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Sometimes our
owners find a tip or create a special trick that
you usually can't find in a book, and which helps
them ensure the continued health and welfare of us
beloved felines. That's what this page is about; a
collection of tips and tricks for feline care:
Urinary
Tract Infections (UTI)
Tartar Control in Felines
Medicinal & Other Substance Hazards
Grooming & Shedding
Spaying & Neutering
Favorite Links for Other Good Info
If you have one
you'd like to share, send it to us at [email protected]
and include your name and/or URL so that we may
provide you with proper credit.
Urinary Tract
Infections (UTI)
This is how our owner monitors us
for UTI: she lines our litter boxes with plastic
litterpan liners, but before lining the pan, she
puts one of those puppy housebreaking pads (you
can get them from your local pet store) on the
bottom of the pan. These pads have a cotton layer
on top, with a soft plastic bottom to keep liquids
from going through, and are a convenient size and
shape for litter pans. When we claw the litter,
our nails catch on the plastic liner and poke tiny
holes in it. If a cat has UTI there is blood
evident in the urine, so as drops of urine seep
through the tiny clawed holes onto the pad
underneath any blood shows up on the pad. She
caught UTI in one of us twice by doing this and in
plenty of time before the infection had a chance
to do any damage. A note: you need to be diligent
when buying the housebreaking pads. Not all of
them have a pure cotton top. Our owner says she's
seen some that have a type of plastic and cotton
"weave" as a topping; a crinkly type of
material. These don't work! This type tends to
disperse the urine too much to get a clean
reading. - Contributed by Cleo, Missy and FeeBee.
Tartar Control
I received the following email from a
concerned cat lover:
"My
cat is a little over a year and with his annual
check-up came the news that he has a mild case of
tartar. Since your site possesses the "tricks
of the trade", is there an easier way to
reduce tartar outside a toothbrush? I have read
several articles by veteinarians who claim there
is not a significant difference in the build-up of
tartar in soft food versus hard food." --
Nancy
To wit, I posted a call for responses
on the main page. One feline rose to the challenge and
gave us such a great response! Our
sincerest thanks to Oliver for giving us such
wonderful info and for answering our plea for info.
Thanks, Oliver! We love ya! Here's his reply:
"Hi
Cleo, my name is Oliver (I'm a kitten) - when I
was a baby, my doctor gave my Mommy some cat
treats (she said to tell you that you have to get
them from a Vet) that have enzymes in them that
break up tartar. I also love to chew on the dog's
rawhide bones and her milk bones, too (the doctor
told Mommy they won't hurt me, although he's never
seen a cat before that liked them - I really do).
My Mommy just got my box of "cookies" so
you can put the name of them with my response on
your page:
- "C.E.T. Forte Chews":
*freeze-dried fish uniquely formulated to
provide abrasive cleaning action* - *Specially
treated with an antibacterial enzyme system to
help maintain oral heath*
- They are manufactured by: St. Jon VRx
Products, Ltd., P. O. Box 57, Egham, Surry,
U.K. TW20 9AE
Mommy
said to tell that here in Maryland, they cost
about $8.50 a box for 24 "cookies" and
that you can only purchase them through a Vet.
Purrs, =^..^= Oliver"
Our second response came courtesy of
"CatGrrl55" with a wonderful tip for
brushing feline teeth:
"I
have heard it's easier to brush a cat's teeth if
you first dip the head of the brush in water with
some tuna flavoring in it. I read it in Cat Fancy,
so it's got to be pretty true."
A third response came in recently
with a bit of a unique twist, submitted by
"Jenie1" - a technique I wouldn't have
thought of due to the nature of the "tool":
"My
name is Arielle. I'm a 13 week old Ragdoll. My
breeders recommend raw uncooked chicken wings to
help keep teeth and gums healthy. Don't cook the
chicken because the bones become brittle and
dangerous. The raw chicken wings are whole
because the skin and cartilage help the teeth
while chewing. I have read in numerous
articles that even if a cat (or any animal) should
eat a bone, there is no harm if it is raw.
It is part of the animal's digestive tract to
digest the bones. If they are raw, they are
almost rubbery and won'thurt the intestinal tract.
Just
remember to keep an eye on us when we're
young!"
I thought a bit about this last
response. The most important point of it is that the
chicken should NOT BE COOKED. Cooked brittle bones are
a hazard to any animal. I would suggest using this at
your own risk, and we hold no responsibility for
resulting injury to your cat if you choose to try
this. I'm unsure as to whether it actually works or
not; I may try it sometime. If/when I do, I would
first use a larger bone, such as a thigh bone, to see
the results. I guess you could also strip the chicken
off the bone and try the bone itself, as well. If you
do try this, please email
me and let me know how it works out for you.
Medicinal and Other
Substance Hazards
-
Aspirin - We
know this *can* be found in books and that
most feline owners know this, but it bears
repeating, nonetheless. NEVER
give your cat(s) aspirin; it is extremely
toxic to felines! Cats have a poor ability to
detoxify and rid themselves of poisonous
substances, and aspirin can be fatal. Never
give your cat any household medication without
a vet's approval! - Contributed
by Ginkgo's
Adoption Agency.
-
Non-aspirin products
- An important tip about non-aspirin products:
Tylenol� is far more
toxic to cats than aspirin. As well,
chocolate falls into this category - the
darker the chocolate, the more toxic! - Contributed by Glenda Moore of CatStuff.
-
Aspiration (Drowning)
- A cat can aspirate (drown) from ingesting
fluids into the lungs when being administered
liquid medication, and it doesn't take much!
This sounds odd, but it works - we know,
because our owner had to perform it once and
saved a feline from drowning after a dose of
liquid medication. This
is how it works: To rid the lungs
of fluid, grab your cat firmly by the back
legs - one leg in each hand, and each hand
firmly above and around the ankle - with your
cat's belly facing you. With the cat's head
towards the floor (make sure you have plenty
of room between the floor and the cat's
head!!), stand with your legs apart and swing
the cat forward, then with a very slight jerk
at the upward swing, swing the cat down and
between your legs. Repeat this six times,
always ending with the cat horizontal. This is
a very safe way to stimulate breathing, and a
good method for artificial respiration. - Contributed by Cleo, FeeBee, and
Missy
Grooming/Shedding
-
A friend of mine years ago
was breeder of Persians--and she was allergic to cats!
She learned though that if she religiously bathed her
kitties every three weeks--complete with blow-dry,
whatever dander was left did not give her any problem
whatsoever. Since I--thank goodness--am not allergic to
them, I've never tried it, but she swore by it.
Another grooming tip is to
use cornstarch instead of baby powder if you're trying to
comb out a knot. (Current kitties don't get knots, but
my half-Persians did.) I keep cornstarch in a "squirt"
bottle (such as a bottle you can buy honey in) and cut the
tip off so I can "squirt" the cornstarch directly onto the
knot. Work it in a little with your fingers, let the kitty
run around for a while so cornstarch works in even a little
bit more, then start combing from the tip of the hair out,
working your way up closer to the skin as the knot loosens.--
Contributed by Suzanne C.
Spaying/Neutering
-
 |
1-800-248-SPAY
- Another tip that bears
repeating! Call this number to
find a local vet in your area
who supports the spay/neuter
effort and offers this service
at a low cost. Please help
save lives - spay/neuter your
pets! - Contributed
by Cleo |
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Last
updated:
February 10, 2006
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