Cats and Kittens

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If you are a pet lover and treat your cat like your child, you need to be wary of cat distemper symptoms and take immediate action, if you see any. Known as cat distemper or Feline Panleukopenia, this disease is a nightmare for millions of cat lovers around the globe. It affects all animals belonging to the cat family, including endangered species of big cats.

However, dog lovers need not worry because this disease does not spread to man’s best friend. It is quite a rampant infection, especially in cities and it spreads from cat to cat through contact with an infected animal. Nevertheless, it is not necessary that keeping a cat away from direct contact with an infected animal will do the trick.

The disease can also be contaminated through the infected animal’s secretions or any article that has been previously contaminated through contact with the infected cat. Human beings are safe from Feline Distemper, but they also act as carriers of the infection.

If your hands or clothes are contaminated with secretions of the infected animal, another cat coming near you will be exposed to the disease and get infected. Fleas are also carriers of this infection. If you notice cat distemper symptoms in your dear pet, you can be rest assured that the infection has found its way into your cat’s body through one of the sources mentioned above.

Since kittens do not have a highly developed immune system, they are at the receiving end of cat distemper symptoms. Thus, one needs to be extra careful when dealing with kittens because they tend to get this disease very often.

The usual cat distemper symptoms include high fever and loss of appetite. However, in some cats, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration are also indicators of feline distemper. As soon as you notice these symptoms, you must rush to the vet because this disease is a killer. Till date, there is no specific treatment for the disease, but early detection and use of supportive fluids and antibiotics can go a long way in ensuring that the cat lives.

The best way to keep your cat safe from this deadly disease is vaccination. Kittens, sometimes, inherit a short-lived immunity from their mothers but it is nothing permanent. The first doses of the vaccine should be given when the kitten is six to eight weeks old. The vaccination needs to be repeated when the kitten is twelve weeks of age and sixteen weeks of age. This completes the dosage but an annual booster is required to ensure that the cat remains immune to the disease.

Keep your cat away from strays and other cats until its vaccination is administered properly. Even in instances where you rescue cats or bring new ones home, avoid bringing them in contact with others before vaccination. Take care of your cats and ensure that you take them to the vet immediately in case you see any cat distemper symptom.

Your cat’s health may be in trouble. Cat Distemper Symptoms may signal something that’s terribly wrong. Know what to do and how to respond.

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Do you dread trying to get your cat to use a litter tray? Don’t despair - it’s really quite simple to train a cat.

Any cat owner will tell you, cats are wonderful pets to have around. They are tame, cuddly and are indeed beautiful. Most cat owners want them to be indoors, to keep them safe and clean always. However, that same owner can also tell you that one of the downsides is needing to deal with their pet’s waste.

But that should not be a drawn out problem if you take the time and proper care in training your cat to use the litter tray.

Cats should be trained early on, starting when a kitten is around 8 weeks old. Generally, a kitten that is raised together with a mother that uses the litter tray will learn to use the tray itself.

Cats generally are not difficult to toilet train. For one, they have the instinct already to bury their wastes. Thus all that is needed is to provide a litter tray.

Before any training commences, make sure you have the right litter box. Choose one that is made of durable plastic for easy washing. It should also be deep enough to contain just a little less than 2 inches of soil, sand, sawdust or commercial cat litter.

Do not think that by putting more litter in the box will mean fewer times you would have to change it. Your cat will very likely refuse a soiled box even if there’s a lot of litter in it.

Cat litter comes in different varieties of grades and scents. However, the benefits of scented litter only affects the pet owners. In fact, cats dislike scented litter because it seems unnatural to them. They will very likely reject eliminating in the box and go somewhere else.

The kind of litter grade your pet will prefer varies with each one, but it is observed that cats are particularly fond of smaller grades. Perhaps this is because smaller grains make the litter softer.

Make sure that the litter tray is placed in a quiet and secluded place as cats do not like to be watched when they do their toilet.

Now that you have a good litter tray set up, it’s time to teach your pet to use it.

For kittens or cats that still have to be trained, it is best to acquaint them with the litter tray. The cat should be introduced to the tray after being fed, after play or when it wakes up.

Lead your cat to the box. Move the litter around with your hand to intrigue the cat with the texture of the litter, inviting it to step into it.

Encourage your pet once it steps inside, speaking to it in gentle tones. Make the cat feel that the box is a nice and comfortable place. Whether your cat soils in the box or not, be consistent with that tone. Eventually, your pet will like the litter box and do its business there.

When the cat uses the litter tray, make sure that you praise it for its good behavior. If it soils elsewhere, just pick it up straight away and put it in the litter tray. Under no circumstances should you punish the cat for not using the litter tray.

Finally, be consistent and patient. Results may not come right away, but the training will pay off in time.

Owning a litter tray trained cat can be very rewarding. Attention and consistent effort will be greatly needed at the training stage.

