Is It Really Inhumane To Declaw Cats?

The cat is tearing up the $2,000 plus sofa, and not only is the cat scratching up the couch, but the chairs and carpet too and it has to stop. Some of my friends tell me to get it declawed and others tell me it is inhumane. I want to know why some consider it inhumane when it's just the claws; it's no real big deal.

What is declawing really like?

The closest thing that comes to mind in human terms is having your fingertips or toes cut off at the first joint under your nails. Not a very pleasant visual and it makes my hands and feet hurt just thinking about it. What it really amounts to is amputation, and it's extremely painful to cats. Cat claws are not attached the same way that human toenails are attached. They are very closely adhered to the toe bone and to remove the claw you need to cut the toe off at the first bone joint behind the claw. After you cut the claws off you also need to worry about the side effects.

What are some of the side effects of declawing?

One of the first and most obvious effects is right after the claws are removed. Your cat will have to shift their weight from the front paws to the back ones and, when a cat walks, over half its weight is supported on its front paws. The weight shift will continue from five to seven months during the healing process and can cause stress on all of the joints in the front of the body, including the spine. After the healing time your cat will be able to walk a little more normally, but not quite. This is due to scar tissue and the paw no longer being in its natural position. One of the long term side effects could be your cat developing arthritis.

Other types of side effects deal with sanitation and safety. There is a good chance that after the surgery your cat will stop using the litter box. So, instead of scratching your sofa, your cat will be urinating on it, or in other places around the house. Emotional stress and pain is a big cause for cats to stop using the litter box. What about your cat's safety? Will you make your cat an indoor cat from that point on? Because, when you let them out, you are leaving them without the ability to defend themselves or a means to escape. Claws are not used just for hunting; they are used for climbing and fighting. If your cat gets into a situation where it's attacked and needs to escape but has difficulty climbing a tree or a fence, then it will be forced to turn and defend. Your cat will be at a serious disadvantage and likely get injured or even killed. These are some strong reasons not to have your cat declawed.

Find A Great Veterinarian To Help Your Cat

Finding a good Vet for your cat is very important. You want to find someone who is knowledgeable, sympathetic, and caring. If you are new to cat care or have a vet but want to find a new one here are some tips that may help you out.

How do I locate veterinarians?

If you are moving to a new area, you can check out The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or the My Veterinarian websites. These two sites keep records on vets and their facilities, quality of service, and care. Another way is to talk to people at dog parks to see who has a good practice. If you live in a large community, get the names of three to four vets in your area. If you live in a small rural area, it would be wise to search a wider area to come up with the names.

How to select a veterinarian?

There are a number of things to do and consider when the time comes to selecting a vet. One of the first things to do is to make an initial consultation/interview with your new doctor. While you're there take a tour of the facilities. Watch the staff to see if they are attentive and courteous. How does the place smell; does it smell clean or does it smell sterile or of pee? The latter two could mean they are trying to cover something up. Look at the overnight area, do they keep the cats and dogs in separate areas and do the animals look cared for? Lastly you will want to make up a list of questions to ask your new potential vet.

What kind of questions should I ask?

Here is a list of some questions that should be asked:

· Are bloodwork, x-rays, and other types of lab work done on site or do they need to send them out to another place for testing and results?

· Do they have a specialist referral system?

· Is the clinic accredited with the AAHA?

· Are the veterinary technicians that they have on staff licensed?

· What do they do for managing pain?

· Do they have emergency services?

· Do they keep accurate records on all of your pets care?

· Always ask about the cost for standard visits.

These are important questions to ask and if you can think of more add them to the list. When all of your concerns are taken care of, you can decide which of the vets may be right for you and your cat.

Is It Really Inhumane To Declaw Cats

The cat is tearing up the $2,000 plus sofa, and not only is the cat scratching up the couch, but the chairs and carpet too and it has to stop. Some of my friends tell me to get it declawed and others tell me it is inhumane. I want to know why some consider it inhumane when it's just the claws; it's no real big deal.

What is declawing really like?

The closest thing that comes to mind in human terms is having your fingertips or toes cut off at the first joint under your nails. Not a very pleasant visual and it makes my hands and feet hurt just thinking about it. What it really amounts to is amputation, and it's extremely painful to cats. Cat claws are not attached the same way that human toenails are attached. They are very closely adhered to the toe bone and to remove the claw you need to cut the toe off at the first bone joint behind the claw. After you cut the claws off you also need to worry about the side effects.

What are some of the side effects of declawing?

One of the first and most obvious effects is right after the claws are removed. Your cat will have to shift their weight from the front paws to the back ones and, when a cat walks, over half its weight is supported on its front paws. The weight shift will continue from five to seven months during the healing process and can cause stress on all of the joints in the front of the body, including the spine. After the healing time your cat will be able to walk a little more normally, but not quite. This is due to scar tissue and the paw no longer being in its natural position. One of the long term side effects could be your cat developing arthritis.

Other types of side effects deal with sanitation and safety. There is a good chance that after the surgery your cat will stop using the litter box. So, instead of scratching your sofa, your cat will be urinating on it, or in other places around the house. Emotional stress and pain is a big cause for cats to stop using the litter box. What about your cat's safety? Will you make your cat an indoor cat from that point on? Because, when you let them out, you are leaving them without the ability to defend themselves or a means to escape. Claws are not used just for hunting; they are used for climbing and fighting. If your cat gets into a situation where it's attacked and needs to escape but has difficulty climbing a tree or a fence, then it will be forced to turn and defend. Your cat will be at a serious disadvantage and likely get injured or even killed. These are some strong reasons not to have your cat declawed.

Skincare for Cats With Dandruff

One of the more common problems for cats with diabetes is dandruff. One study actually puts this problem at a rate of about 1 in every 200, for cats with diabetes. Here are some suggestions to help with this issue.

The major cause of this problem has to do with nutrition, poor nutrition to be exact. So, instead of buying a bag of some cheap dry food that looks as bad as it probably tastes, not to mention lacks the nutrition that you're cat so desperately needs, look at the bag of food you are purchasing. Make sure it has the nutrition that will help your cat, even if it costs a few dollars more.

Also, you can give your cat food supplements that contain fish oil, which is something that has been proven to help with fixing this particular problem. One good choice is to use canned tuna, because it is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and will start to improve their hair in about a week or so.

Some of the things that might give you a hint as to whether or not your cat is having skin problems would be:

Excessive Thirst

Increase in Appetite

Dehydration

Excessive Urination

Weight Loss

Lethargy

Depression

Muscle Wasting

Fur that looks ungroomed

Also, if your cat starts to look like he/she is having weakness in their back legs, things will more than likely be getting worse at this point.

