Purrfect Pets

Pica is a condition in which cats eat non-edible objects. Common objects cats may eat include string, yarn, plastic, electrical cords, paper clips, clothes, thumbtacks, household plants, and rubber bands. Pica can actually be very dangerous for your cat as it can lead to poisoning, intestinal obstruction, and/or electrocution or electrical burns.

No one is certain what exactly causes pica in cats, but there are several theories about what can lead to pica:

*Boredom
*Dietary insufficiencies - these cats may need more vitamins, minerals, and/or fiber in their diets
*Stress and anxiety

There are fortunately several things you can do to prevent your cat from eating things they shouldn’t. First, make sure all of the small objects are picked up around your house. Don’t leave rubber bands, paper clips, pieces of plastic, plastic bags, or staples in places your cat can easily access. Additionally, put your household plants and clothes where your cat is not able to access them.

Second, invest in some electrical cord covers or Bitter Apple to keep your cat from chewing on electrical cords. You can purchase Bitter Apple at pet stores and electrical cord covers at office supply stores.

If you think your cat has pica, you should take him or her to the vet in order to ensure that your kitty does not have a medical problem. Your vet may want to do some blood tests to ensure your kitty has enough iron in his or her blood as well as other tests to make sure your kitty’s organs are functioning properly.

Keep your cat’s stress level as low as possible. Keep your kitty’s routine as similar as possible everyday to avoid stress. Additionally, try to make any changes to food or litter or introducing a new cat to the home slowly.

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As you may (or may not) know, one of my cats, Milita, is part Siamese. Siamese cats are beautiful creatures and have been around for hundreds of years.

They first appeared in England as a gift to an ambassador from Siam (now Thailand). The ambassador brought the cats home and they began showing up in cat shows in England. Siamese cats started showing up in American cat shows by the early 20th century.

There are four recognized colors of Siamese cats by the Cat Fanciers’ Association: chocolate point, lilac point, seal point, and blue point.

All Siamese kittens are white or cream colored at birth, but by one month of age, every Siamese cat has developed its points. Points are the cat’s face, ears, paws, and tail.

Siamese cats that are seal colored have extremely dark points. Their points are very dark brown, almost appearing black. They also have pale bodies. These remain the best known Siamese cats, according to the Cat Fanciers’ Association.

Chocolate Siamese cats possess lighter brown points with a cream body. Blue Siamese cats have slate blue points and a bluish-white body. Finally, lilac Siamese have white bodies and pinkish-gray points.

Siamese cats have long, wedged shaped heads and very long, lean bodies. They also have long legs and a long tail. Yet, perhaps the most captivating feature of the Siamese is its piercing deep blue eyes. I am constantly getting comments on how beautiful Milita’s eyes are.

Siamease cats are intelligent, loving, and love to be the center of attention. They will sleep with you, sit in your lap, and be at your table for dinner. They also love to be up high, looking down at the world and watching their human companions. These cats love to play, knocking things off tables, dressers, and bookshelves for fun.

Siamese cats can also be nervous and may not adapt well to environmental changes. They need a lot of human affection, and typically bond with one person.

These cats tend to be very vocal, with a low-pitched meow, which has been compared to the cry of a human baby.

Love these beautiful creatures and they will certainly love you back. Do you have a Siamese cat? If so, what has been your experience with the breed?

Sources:

Wikipedia: Siamese Cat

Cat Fanciers’ Association: Breed Profile: Siamese

The holidays often mean Christmas or other holiday decorations, family gatherings, and gifts. When planning your Christmas activities and decorating your home, please keep your kitty in mind. Here are some useful holiday tips for caring for your cat.

Holiday Decorations: When decorating for the holidays, remember to keep glass figurines and other breakable decorations where your kitty cannot knock them down. Not only will your glass decorations break if your cat knocks them down, your kitty can get seriously injured if he or she steps on broken glass.

Candles: A lot of people like to use candles for holiday decorations. You can place your candles almost anywhere - if they are not lit. However, once you light your candle, ensure it is somewhere kitty will not knock it over. Cats are curious and can be intrigued by flames. Not only is there a chance that your kitty will knock over the candle, but your kitty might also try to reach up and touch or lick the flame, which can obviously result in disaster and injury for your cat.

Holiday Food: A lot of foods meant for humans are poisonous to cats. Some examples include chocolate, grapes, tomatoes, almonds, cherries, and peach pits.

To learn more about which foods are toxic to cats, please visit this post.

