July 01, 2009
What's in This Issue:
Updates to the site
 Pet Supplies - Cat Supplies - Pet Meds |
FAQ on Your New Kitten (guest author Michael Rosenthal)
Your Cat is Good for Your Child (guest author Jenny Jackson)
Grooming Your Cat (guest author Jason)
July Offers
Don't forget the interactive pages...
Bragging Rights For Readers
Bad Cat Behaviors From Readers
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Your New Kitten - Part I
By Michael D. Rosenthal
At some point in time, most of us have had the pleasure of bringing home a new kitten. For the most part, it tends to be an exciting and happy occasion, but the key to that excitement and happiness is making sure that you have done your homework and are prepared for the event. Once the kitten is home and adjusting to its new surroundings (as well as the family adjusting to the kitten), there will no doubt be questions that arise regarding the care of your new pet.For the purposes of covering the bases properly, we have focused on the 6 most frequently asked questions regarding having a new kitten in the home. This first article focuses on the following FAQ's:
- * Is it necessary to have my kitten vaccinated every few weeks as they are growing?
- * My kitten's fecal samples are negative (clear), so why to I need to keep paying to have them dewormed?
- * Rabies - Check to see if your state or county requires this as most states do. This vaccine is typically administered when the kitten is 3-4 months old.
- * Distemper (a.k.a. panleukopenia) and upper respiratory viruses (e.g. calicivirus and herpesvirus) - These vaccinations are normally administered as a series and given to the kitten every few weeks until they are between the ages of 12-16 weeks
- * Feline leukemia (a.k.a. FeLV) - The FeLV is a critical vaccination for your kitten if they are going to be going outdoors with any regularity and could possible come into contact with an infected cat or a cat whose health status is unknown.
Several weeks can pass once your kitten has been infected before the worms mature in your kitten's intestinal tract. Fecal tests conducted by the veterinarian look for eggs that are passed from the adult worms. The tests can also be negative even when the infection is already present. This is the main reason to de-worm your kitten more than once - to ensure that worms are no longer present.
In the next article, we will focus on the topics of grooming routines for you kitten as well as their energy levels.
Veterinary Secrets is a new report that you can use to check your cat's health.
Owning a Cat - How it Benefits Your Child
By Jenny Jackson
If your child misses a lot of school due to illness, maybe you should get a cat. Research has shown that children who own pets attend school up to 9 more days a year than their non pet-owning counterparts. The immune function of pet owners is more stable, making them better able to fend off illness. Pet owners visit doctors less.But what about allergies? Isn't cat hair is a common source of irritation to immune systems? A leading theory under investigation by asthma researchers suggests that the presence of pets in the home from an early age may adapt the immune system so it is less sensitive to allergens later in life. So it may in fact be the lack of pets in a child's life that contributes to asthma sensitivities.
Studies have also connected pet ownership with lower blood pressure and reduced anxiety levels. In fact, a recent long-term study has shown that people who have never owned a cat, face a 40% greater risk of death due to heart attack than current and even previous cat owners. Dog owners did not have the same level of protection against heart disease as cat owners.
State University of New York researchers found that the cat doesn't even have to be present to achieve this. A group of stockbrokers with hypertension who owned pets showed lower blood pressure even when not with their cats.
It is well known that cat owners have lower stress levels overall, so perhaps the health advantages are a result of being more relaxed.
Cat ownership may be a surprising remedy for absenteeism, however, good health and more days at school are just two of the many benefits to children of having a cat in their lives. Studies have associated numerous psychological benefits with pet ownership.
Children who live with cats show more empathy for others and help others more. This translates to being able to understand others and get along better. Children who live with animals develop a better understanding of body language and other non-verbal cues. A study of 455 school children between the ages of 11 and 16 revealed that children with pets had a better ability to understand non-verbal communications. As a result, these children are more popular with classmates than those who don't have pets at home.
Additionally, children who own pets are more likely to be involved in sports, hobbies, clubs and other social activities. Some studies even show that children who own cats have a higher IQ.
Children with pets learn develop an early sense of responsibility. The responsibility of owning a pet can give children the experience of being needed and this may translate into other areas of life. Cats are relatively easy to care for, as they clean themselves and don't need to be walked.
