Cat And Kitten BootCamp

I know what it’s like to have a couch as a scratching post. I bought a new couch, very expensive, and thought to myself I know my two cats will get their feel for it. I had to do the whole, “NO!” deal, then go out and buy a scratching post to put next to it. It worked for me but it doesn’t always work out that way for everyone. I even tried that repellent type spray to keep pets off the furniture but that doesn’t work and it smells funny. The cats just ignore it totally, saying yeah right!

Avoiding Snags

Scratching Post Options

Cats need to scratch! It’s an urge that’s programmed into them and doesn’t change, no matter how many years they live in a cozy home far from the wild. Providing your pet with a scratching post will let her express this natural urge while sparing your furniture from damage. It will also give your pet some extra exercise, especially for the upper body, and promote the natural shedding of the outer sheath of the claws.

Scratching posts come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and may be made of or covered in several different materials, including:

• Attract your cat’s attention by holding a favorite toy and running it over the post. If the cat comes over and bats at the toy, her claws may end up grazing the post’s surface — and with any luck, she’ll like the feeling and want more. If it’s a standing post with a ball finial on top, you can tie the toy to it, using a sturdy piece of sewing elastic.

Declawing

Declawing is a highly controversial procedure, and understandably so. It entails not only removing the claws themselves, but also cutting off the terminal bone of the toe. This is an extreme measure and should not be done lightly. A cat’s claws provide her main means of defending herself, and should be preserved if at all possible. If scratching is a problem, you should explore every other available solution before deciding on declawing. In most cases, simply keeping the cat’s claw tips trimmed will go a long way toward limiting the amount of damage she can do to the furniture.

Cat And Kitten BootCamp

Training : Learn how to clip cats claws while they are sleeping.

Create a Kitty Rest Stop

Cats are naturally neat and intelligent, so it’s generally not hard to teach them how to use a litter box. Some kittens will have learned this skill from their mother, but if yours hasn’t, don’t worry — all it takes is a little practice on your pet’s part and a little patience on yours.

If you are housebreaking an adult cat, the guidelines are the same, though it may be more challenging and take longer to change her ways.

Training Techniques

Most cats who are provided with a clean, well-filled litter box will gravitate to it rather than use other surfaces in the home (with the possible exception of the soil in plant pots). You can help your kitten get the hang of using the box by doing the following:

• Be aware of the times your kitten is likely to need to use the box. These include after waking up, after eating, and whenever you see your cat sniffing around or squatting. At these times, gently scoop up your pet and carry her to the litter box to demonstrate the proper place to go.

Pick up the mess with a paper towel, and place the paper towel in the litter box to indicate where it belongs. Holding your kitten, gently “scratch” her front paws in the litter. This will convey the idea of pawing the litter to bury droppings.

Troubleshooting Tips

Once your kitten learns her litter-box lessons, she is unlikely to soil other parts of the house. If a house trained cat starts avoiding her box, one of the following is usually to blame:

• Did you change litter type, scent, or brand? If you must introduce a new litter, start by mixing a little of the new filler in with the old and gradually increasing the proportion of the new kind.

There are so many questions about cat food like, what type of food, if your cat is allergic, feeding habits or times and also which type of dishes to feed out of. There is no dumb question to ask and there are so many but here are some frequently asked questions about cat food and nutrition.

Q. What kind of food can I get for my allergic cat?

My cat is allergic to beef, rice, wheat, and chicken. The cat food given by the vet which is venison, my cat refuses to eat. Is there a good brand of cat food that does not have these ingredients?

A. “Limited ingredients” cat foods were developed to help cats with food allergies. They are generally used for three purposes:

1. For purposes of eliminating allergens to discover which ingredients cats are actually allergic to.
2. As a long-term diet for cats with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
3. As a long-term diet for cats with food allergies

The brand with which I’m most familiar, because one of my own cats has eaten it, is IVD (Innovative Veterinary Diet), manufactured by Royal Canin. IVD foods contain a single protein source (duck, lamb, venison, rabbit) and a single carbohydrate source (whole green peas and green pea fibre). These foods are also supplemented with “Omega 6 and 3 EFAs to provide the optimum in anti-inflammatory effects these nutrients can provide,” according to the manufacturer.
If your veterinarian does not stock these other products, they can be ordered, but only by prescription. Nature’s Variety also makes a number of canned cat foods that contain none of the ingredients you mentioned. Nature’s Variety also makes several dry cat foods, although some of them contain rice, which is an allergen for some cats.
Hopefully, your cat will find one of more of these foods palatable, and he will be on the road to good health soon.