Other things that can possibly cause skin problems would be old age, neutering, cold weather (as it is very drying to cat's skin) and steroid injections. There is also the problem of allergies to consider, as this can also cause skin issues. This could come from many places, for example, pollens, food, different types of cleaners, etc. Because this is a difficult thing to try and pinpoint, it is often recommended that you use natural cleaning products in your home, which would help you to cut down on the possibilities of what may be causing your cat's allergy.

One thing that seems to cause problems for some cats is if they are not strictly kept indoors. Cats that are either indoors and outdoors or just outdoors, at some point will get sunburned and sunburn has been shown to kill the top layer of cat's skin, which will cause it to get dry and begin to flake off. If they are repeatedly burned, they also run the risk of getting skin cancer (much like humans), so if you feel you must let them out, try to do it in the early morning or early evening.

Some other things that could cause problems with your cat's skin, could be something as simple as letting your cat too close to the fireplace in winter, (if you allow your cat to do this it can dry out his skin), also if you're cat has fleas, ticks or some kind of skin disorder as well.

No matter what the problem, make certain that you get it taken care of immediately as it can get much worse and cause your cat itching and discomfort every day that this continues without a solution.

Why Do Cats Play With Their Food

I always wondered this myself. I've been through three cats and they all seem to just delight in pushing around, tossing around and generally making their prey items exit from this world as unpleasant as possible. Are cats really just pure evil?

Let's take it back to the savanna. When a cheetah(solitary predator) wants to kill a gazelle, it wants to make things as easy for itself as possible.

The first step would be to pick an easy target. A young, old, or injured prey item will put up much less of a fight than a healthy animal in its prime.

It also helps a great deal if your quarry can be singled out somehow. Even better if you can limit its movement using environment(and in the case of pack hunters, encircling, flushing out tactics, laying in wait to strike from different directions during the chase, etc.).

Next comes the actual killing part. With my cheetah example, these cats don't have the jaw strength to actually break an animals windpipe/neck, but they can close it off and essentially suffocate their prey item. This is a grueling tactic and can be quite dangerous if the prey wants to keep putting up a fight to the very end, and they all do.

So what's a better way? A strategy that can be more likened to guerrilla warfare than anything. Hit and maybe not run, but stay back. Hit the prey hard and do some damage. Hopefully cause some broken bones and a lot of bleeding. Then just hang back and follow until the prey gets weak or maybe starts to drop its guard, then hit again. Do this over and over in order to achieve a kill while minimizing risk to yourself.

Now this might not make sense with a little mouse or bird, but instinct doesn't always take exception. The cat hangs back and swipes at its quarry from time to time to make sure that it is dead. This is normal predatory behavior and backed with sound logic.A cornered animal can often be in its most dangerous and ferocious form.

Humans use this behavior too. Take that old book called "the art of war." In it it states that you should strike when your opponents are at their most vulnerable, advance when they retreat, and retreat when they advance. It's all very logical and it's quite obvious why cats would hunt this way.

5 Important Tips on Selecting Cat Food

You want to have a healthy and happy kitty. For this, you need to ensure that your beloved feline pet enjoys a proper diet. This can only be achieved with the right cat food. With so many options available, you will certainly benefit from some essential advice which will help you with making the best choice.

Get both wet and dry food for your pet.

In general, wet cat food is recommended since it is in the nature of felines to get water with what they eat rather than drink it separately. It is essential for the product to have moisture content of over 70%. Most canned products have moisture content of over 75% or 78%, but you have to check just to be on the safe side. It is best if canned products make up three quarters of the diet of your pet. In this way, it will have lower risk of urinary tract infections and diabetes. The remainder should be made up of dry food, which is good for the teeth. Of course, you have to ensure that your kitty has access to drinkable water as well.

Watch out with the terms on the label.

You will discover that not all products are labeled as "food". The ones which contain a different name such as "formula" or "dinner" usually contain a much lower concentration of the main ingredient. Similarly, if the label says that the product comes with a specific type of ingredient, then this ingredient is found in a smaller amount even though it is in a big print.

Ensure that the nutritional needs of the cat are met.

Protein should take up some 40% of the diet of the cat. Fat should take up around a third of it. That is why you have to ensure that the cat food which you get has a high concentration of protein and sufficient amount of fat. The lower the concentration of carbohydrates is the better. It must not exceed 50%. It is best if it comes from healthy sources such as rice and vegetables and not from corn meal. Felines require vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and taurine which should come from their food as well.

Opt for a good source of protein.

Good sources of protein include chicken, fish and beef. You should watch out with the products which contain more than one source of protein. You need to check what amount of each type of meat is included. Often, manufacturers use proprietary amounts. Hence, if you want to ensure that your pet gets enough fish, you should consider going for a product which contains it as the main ingredient.

Consider food with natural preservatives.

The natural preservatives used in cat food are vitamin C and vitamin E. They are good for felines when they are in optimal concentration in the body. There is no solid scientific evidence that the artificial preservatives are dangerous, but the natural ingredients are always better.

If your feline pet has any medical condition, you should definitely consult your vet before buying any type of cat food.

At The Moment My Cat Likes It A Little Too Much For My Liking

We have a foster cat. She is a seven-month-old tortoiseshell called Sadie. One of the things we do is provide a temporary home for cats and dogs that would otherwise be on death row. It's a pit stop until they can find their forever home.

But right now, Sadie, our foster cat, is driving me nuts. She is on heat and up for it. Big time. I am living with a nymphomaniac who is not getting any. Believe me, that is a very bad combination. I can't help thinking she was named after that William Somerset Maugham book about a fallen woman called Sadie Thompson. It is such an appropriate name.

It's not that I mind the way Sadie crouches down, raises her hind-quarters and thrusts her backside in the air. I don't even mind it when she seductively wraps herself around my ankles or the coquettish way she stares with great concentration and then rolls around on her back. She reminds me of that Nine Inch Nails song I want to f***k you like an animal although I prefer the version done by the group Lady Does It Better. Check it out on YouTube.

What is getting to me is Sadie's constant, bloody, chirping. Chirp, chirp, chirp all over the house. It's either chirping or this loud, throaty yowling roooooowwwww. Talk about grievous bodily harm of the eardrums.There is no mistaking her intentions. It's come and get it boys, I'm all yours. Therein lies the second problem. If she managed to get outside, then every Tom in the street would be lining up. Sadie would be up the duff in no time at all and the world would be populated with even more unwanted kittens. So she has to stay inside and I have to suffer.

