Caring For Elderly Cats

Cats can easily reach 16 or 17 years of age and with good feeding and medical care, old-age can be a very pleasant and contented time for them.

Feeding - Dry foods (biscuit or kibble) can still be fed, although wet foods (canned or sachets) are particularly useful for elderly cats who have lost some or all of their teeth.There are many proprietory brands that provide 'senior diet' foods specially formulated to cater for the nutritional requirements of elderly cats. Remember though, to keep a close watch on how much is being eaten as one of the first signs of illness will be a diminished appetite.

In cases where specific illness has been diagnosed (such as kidney disease, diabetes etc), your veterinary surgeon will be able to advise you and offer specialist 'prescription' diets that are suitable for your pet.

Warmth - It is very important to older cats to have somewhere to rest that is warm and comfortable - in the winter months, many will sleep for almost 24 hours! My own cats' favourite is a radiator bed. In summer, cats will often find the sunniest spot in the garden to bask, so they should be checked regularly as they can overheat. Always make sure they have plenty of fresh water available.

Medical Care - It is a good idea for elderly cats to visit the veterinary surgeon regularly; many vets offer 6 monthly 'senior pet' clinics where routine check ups are performed and potential problems discussed. Early diagnosis is best as even minor illness can quickly become complicated.

Troubles of Old Age

Teeth - Teeth can be a common cause of discomfort and loss of appetite and
elderly cats often require dental extractions or descaling. Although it is worrying to submit your senior cat to a general anaesthetic, you will usually find that your cat's well-being will improve dramatically once the cause of the discomfort has been removed. Your pet will find it much easier to eat with hard healthy gums than with bad teeth.

Nails - As cats get older, their joints often become stiffer. This means that claws no longer wear properly and the cat can have difficulty in retracting them. Regularly trimming off or filing the overgrown tip of the nails will help. Some examples of suitable clippers and files can be found here.

Constipation - Sometimes elderly cats can suffer severly from constipation, usually caused by deterioration of their muscle-tone, although it can also be due to lack of exercise or swallowing large quantities of hair when they are moulting or shedding (hairballs).

There are several proprietory remedies available, milk is also a natural laxative, or your vet may provide some stronger medicine to alieviate the problem. Never ignore constipation in your pet, as it can lead to more serioius complications if left untreated.

Incontinence - Unfortunately, elderly pets can lose control of their bladder and/or bowels and this can make both yours and their lives very difficult. Please never blame the animals as this is something that they cannot help. Discuss it with your vet at check-up time - there may be some medical help available. Your vet will also be able to tell you if you can expect any improvement in your cat's condition.

All-in-all, cats are much like humans as they get older. They slow down a bit, like some extra comfort and attention, are often a little fussy with food and possibly start to show some signs of elderly illnesses. However, in spite of this they will suddenly surprise you by leaping up and chasing a ball of paper or trying to catch a flying insect. Enjoy them!

Seven Reasons To Buy A Dog!

One of my friends sent this to me, so I thought I'd share it with you. My apologies upfront to all our cat owners (just a tongue-in-cheek look at animal behaviour - I have cats and a dog at home!) Trish

*******************

If you want someone who will bring you the paper without first tearing it apart to remove the sports section .....









Then buy a dog.

If you want someone willing to make a fool of himself simply over the joy of seeing you ..






Then buy a dog.







If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never says its not quite as good as his mother made it ....







Then buy a dog.










If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour, for as long and wherever you want ...












Then buy a dog.








If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies














Then buy a dog.








If you want someone who is content to get up on your bed just to warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores ....






Then buy a dog.







If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves you unconditionally, perpetually ...







Then buy a dog.










But, on the other hand, if you want someone who will never come when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence is solely to ensure his happiness .....



Then buy a cat !

Nine New Kittens For Maz

My beautiful clever oriental girl gave birth to nine gorgeous little kittens 2 weeks ago, and so far hasn't needed any help supplementing the kittens feeds.I'm so proud of her!

Tips For Travelling In Comfort With Your Pets

There's nothing like a good holiday and if you are taking your pets on vacation with you, its
important that the whole family (pets included) are happy and relaxed on the journey and arrive safely.

Here's a short guide to travelling happily with your pets:

Before your trip
Your pets should wear id tags with your home address and holiday destination address included

If you are travelling overseas, be sure that you understand the requirements of Pet Travel Scheme

Before you travel abroad, speak to your vet about the country you will be visiting and ask for advice on suitable anti-parasite treatment.

Plan Your Journey
Remember animals can fall victim to motion sickness. It is important that your pet does not travel on an empty stomach, so feed a small amount of food before you travel, but allow at least two hours before you set off.

Remember to include frequent stops for exercise and toilet breaks (for humans as well as pets!)