Holiday Plants: Mistletoe, poinsettias, and holly are common holiday plants, but they are poisonous to cats, so it is advisable to refrain from decorating your home with these plants.

You can read more about these and other poisonous plants for cats here.

I hope you and your cat/s enjoy your holiday season. I also hope these tips are helpful to you in caring for your cat during this time of year.

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Source:

Cats Site: Cats and Christmas Decorations

Cat scratch disease, also known as cat scratch fever, can occur after you are bitten or scratched by a cat. You can also get it if you pet a cat and then rub your eyes. Cat scratch fever is an infection that is transmitted from cats to humans in their saliva. Researchers believe that cats get the bacteria that cause the infection from fleas, but they cannot prove that yet.

Symptoms of Cat Scratch Disease

A sore may develop where the cat scratched or bit you. It may take 3-10 days for the sore to appear. Other symptoms of the infection include: nausea, alternation of your mental state, abdominal pain, chills, a low fever, convulsions, malaise, headaches, back pain, and swollen and painful lymph nodes. It may take one to two weeks or as long as two months for these symptoms to occur.

How Serious Is It?

Cat scratch disease is not usually serious, but it may cause problems for individuals who have weak immune symptoms due to AIDS, diabetes, or individuals who are receiving chemotherapy.

How Is It Treated? In healthy individuals, cat scratch fever does not usually require treatment because it generally goes away on its own. However, if lymph nodes continue to be painful and swollen for more than two or three months, your doctor may opt to drain them to help reduce the pain. Additionally, if a fever lasts several days, your doctor may choose to treat the infection with antibiotics.

If you have fever for several days after a cat scratch or bite or if you notice that you have swollen, painful lymph nodes that do not get better within two or three weeks, please seek medical attention from your doctor.

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Sources:

Wikipedia: Cat Scratch Disease

Family Doctor: Cat Scratch Disease

Do you buy your cats Christmas presents (or Hanukah or Dwanza presents if you celebrate those holidays)? I do. I like thinking about what my cats might like and trying out new toys and treats with them for the holidays.

My cats love catnip toys, so I try to get them a couple of those. At Christmas time, the major pet stores sell Christmas catnip mice, which are really cute.

My cats also really love laser pointers. I will probably get them a new laswer pointer toy because they have so much fun with them! There are all kinds of laser pointer toys out there today. For instance, PetSmart sells a 5-in-1 laser pointer where you can rotate the image your cat can chase to a butterfly, star, dot, smiley face, and a mouse.

I’d suggest purchasing a cheaper laser pointer initially in order to see if your cat likes it first. You can usually find them near the cash register at PetCo. Then, you can purchase a more expensive one.

I also like purchasing my cats some new treats for Christmas. However, Carmine is very picky about what treats he eats, so I usually have to get the same kind of treats for him.

What do you like purchasing for your cats for Christmas? If you haven’t traditionally gotten your cat a Christmas present in the past, maybe this year is the year to start. Your kitty will love a new toy, treats, bed, or scratching post.

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I got a betta fish over the weekend, and one of my cats has figured out that it might make a good snack! Thankfully, a friend of mine gave me a great idea for keeping my cats out of the fish tank, and keeping my fish alive and in tact.

If you have fish, I suggest you keep your tank in a place your cats cannot access it, if at all possible. If this is not possible, try putting a book on top of the fish tank while you are gone and when you are asleep sot hat your cats cannot open the fish tank while they are unattended. Cats tend to be very clever about opening things when they want to.

I put a little book on top of my fish tank when I’m gone or asleep, and so far it has worked very nicely. My cats have not knocked the book down nor have they opened the fish tank.

I hope this is a helpful tip if you have both fish and cats.

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The holidays can be a difficult time for someone who has lost a pet. It is important to spend time honoring your pet during the holiday season in order to help yourself through the grieving process.

Here are some ideas of how you can honor and remember your pet this holiday season.

1. Talk to someone about your pet. Reminisce about the great times you and your pet had and tell funny stories about the things your pet did.

2. Write a letter to your pet, remembering the great times you shared and thanking him or her for all the love he or she gave you in his or her lifetime.

3. If you have a holiday meal, put a candle in the middle of the table in remembrance of your lost pet.

4. Create a nice memorial for your beloved pet. There are several website on the Internet that allow you to create free memorials for lost pets, one of which is Peternity. Simply click on the pet memorials to find out how to honor your pet on their site.