Now if I was a tomcat I would be more than happy to oblige just to keep her happy and quiet. But I'm not. So it's impossible. I've tried telling her but she doesn't listen. We have three other male cats of our own but they are all duds as far as she is concerned. None of them have any balls at all. They don't have the slightest interest apart from one, who occasionally likes to sniff her nether regions. Probably remembering a long forgotten time. But he's just window-shopping with absolutely no intention of buying any of the merchandise. Our two dogs are in the same position as me. Sorry but we can't help.

I've been told that Sadie can't be neutered until she stops with the promiscuous behavior and goes off heat. It did stop for a brief time but it returned again with a vengeance and worse still, showing no signs of disappearing any time soon.

In one desperate moment, a mad thought did briefly cross my mind. What about inviting one of the neighbor-hood Tom's over just to shut her up? Of course I dismissed it just as quickly. But it did get me thinking and wondering. Do cats have recreational sex just like humans? I'm talking about sex for pleasure and not simply procreation. Many animals do such as dolphins, rats, horses and birds of the feathered kind. But Guess what? Cats don't. They only have sex when the female is on heat. It lasts seven to ten days and can occur every few weeks. Once reproduction is achieved the Yes turns into a giant, fat, no way known.

5 Easy Tips for Trimming Your Cat's Nails

Aren't cats supposed to keep their claws in shape either playing or using a scratching post? Cats usually give a lot of importance to self grooming and they are one of the cleanest pets around. But if the cat is sick or is getting old, they would need assistance in the entire grooming process. If this is not done there is a danger that the cat might injure itself or you may get injured from the scratching and biting.

So let us help you with 5 easy tips for trimming your cat's nails.

You will need a good quality set of cat claw trimmers and this is possibly the only equipment that you will need. So it is advisable to buy a good set and let them last a lifetime, rather than buying cheap ones that will break and cause injuries to the cat.

Most cats hate their paws been touched. So it is very important that you calm your cat down, play around with it, relax it to the extent that, it will happily let you touch their paws. You can take the assistance of your family or friends to hold the cat gently, while you are trimming its nails. Do not try and cut its nails when it is angry as you get hurt during the process.

You must very gently take the paw between your thumb and finger. Slowly push the fur back to expose the nails. The clippers must be held vertically or else there is a danger of cutting the nails in a splintered manner. This can damage the nail and in some cases cause pain to your pet cat.

You must take care that you are not cutting it too close as it might cause bleeding and stress to the cat. If the cat starts acting too fidgety, you must stop the process immediately and continue it later, when it calms down. If it is hurt, you must attend to its injuries and let it heal before you try cutting the nails again.

Cutting the nails every two weeks is advisable, though it may vary with each individual cat.

You should do it slowly and care must be taken that the cat is not hurt in any way. These 5 easy tips for trimming your cat's nails will help you do the entire procedure efficiently and effortlessly. If your cat gets very nervous, you can do the nail trimming procedure after it sleeps.

What Do You Need to Know About Cat Allergy Medication

Allergens are common in most environments and most pets would not react to them. But if your cat is allergic, it could cause extreme reactions in it. Most allergies are harmless but in certain cases the symptoms are so severe that cat allergy medications are prescribed. It is advisable to consult the veterinarian to determine whether the allergy is mild or serious.

Allergic reactions in cats can be caused due to a number of reasons and these include, food, flea and tick medications, perfumes, cleaning products, cigarette smoke, rubber and plastic materials, prescription drugs, grass, weed, mold and dust pollens. Unless you become aware of the cause of the allergy, you may not be able to treat it in an effective manner.

What are the symptoms of cat allergy?

Sneezing, coughing, wheezing

Itchy skin and increased scratching of the coat

Itchy, runny eyes

Itchy back or base of tail

Itchy ears and ear infections

Vomiting and Diarrhea

Snoring caused by an inflamed throat

Paw chewing or swollen paws

If your cat spends a lot of time outdoors, it could be more susceptible to allergies. Even when your cat is overweight, it increases the risk of allergies caused due to asthma. If the allergy does not subside or occurs on a frequent basis, you would need to take it to the veterinarian and they may be able to determine the exact cause of the allergy.

The veterinarian may also for some tests to be done on the cat, to determine the exact reason behind the allergy. If you pet has been diagnosed as suffering from some form of allergy, it would need to be prescribed allergy medication to help relieve the problem at the earliest. If the problem is not treated immediately it can make your pet irritable and angry.

It is also important that the allergens, which are responsible for causing the allergy be removed, so that the allergy does not recur often. Your veterinarian will help in determining the exact cause of allergy and this will make it easier for you to take preventive steps to stop the allergy from occurring again and again.

Introducing Your Cat to a New Litter Tray

Picking up a new cat litter tray for your cat seemed like a good idea, the old one was getting a bit smelly and didn't come completely clean any more. There were loads in the pet shop to choose from so you picked one that went with the room. Now there are unpleasant piles around the house and the litter tray sits pristine and untouched. What went wrong?

Picking a tray 

While picking a cat litter tray isn't hard with the vast quantity available online or in the pet shops, picking the right litter tray can be trickier. Some cats don't care and will deposit their mess into any old box but the majority of cats are a lot fussier. So a bit of forethought about types of litter trays can save a lot of mess and trouble at a later stage.

There are two main types of litter trays on the market currently - closed and open. Instinctively, humans think the closed in one is ideal because it prevents cat litter and other undesirables from being spread around the house. But not all cats will adapt to this type of tray. This is because the ancestors of the domestic cat was hunter and hunted in the wild - they hunted the small animals and larger animals hunted them. This manifests itself in some cats in a fear of entering enclosed spaces that may contain a hidden predator.

For this type of cat, an open tray is better because they simply will not enter an enclosed one. Sometimes your cat can give you signs they are this type of cat - fear of boxes or a dislike of dark spaces. But mostly, you won't know until you put the tray down and they refuse to use it so look for litter trays that offer a money back guarantee if your cat won't accept the tray.

Features 

Open trays can be messier but some can prevent mess better than others. Higher sided trays obviously stop more litter escaping and look for extra features such as grids to help loosen it from their paws or a lip around that can stop some litter.

The top end, deluxe cat litter trays are the self-cleaning ones that come in both open and closed styles. While they do self-clean, they will still need the tray that the waste is collected into cleaning every few days so they are not an entire escape from cat litter cleaning duties.

It can also be a benefit to buy two cat litter trays so that one can be in use and the other can undergo a serious cleaning. Cats' sense of smell is far advanced to our own and what we think of as smelling clean isn't the same for them. By having two trays a deep clean can be conducted to achieve the cat standard of cleanliness.