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Image by magannie via FlickrCats are organised creatures, in that they have areas in which to do their duties: Eat, sleep, hunt and play to mention a few. In the following paragraphs I am going to deliver to you a brief outline of some of their etiquette. By having even a small grasp of this you will derive more pleasure from your cat as you have a better understanding of their behaviour. The first of these is territory, so let us have a look there.Territory
This is their area! It a realm that they have established and will defend with vigour. This little patch is used to hunt in, play in, be safe in, and it is kept in good condition to help attract a mate.
Obviously with such a number of uses there is a necessity to ensure that other cats know who it belongs to. This is called marking and it is done by scent. These scent marks all come from a common source: inside the cat but they take many forms.
· Spraying
· Urine
· Scratching
· Rubbing
All of these provide more than mere indicators as to who owns this particular turf. Cats can actually tell the age, sex, and even the health of the cat that left the marker. Pretty important if you are a young Tom cat looking for a mate and you find a young Queen’s area. Or vice versa in today’s world.

Your cat indeed any cat is a very observant creature and each likes routine in their lives. They will investigate any change to their normally orderly territory. This allows and makes it easier for them to be master/mistress of all they survey.

Vanity
Cats are incredible vain! There is no getting away from this fact. They clean themselves completely several times a day. There is a routine that a cat generally follows in its cleaning that goes something like this:
· Licking their lips
· Licking the sides of their paws
· Using these wt paws to rub the head, eyes and ears
· Move onto the legs and shoulders
· Next the sides or flanks as they are sometimes called
· From there it is on to the genitals
· Hind quarters (back end)
· Finally the tail

It is possible for a cat to spend anything up to four hours a day doing this. Can you imagine taking a shower for four hours?
They also love to be fed, pampered and played with as the centre of attention. Woe betides anyone that forgets the routine as they will remind you in their own way.

Sleep
They love their sleep! In fact they can spend as much as 15 hours a day asleep, if only. Someone did a bit of research into cats sleep and discovered that an eight year old cat has only had its eyes open for the equivalent of three years. It has also been recognised that a cat has three different types of sleep:
1. The short cat nap.
2. Long but light sleep.
3. The full on deep sleep.
It is also possible for a cat to alternate between these different types of sleep as well.
Cats love to sleep in a safe area where they can see what is going on around them. This also allows them to be alerted to anything unusual going in their territory as well.

Conclusion
Work hand in hand with your cat to develop these natural instincts and you will have one happy puss. Simply create some safe environments for them that suits their wants and needs. Make them feel wanted and pampered and that they really are part of the household. There in brief you have the outlines of cat etiquette, what it means and how by you recognising it you can have a better more fulfilling relationship with your pet.

Ian David is not just a cat lover, no he is a cat fanatic! Visit his website at http://www.understandyourcat.ian-david.co.uk to get simple, unique, secrets on cat behaviour and health that amaze the professionals for FREE! Ian’s FREE E-course ‘Understand Your Cat’ is crammed full of tips and techniques that will amaze you and make your cat the talk of the town. Subscribe for FREE at http://www.understandyourcat.ian-david.co.uk

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So you want another cat.

For many people, a single cat is the ideal situation. However, for others, cats seem to be like Crisps. They can’t stop with just one. This is partly because there are so many wonderful cat breeds and partly because most cats enjoy the companionship of other cats.

Is owning more than one cat right for the cat you already own? If your cat is home alone for long periods of time, he may enjoy having another cat around. In addition, an older cat will often develop a new lease on life when a new kitten joins the family. However, cats who enjoy their solitude or are very territorial towards their homes and families may not appreciate sharing their lives with another cat. You will probably already observed your cat around other cats near your house; this will provide a clue about how your cat will respond to a new feline companion. If your current cat is prone to fighting, then it is probably best to avoid adding another to the family.

Don’t be selfish and ignore the feelings of your current cat or family just because you want a new companion.

There are also a few things for cat owners consider. A new kitten means having to go through all of the frustrations of litter box training all over again. In addition, don’t forget about the expense of vaccinating and neutering your kitten. Adding an older cat to the family can also be a challenge, as the cat will have to adjust to a new home and may develop behavioral or health problems.

Although some people feel that their cats will be more at home with a cat from the same breed, many cats are quite happy to hang out with other cat breeds. Of course, you may want to reconsider pairing a boisterous, clownish tabby cat with a standoffish Russian Blue. Cat breeds with similar traits do better together than cats that are completely different. Of course, the Himalayan Persian and the Maine Coon breeds are so laid back and friendly that they adapt well to life with the most demanding or playful cats.

Prior to bringing your new cat home, you will need to set up an area for it to stay in while it adjusts. You may even want to put the cat in a crate, especially if you are unsure whether he is litter box trained. Allow the new cat to settle in for a day or so before you worry about introducing him to the rest of the family.

Rather than placing the cats together straight away; try to allow your original cat to become accustomed to the new arrival gradually. Make sure they do not have to share a litter box, food and water bowls, or toys with the newcomer. Besides the fact that your cat may not like to share, there are important health reasons for giving each cat their own equipment. You will reduce the chance of your cats spreading diseases to each other and it is easier to monitor the appetite of each cat if they have separate litter boxes and food bowls. Also, cats who are forced to share litter boxes may decide to create their own litter boxes in other, less convenient places, such as a cupboard floor.

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