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Cat Health and Behavior Issues-Sept 2011
September 01, 2011
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What's in This Issue:

Updates to the site

Cat hair
Cat Development
Contact Page


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

Your Guide to Blood in Cat Stool by Laura Ramirez
Cats are Emotional Sponges by Pam Johnson-Bennett
Wrestling With Cats: Story of a Funny Cat Picture by John M. Lund
Strong bonds between cats and humans by Rodolphe Cote
Offers

Don't forget the interactive pages...

Bragging Rights For Readers
Bad Cat Behaviors From Readers
Submit Your Story or Tribute

These pages are all user-generated! That means you can write about your cat, your favorite cat story, or get help from other visitors (sometimes even me!) if you have a serious problem with a cat.

Use the Cat Whisperer Contact form if you or a friend has a problem that is involved or delicate.



Your Guide to Blood in Cat Stool by Laura Ramirez

If you've found blood in cat stool, you are right to be concerned. Blood in feces can be the sign of a serious medical condition. In this article, you'll learn the symptoms to watch for, possible causes and how to treat this condition and then prevent it from coming back.

Symptoms of Cat Blood in Stool

Besides seeing blood in your cat's feces, you may also see one or more of the following symptoms. Be sure to write them down, so you can report them to your vet:

  • Exertion while defecating
  • Excessive intake of water
  • Appetite loss
  • Frequency of bowel movements increases
  • Excessive urination
  • Lethary, decrease in activity
  • Weight loss

Since these symptoms can be the signs of something serious, take your cat to the vet right away.

What Causes Cat Blood in Stool

Below is a list of possible cause of blood in your cat's feces:

  • Clotting disorder
  • Ingestion of foods or antibiotics that the cat is allergic to
  • Colitis or bowel inflammation
  • Colitis (which is inflammation of the bowel)
  • Benign tumors in the colon or rectum
  • Parasites (roundworms, hookworms, etc)
  • Ingesting household poisons
  • Bacterial infections

The Best Remedies for Cat Blood in Stool

The treatment will depend on which factors are causing blood in the stool.

  1. Stop feeding your cat packaged and canned cat food. Processed food is not good for humans and it's not healthy for cats because it's full of chemicals, additives and fillers.
  2. Instead, feed your cat a diet that is high in fiber, has good quality protein and is low in fat.
  3. Follow the vet's advice and don't give your cat leftovers. If you cat has parasites, administer a de-worming medication
  4. Give you cat drugs to slow the passage of the food through the intestine and/or use antibiotics.

The problem with treating your cat drugs or antibiotics is that they have side effects and can actually worsen your cat's symptoms and increase your pet's chance of having recurring problems. It's important to understand that drugs suppress symptoms but do not actually cure them.This is why many pet owners are turning to natural remedies.

Natural remedies work at the cellular level to heal blood in cat stool and the conditions that cause inflammation and disease in the colon, rectum and bladder. Since they do not have side effects and are gentle enough to be used every, they can also be used for prevention. They are inexpensive and work to support your cat's immunity, eliminate infection, soothe tissues and improve quality of life. In addition they are convenient for the pet owner because they come in granular form, so you just put a few crystals on your cat's tongue or sprinkle it on your pet's food. Since all natural remedies are not alike, make sure to do your research and look for one that contains proven ingredients like uva ursi, berberis, cantharis and staphysagris.

So there you have it. By following some common sense guidelines and giving your cat a natural remedy, you can treat cat blood in stool and fortify your cat's immunity, which will improve your furry pet's overall health. About the Author

Laura Ramirez is a passionate researcher of natural remedies which heal disorders, extend longevity and improve quality of life. Find out more about safe, effective ways to maintain your pet's urinary tract and colon health at Pet Urinary Tract Health.

If your cat has blood in the stool, please contact your veterinarian, or you can find a holistic vet at the AHVMA.




Cats are Emotional Sponges

Cats are emotional sponges that can quickly pick up on your mood and energy level. If you're nervous, it may not be long before your cat becomes nervous as well. This is why your cat runs and hides when it's time for a veterinary check-up even before you've taken the carrier out. He easily picks up on your nervousness about the upcoming wrangling and wrestling that will take place just to get him in the carrier. When dealing with a stressful event, take a deep breath and try to project a sense of calm. If you're relaxed, kitty stands a better chance of being relaxed. If you're visibly angry, your cat may tense up and become confused and scared. So even though your cat may not look as if her mood has changed, she can easily be absorbing whatever you're projecting.

Pam Johnson-Bennett, CABC, is a certified cat behavior consultant and author of seven best-selling books. Her website is Cat Behavior Associates




Wrestling With Cats: Story of a Funny Cat Picture by John M. Lund

Anthropomorphic Animals and Cats Wrestling It was very early on in my Animal Antics series of anthropomorphized animal pictures for greeting card when I was given the task of shooting Big Time Wrestling...with cats. At that point I had only done four or five such images.

I was doing the compositing work with Live Picture, which at the time had better tools for selecting the hair and fur. But neither Photoshop nor Live Picture was anywhere near the tool that Photoshop is today.