How to introduce the tray 

Regardless of which tray you decide to try your cat with, the basics of introducing the new tray remains the same. Put the old and new tray side by side in the place that the litter tray normally stands. Put litter into them both and wait for signs that the cat is using the new tray before removing the old one. Once this happens, the old one can be removed and disposed of.

If, however, the cat doesn't take to the new tray and refuses to use it, then tactics are needed. Start by keeping the new tray pristine and clean but allowing waste to remain in the old one. This may be a bit smelly for a few days but if you want the change to happen, it will be worth it. It won't take long for the new tray to appeal more than the old one and once the cat is using it, remove the old one. Hopefully, all should then be well.

The Sniff Test Li-Li the Cat on Decision Making

In 1938, in his landmark book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill wrote: "Accurate analysis of over 25,000 men and women who had experienced failure disclosed the fact that lack of decision was near the head of the list of the 30 major causes of failure... Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy which practically every man [and woman] must conquer... Analysis of several hundred people who had accumulated fortunes... disclosed the fact that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly." (Again, Hill wrote this is 1938, proving once again that truth and wisdom are timeless.)

Another important point Hill makes on the subject of decision making is about "keeping your own counsel," in other words, do NOT let the opinion of others influence your decisions. Accept advice from the select group you have (hopefully) gathered around you, people who are "in complete sympathy and harmony with your purpose," but, ultimately, make your own decisions based on the clarity of your goals.

Business and life coach David Neagle goes one step further. He suggests asking yourself four questions when you are faced with a decision to make.

Is this something I want to be, do, or have?

Is being, doing, or having this going to take me closer to my goal?

Is being, doing, or having this in harmony with Natural Law, meaning, more life to me and to others?

Is being, doing, or having this going to violate the rights of others, or will it take away their right to choose (the fundamental aspect of being human)?

What you want, of course, are three "Yeses" and a "No." Then, take immediate action on the opportunity presented before you.

Segue to Li-Li the Cat, a source of great wisdom in my life. (Yes, he's lying right here. Yes, he knows I'm writing about HIM. What else would I be doing? What else should I be doing?)

Li-Li is very clear about his goals, and food is way at the top of the list. So are safety and comfort, of course, and so is satisfying his curiosity to make sure that if something is going on, whatever it is, he needs to know about it and decide if it will benefit him-if it will take him closer to his goals.

And so... whatever it is, food that's being eaten by others, an empty bag or box, anything being moved from Point A to Point B... he is ON IT!

He is right there, and with a quick sniff, sniff, he quickly decides, No, not for me, or, Yes, I want a piece of this.

No muss, no fuss. Decision made quickly, and we're on to the next thing. Brilliant!

This is a very self-assured, well-adjusted, well taken care of kitty, so I think the benefits of quick and focused decision making speak for themselves!

Does he care about the opinion of others? Are you kidding? He is sure about his goals and who he is.

And so, in the spirit of taking wisdom where we find it-from the ages, from the present, or from a cat, I pass along this coaching tip!

Bonnie Hurd Smith writes about history, and how businesses can benefit from incorporating history into their marketing and community outreach to attract customers, improve customer loyalty, and secure a high status reputation in the communities they serve. She is a PR, marketing, event planning, and cultural tourism professional who also happens to be a respected historian, author, and public speaker.

Cat Facts Weird Things You Didn't Know About Your Pet

Even if your favorite pet is a dog, you should know that cats are quite appealing creatures. Yet, you are not likely to know how weird cats can be. Here are a few weird facts about cats:

Surely you have known that humans are unable to drink seat water, as it is saline and dehydrates your body. But cats can survive by drinking sea water. Their kidneys are capable of removing the salt from the sea water, enabling them to rehydrate themselves.

We know that cats are gifted with instincts for hunting. In fact, they are so good at it that, in the past, cats that spent most of their time outdoors have been instrumental in the extinction of 33 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. They are rated among the top hundred most invasive species.

An interesting part of their anatomy is the fact that cats don't possess any sweat glands. Well, they use their paws for keeping themselves cool. The sweat glands located in cats' paws exude a scent which helps them mark their territory. In other words, it means that while they are scratching or walking, they are in fact marking their territory.

Cat owners would be aware that their pet loves to laze around in the sun or remain on their couch. It may surprise many to learn that cats spend as much as seventy percent of their life in sleeping. That amounts to sixteen hours per day! The reason for their being so lazy is the fact that they need to work very hard to locate and kill mice, their favorite food. They recoup their energy by sleeping.

Many of the older cats tend to develop something similar to what we know as Alzheimer's disease. Cats over eight years of age keep roaming all over the house and look quite confused or dazed. That is the reason for their constant meowing. In case your cat is showing such symptoms too, the experts would suggest you to comfort it at night by providing it with an additional blanket.

If you thought that the role of whiskers is only to add to the personality of your cat and make it lovable, you are wrong! Cats utilize their whiskers to assess and ascertain if they would be able to pass through small openings. If its whiskers bend, it knows that it can't pass through that little gap.

If you have been watching cats, you would surely know that they invariable land up on their paws. Nature has gifted them with some sense of the law of gravitation. In fact, they are trying to slow down on landing. Moreover, their sense of direction is very strong, telling them which side of their body is up and, accordingly, they adjust their body. However, cat's body takes time to understand that it is falling down and adjusts itself suitably. They are more at ease when coming down from a higher place, as it gives them additional time to land safely on the ground. It is interesting to point here that more cats die on falling from two to six storied structures than from seven to thirty storied buildings.

Funny and Interesting Cat Facts You Didn't Know

Did you know that compared to dogs, which have 10 sounds in their repertoire, cats have more than 100?

In the houses where more than a cat lives, it is recommended that you have cats of both sexes, because they get along better.

Cats are famous for breeding while the weather is warm, therefore the number of kittens grows faster when the temperature is higher. Lots of people are worried that global warming will lead to an outrageous number of these small felines.

Just like children, kittens usually are born with blue eyes. In time, they change color.

The heart of a cat can beat up to 140 beats/minute, twice as fast as the heart of a human.

All cats are carnivores, and meat helps them get the necessary nutritional intake.

A cat that weighs about 10 pounds needs a maximum of 350 calories/day. A human needs minimum 2,000.

One cat of average size can consume around 90 pounds of food every single year.

North Americans are cat lovers, and almost 73 million of these pets live in their households. For dogs, the numbers are a big different: 63 million.

A cat needs approximately 1 ounce of water/pound of their body's weight every day. It can reach 2 quarts of water every week.

