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Health

‘In touch’ with your cat’s health

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…

For the purrfect feline eyes…

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…

Do’s and Don’ts for your kitty treats

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…

Feline eye facts

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…

Preventing Toxoplasmosis

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…

A spayed cat is a healthy cat

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…

Kitty allergies

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…

Whack the worms!

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…

Don’t let curiosity kill your cat

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…

Signs which show your kitty is pregnant

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…

Feline fractures: be wary of them,

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: Common Health Problems

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…

Feline fractures: be wary of them

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,…

Common Nerve injury in kitties

Radial nerve paralysis is a common nerve injury in cats and dogs. The radial nerve is the largest nerve in the cat’s front leg. Paralysis of the radial nerve normally occurs when the cat receives a severe blow to her shoulder after being knocked down by a car. Other causes include tumours and excessive stretching of the brachial plexus. Symptoms… When the radial nerve is injured, the cat is…

Preventing Common Feline Diseases

Many diseases common to cats can be prevented in two ways: by keeping your cat indoors, and by having your cat vaccinated according to your veterinarian’s advice. Common feline illnesses include the ones which are mentioned here. Upper respiratory infections (URIs): These are similar in many ways to the common cold in humans and produce many of the same symptoms - sneezing, runny nose and eyes,…

Did You Know?

The Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine, a major resource center in veterinary research, has found that cats exposed to second hand smoke are at increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth and malignant lymphoma.  The study reveals that the increased risk of mouth cancer was five times higher in cats living with smokers than in cats living with non-smokers. Yet higher risks occurred if…

Ooh…Ouch…it’s Declawing

The far truth of declawing is very painful. It involves amputating the last bone of each toe. Do you know that, if we compare it with humans, it is equivalent to cutting one’s finger off at the knuckles? Now you can imagine the pain inflicted to our adorable felines.

Protecting Kitties from heat stroke..this Summer

Summer heat is on…it is the time to protect our furry felines from getting a heat stroke. It could be life threatening and require prompt treatment. Here’s how to protect our kitties from scorching heat. Cats generally do not cope well with high temperatures and try to cool off themselves by licking. Some cats are more susceptible than others; these include short nosed breeds such as Persians,…

KAS: for the love of kitties

The journey begins... Walking down the road on the outskirts of Kalimpong, a hill-station in West Bengal, I was shocked to see two small children playing recklessly with a kitten. I realized that the problem had to be addressed at the core – too many kittens and too little understanding. Fortunately, I received an offer from the Animal Protection Network based in Sweden to help fund a cat ABC at…

Detecting illness in your cat

Detecting illness in your cat Our furry angels can’t tell us where or when they hurt. In fact, many animals will try to mask pain or illness. That’s why it is extremely important that you get to know your cat’s regular habits and behaviours. Any deviation from his or her normal behaviour could indicate a problem with his or her health. Some symptoms and behaviours are obvious: diarrhea, vomiting,…
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