Q. If you feed cats dog food, can it cause them to go blind?

I know it’s a strange question, but I’ve read that dog food is harmful for cats. It looks and smells much like cat food and my cats seem to like eating it when we run out of cat food.

A. It’s not a strange question at all. There’s nothing in dog food that will directly harm a cat within a short period of time, but the point is what is lacking. Simply put, dog food does not provide the nutrients required by cats. Eating a little bit of dog food won’t kill a cat. But a cat fed exclusively on dog food can not only go blind, but can develop a heart condition, called feline dilated cardiomyopathy.
The difference primarily is taurine, found in muscle meat, heart, and liver. Studies have also been done that showed pregnancy failure in queens with long-term taurine depletion, including increased resorption of fetuses, reduced litter size, and increased incidence of stillborn kittens.
Taurine supplement has been added to commercial cat foods for several years, for these reasons.
I would never suggest feeding cats dog food, but rather food specifically formulated for their own, unique nutritional needs.

Q. How much food do I have to feed to meet an adult cat’s daily requirement’s?

A. Unfortunately there is no hard and fast answer to your question. Nutritional requirements for cats vary, even for cats of the same age. Factors that may affect nutritional requirements for cat food include:

• The Cat’s Weight
  A 17 pound cat with a muscular build and large bone structure will require more calories and associated nutrients to maintain his weight than a nine pound cat with a more slender build. Likewise, a cat who needs to gain or lose weight will need differing quantities of food.
• The Cat’s Activity Level
  Likewise, two identical 17 pound cats as described above will vary in their requirements, depending on their activity. A three year old cat who races around the house may require more than an eight year old who sleeps most of the day.
• The Cat Food Content
  Fish flavors in particular, should be fed in minimal amounts.
• Although most cats love the taste of fish, an exclusive fish diet has the potential for harm. The Cornell Feline Health Center says, “Diets containing large quantities of fish can cause yellow-fat disease (steatitis), a result of vitamin E deficiency.” This is especially true with the lower quality fish protein often used in cat food. If your cat enjoys fish, try eliminating fish-flavored cat food; instead, give him a small treat of human-quality albacore tuna occasionally.
• Quality of the Cat Food
  As a rule, many cats fed a high quality premium cat food will eat less than they did on poor-quality “grocery store” food. Their bodies have an innate ability to judge when they have reached the proper nutritional level, and they will stop eating when they reach that level. As a result, feeding these high quality foods has the added result of making them actually more economical.
• Supplemental Dry Food
  Cats that are “free-fed” with dry food in addition to their regular meals of canned food, will eat less of the canned food.

To make it easier for you, most cat food cans and packages give you a feeding guidelines printed right on the package. Alternatively, you can check the web sites of the food manufacturers. PetSmart has a calculator for the basic foods it sells. You can input the cat’s age, weight, and activity level, and it will give you the results for your specific cat.

Generally, if your cat seems healthy and active, and is not constantly begging for food, you can assume that he is getting the proper amount of food, especially if the quality of food is superior.

Q. Is Milk ok for my cat?

My cat enjoys milk, and I give her a small amount two or three times a week. Will this help or harm her? I’ve read somewhere that milk is not good for cats.

A. Generally speaking, milk is not recommended for adult cats, as many of them are lactose-intolerant, and have problems digesting it.

However, If she’s not throwing up or having diarrhea, she’s probably okay with it. Some experts advise that cream is better than regular milk if you must give it to cats, probably because cream has less lactose than whole or skim milk. But again, a small amount of skim milk seems to be okay for your kitty, so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Also, recently, several new lactose-free milk substitutes for cats have been developed, such as CatSip, which may also be found in some food stores and most large pet supply stores. If your cat enjoys milk, she may like these products too.