5. Volunteer at your local animal shelter. Taking the focus off yourself may help you feel better this holiday season. Additionally, helping animals in need will help you feel good about yourself, knowing you are doing something good. If you are ready, you may also want to consider adopting a new pet. Only do this when you feel ready, though. Don’t push yourself to adopt another pet if you are not yet ready.

Though the holidays may be difficult for you if you have lost a pet, you can honor and remember the great times and love you and your pet shared.

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Source:

Peternity: Home

Peternity: Virtual Pet Memorials

Cat Channel: Holidays Can be Hard Time for Those in Grief

When Carmine was a kitten, he loved chewing on electrical cords. This scared me a lot because I know how dangerous chewing on electrical cords can be for cats. If you cat chews on electrical cords, he or she can receive severe electrical burns in and/or around his or her mouth. Additionally, your cat can get electricuted if he or she chews on electrical cords. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to protect your cats against electrical cords.

1. Spray your cords with Bitter Apple. Cats hate the taste of Bitter Apple, so spraying your cords with it will discourage your cat not to eat them anymore. This is ultimately how I got Carmine to stop chewing on cords. He figured out that cords taste bad, so he stopped chewing on them.

You can buy Bitter Apple at pet stores, such as PetSmart and PetCo.

2. Protect your cords with cord covers. You can buy cord covers from office supply stores that will allow you to run several cords through it. Cord covers are little plastic tubes that prevent your kitty from chewing on them.

3. Cover your cords with double-sided tape. Kitties generally do not like the feel of tape, so covering the cords with tape should discourage your kitty from chewing on the cords.

4. Give your kitty another toy to play with. Make sure you have appropriate toys around the house for your cat to play with instead of chewing on the cords.

Electrical cords can be dangerous for cats, but taking these steps should help you break your kitty of the habit of chewing on cords.

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Cats are notorious for climbing up inside Christmas trees and knocking ornaments off of them. If you decide to get a Christmas tree this season, here are a few tips that might help you keep your cat - and your tree - safe.

1. Use plastic ornaments. Is you use plastic ornaments, not only will they be less likely to break if your cat bats them off the tree or knocks the tree over, you won’t have to worry about your kitty hurting him or herself on broken glass if an ornament shatters.

2. Anchor your tree to the wall if you can to help ensure it doesn’t fall over onto your cats.

3. Don’t let your kitty climb up or inside the Christmas tree. If you see your kitty attempting to climb the tree, scold him or her and spray him or her with water. Your cat will get the idea pretty quickly.

4. Keep your tree in a room you can keep the cats out of when you are gone if it is possible. If you keep the tree in a room that you can close the door on when you are gone, you won’t have to worry about your cat climbing the tree while you are not at home.

5. If you get a real Christmas tree, anchor it well, and make sure your cat cannot drink the water the tree sits in. I’ve heard some cats like to drink the water a real Christmas tree sits in.

6. Finally, you might want to get a small/short Christmas tree, so that your cats will not have an opportunity to climb it.

If you get a Christmas tree this holiday season, please try to ensure your cat’s safety while you have it.

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Cats don’t make good Christmas presents, and I’ll tell you why.

First, cats and kittens are a major responsibility. If you unexpectedly get someone a kitten or cat for Christmas, he or she may not want to take on that responsibility. Aside from the daily feedings, water changings, and litter cleanings, cats require regular veterinary care and yearly vaccinations. Someone may not be able to financially afford a cat at this time in his or her life even if he or she wants one.

Second, the recipient needs to be able to pick out hir or her own kitty. Cats have different temperments and whoever is taking care of the kitty needs to be able to know that he or she will not only get along with the kitty, but will love it as well. Some people like playful cats, for instance, while others prefer lap cats.

Third, cats require a lot of things - things an unsuspecting recipient may not have, such as a litter box, food and water bowls, litter, cat toys, a collar, and a cat bed. Again, someone may not be able to afford all of these things at this time in his or her life.

Fourth, the house needs cat-proofing, especially for kittens. An unsuspecting recipient won’t have the time to prepare his or her home for a new kitty. Small things need to be picked up off the floor, electrical cords need to be sprayed with Bitter Apple or covered with cord covers, and chemical cleaners need to be put in a safe place where cats cannot easily access them.

If you want to get someone a cat or kitten for the holidays, I recommend you talk it over seriously with the recipient first. If he or she agrees to the idea, allow him or her to go with you to pick out the cat he or she wants. Make sure the recipient can afford the kitty and leave time for the recipient to get the apprpriate supplies for the new kitty as well as cat-proof the house in advance.

Please tell me what you think in the comments section below!