Every Cat

Archive for November, 2009

Animal charities and wothing vets have noticed that the Credit crunch is now taking it’s toll on our fluffy friends.

Animal shelters are reporting a disturbing rise in the amount of animals, in particular dogs and cats, that are being dropped off into their clinics. During this credit crunch, companies are struggling to make ends meet, people just cant cope with both their bills and the bills of their pets. Paying for hospical care such as animal physiotherapy is expensive and people just cannot afford it.  The loving family pets are being left at animal shelters or left in the middle of no-where to look after themselves.

So what have been the contributions to this dire set of circumstances? Some families got a pet last xmas, only for their job situation to change suddenly. Meaning that the families new addition is the first one out the door before the kids can become too attached. Another problem is that people are moving into smaller accomidation, which dont allow pets to be kept.

Can animal hospitals cope with this sudden influx in vet referrals?

Animal charities and re-homing centres are close to bursting, now only willing to take the most severe of cases. Animal shelters are recieving less donations to, with the credit crunch tightening people’s belt and charities all round getting less handouts as people struggle to save themselves.

Though on the upside for our furry pals, January saw some charities reporting that January saw a rise in the number of people ADOPTING from animal shelters, but most shelters are still seeing more animals coming in then going out to a loving home.

Let me tell you about my cat named Pumpkin They’re doing animal chiropractic for animal joint pain and they offer nutritional advice and products that will almost make you cry once you realize how much better your pets could and should be eating. He’s a valuable member of the family and an awesome cat. It bothered me tremendously that he didn’t want anything to do with me most of the time since I’ve always been an animal lover. Even though I strived to make sure he lived his life free from pet pain he still ignored me. I decided to do some online research and I found a really great site for advice about pet care. They obviously cared deeply about all sorts of animals including cats. It really is amazing what they’re doing over at avafrick.com. She sort of reminds me of a kind of pet whisperer. Animal Chiropractic

Anyway, I sent them an email about my little cat problem and here’s what they told me to do. They were also very specific about the kind of nutrition my cat would require moving forward in the various stages of his life. This animal lover’s paradise website visit turned out to be a very rewarding experience. They said I should walk up to Pumpkin once a day, scratch him on the back a little where he can’t reach himself, and leave. That is what i should do, they said. I was told to do this twice a day; once in the morning and then in the evening. I was told that the cat should start coming to me for more attention. And do you know what? He can’t get enough of me. He’s always coming to me looking for a scratch. They also suggested some ways to feel for abnormalities on his body and determine whether he could use some pet chiropractic care. Pet Chiropractic Care

A friend of mine once told me that dogs have masters and cats have staff. I’m sort of inclined to believe that. Pumpkin really does expect a lot from me. I’ve noticed that now that he knows that he can have his itchy back scratched by me he simply has this expectation that I, his slave, will accommodate him. Personally I am thrilled that my investment of time and effort into Pumpkin is paying off finally with dividends and I owe it all to Ava frick. Pet Pain Relief

Cat urinary problems can be frustrating to deal with.  If recurring FLUTD is a problem for your kitty, maybe stress has something to do with it, especially if your vet can’t find any reason for the repeated feline urinary problems.  If your kitty has been diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis, read on for answers.

What Is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Your furry companion has all the signs of feline cystitis.  He strains to urinate, but doesn’t pass much urine.  His urine may be bloody.  He’s obviously in pain when he’s using the litter box.  And he may be urinating in places other than his litter box. 

But when your vet examines him and runs a urinalysis and a urine culture, there’s no sign of a feline bladder infection.  There’s no bacteria in his urine, and bladder stones, tumors, and even an anatomical defect have all been ruled out. 

Feline idiopathic cystitis is the diagnosis when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for feline urinary problems.  It’s very difficult to watch your cat suffer with FLUTD symptoms when there doesn’t appear to be any reason for these cat urinary problems.This condition is being seen by vets more and more often.

Is A Stressed Out Cat Related To Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Research is showing that this condition in cats is very similar to interstitial cystitis in people.  In both cats and people, some sort of stressful event often happens just before the cat or person suffers another bout of cystitis.

Sometimes we don’t realize how much stress our cats face.  It may be hard to believe, but being an indoor cat is stressful for felines.  We keep them inside for their own safety, but this is an unnatural environment for felines.  They do like to prowl around, especially at night.The never-ending hunt for food also helps to keep them in shape because of all the exercise hunting provides. 

We also feed them the wrong type of diet, which is another stressor.  Most dry cat foods are made mostly from corn, which is very high in carbohydrates.  Too much of the wrong type of food leads to obesity, feline diabetes, and other health issues. 

Most cat owners don’t realize how the low moisture levels in dry food impact their cats’ heatlh.  Cats are meant to get most of their water from their diet, which should be mostly meat-based.  A cat who is always fed dry food is more than likely chronically dehydrated.  Even if a cat who is fed dry food does drink water, it’s hard for him to drink enough.

The problem with a dehydrated cat is that water doesn’t pass through his body often enough to flush out toxins.  His urine is also concentrated.  Urine is caustic, and if it’s too concentrated, it can irritate the bladder, which often leads to FLUTD.A cat with concentrated urine is more prone to cat bladder stones and urinary blockage in cats because of the high mineral levels in his urine.

This type of stress is low-level, but it can lead to problems over time. 

Your kitty may be under other types of stress.  Cats are very set in their ways, and any kind of change can be upsetting for them.Your cat may be stressed because of a move to a new home, a new person or animal in the household, or even because of a change in the weather.  Your cat may be having problems with another cat in the home, too, especially if the other pet is more aggressive and seems to bother him a lot.

Helping Your Stressed Out Cat

It’s been shown that reducing stress in cats does reduce the frequency of FLUTD.You can reduce stress on your cat’s body by feeding him a diet more naturally suited to felines.

If your kitty is plagued with recurring feline urinary problems, natural remedies for cats may help.  Just click on any link in this article to learn more.