sits) then they will avoid using this area. Other conditions can pitch in such as the temperature, the lighting, the sound levels etc. The wrong ones will have your cat urinating everywhere.

The cleaning material of the box

If you clean out the litter box with chemicals that you buy from the supermarket instead of those from pet stores for actual cleaning of the boxes then you may be using a chemical that your cat doesn't like. Every time you clean the box with these chemicals a slight chemical residue will be left over which can put your cat off using the litter box.

If you have multiple cats then your cat will have the problem of having to share boxes with other cats. This will give your pets the feeling of being overcrowded and chances are that at least one of them will be urinating everywhere because if there is not enough litter boxes then you may find that cats will mark their territory on one litter box leaving the others to go somewhere else. An idea is to always have one more litter box than you have cats that way they have options and everyone is happy.

I can't tell you the exact reason why you may find your cat urinating everywhere but it is up to you to mix and match these options until you get suitable conditions for your cat. There are more things to take into account though such as stress and medical problems etc. These are all other reasons to explain your cat urinating everywhere.

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How to Cure Cat Constipation

Before you can begin trying to cure your cat's constipation, you need to make sure that this is actually what the problem is. Constipation is the difficult or infrequent passage of stool. Most cats work on a regular routine. If you have noticed that your cat hasn't gone in a couple of days then he may be constipated. However, if he has recently been through a traumatic event, or his litter box has been changed then that may be the reason why he hasn't been going regularly.

The most common cause of cat constipation is dehydration. If your cat is being fed dry food, then you need to make sure that there is always fresh water available for them. If they eat wet food, then they get much of their water from their food, so you do not have to worry about this as much. In an older cat it could be because the muscles in the stomach are getting weakened.

There are two main things you should do to help cure your cat's constipation. The first is to switch him to a high fiber diet. You can do this by switching to a high fiber version of you cat's food (most brands offer this), or you can begin giving him high fiber treats as a supplement.

The other thing you can do is give the cat a laxative. Please only give your cat laxatives which are formulated for a cat. They are made differently than ones for humans. There are two types of cat laxatives available. There are bulk forming laxatives and simple laxatives. If the constipation is mild, then you may wish to try the bulk-forming laxative. This will make the stool softer and make it easier for your cat to use the bathroom. For a natural solution try wheat bran or pumpkin. These options can be used regularly if needed. Simple laxatives are a bit more powerful and are great for infrequent stools. These are not for regular use though, as they can be rough on the cat's tummy if used too often. Two popular examples at Cat-Lax and Laxatone.

If your cat is constipated, please take care of it as soon as you possibly can. If you do not, he can suffer from fecal impaction. This means that the feces was left inside the intestines for too long. It grows hard and forms a blockage. Bits of feces may come out around it looking like diarrhea. If you think this might be the problem your cat has then bring him to the vet ASAP.

Learn about more ways to cure cat constipation

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How to Choose the Best Cat Carrier

Just about everyone needs to use a cat carrier at some point in their time owning a cat. This may be to take them to the vet, to take them to be boarded, or if you are moving house. It is not generally a good idea to let your cat run loose in a car, no matter how well-behaved they are.

There are many different types of cat carriers available. The cheapest ones are simply made from cardboard! These are made to only be used once and are generally only recommended for small kittens. Most big cats will either be too heavy for the cardboard, or will scratch/chew through it.

I think the moderately priced cat carriers are generally the most appropriate for most people. These are ones which are made from a high quality hard plastic or soft fabric. These are well-made, and can carry a larger cat (15+ pounds), and do not hurt your hand while you carry them. It is up to you whether you prefer a soft carrier or a hard plastic carrier.

If you are carrying the carrier quite far, you may wish to buy one which has wheels, much like wheeled luggage, as this makes it easier to transport. If you are traveling by plane with the cat, I recommend a climate-controlled carrier. These are much more expensive, but many cats have become ill or even died from being held in cargo holds which do not have heat. If you need to fly with your cat, I highly recommend this.

For other long travels, you will want to make sure that the carrier has room for a food and water bowl. This way the cat can eat at his leisure. You may also want to put in a puppy wee-wee pad, since the cat may not be able to use the litter box for some time. I always put in a towel or old blanket as well, this helps the cat stay warm if he becomes cold. I also make sure that the blanket carries my smell or the cat's smell, to make it more comforting.

Remember that traveling is very stressful for your cat. You will want to do everything you can to make it as easy as possible for him. Make sure that he is comfortable and well fed. In the car, talk soothingly to the cat, it will calm him down hearing your voice.

Sally writes about cats and kittens on her blog Kitten Advice. Do you want to find out more about cat carriers?

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How to Correct Aggressive Behavior When Introducing a New Cat

Cats become territorial with age. It becomes more difficult to introduce a new cat in a household where one cat has already established its territory. Of course, it is best to either bring different cats into a household at the same time, to introduce them as kittens or to stick with litter mates who are already familiar with one another. However, things do not always work out that way.