When jumping, a cat can go 5 times its height.

The way in which cats show affection or mark a territory is by rubbing on persons. These marks are made with the help of a scent released by the tail, face and paws.

On every side of the face, the cat has approximately twelve whiskers.

Cats communicate with people by meowing. With other individuals of their species, they simply spit, hiss or purr.

They don't have the same sharpness on their rear claws as the ones in the front.

The Turkish Van cats are not like other cats because their coat resists in water, and they love water.

A cat spends 1/3 of its awake time cleaning itself.

Cats were brought to America by Europeans in order to remove pests around 1750.

Dusty was the name of the most fertile cat, which gave birth to over 420 kittens.

The Guinness World Records states that the biggest domestic cat litter had nineteen kittens.

Cats hate citrus.

By eating excessive tuna, cats can become addicted and develop a deficiency of vitamin E.

Whiskers are very important to cats because they use them to show their mood, to wander around and to measure openings.

In 1995 in Denmark, someone discovered a kitten with green fur. This was the result of excessive copper levels existent in the water supplies.

25% of cat owners blow dry their cats after giving them a bath.

Cats can dream and they start this process when they're only 1 week.

Kittens have sharper teeth, but after they reach 6 months they lose their milk teeth.

Cat Facts You Should Know

Cats are not able to perceive sweet tastes

This is probably one of the reasons why they are so bitter. Multiple studies proved that cats that live in a domestic environment are not attracted to sweets (whether they are carbohydrates or sweeteners). At a close research, it was shown that their taste cells are not responsive to various types of sugars (sucrose included).

Cats' taste is very similar to the one belonging to other mammals. Except for dogs. They do love everything related to sugar, and they tend to get iffy if they don't get their dose of sugar. But the important thing to remember is the fact that you shouldn't purchase sweet treats for your cats, since they don't really care about it.

Cats imitate the hiss of snakes out of instinct

Scientists have suggested that cats got this habit from snakes and they've been trying to imitate snakes ever since. This makes your cat a copy. However, since many animals know that snakes are dangerous, they do tend to stay away from any dangerous hiss.

This sound acts like a warning to animals or even people, and advises them to stay away. But you should remember that, when a cat hisses, is because it is probably scared of something. This could come from the arrival of a new animal (dog or cat) or simply a new thing. Cats are scared by unknown elements, and this hissing is their way of protecting themselves. Is there a way to calm down nervous cats?

Yes. A cat has to have the space to feel comfortable and the time to adjust to the new animal or person. It might help to allow your cat to smell an object touched by your visitor, helping them get used to the smell. This turns the smell into a more familiar one, and it will make it feel more comfortable during the meeting with the actual guest.

The purrs of cats give nurturing instincts because they incorporate a similar frequency as the one of a baby

The idea of communication between species is still something new to most of us. There aren't a lot of studies that emphasize the way in which animals and humans communicate in a given environment. But what we do know is the fact that cats can be very manipulative with their owners. How? Through purring!

The main reason why cats purr is to obtain something from the humans who own them. Usually that something is food or maybe some caresses. The interesting thing is that their way of purring is identical in terms of frequency with the cry of an infant. Through this, a cat can exploit the nurturing instincts displayed by humans. Scientists performed a test one two groups. For one of the groups, they played purrs while the cats were searching for food, and for the other one, they didn't play any purrs. The group that had listened to the purrs experienced a sensation of discomfort. In the purr, the high frequency sound is similar to a meow that has the ability to influence people.

Interesting Facts That Cats Lovers Should Know

If we are to believe the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the US homes hosted approximately 81.721,000 cats in 2007, and only 72,114,000 dogs. Almost 32% of these houses had a cat in their care, and an average cat lover had minimum 2 felines.

Believe it or not, it is possible for dogs and cats to live together without creating a third WW. According to a study published in 2008 by the Applied Animal Behavior Science journal, cats and dogs can live in peace with one condition. The cat has to be under six months, and the dog mustn't be older than 1 year. The reasons that stand behind the clashes between species can result from a miscommunication. For instance, preventing aggression in the eyes of a cat and submission in those of a dog. Those animals who were introduced at an early stage develop a personal communication method.

Watching a cat drinking milk is a sensitive process. They don't scoop water into their delicate mouths like dogs to. Cats touch the liquid with the tip of the tongue and create a bouncing movement. Before having to fight with gravity, the jaws of the cat close and the milk is captured inside.

In spite of their majestic attitude, cats can be dumber when compared to dogs. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal discovered that dogs have experienced a larger growth of their brain in the last 60 million years as compared to their purring 'friends.'

Another article published in 2009 also proved that dogs are smarter than cats. However, it is important to specify that while dogs displayed a certain smartness in a domain, cats were doing the same thing, but in a different domain (expressive vocalization). The decision was taken according to the degree of usefulness displayed by each animal. If we are to think about the fact that the only thing cats can do is catch vermin, while dogs are more flexible in this area (discover drug stashes, diagnose illnesses, rescue lost people), we would be inclined to consider dogs as smarter companions. However, some might say that having a job which requires sitting in the sun and catching mice from time to time is not stupid at all.

Another important thing to take into account is the fact that cats can remember obstacles existent in their surroundings for about 10 minutes. In addition to this, cats also have an improved muscle memory, as compared to the visual one.

According to an interesting experiment, domestic cats that had the front legs clearing a hurdle, but were stopped before lifting the rear legs, had to walk again within ten minutes or else they forgot how to do a high step.

If the cats were distracted in the action of crossing the hurdle, they forgot about its existence in just a couple of seconds.

Why You Should Vaccinate Your Cat

Until fairly recently, cats, like people and dogs, were subject to illness and possible death from what are now preventable diseases. The lives of millions of cats have been made healthier and longer through the use of vaccines that prevent or mitigate the effects of various pathogens. Even if your cat never goes outside or comes into contact with another cat, you can inadvertently bring viruses into your home on your shoes or clothing. Protecting your indoor, as well as your outdoor cat against serious illness is the mark of a responsible and caring pet owner.

The best way to make sure that your kitten or cat is well protected against preventable illnesses is to set up a regular schedule of vaccinations with your veterinarian. Always keep in mind that kittens will be much more susceptible to infections because their immune systems are still developing. Nursing kittens will receive some antibodies through their mother's milk. However, this natural protection will actually interfere with vaccinations, and this is why kittens will need a series of shots to provide them with the maximum protection.

Veterinarians generally begin vaccinating kittens when they are between 6 and 8 weeks old. To assure that your kitten is well protected, he or she will receive subsequent vaccinations about once a month until they are about 20 weeks old. The rabies vaccine is often delayed until the antibodies from the mother cat are gone.