Q. Why does my kitten paw the floor after eating?

A. The rest of the story:After my kitten eats or drinks, he paws the floor as if he is digging or burying something. Since I have never had a cat before I have no idea what he is doing or trying to tell me. Do you?

The pawing and digging your kitten is doing is an amazing exhibit of instinctive behavior (in that he probably didn’t learn it from mom-cat). In the wild, cats often bury their food remains (as well as their feces) as a protective measure so their enemies can’t track them. Conversely, they also spray their territory with urine as a warning to other predators to stay away.

Your little kitty is demonstrating this wonderful instinct, and it’s a very positive sign that he is making your home *his*. Be sure to have him neutered at an appropriate age, so he doesn’t follow through with urine marking.

Q. How can I keep a kitten out of the adult cat food and vice versa?

A. You are correct that kittens and adult cats have different nutritional needs, and that it is important that kittens get the nourishment specifically found in kitten food.

A new kitten should be separated for awhile with its own food dish and litter box. You may find that by the time you’re ready to introduce the newcomer to your existing cat, they’ll each gravitate to their own food dish. If not, you might want to put the older cat’s dish in a high place so the youngster can’t get to it. If the older cat wants to sneak a bite of kitten food now and then, it certainly won’t hurt her (just be sure the kitten gets its own daily requirements.) The extra exercise the older cat will get by playing with the kitten should keep excess pounds off.
With canned food (which is really better for all ages than dry food), you may have to either feed the two in separate rooms, or feed the kitten first, with the older cat confined in another room. After 20 minutes, take up the kitten food and discard it. Then, switch places and feed the adult cat, also discarding the remainder after 20 minutes.
Another option is to use a premium food formulated for all ages. Felidae is an excellent choice in this category.

I hope this information helps with some of your questions, there are so many more questions that are asked but these are the ones that I found around to be the most asked.

Source Of Information: Franny Syufy

I must say it’s very hard not to give and give to my cats when it comes to food. When the bowl is empty, they come runnin’ and buggin’! They will not stop until I put food in their bowl.. Thank goodness that they don’t yell at me, they just pounce all over the place. I know of some cats that meow until they get what they want, where they want to go or get into a certain place. Like a closed bedroom door! If they want in, then you will never hear the end of it until you open that door!
These days, humans aren’t the only ones fighting the battle of the bulge. “I see more and more overweight cats and dogs at my practice today than ever before,” says Tanya Ellenbogen, D.V.M., a veterinarian in Boston and the owner of two cats — “one of whom is fatter than he should be.” And the health risks for obese pets are the same as for humans: excess weight strains the joints, as well as the heart and other organs. Consult your vet to figure out the best serving size, the ideal weight for your pet, and how long it should take to get there. Then follow these steps:

Keep your cat healthy and active by providing the right nutrition at each stage of life.What’s on the Menu?

The best food for your cat is a
matter of preference –
hers and yours!

To grow and thrive, your cat needs the right amounts of protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, and water. Commercial cat foods are formulated to provide these nutrients in the correct balance.

You’ll find cat food at the supermarket or pet-food store in three forms — dry, semi-moist, and wet (canned). Each offering has certain advantages and disadvantages. Any one of these — or some combination of them — might be the best mealtime choice for your cat. Even if you stick to one type of cat food, you might choose to offer your cat two or three different flavors to add some variety to her diet. Discuss the options with your veterinarian. He or she can also tell you how much and how often to feed your cat, depending on weight.

Canned and dry foods are also available in formulations to fit the special nutritional needs of cats at different life stages. There are foods geared to kittens, older cats, and overweight or less-active cats. Pregnant and nursing cats also have special needs. Consult your veterinarian to find out which formula is best for your cat at each stage.

