All About Cats by Digital Resources And Tools

ALL ABOUT CATS

1. Finding The Right Box For Your Finicky Cat

2. Helping Your Stressed-Out Cat To Relax

3. Improper Elimination And Your Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Feelings

4. Interstitial Cystitis May Be The Problem

5. Is Your Cat Marking Your Home?

HE BIGGEST MISTAKE CAT OWNERS MAKE WHEN BUYING A LITTER

box for their fussy cat is that what you may think looks like the perfect box may be anything but that to your kitty. Manufacturers design boxes that will appeal more to the buyer, in many cases, rather than what your cat will actually use. Understanding what constitutes an acceptable box for your cat will help keep waste where it belongs - in the litter box. 1

ALL ABOUT CATS

Choosing The Right Box You might find that there is a rather bewildering array of litter boxes for sale. Long gone, evidently, are the days when cat owners cut a cardboard box in half and filled it with litter. Not only can you cat use a basic plastic box, there are also enclosed boxes and mechanical self-cleaning boxes and special boxes that fit on your toilet. A good deal depends upon the personality of your cat - a laid back kitty will be more apt to take whatever you give him or her, while a nervous cat might be spooked a fancier box. The plastic pan is probably the most widely used of boxes. These boxes should have the litter changed completely once a week. Washing them before putting in new litter will keep the box smelling nice longer. If you are getting a plastic pan for a kitten, make sure it's low enough to allow the kitten access easily. Covered boxes look neater, but some cats don't like going into a dark spot to eliminate. These litter boxes also take up a good deal of room. Mechanical boxes that automatically remove waste are not only quite expensive to buy and maintain, but many cats are afraid of the noise and motion. Toilet seat boxes may be the ultimate in sanitary treatment of cat waste, but it can often be difficult to get the cat trained to use this kind of litter box.

Finding The Right Box For Your Finicky Cat

You can help make it more likely that your cat will accept the box you have chosen if you put it in the right area - somewhere private, but not dark and cold, and somewhere still close to the main part of the home. If your cat absolutely refuses to use the litter box you have purchased, it would probably be easier and less stressful for both of you to simply try another kind of box.

HILE WE MAY THINK THAT STRESS ONLY AFFECTS HUMANS, THE

fact is that cats can easily become stressed and show this by inappropriate elimination. The intelligence and sensitivity of cats makes them susceptible to stress. And when you begin to find puddles on furniture or rugs, it could well be the result of an upset and fearful cat. Stress can actually cause a physical condition, interstitial cystitis, to occur in your cat. Although this illness is not completely understood, it appears to affect the nerves connected to the bladder and can cause your cat to lose control. 4

Helping Your Stressed-Out Cat To Relax

Once other medical conditions have been ruled out, it will be time to help your cat relax once again. Meditation For Kitties? Unfortunately, it is not possible to teach your stressed-out cat how to meditate. But there are some things you can do to help your cat relax and hopefully return to normal litter box use as quickly as possible. Multi-cat households usually have one cat who dominates the others to some extent. A cat who is lower down on the totem pole can feel threatened by the top cat. Providing a safe spot for the lower status cat can help relieve the pressure he or she may be feeling. A litter box, bed, food, and water in a separate area can help calm a nervous cat. Make sure there are enough litter boxes for all the cats in home. Each cat should have their own box, and all the boxes should be kept clean. Jockeying for position with other cats at a single litter box can cause a cat to avoid using it. A change in litter can also upset a cat and cause inappropriate elimination. If you are changing litters, do so gradually, adding a bit of the new one every day. Upsets in the household, such as illness, a new baby, or a new pet can stress your cat out.

ALL ABOUT CATS

If possible, pay more attention to the cat and try to settle things in as quickly as possible a return to routine will help your cat back to the litter box. Indoor trees for cats give cats a secure perch where they can get away from other pets and young children who may not understand how to treat animals. Sit down with your nervous cat and spend some time simply stroking the animal. This is very soothing and comforting to a cat, and you will probably find yourself relaxing as well.

UR DOMESTIC PETS, CATS AND DOGS, HAVE EVOLVED WITH HUMAN

beings over thousands of years. Cats have been living in our homes, catching mice, curling up on our laps, and sunning on our windowsills for countless generations. They are intelligent pets and have sensitive feelings which can be affected by both physical and psychological events around them. 7

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One of the more subtle reasons why your cat may have decided to use your bed as his or her litter box is that the cat's feelings have been upset in some way. Is Your Cat Anxious or Unsettled? Because cats are so astute and sensitive, changes in the household, even relatively minor ones can cause enough of an upset that your cat will begin avoiding the litter box. Should medical problems be ruled out, it could well be that your cat's feelings have been affected. A new pet in the house can rouse feelings of jealousy and hostility in your cat. Urination and defecation are just some of the tools at your cat's communication disposal. And these tools are employed to indicate disapproval. Moving to a new house or apartment can be confusing and frightening to a cat. Accidents are very common in this situation and indicate that the cat is insecure. Giving the cat extra attention can help it to acclimate more quickly and use the litter box again. Cats can just plain get mad at their owners, sometimes for an identifiable reason, sometimes for some arcane feline compulsion. Cats that are angry at you, if you have been away, for instance, will show their feelings by soiling your bed or rug. Most households go through up and down periods, and during down periods, you cat may be reacting to the emotions of the people around him or her.