Adult cats require vaccine booster shots once a year for most diseases. While it is possible for you to administer most of these vaccines at home, by law rabies vaccinations will always have to be done by a veterinarian.

Vaccines work to prevent illness by programming the cat's immune system to recognize a pathogen and destroy it. When your cat receives a vaccination, dead or damaged live viruses are put into the animal. This allows the body to become familiar with the pathogen, so that should your cat be exposed to this particular virus, the body can destroy it before it has the chance to cause illness.

Respiratory viruses can cause not only sneezing and discharge from the nose, but also damage to the cornea of the eye. These viruses have a tendency to occur over and over, and in time can severely damage the eye, even causing blindness. Additionally, these viruses can lead to chronic breathing problems. Humans cannot catch these viruses from their cats.

Rabies is deservedly one of the most feared diseases on earth. Basically incurable and always fatal, this disease affects the central nervous system resulting in seizures, intense salivation, staggering, uncontrollable aggression or fear, and blindness. Spread by bite, rabies can be acquired by humans from an unvaccinated cat with the disease.

Panleukopenia is a nasty disease that will hit kittens the hardest. Death can result from this illness and the virus responsible attacks the bone marrow and gastrointestinal system. A kitten or cat that is lethargic and has fever and diarrhea could well be infected with this virus. Humans cannot catch this disease from their cats.

Feline leukemia mostly affects cats that go outside. However, if you have several cats and allow even one to roam outdoors, all the cats could become sick with this viral disease. Cats with feline leukemia will suffer weight loss, fever, anemia, and listlessness. Unfortunately, many cats with feline leukemia do not survive.

Feline calcivirus is a relative newcomer on the scene and often occurs in combination with other respiratory viruses. Calcivirus will cause, in addition to the usual respiratory symptoms of sneezing, coughing, and discharge, sores in the mouth and on the tongue; it has also been linked to arthritis. This disease will sometimes mutate to a more severe form that can affect and cause damage to multiple organs and systems in the cat's body.

Vaccines for the above illness are considered to provide 'core protection' for your cat. Unvaccinated cats are at the risk of chronic conditions or death from diseases that can be easily prevented. Caring for a sick cat at the veterinary hospital is costly, and home care to nurse a sick cat back to health is time consuming and emotionally draining.

It is quite true that side-effects can occur when your cat is vaccinated. Fortunately, in most cases, the cat may run a slight fever or be fussy for a day or two. At times, a knot will form at the site of the injection, and if this does not vanish within a few weeks, your vet should take a look at it. There is also a very slight chance of a severe allergic reaction to a vaccination, which is why your vet may ask you to remain in the clinic for a few minutes to make sure that no such reaction is occurring in your cat.

Pet Health Care Feline Diarrhea Overview

Diarrhea is one common problem that many cat owners talk about when it comes to their pet's health. Diarrhea occurs when pets exhibit loose or watery stool. Although the gastrointestinal problem can be solved in less than a week, chronic diarrhea may also be a sign of other underlying health problems.

Diarrhea Types

Diarrhea can be categorized into two types - acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea usually occurs suddenly and would last for two to three weeks. This type occurs when osmosis imbalances exist in the body of the pet or the water content in the pet food is high. Other reasons are - presence of bacteria or toxins in the body, presence of ulcer that causes intestinal exudation and motility disorder. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, occurs when the problem lasts longer and blood or mucus is present in the stool.

Causes

There are plenty of causes that can be attributed to the problem and one of them is the food that pet owners give to their pets. Felines are lactose intolerant, which can cause problems if they happen to eat dairy products. Another is when cats scavenge for food that might already be spoiled. Eating of food that contains toxins or medications may also result in poisoning of the pet and diarrhea may be one effect. Some cats may also contract bacterial infection, viral or parasitic by nature.

Natural Treatment

If the diarrhea is acute, homeowners can try some natural treatments to relieve their pet's health problem. Some experts recommend giving probiotics such as plain yogurt to introduce good bacteria to the body. Changing the food may also help especially if the previous canned food contain plenty of fillers which can be harmful to the pet's digestive tracts. As dehydration is possible during this phase, it is recommended that pet owners should always provide their cats with fresh water to drink or choose premium canned food.

When to Contact the Vet

Pet owners should contact their vet if blood is seen in their pet's stool; loose stool is coupled with vomiting, signs of fever and lethargy as well as sudden weight loss of their pet. Their pet doctor would conduct a series of tests including blood test to check for signs of parasitic infection, ultrasound as well as biopsy. It is important that pet owners should not self-medicate their pets especially using human medicines or drugs as some of these may actually cause more harm than good to their pets.

Cat Circles - The Latest Feline Phenomenon

The internet and cats just belong together. As good as they are individually, when combined effectively they capture our hearts and imaginations in ways nothing else can, transcending cultures, borders and language barriers.

Our favorite pet's latest contribution to the web is so compulsive that cat owners simply can't wait to try it the moment they here about it. "Cat Circles" or "Cat Traps" are now delighting and baffling pet lovers, web users and scientists alike all over the world.

"Cat Circles" also known as "Cat traps" have taken the web by storm exploding across the web on every news site and social network going. Making people worldwide chuckle in bemusement at the curious behavior of the worlds greatest pet.

Like all great ideas, the concept is simple. Draw or create a circle of some kind on the floor. Then watch in glee as your favorite kitten or cat becomes curious. Slowly sizes up the circle you've made, before claiming it as their own. Take a photo or video, share it with your friends then watch it go viral.

At first, people started out using masking tape to mark out the circle. Since going viral people have of course become more creative. Socks, ties, scarfs, hose pipes, glow sticks are just a sample of the current photos circulating at the moment. As the craze takes hold and continues to capture the imagination of the public more we can be sure the "Cat Circles" will become increasingly imaginative and bizarre.

A quick search of "Cat Circles" will give you an idea of just how quick this craze has taken over, as you see articles from newspapers, trend following sites and news TV channels litter the search results. As quick and pervasive as "Cat Circles" have become the craze will have to get much, much larger to compete with some of the giant cat internet crazes of the past.

Previous cat crazes to ignite the web have been the "Infinite cat project," where users uploaded pictures of their cat looking at other cats on the computer monitor leading to an endless feline chain of fuzzy cuteness. "LOL Cats" had users photographing and uploading pictures of their cats with whitey slogans in broken English. Spawning the infamous phrase and site "I can haz cheezeburger." 2012 saw the slightly ethically challenging practice of "Breading" take center stage. Although arguably hilarious, placing a hollowed out slice of bread over a cat's head and photographing seemed a little cruel to many.

