Health

As our cats get older, it is very important to provide them with a good and healthy diet. Here are a few tips to choose the best diet for your ageing kitty. Good feeding plan. Setting a good feeding plan throughout their lives is the best way to maintain a happy and healthy cat who lives a happy and fit old age. Choose high quality food designed for senior cats. As cats get older they are far…

Felines are no different from human beings in terms of weight gain – if calorie intake is greater than calorie burned, they will put on weight. And if you have a housecat who has the choicest of foods and treats handfed to her, chances are, your kitty is…well…going to end up on the tubby side. Here’s how to handle the extra flab. Sometime back, authorities in New Jersey found a cat weighing 20 kg…

Cats love to clean and groom themselves...but in the process they can develop harmful hairballs. Here’s more on how to prevent hairballs. What are hairballs? Trichobezoar or hairball is a common phenomenon of cats. Sometimes, a cat may produce noises, which sound like coughing, they will heave and lower their head and vomit a soggy mess. These are hairballs. How do hairballs occur? Cats clean…

Declawing serves one purpose and one purpose only – it makes it convenient for someone who doesn’t understand cat behaviour or who doesn’t wish to learn how to live with a cat, to have a cat in their life. Why are claws important? Cats’ claws are important, as they are needed to help the kitty maintain his balance, mark his territory and defend himself. Yes, Kitty uses his claws to ‘scratch’…

With good medical care, routine check-ups, good nutrition and lots of love your cat will live a long and happy life. Here are a few preventative health measures designed to keep your cat fit and healthy: All sleep and no play makes Tom a dull boy It is important to keep your cat fit by seeing that he gets regular exercise. Simple toys such as ping-ping balls or a toy spider made of…

Older cats are more susceptible to kidney disease and hence should be regularly checked to avoid this dreadful disease. Kidney disease can affect a feline at any age but is common among older cats. Kidney disease can either be Acute Renal Failure (ARF), a sudden onset, or Chronic Renal Failure (CRF), a progressive onset. CRF is more common in cats. There is no actual treatment for kidney disease…

If you have a male cat and do not wish to breed him, get him neutered to keep him safe and healthy. Tomcats…vulnerable to fights Many intact Tomcats come to the Blue Cross Shelter with severe bite wounds that result from fights with other male cats. These wounds, frequently, develop into abscesses and become infested with maggots. These wounds can also become infested with viral diseases that…

Regular visits to the veterinarian are an essential part of keeping your cat healthy. An excellent way for you to keep tabs on him in between vet visits is to do your own, nose-to-tail checkups at home. Get in the habit of running your hands all over your cat’s body whenever he’s cuddling with you or you’re grooming him. This is the best way to discover problems before they become serious. Call…

Your kitty is prone to conjunctivitis. If you spot signs of conjunctivitis, rush to her vet immediately to avoid discomfort and save her eyesight. Here’s more on this red eye disease. What is conjunctivitis? Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is a common eye problem in cats. It is the inflammation of conjunctiva, a membrane lining the inner eyelids and the eyeball. It covers the third eyelid also. A…

Like humans, your kittens may like a different treat. Here are a few treats you can give to your feline friends: You may give upto a quarter cup of milk at a time, but more may cause diarrhoea. You can give yogurt for calcium and digestion. You may mix yoghurt with a small dash of taurine powder, a flavour the cats like and is good for them. Protein-based meat, poultry and fish are good for…

Here are some interesting facts about the ah-so-attractive feline eyes. A cat’s nocturnal vision is far keener than that of a human. She needs only one-sixth of the light that we humans need. A cat’s eye has more rods and fewer cones than ours. Cones are sensitive to high levels of light and rods are sensitive in low levels of light. This means that while we have better colour vision, a cat…

If you have a cat at home and somebody in the house is pregnant, beware of Toxoplasmosis…but a little care and awareness can go a long way in preventing it. Cats can transmit a protozoan disease of human importance, which is a serious disease during pregnancy. If you have a cat at home, I would suggest that all would be mothers should undergo a blood test to find out if they are carriers of this…

If you do not wish to breed your feline friend, it is always advisable to get her spayed. Spaying not only prevents unnecessary litters but it also helps in preventing your feline friend from deadly diseases like pyometra. I first saw Shy, a timid cat, at the animal shelter in obvious pain with a large distended abdomen. The X-ray revealed that she had an enlarged uterus. She was diagnosed with…

Our furry angels love to keep themselves neat and clean but still sometimes, they can suffer from skin allergies. Here are some of the most common types of skin allergies. Cats are not usually born with allergies but they can develop after prolonged exposure to whatever the irritant might be. They are allergic to flea saliva, which is the most common cause of skin allergy. It is therefore…

Intestinal parasites are organisms that grow, feed and live inside a host organism. Your pet cat can carry harmful intestinal parasites that could be life threatening to her and a source of infection to you as well. Here’s more on these intestinal parasites. It is important to safeguard your cat and yourself by adopting an appropriate pet parasite control programme. Common feline worms There are…

Cats are unique…they will follow scents and odours, play with the strangest objects and get into places you would never dream of venturing into; in short, go where no man (or pet) has gone before. And as a responsible cat parent, it’s time we saw our homes through our feline’s eyes, and cat-proofed our homes. Ideally, the best time to cat-proof your home is before your cat comes home. Here are the…

The normal gestation time for cats is 64 to 69 days, which is roughly two months. It takes three weeks before cat pregnancy signs become visible. During the first weeks of cat’s gestation, it’s almost impossible to notice that she is pregnant. In general, she will behave normally. Here are a few signs that show your cat is pregnant: Her nipples become pink after about three weeks. From that…

Cats are susceptible to fractures. A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Fractures can occur in the leg, skull, jaw, spine, ribs, pelvis and digits (fingers) as well as the long bones and small bones of the front and back limbs. Commonly seen fractures in cats… There are four commonly seen fractures in the cat: closed, compound, epiphyseal (growth plate), and greenstick (hairline). Closed…

Cats are susceptible to fractures. A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Fractures can occur in the leg, skull, jaw, spine, ribs, pelvis and digits (fi ngers) as well as the long bones and small bones of the front and back limbs. Commonly seen fractures in cats… Cats are susceptible to fractures. A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Fractures can occur in the leg, skull, jaw, spine, ribs,…

Be on the lookout for these common health problems in your cat: Fleas: Fleas can easily invade your home, particularly if you have a dog or if you let your cat outside. Fleas can cause such health problems in cats as anemia, allergies, skin infections and tapeworms. There is a vast array of flea-fighting products that are highly effective and safe; consult your veterinarian for advice on products…