Caring For Your Cat

This page is intended to provide typical questions that pet owners ask their vet regarding the care of their pet cats

Petfinder’s Top Ten Tips for a Contented Cat

  1. PLAY WITH YOUR CAT

    Playtime is essential for your cat, so make time to play with her every day. Since cats love to hunt, look for interactive toys that mimic prey. During play, move the toy to mimic the type of prey your cat is hunting and be sure to end each play session by allowing your cat to capture the toy.

  2. THE SCOOP

    Scooping your cat’s litter box at least once a day will help make you aware of any potential medical problems he may be having, such as a life-threatening urinary tract condition. If you notice a change in your cat’s litter box habits, contact your veterinarian immediately.

  3. ODOR CONTROL

    Cats are often put off by the odor of scented litters. They also don’t like air fresheners or room deodorizers near their litter boxes, especially citrus fragrances. To reduce odors scoop twice daily and put a small layer of baking soda in the bottom of your cat’s litter box and remove daily

  4. MULTIPLE CAT HOMES

    If you have more than one cat, it’s important that you have more than one litter box. The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat plus one extra. Scoop at least twice a day and more if possible

  5. ROOM WITH A VIEW

    Watching birds and squirrels can provide hours of entertainment for your cat. So make a window ledge available for your cat and hang a feeder out in the yard for some bird-watching fun.

  6. ALL CATS NEED TO SCRATCH

    It’s important to provide different types of scratching stations for your cat, including horizontal and vertical posts and scratching pads. Vertical scratching posts should be at least three feet tall and extremely sturdy. Look for posts made with natural fibers, like sisal and burlap. Also, place them near your cat’s favorite place to nap, where your family spends lots of time together and near objects you don’t want your cat to scratch.

  7. TIMID CAT/KITTEN

    Many cats will initially hide when brought into a new environment. You can help your cat during this adjustment period by giving him a safe, quiet room of his own. Once he’s comfortable, you can gradually introduce him to other areas of your home.

  8. NIGHT OWL

    Night time activity for cats is common. To help your cat adjust to your schedule, provide him with interactive toys and multiple play sessions during the day, including one just before bedtime. This should help tire him out and get him used to your routine..

  9. FUN WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

    Cats love cardboard! So give your cat a few empty cardboard boxes in all different sizes. You can also give your cat some empty paper-towel rolls. They’re great for batting around and discovering the yummy treats you’ve stuffed inside.

This article is included courtesy of www.petfinder.com

The Trouble with Ticks!
 
With the onset of warmer weather, something to be on the look out for when grooming or stroking your pets is ticks. Ticks are generally found in woodland, heathland and grassland. Waiting for an animal or human to brush past them so that they can jump on and feed. They attach using their mouthpart and will feed on blood from their host for several days before finally dropping off.
 
Ticks can cause problems in two mains ways:
 
– local tissue reactions: Firstly they can sometimes cause a marked tissue reaction at the attachment site.
– Tick borne diseases: Secondly and more importantly, ticks can carry infectious diseases which may be transmitted to pets and humans. The most common one is Lyme Disease. Caused by the tick borne pathogen- Borrelia burgdorferi.   
 
So how can you minimise the risk of Lyme disease in your pets?
 
– Daily monitoring for ticks and careful removal of ticks with a tick hook within 24 hours of attachment. The approach works because the tick infected with borrelia has to feed for several hours and often 24-48 hours before disease transmissions occurs.
 
Tick protection- there are a range of products that rapidly kill or repel ticks and which are very important in reducing tick feeding and therefore Lyme disease exposure. Bravecto chewy tablets last for 3 months, have a very rapid effect.