Making a "Cat Circle" is a great way to engage with your fluffy friend while we all sit and wonder what these amazing animals will come up with to surprise and delight us in the future.

Persian Cat Health Problems

The Persian cat consistently ranks as one of the most popular breeds of cat across the US and a number of other countries. With the chubby cheeks and cute short face, theirs is a memorable look and added to that the thick coat, Persians are unmistakable. Unfortunately, generations of breeding to achieve these and other particular looks has led the Persian to have more than the usual amount of health problems and this is something a potential cat owner should understand before adopting one. Here is a look at some of the main ones.

About the Persian 

Persians have been known as a domestic cat breed since Victorian times and have always been popular. There are currently two types of Persian; traditional and show. The show Persian has a ruff around its head, small ears, a flat nose and big rounded eyes. It is sometimes referred to as the Peke-faced type of Persian and has a heavily boned but short body. The traditional Persian, or doll faced, has less extreme features with a normal length nose. Both types comes in a variety of coat colors and patterns and have the same gentle and loving personality.

Grooming 

The first thing any potential owner should know about the Persian is that this breed needs daily grooming to maintain its coat and health. Most breeders recommend a daily comb to get rid of mats and tangles in the fur and also to remove loose hair, which benefits the cat and also means less is shed all over the house. The color of the coat of a Persian can affect the type of fur it has varying from silky and shiny to soft and cottonlike. The latter tangles easier than the former and takes more time to groom properly.

In addition to the daily grooming, Persians should be bathed every week. This needs to start from the youngest age possible to avoid terror and fear and to teach them that bathing is a good thing and something you can do together. Some people blow dry their coat on the very lowest setting to avoid burning the skin and comb as you go.

Both types of Persians have a tendency towards weepy eyes. To prevent staining of the fur and discomfort, each day their eye area should be carefully bathed.

Health problems 

There is nothing to say that any cat will or will not get a certain health condition though some breeds are more predisposed towards some conditions than others are. Always use a breeder who knows their cats and their genetic background but anyone that offers a 100% guarantee of health is not being honest.

The main health conditions that Persians are predisposed towards are: 

• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) 

• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) 

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) 

• Bladder stones 

• Cystitis (bladder infections) 

• Liver shunts

PKD is a hereditary condition that causes cysts to form in the kidneys and eventually leads to dysfunction of the organ. It can affect one or both of the kidneys and symptoms start to manifest at an age of 7-10 years, though it can appear earlier. There are tests to see if a cat is predisposed to the condition and many breeders are taking this to then remove the genetics from the breeding program with the long-term aim of removing the predisposition entirely.

PRA is also hereditary in Persians but manifests early in life, at around 4-8 weeks of age and rapidly progresses to complete blindness by the age of 15 weeks. Studies are currently underway to get more information about the condition.

HCM is the heart disease common to all types of cats where the thickening of the left heart chamber causes problems and sometimes leads to death. It generally affects male cats and from middle to older age. Tests need to be done regularly to check for it, as there is no genetic trait to show for it.

As well as genetic conditions, the peke faced type of Persian can often be prone to breathing difficulties due to the shape of their face and nose.

Combating problems 

If your cat has a hidden genetic problem, then there is little you can do about it until it manifests but the majority of Persians live a full and healthy life. They are susceptible to heat due to their heavy coat and should be monitored for overheating as well as associated breathing problems. This means they should not be transported in the cargo bay of a plane, as the chance of respiratory distress is strong and can even lead to death in extreme conditions.

Finally, the best way to help your cat is to watch them and learn their personality and behavior. This will mean that if something is wrong, you have the best possible chance of spotting it quickly and getting them to your vet. Remember, animals instinctively hide illness so you need to be part detective and part cat psychologist to figure out problems before they worsen.

Cat Meowing - Understanding Your Cat's Behavior

When you see your cats meowing a lot and the pitch is high, it doesn't mean that it is hungry and it doesn't mean you have to get up and feed it. This will not only ruin your cat's manners but it will also make a cat think that by meowing my human will feed me. This will just make your cat obese and will disrupt its feeding hours.

Cats meowing means a lot of things apart from food demands. Your cat might meow due to a number reasons, for instance, they might have some problem, they might be complaining of some pain, they might need medical attention, they might need to go to their litter boxes, they might be warning you or they might be just wanting to talk to you or to grab your attention.

Let me give you an example here. In February 2011, late after 11pm, I returned home after a one hour visit to my aunt. When I returned, my male blue Persian cat was very hyperactive, he was running here and there and was meowing in a heavy voice. My first thought was maybe he's getting excited to see me after I was away for an hour or maybe he needs food. I went into the kitchen and gave him his food in his bowl and returned to my bedroom and got busy with my computer. The meowing continued and this time my cat kept on pulling my shirt and literally dragged me towards my entrance door. However again I ignored him and took him to his food bowl where I saw that his food was untouched. I, then, reached into my cabinet and grabbed a pouch of his favorite cat food. He even resisted that. After 2 minutes my cat just ran and went under my bed and that was the time I felt strong tremors of an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the recto scale. I grabbed my footwear my cat and ran downstairs. That was the time I got to know that my cat's meowing was actually a warning for me to get out of the house and find a safe place so that I can be saved. However no harm was caused in my city.

After this incident, I figured out that cat's meowing means a lot apart from showing hunger or food demands. If one is sick and tired of useless meowing and is annoyed of this habit, then your cat can be trained well. When your cat is meowing, ignore them. Once they are silent and settled in feed them with a treat. You need to make a schedule of your life in which you can assign a specific time period in which you can play with your cat and spend quality time with it. Ignorance can also lead into excessive meowing. If you notice your cat is meowing and not purring, it means there's some trouble with your cat or there is a warning.

How To Take Care For Beautiful Cat Fur

care for cat fur

Knowledge of how to care for both the cat fur or Angora Persian cat owners should know. By taking care of the cats fur is expected that fur persian cat / Angora look better and beautiful, so nice to be petted and be seen by anyone.

Cat fur nice and wonderful it should be cared for by the owner prior to the types of Angora and Persian cats. In general, for cat owners, their fur on the sofa or chair is a common thing, but if it is too overwhelming presence of the plume then we should be suspicious that there has been a loss of fur on our cats. It required knowledge of how to care for the cat's fur.

Here is how to care for and maintain in order to remain beautiful cat fur;

1. Give the balanced nutrition, including the quality and amount of food. There is a lack of vitamins and amino acids in cats can cause cat hair becomes dull and can cause hair loss.