Note: Don’t attempt to substitute dog food for cat food. Dogs and cats have very different nutritional needs, and dog food fails to provide certain nutrients that are essential to a cat’s health.Dry Foods

Dry foods are six to nine percent water. Their other ingredients include cereals, grain by-products, bone meal, fish meal, milk products, and vitamin and mineral supplements. The bite-size pieces are covered with flavor enhancers, such as animal fat, to make them more appealing to a cat’s palate.

Advantages:

* Lower cost compared with other types of cat food.
* Can be left out all day, so your cat can eat whenever she is hungry.
* Smaller amounts are required to satisfy a cat’s appetite.

Disadvantages:

* Less tempting than other types of cat food to most cats.
* Less easily digestible than other types of cat food.

Semi-Moist Foods

Semi-moist foods are about 35 percent water. These foods are made of mostly meat and meat by-products, and even look somewhat like ground meat or tiny chunks of meat. They also contain soybean meal, cereals, grain by-products, and preservatives to prevent spoilage. Discard what’s left in an opened package of semi-moist food as soon as it begins to look and feel dried out.

Advantages:

* Less costly than canned food.
* Can be left out all day, so your cat can eat whenever she is hungry.
* More appealing to some cats than dry food.

Disadvantages:

* Taste declines and product spoils after package is opened.
* More expensive than dry food.

Canned Food

Canned foods are at least 75 percent water. They are offered in a wide variety of flavors, and their primary ingredient may be chicken, fish, or organ meats such as kidney and liver. They come in sizes ranging from three-to-six-ounce “gourmet” tins to 12-to-22-ounce “ration” cans that can feed more than one cat or provide multiple servings for a single pet. For safety’s sake, discard uneaten canned food after it has sat in your pet’s dish for two to four hours.

Advantages:

* Very appealing taste, even to finicky cats.
* Unopened cans have long shelf life.
* Good dietary source of water.

Disadvantages:

* Higher cost than other types of food.

Beyond the Food Bowl
Keep the Water Flowing

At every stage of life, adequate water intake is crucial for keeping your cat healthy. When your cat drinks enough water, it not only keeps her entire system functioning smoothly, can help prevent potentially serious urinary-tract problems. No matter what kind of food you serve, make sure your cat always has a big dish of fresh, clean water to drink.Ambiance Matters

A cat’s surroundings can affect its eating habits for better or for worse. Help your pet enjoy mealtime by creating a relaxed and comfortable eating atmosphere. Your cat’s food and water should be in a place that is:

* Quiet
* Clean
* Not heavily trafficked
* Free of other animals
* Not too close to the litter box

Go Easy on Treats

Treats — whether leftover scraps of cooked meat or packaged cat treats — are fine in small amounts, as an occasional change of pace. However, they’re not meant to be part of your cat’s daily diet. A nutritionally complete cat food will give your cat everything she needs; treats and supplements are not necessary, and can upset the balance of your pet’s diet if given in too-large amounts. Make sure that the total amount of treats you offer makes up no more than 10 percent of her food intake.

Feast or Famine

Cats are notoriously finicky eaters, but for all their selectiveness, they generally manage to eat the right amount. Sometimes, however, a cat will eat either too little or too much for her own good. Here’s what to do in those situations.
If Your Cat Isn’t Eating Enough

Any number of reasons could be to blame. Your cat’s appetite might have been affected by hot weather or traveling, or she simply might not be ready for her next meal. If the food has spoiled or gone stale from being left out too long, that’s reason enough for your cat to reject it. Or someone else in the household might have fed the cat recently, unbeknownst to you!

If none of these explanations applies, however, and your cat has refused food for more than 24 hours, consult your veterinarian. He or she will investigate whether illness or discomfort — including possible dental problems — could be causing the change in your cat’s eating habits.

If Your Cat Is Eating Too Much

A cat who overeats, or isn’t active enough to burn off the calories she consumes, might become a real “fat cat.” Obesity in cats is more than just unattractive; it increases their risk of developing such ailments as arthritis, constipation, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and respiratory problems.

Your veterinarian can recommend ways to help your overweight cat shed a few pounds. These might include switching to a food specially made for less active cats, which contains fewer calories per gram than normal cat food.