You may already have a cat that is bringing so much joy and happiness to your home that you want to add to that joy by bringing in another cat. Before doing so, it is important to recognize that your first cat has already established its territory, and will view the new cat as an intruder. If you are not careful, this could lead to unwanted cat behavior, even an aggressive cat. The following five tips will help you introduce a new cat to your household successfully.

1. The first step is to familiarize the cats with one another. To do this you must use the following methods of socialization, isolation and reverse isolation. Socialization allows your cats to interact and to become familiar with one another. For new cats, you should supervise such socialization periods. When the cats are not socializing then you must keep them separated and in isolation. Once your cats become more familiar with one another, you can then use reverse isolation where you leave the cats alone together for progressively longer periods until they no longer act aggressively.

2. If your cats are acting aggressively, it is always important to catch them in the act and deal with the behavior immediately. A loud noise is useful as a way to break up unwanted cat behavior and is a great tool to stop bad cat behavior. This is only useful, however, if you catch your cat in the act of doing something unacceptable and use a loud noise immediately. A quick response will help the cat associate its bad behavior to the punishment.

3. Give your cat's options when it comes to food dishes, water dishes, litter boxes, cat toys, and sleeping areas. This allows your cats to make their own territories and helps to avoid having your cats fight with one another. It also helps to avoid cat confusion.

4. Never physically punish your cat. This creates more problems than solutions and has long-term effects creating more bad behavior. If you physically abuse your cat, it will learn to associate you with the abuse. Your cat will become scared of you and will no longer be the cuddly little cat it once was.

5. Stay consistent and always be patient since It may take weeks, even a couple of months for your cats to familiarize themselves with one other and become sociable. The wait is frustrating but being patient will pay off.

I have been a pet owner all of my life and for the last thirty years my wife and I have raised over a dozen cats. Please visit my website at: http://tipsaboutcats.com/ is your information source for their health, diet, disposition, and exercise. We even show the basics of making your own cat toys and condos. All tips and proceeds from this website is contributed to our local animal shelter who is short of funds from the county. I have a number of recommended natural food, supplements, products and books that are in my store which will save you time hunting on the web for at http://tipsaboutcats.com/store/. There are two expert interviews in the blog pages that are must reads because they will answer most of your questions and concerns about natural cat health and diet. Please feel free to leave comments on my website where you will also find links to me on Facebook and Twitter.

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Is Cat Furniture Essential For the Modern Kitty?

Cat furniture is virtually recommended these days since our kitty isn't different then you are with regards to being warm and comfortable. That's the reason you'll generally find kitty getting out of bed on the upholstered furniture. The couch and chair are the most comfortable places in the house, to the exemption of the bed. If your cat loves to take a seat on your part of the couch, as well as attempts to kick you out of your comfortable EZ chair by not shifting when you want to sit inside it, then obtain your cat his very own furniture.

Cats aren't just independent but they are furthermore possessive, especially when they discover a location in the home by which they feel at ease. You will find there's huge assortment of feline furniture accessible so that all you need to do is find cat furniture that the cat will cherish. Carrying this out just requires that you be alert along with conscious of the ways in which kitty likes to lay and sleep. Can it be all rolled up in a ball or can it stretch out long. Obtain furniture that will permit kitty assume whichever position he likes to sleep in.

View your cat as he looks in the house for a place to nap. Cats sleep 18 hours a day consequently kitty will be searching for warmth and comfort and most likely peaceful as well, since kittens and cats hate noises. Typically, you'll discover, by seeing, that it will like the sofa, the EZ chair, or perhaps the bed. So how does cat sleep; does he extend, bundle, or rollup?

Allow us to assume that your current cat likes to roll up when he sleeps. The cat furniture that you'd need to get for him should be the sort that could allow him to retract when he sleeps, say for example round soft cat beds, or a cat couch that is made the same as yours nevertheless sufficiently little for kitten to roll up upon. You might also need to order a cat bed that resembles a human bed with a mattress. Once more, it will be small but allow kitten to roll up about it.

After you've learned the best way kitty likes to slumber, you can go to a web-based cat furniture store and buy any product that your kitty will find comfortable and consequently enjoyable. Cat furniture is interesting and it can become decorated with pads and various covers in the same way you'd probably beautify your own furniture. Cats just like pillows and covers since that offers them a lot more items to roll up in.

It'll take kitty quite some time to get accustomed to his fresh cat furniture and in the meantime, if you'd like to keep him off the couch after that just lay a bit of tin foil over the couch. Whenever kitty gets on the couch the sounds of the foil can chase it aside. Cats do not like the actual noise that tin foil creates.

There was a time when the domestic pet feline had anything to settle in then a cardboard package or a paper bag, but those days are gone forever. Today, the bag and the box, even though still enjoyable, will be more cat toys. For sleeping and napping or just lazing around, kitty possess his own furniture, so help make your kitty satisfied and get him his very own couch, chair, or perhaps bed. Your kitten is capable of having a different place to rest in each space of the house simply because cat furniture is less expensive and your cat will adore them.

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