Improper Elimination And Your Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Feelings

People who are arguing, fighting, sulking, or crying can all upset a cat. Your cat's misbehaviour can actually be nothing more than a reflection of that of its owners. Don't take out your frustrations and anger on your cat. If you are stressed, find a better way to handle it than by using your cat as a punching bag. Cats that have been abused and are fearful will eliminate anywhere they can out of anxiety. A cat does not start using the general home as a toilet for no reason. If you have found no physical cause for the problem, look into how your household atmosphere can be affecting your cat.

NTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS IS AMONG THE MOST MYSTERIOUS FELINE

diseases to manage and treat. Part of the problem lies in the fact that the symptoms of this illness can be so vague and broad that pinpointing the correct diagnosis can be difficult. The usual victims of interstitial cystitis are young male cats, although females can also suffer from this as well. Many cats who are afflicted with FIC usually outgrow it eventually. 11

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Symptoms Of Interstitial Cystitis Diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is usually made on a basis of the symptoms that the cat is presenting. In most cases, there is no sign of infection, but your veterinarian will suspect interstitial cystitis if you cat is showing some of these symptoms: Straining when he tries to urinate. Urinating with great frequency, with sleep disturbed by the need to urinate. Blood will usually be present in the urine. The symptoms appear when the cat is subjected to stress. Causes Of Interstitial Cystitis Research is still underway to understand exactly what causes interstitial cystitis in cats. No one theory of the cause of this condition has been absolutely agreed upon, but several lines of thought have been proposed. The nervous system appears to play a major role. The nerves that serve the bladder may have become inflamed. Some veterinarians believe that stress alone is responsible for this inflammation, while other think that an irritated bladder lining begins the cycle. The bladder is provided with a protective coating of mucus, which keeps the waste products filtered out by the kidneys from causing it to become irritated. If the mucus is somehow damaged, harm can be done to the bladder wall, causing inflammation.

Interstitial Cystitis May Be the Problem

Stress is just as harmful to cats as it is to humans, and flare-ups of interstitial cystitis are often linked to a stressful situation, particularly with cats that remain indoors exclusively or in multi-cat households. Treatment Despite the severity of interstitial cystitis, it is one of the more difficult of urinary tract diseases to treat successfully. Antibiotics are generally useless in providing relief, although a bacterial infection should be ruled out to begin with. Most veterinarians treat interstitial cystitis with anti-inflammatory drugs such as prednisone. These help to reduce inflammation. Anti-inflammatories are usually given in combination with pain relievers. Another approach, since stress appears to be a major factor, is to give the cat antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. To help heal the bladder and make it less susceptible to damage, your vet may prescribe drugs that will help restore and strengthen the mucus coating. You can help to prevent a recurrence of interstitial cystitis by feeding the cat canned food and making sure that he or she drinks plenty of water. Making the home more relaxed and providing toys and attention can also help to keep your cat free of FIC.

HE SMELL OF ORDINARY CAT URINE IS STRONG ENOUGH, BUT WHEN A

cat spray marks, the odor will be even more overpowering and unpleasant. Unlike urination, which does leave a message for other cats to an extent, spray marking is more like a billboard with lights. The whole reason for marking is to inform other cats of a particular cat's presence. And, while urine is simply the waste that has been filtered out by the kidneys. 14

Is Your Cat Marking Your Home?

Marking includes other bodily chemicals with information about sex, health and undoubtedly other important cat messages. Unlike normal urination, which is made by the cat squatting down, spray marking is done when the cat is standing and the deposit will be made on a vertical surface such as a door frame or the front of a sofa or chair. The cat will back up to the chosen area, and wiggle its tail as it delivers the spray behind it. The volume of the spray is much less than is produced when the cat urinates. Stopping Spray Marking While some female cats will spray mark, the main culprits are intact males. Spray marking is used not only to deliver some information about the sprayer. But also to mark territory, which is especially important in the wild where hunting grounds must be protected. This behavior is also much more common in homes where there are several cats, and an order of dominance constantly needs to be established. However, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of spray marking. If you have a multi-cat household, provide several litter boxes, rather than just one, there should be a box for each cat, and a spare. All litter boxes should be kept completely clean. Faeces and clumps of urine-soaked litter should be removed daily and the litter changed completely once a week. Block off the area being spray marked.

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The cat will usually return to the same spot periodically to renew the fragrance, so denying access can help to eliminate the problem. Use an enzyme cleaner to remove the spray. You may have to apply it several times to remove all the smell. Neutering both toms and tabbies can help to stop spraying behaviour. Stress can also trigger spray marking, so address any issues that may be making your cat, or cats, nervous.