Keep pets on lead / leash when exercising...they may be nervous of strange places, sights and sounds

Check on your pets regularly and take enough food & water, litter supplies and bedding for the journey

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated to keep it cool (especially when stationary)

When you arrive at your holiday destination, look for a vet, as you may need his services. This is especially important when travelling overseas as your pet will need a certificate for treatment of parasites within 48 hrs of your return to the UK

Packing For Your Pet
I've put together a short list of stuff you will find useful on your journey. You can find many of these items at Alphapetshop

- Bed/blanket
- Collar with tags containing holiday & home details
- Bowls for food & water
- Lead/leash
- Food & water for journey
- Poop scoop (dog)
- Carrier/transporter (cat/small pet)
- Brush/comb
- Toys
- Litter (cat/small pet)
- Disinfectant/wipes
- Pet documentation (for international travel)

Enjoy your vacation and remember - its all in the planning!

Going Back To Overweight Pets

It wasn't very long ago that we were discussing how to keep our pets from putting on too much weight and the benefits of preventing them becoming obese. This week 'The Sun' newspaper reported a story about a grossly obese cat weighing two and a half stone and measuring 34 inches around the waist - the poor cat lives in China and its owners excuse for feeding the cat on dough rolls and chicken hearts, is that diets make the cat 'bad-tempered' (see pic).


This is an extreme case (I hope), but it shows how this cat's misguided owners feel that they are doing their best for their pet, when in fact the cat's extreme weight will almost certainly lead to many serious health problems as well as a greatly reduced quality of life. It makes me very sad that lots of pets are suffering because their owners may just need a little education on 'what's right and what's not'.


I've found some good home-made recipes for keeping dogs healthy here . It is more difficult with cats as they need quite high levels of meat protein and taurine in their diet, but there are lots of 'light' diets on the market and many prescription diets available - there is no excuse!

Story and picture originated from 'The Sun' newspaper 1st February, 2007

Help Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture

Help Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture (and Save Your Sanity!)
This one's for all us cat owners living in fear for our sofas and carpets!

Does your cat like to scratch your furniture? Its a common problem with lots of cats, especially 'flat cats' (not literally!) I mean of course cats who live in apartments with very little outdoor exercise.

Why do they do it?
Not, as people commonly think to sharpen their claws, but to clean them and keep them healthy.

Cats that have lots of outdoor exercise will often use your fruit trees - which can cause major damage to the tree trunk, indoor cats will use any suitable surface - your sofa, carpet, wallpaper etc. etc.
The thing with cats is that they're creatures of habit and they 'bond' with certain surfaces or items for their 'personal hygiene', so to save your trees, soft furnishings and sanity, the trick is to get them to bond with something more suitable and take action to protect your home.

Okay so a two-pronged solution:
Save your furniture - apart from shutting your cat out of
the house (no chance), declawing (illegal, in the UK, unnatural and very painful
for the poor cat), what else can you do?
There's a couple of things that spring to mind :

Furniture protectors - clear plastic strips that attach to the furniture. They provide a smooth surface so the cat's claws slide off, helping to break the clawing habit.

Claw Scissors - these are a small pair of clippers suitable for indoor cats, rabbits and so on. Clipping the ends of your cat's claws regularly won't worry the cat and will help save the carpets from those claws hooking in.

Provide 'bonding' material for your cat - Sisal scratching posts, pads and climbers. Sisal is a
tough material that can withstand constant clawing and provides the type of surface that cats like to use for their grooming. They're often impregnated with catnip and come with toys attached to encourage your cat to use them.

Just a small plug - You can , of course find all these things at Alphapetshop

Seriously though, I know from experience that ruined wallpaper and soft furnishings is no joke and can be very expensive. I have always clipped my own cats' claws to keep them in check and they're now 17 yrs old and are showing no ill-effects!

Animals Need Healthy Mouths to Remain Healthy and Happy Pets!

Animals' tooth and gum tissue reacts in exactly the same way as ours when threatened by infection and plaque so its important that we keep up a regular dental hygiene programme for their health and well-being.

Examine their teeth and mouth

If you can, gently pull back your pet's lip and look at his or her teeth (wrigglers may need some assistance!).

• Can you see yellow or brown plaque deposits on the teeth?


• Are there any other problems like chipped or broken teeth?


• Does your pet have really smelly breath?


• Check the gums - are they red or sore-looking?


• Does your pet often dribble saliva and drop food when he/she is trying to eat?
  

If your answer is "yes" to any of these questions, your pet needs some attention to his/her mouth. If not, well done - you get a gold star for dental hygiene!

It is easy to overlook your pet's teeth, but dental problems can result in major health issues. Gingivitis and the build up of plaque and tartar on the teeth may mean your pet is reluctant to eat or drops food. Infection formed in the mouth can travel through the blood stream and affect your pet's vital organs, especially the heart and kidneys causing serious illness. Eventually you'll be visiting the vet, maybe for dental work under anaesthetic, maybe for something more serious - expensive and stressful.

Fortunately, good dental hygiene is not too difficult to achieve by following a similar plan of action to mine:

• Provide hard (dry) food. there are many balanced diets on the market, many designed to help with dental hygiene and exercise the gums.


