September 30, 2010
What's in This Issue:
I hope you've been keeping up with the Blog, Diary of a Cat Whisperer because I've been posting pretty often there. I'm in the middle of talking about cat sitting and what it's like for me. I hope to post every 3-4 days, so you can keep current.
Articles
Bad Breath In Cats - Controlling Cat Bad Breath by Philip Woodrow
How to Keep Your Older Cat Youthful - by Sydney Granger
Heartworm Treatment for Cats by June Sabe
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Bad Breath In Cats - Controlling Cat Bad Breath by Philip Woodrow
Sometimes it is a bit difficult to tell if your cat has bad breath or not. When you think about it, your cat's breath is going to smell when she has just eaten her food, so how noticeable does bad breath in cats need to be before you have to take action?As I say, you would expect your cat's breath to smell of the food she has just eaten, but that won't be a foul, obnoxious smell. If you can smell something worse than this coming from your cat, over a period of time, then you need to do some investigating into the cause.
Just like us, cats can suffer from bad breath due to gum disease or tooth decay. A visit to the vet will clear the problem up for you. The vet will check your cat's teeth to see if there is any sign of plaque or build up of tartar. If it has been a year since the cat last had its teeth cleaned then it is time for them to be cleaned again.
This is done under anaesthetic at the vets surgery. Decaying teeth can be removed and the rest of the teeth will be scaled and polished.
You can have a quick look at your cats teeth any time, by giving them a quick visual check. If they look yellowish, and you can see tartar, the teeth need cleaning.
Of course there is always the possibility of other causes of the cats bad breath, but if you take her to the vet, he or she will be able to tell you the cause of the smell. Feeding your cat wet cat food can make its breath smell bad. Try changing to a dry food and see if this makes a difference.
Diet and dental hygiene are the two key areas in controlling cat bad breath. About the Author
For cats bad breath and more articles on bad breath visit: http://howtopreventbadbreath.co.uk
How to Keep Your Older Cat Youthful - by Sydney Granger
Older cats don't have to be old cats. While aging in pretty much non negotiable for both cat people and people people, you can help delay your little furball's aging considerably, even enough to add a good five years to their lives.A good five years, too, not five years riddled with kidney disease, arthritis and the other ailments that typically ail old cats. You can prevent all of that by just doing a few simple things for your feline friends. These steps even work to improve the health of already older cats, so don't stop reading just because Fluffy is old and crusty.
The key to keeping cats young and healthy has a lot to do with how you treat them. You need to make sure that you still play with them and engage them as if they were still kittens. Torment them with string, toss fake mice past them, whatever it takes to keep them running around.
If you really want to get them wound up, I recommend a laser pointer. The point of all this is twofold: the active engagement with their owner releases lots of stress fighting hormones that will keep them young, and it helps keep their weight down.
Proper nutrition is the second thing. Cats are obligate carnivores which means that, unlike dogs, they have to eat meat. You should make sure to give them fresh meat periodically, and keep their protein levels high. But you need to make sure that you don't overfeed them. A fat cat will develop problems years earlier than lean ones, so make sure they get the right food and exercise.
Where you can really help your fuzzball out, though, is with anti aging supplements. You may have heard of resveratrol, which was recommended on Oprah to fighting aging in people. Well, it works great for animals too.
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Aging cat care is something that most cat owners don't know much about, but you should. You can add years to your cat's life and a lot of life to their years just by making sure you take the proper steps to care for them as they get older.
The only real downside to pets, except for people who have parrots, is that they just don't live as long as their owners do. No matter how much we love them, they are going to get old before we do. That said, there's a lot we can do help our cats keep their kittenish youth for years.
You can pretty easily add four or five years to your cat's life, and you can help make sure that your furry little master...er, cat stays healthy and vital for all of those years. All cats (and people) will eventually get older, but that doesn't mean that your aging cat has to get old.
The first step is to ensure that your cat gets plenty of exercise. Most young cats are prone to kitty fits where they run and romp and play, but older cats may start getting a little lethargic. The easy way to help them out is to get a simple laser pointer. A fifteen minute bout of chasing the little red light will help keep them strong and fit.
The second step is to give them the proper nutrition. A good natural cat food is the first step, but you need to make sure not to overfeed them and not give them too many treats. You should be to feel a cat's muscles beneath their fur, even in an aging cat; if you can't, you need to cut back on their food to keep them at a healthy weight.
Third, you need to give your cat a good supplement. The proper nutrients and vitamins can really slow down your cat's aging. I've found a supplement that contains resveratrol, which slows aging, glucosamine, which helps their joints, and the proper mix of vitamins. I've arranged a Free Trial - for your Aging Cat But remember, you need to start now if you want to keep your little guy or girl around for years to come.
Heartworm Treatment For Cats by June Sabe
As most pet owners already know, heartworm treatment for cats and dogs isn't the same. Never, under any circumstances, should you give your cat heartworm treatment that is designed for a dog - or vice versa. Even though you may own both dogs and cats, you should always give them medicine that is designed for their species.No matter how you look at it, heartworm treatment isn't easy. Your goal is to get rid of the heartworms, although there are several factors that you'll need to consider. The first thing to do is take your cat to the vet, as he will be able to run tests to determine just how many heartworms your pet has. He can also find out how the worms are affecting your cat and if your cat can deal with any side effects that the treatment medicine may impose.
Heartworms are a very serious condition, as the worms will feast on the vital areas around your cat's heart. Treatment can be serious as well, especially if something goes wrong. Veterinarians are trained to deal with heartworms though, in both cats and dogs. Even though you may be able to buy treatment medicine at your local department store, you should always consult with your vet before you give anything to your pet.
Treating your cat for heartworms may indeed be no treatment at all, as cats are extremely difficult to treat. The dying worms have side effects as well, often times causing more than 1/3 of the treated cats to end up with serious problems. Dying worms can become lodged in the arteries of the heart, which are already inflamed due to the worms being there. When a lodged worm starts to decompose, it can lead to very serious problems. Pets that have a serious infestation with heartworms may need to spend some time at the hospital, to ensure that they are properly treated.
Some cats may not be able to take a certain type of heartworm treatment medicine. Depending on the side affects and how the medicine affects the cat, some breeds may not be able to take some of the better medicines. To determine the best treatment options for your cat, your vet will need to run several tests. Once the tests have concluded, your vet will be able to tell you the best options available for treatment.
With all diseases, prevention is a lot better and safer than treatment. Be sure to talk to your vet and find out what heartworm prevention medication is the best to use. Your vet can tell you what you need to get, and how to use it. This way, you can prevent your pet from getting heartworms - and the serious side effects and life threatening issues that go along with them.
About Author
June Sabe has written articles on various topics from Pet Guinea Pigs to Cats.
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