2. Comb your cat hair as often as possible. By combing the cat's fur, then we have to do therapy on the skin a cat so that the circulation of blood under the skin to be smooth, in addition to combing the fur cat fur cat will loose swept away the comb. How to comb a good cat fur is first, comb in the opposite direction of the flow of fur, do it slowly so that the cat is not in pain on the matted fur. Then according to the groove feather comb to groom the cat's fur.

3. If the cat fur is dirty then it is better soon to be bathed, a minimum of once a week. Most cats will be difficult to be bathed, as most cats afraid of this water is in the nature of the cat itself. Naturally without human assistance, the cat licking his fur with her own body, but it can bring adverse effects, such as swallowing feathers come into the belly of a cat and over time can lead to a buildup in the intestines of cats and cause abdominal pain in the cat. For that we need to help clear the way cat fur bathing him. To bathe a cat choose a suitable shampoo for cats, because there are some cats that do not fit on a certain type of shampoo. This may be due to the cat's skin is sensitive to certain shampoos, so try a shampoo that is suitable for sensitive cats are strongly encouraged to seek appropriate Sampho.

4. The need for control of ticks and fleas in the home environment. Fleas and ticks is the cause of the itching of the skin of cats and can cause hair loss in cats. To eradicate lice and fleas in the environment then do the cleaning on a regular basis in the narrow areas in the room or the house.

5. For the prevention of the cat's body from being exposed to ticks, then give anti-lice regularly at least once every 2 months, for example fronline spot on for paint.

Causes Loss In Cats Fur

Conditions on cat hair loss is often referred to as alopecia or baldness. This situation is a common problem that is common in cats. Cat hair loss can be partially / partial or total, may occur with varying patterns or symmetrical.

Signs or characteristics of any loss in cats demonstrated the presence of redness on skin areas that experienced a loss, a lump, but sometimes also do not indicate a change in the fur and skin around the area that suffered the loss.

Causes of hair loss variegated cat, could be due to hormonal disorders, high thyroid levels in the body of a cat, an increase of steroids can also trigger hair loss cats, ADE vitamin deficiency can also cause hair loss or cat can also be caused by parasites of the skin such as scabies disease, ringworm, scabies, scabies and fungal in cats. Skin disease in cats in general and certainly cause hair loss in cats infected. Besides, there are also hair loss due to cancer that attacks the cat, usually cancer drugs are also a cause of hair loss cat.

Treatment should be tailored to address the causes of hair loss, although it is sometimes very difficult to treat, especially hair loss due to cancer and hormonal disorders. While the treatment of hair loss due to parasitic skin disease easier to treat.

Then for the prevention of hair loss cat until now has not found a definite method for it. We can only maintain the quality remains good feed to ensure adequate protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as keep a cat is not a skin disease. This was done due to hormonal imbalance positively correlated to the quality and quantity of feed the cat.

Causes Cat Food Allergies

Allergies in cats can be caused by dietary factors, is no exception to the male or female cat, neutered or not at gelding, an adult cat or kitten is still small (kitten). Food allergies in cats will exhibit symptoms that is the itching of the skin a cat. The reaction of the offending food is the trigger increase of histamine in the body of a cat, food nutrition was rejected by the body of a cat and is considered a foreign body.

Examples of foods that can cause allergies in cats is beef, lamb, fish or other marine animals (seefood), corn, soy and dairy products. Like humans, the more individual allergy means that not all cats will suffer from allergies when eating these foods, only sensitive cats that can cause allergy symptoms.

Symptoms of food allergy in cats due almost similar to the symptoms of allergies are caused by parasites, bacteria, hypersensitive intestinal parasites, fungi, scabies or other substance that is the itching on the cat's body. These symptoms can cause the hairs that fall out due to excessive mengaruk cat. To distinguish it very difficult, which can be done is to test foods that can cause itching.

The most effective treatment for food allergy in cats because is does not give the food that could potentially cause allergies. Without the dismissal of the offending food is the treatment like dexametason be futile.

Hairball Treatment In Cats

Hairball / Cat Fur Ball

Hairball in cats is a situation where the presence of cat hair ball shaped in the stomach or intestines cat stomach. As we know that the cat's fur can not be digested by the intestine, so if the cat swallows fur because of frequent licking the fur itself then will gradually accumulate in the stomach. This condition is normal and not a problem if a small amount, but it will cause problems if the number of lots and cat fur balls in the enlarged abdomen due to accumulation of entry of feathers into the gut / stomach cat.

Usually, most of the ingested by the cat hair will be issued through the digestive system of the cat in his stool. Problems will occur when the plume could not excreted / removed and collect / accumulate in the stomach or intestines cat then the plume formed a solid ball and causing obstruction in the stomach. What happens then the cat will try to regurgitate the fur ball out of the stomach.

Clinical signs of hairballs in cats is more often associated with the digestive system such as the cat was vomiting, loss of appetite, and constipation. Genesis hairballs itself does not cause respiratory symptoms in cats, so it does not appear the symptoms of shortness of breath or cough in patients cat hairball. Most incidence of impaction in cats is due to a foreign object stuck in the cat intestine caused by cat fur ball shaped solid.

Other signs in cases of severe hairball cat is enlarged abdomen, can not defecate or it could also happen diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite cats.

Treatment is often done is to provide products that work to clean up and remove the feathers from the belly of a cat. The drug functions as a lubricant so that the belly of the cat's fur easy exit through the feces. Examples of drugs for the cat hairball is Laxaton or catlax. However, if the ball of fur on the belly of a huge cat then surgery is one option in dealing with the hairball.

Before the hairball in cats helps us prevent such kajadian. There are some precautionary steps to prevent hairball in cats include:

• Frequent combing cat hair, so hair loose and fall out can be eliminated from the body of the cat.

• There is a good wipe with a damp cloth cat fur

• Using a product that can remove fur from the belly of a cat, for example laxative, laxaton, catlax etc.

Use products that are sold on the market that can help to overcome the cat hairball usually consists of oil that are not digested by the intestine cat but the product is safe to use and does not cause stomach problems in cats. The product works as a lubricant in the digestive tract to help the fur cat is out of the belly of a cat. If this is done regularly, then the fur ball was never formed.

We do not recommend that you use homemade products containing butter or oil, because it can bring other digestive problems or absorbed by the digestive system of the cat.

High-fiber diet or fiber supplements can also help with chronic hairball problem. Fiber can help remove excess fur through the digestive system of the cat and will be issued through the feces. Whatever product you choose, use it regularly, according to the manufacturer's recommendations, to prevent the recurrence of a hairball.