• Brushing your pet's teeth regularly will definately make a difference and believe it or not, lots of pets don't mind it at all! Use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed for animal use as it froths less, is flavoured and does not require rinsing. Start gently for a few moments and work up to a full set of teeth!


• Hard and crunchy treats to help with removal of plaque and tartar are very popular with pets. My dog loves to chew carrots (good healthy veggies!) and there are many treats available for helping with good dental care.


• Toys designed to exercise the mouth are great - happy playtime and detal hygiene rolled into one! You can find a selection here for dogs and cats


• Check regularly for constant extremely bad breath - not just 'I've been eating something nasty' breath. This could be a warning sign that your pet may have something serious going on. Never ignore bad breath and just mask it with breath fresheners.


• When you go to your vet for vaccination boosters your pet should have a professional dental check-up. Many vets now also have clinics run by trained nursing staff to assist you with your pet's dental hygiene.

Small Pets

Rabbit and rodent owners, please check your pet's teeth regularly especially if they are showing any of the signs above as their teeth grow continuosly and your vet may need to be shorten them.

If you are still not convinced, think of it this way. A cat or dog year is equivalent to approximately five to seven human years. If your pet is two years old, this is equivalent to a ten to fourteen year old human who has never brushed their teeth or gone to a dentist - Now work it out for an adult dog or cat!!

Joanne's Story - Poppy and Daisy

Hiys I was just reading about spaying and neutering cats.

I just wanted to share my story. Two and a half years ago I had a female cat called Poppy who got pregnant and nursed her three kittens very well. I had to keep hold of one of her kittens because it wasn`t feeding too well so wanted to keep an eye on it a bit longer before rehoming.

Poppy went in to be spayed when her babies reached twelve weeks. Only a few hours later I received a phone call from the vet saying Poppy`s heart had stopped while on the table and they had done all they could for her. I was so upset, in fact I was heart-broken as Poppy was my li'l baby.

I kept that kitten that wasn`t feeding to remind me of her mum although they look sooooooooo different. Poppy was a long haired tortoishell and Dasiy is a short haired mainly white beauty. Daisy will be three in March and I am finally going to have the courage to have her spayed. I have a litter of seven kittens at the moment that belong to Daisy purely because I was too scared to risk anything happening to my baby again.

The kittens are all going to their new homes at the end of january and then I will be booking Daisy in at the vet. I just wanted people to be aware that things can go wrong but not very often thankfully. I had no idea and was in shock for a long time. When Daisy goes in I will be informing the vet of Poppy`s history etc so wish me luck.

I am including a pic of Daisy with this post. Thankyou for taking the time to read this Joanne x

From Trish - Thanks Joanne. Poppy's story is very sad, but as you point out it's a very rare occurance. Daisy should be fine, although as she's related to Poppy it would be a very good idea to mention there has been a problem in the past. If you have a picture of Poppy that you'd like posted, let me know.

Neutering...Or Not?

I've been receiving lots of questions about neutering and whether its a good idea, so I'm just going to give you the facts here, and it would be great to gather some opinions from you, so please get in touch.

Neutering - The Definitions

Spaying (Female) - (ovario-hysterectomy) is the surgical removal of her reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes)

Castration (Male) - (orchectomy) is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands (testicles) of the male animal. The outer sac remains, and the animal's appearance afterwards will depend on his age at the time of the surgery.

Let's Start with Cats and Dogs:

Male & female dogs and cats mature quickly. They are often
able to reproduce when they are as young as 6 months of
age, with bitches coming into season every six months for
the rest of their lives.

Neutering - The Benefits

Neutered animals tend not to roam to look for a mate.

In males, castration reduces the chances of developing diseases of the prostate and prevents testicular cancer.

It also reduces behavioural problems like aggression, urine spraying (and bonking the cushions!).

In females, spaying decreases the incidence of mammary (breast) cancer, especially if the animal is spayed before her first season (my preference).

It also prevents a very serious and often fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra).

Spaying also helps with behavioural problems caused by hormonal changes when females come into season.

Some owners prefer to wait until after the first heat as the animal's organs have a chance to mature. However, each time she comes into season she's at greater risk from cancer, so unless she's to have puppies/kittens, my advice
is to spay early!

Female cats will continuously come into season from spring to autumn until mated and then will mate again as soon as their kittens are born.

Now For Small Pets:
Neutering is usually carried out under general anaesthesia and this can pose a risk to small pets.

The best sources of information for owners of small pets are species specific websites. These website discuss the benefits and disadvantages of neutering your small pet in much more detail than I can provide here. Follow the links
for advice:

Ferrets

Rabbits

Guinea Pigs

The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increases the lifespan of your pet and increases quality of life as well!

Note: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the statements made are accurate no responsibility can be taken by the author for the interpretation of the points made or for the success or failure of any of these procedures. If you are considering neutering please discuss it with a qualified veterinary surgeon who will undertake the operation on your instructions.