Social skills and responsibility make a great foundation for life. A US study of 394 university students revealed that those who had owned dogs or cats as childhood pets were more self-confident than those who did not. This may be related to other findings that children raised with pets have higher self-esteem, thought to result from the unconditional love a pet provides. No matter what's going on at school, or with friends, pets treat children the same way.
It seems obvious to say then, that pets hold an important place in many children's lives, often on a par with parents, grandparents and siblings. Children often talk to their pets and regard them as an important friends and confidantes. A five-year study of 600 children aged 3-18 years showed that pet-owning children who have challenges such as being slow learners or having divorced parents cope better with life than those who don't have a pet. Again, having a pet that shows unconditional love regardless of what is happening, can cushion other difficulties in life.
It's not surprising that pets have been used successfully in therapy for some time now. They help sick kids relax and take their minds off their illnesses. Some doctors, recognizing the importance of pets in children's lives ensure that pet names are included in their patients' medical records along with other family members. Even in the most depressing clinical environment, talking about a pet can lighten a situation.
If you already have cat members of your family, know that they are doing your children the world of good. If you don't, it's worth serious consideration.
Jenny is a cat lover and webmaster of Pictures of Cats You are welcome to reproduce this article on your pet or family related web site, as long as you reproduce the article in full, including this resource box and link to her website featuring photo and video galleries of beautiful cats.
Grooming Your Cats
by Jason
Cats are by nature very playful and naughty and if they are left unattended, they are inclined to scratch the household furniture. In order to occupy the cats, you can buy a scratching post for them to claw and enjoy themselves. With a scratching post, sometimes you might need to train the cats to concentrate on them instead of scratching your furniture.Besides that, you might need to fetch the cats around, so buying a cat carrier can be useful. That can thwart the cats from scratching your car or your body while you transport them around. Cats are lovable and a great companion as well as cheap to maintain as they will play with most of what is around the house. They tend to chew and bite whatever they can lay their hands on so it is better to ensure that you keep those unsafe and valuable things away from them.
To make the toys secure, you can purchase ball that is small and bounce for them to entertain with. A wooden thread pool can be an ideal toy for cats as well in addition to balled up paper. You can get boxes and gift bags packed with tissue to entertain them too.
Items to steer clear off so as not causing any harm are: • Balls of string, yarn, or spools with thread on them • Whatever thing with wire in it • Whatever thing aluminum or cellophane • All Plastic bags • Any Rubber bands • Avoid things that are sharp or pointy • Avoid things that can break and hurt your cat • Avoid things that they can chew off and get stuck in their throat
Get ID tag for your cats so that in the event that they are lost, they can be brought back. Grooming a cat is necessary so you will need to procure those indispensable tools such as a flea comb and a brush. That will help to avert hairball as that will cause fur to deposit on your furniture.
Cats are great companion and they can bring plenty of happiness to your life. They are beautiful as well as jazz up your house but you must groom it well and take care of their basic needs by providing the essential toys for them to occupy their time. A well groom cat will bring unexpected delight and reassurance in bad times and fill part of your emotional requirements.
About the Author
Jason is a lover of pets and cats are fun, mysterious and playful making them great companion. You can check out his website at Grooming Your Cats
Food Reports
There is still a recall recall of Some Varieties of Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care and Nutro Max Dry Cat Food.I've been strapped for cash, due to some changes happening in my life, so I've been buying stuff on sale. I was very lucky to catch a close-out on some Brandon Farms and some Natural Life foods. Check the Specialty Foods page for links to these...
Beasley is over all the same flavor, so I had to spike his diet with some fish. He really loves Friskies flaked tuna. I try to not use that too much, but I just can't do the C.O.R.E. right now.
July Offers
Advantage for Cats starting at $39.99 |
Program for Cats starting at $46.99 |
Pet First Aid Kit for $25.95 |  Me-Ow First Aid Kit for Cats $42.99 |
Bach's Rescue Remedy Spray starting at $11.99 |  >Notes From the Grooming Table: An All-Breed Grooming Guide for the Professional Pet Stylist I've been absolutely sold on this book for a very long time! Glad to finally find it for you! |
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