Excitement, Intimidation and Challenge
When I saw the sketch from the art director I was both excited and intimidated. It was easily the most challenging job I had been asked to do yet, but done well, would be a really cool image that would certainly stand out from everything else out there.

The original sketch did not show the audience, and for better or worse, I suggested that we make the audience all cats. Boy did that turn into a nightmare!

Blood, Sweat and Funny Animal Photos
To create this funny animal photo, my art director, Collette Kulak, had a miniature boxing or wrestling ring built. She also crafted small plastic cat-sized uniforms. Now, photographing cats is not an easy process...

Photographing cats, upside down, wearing miniature wrestling uniforms...now that is a challenge! This was way back before we had mastered the process, and we were doing our best to actually get the cats into the necessary poses. Now we just shoot one part at a time and it is one heck of a lot easier!

We did manage to get all the shots I needed, but not without shedding just a little blood, sweat and, well, thankfully, there were no tears.

An Audience of Cats and 1000 Layers
It took me about two days to assemble the main elements of the picture. Then I set about building the audience of cats. That was my idea, right? Man! Every time I would drop one cat's face in I would have to adjust the one next to it, then the one next to it, and so on.

Plus, I only had about twelve different cat faces to work with, and I didn't it to look like I was using the same ones over and over. To help with that I had the background go darker and darker the further back the audience receded. By the time I had completed the image I had over 1000 layers (in Live Picture...Photoshop wouldn't go over 99 layers back then).

A Poster, Books and Greeting Cards
At nine days of imaging, the cat-wrestling photo takes the record for the longest time I have ever spent digitally manipulating a single composite image. This funny cat photo has been used as a poster, in books, as a greeting card (still being distributed) and in a variety of other uses. It is still one of my favorite images...though I may be influenced by what a challenge it was to create, a phenomena that must of us photographers, wrestle with!

Research Your Clients, and Get an Advance
When licensing your images it is really important to research your clients thoroughly and to only license the rights for an image that a given client needs and is good at distributing. A company that is great at selling and distributing greeting cards may not be particularly good at distributing calendars.

In the long run you will do better by researching your clients and paying close attention to your licensing. If your client does not distribute, and distribute effectively through out the world, then don't give up world rights! I would also recommend getting an advance. Just recently I agreed to let a company distribute my images in a calendar without an advance.

The company folded, sold the rights to the calendar to another company who also then folded. I ended up with nothing. Research your clients, pay attention to the rights you license, and get an advance.

By the Author:

John Lund Stock Photos: Stock Picture of a Pearl in an Oyster Shell

John Lund's Funny Animal Pictures: Photo of a Dollar Squeezing Through and Hourglass

Concept Stock Photos & Funny Pics: Exploding Computer - Cloud Of Dust Fire and Smoke




Strong Bonds Between Cats and Humans by Rodolphe Cote

There are a lot of experts out there who say that cats are strictly independent animals. These very same experts state that cats have chosen to associate with humans due to their strategy of survival. Although many argue with this statement, there are many who agree as well - although those that agree are normally those in the percentile who don't agree with cats.

Anyone who has owned a cat will tell you that cats are great at bonding with people, although they are very particular. Normally, a cat will choose someone in the home that he bonds with. You'll know when a cat wants to bond with you, as he will hop on your lap seeking attention or snuggle up to you at night when you are sleeping. Purring is a strong sign of affections, especially with cats that are looking to bond.

Although many experts have tried to figure it out, no one really knows why cats choose a particular person whom they will bond with. It could be the individual's manners, voice, or simply how that person treats the cat. Perhaps it may be the individual is really gentle, or maybe a little more forceful - bringing the best out in the cat.

My mother's cat Ti Gris...

My mother had a cat that really bounded strongly to her. He was a big gray male cat, she called him Ti Gris (Little Gray) She was a chef cook at a restaurant, and when she arrived home sometime very tired Ti Gris was always waiting for her. He would roll on his back, and let her tickle his tummy. He always succeeded in putting a smile on her face. You could see that those two really cared for each other. He would follow her around purring. My mother died suddenly one good morning my father found her dead in her sleep, after her burial Ti Gris just disappeared and was never seen again. He didn't want to stay home without my mother. Nobody knows what happened to Ti Gris.

Another interesting story about a certain cat...

After we moved from the farm we bought a new house in a small town. The heating system was from ducts under the floor coming from a central oil furnace. Somehow our female cat found her way into one of those ducts, if you put her outside she would always crawl into that duct and meowed very loud to get in. We had to remove the floor grill to let her in every time. My father got impatient with that cat. So he decided to drop her in the woods fifty miles from our home. He never told us that, so we thought that she just had died. But after two years, on a particular morning, we heard a loud meow coming from the heat ventilation floor grill. Well, is this weird or what! The cat was back.

Explain to me how on earth after two years and two harsh winters she found her way back! My mother was crying, she looked in good shape also. She amazed us so much that she made her way into our heart. We kept her and nobody ever complained about her bad habit again.

About the courage and love of life of cats...

Again this story is very unusual, but true. A big yellow cat we had on the farm to keep our farm free from rodent, was doing her usual mouse hunting in the hay field. My father was cutting the hay with the tractor and the hay reaper which has a long arm on the side with moving blades. This arm drag under the hay about one inch above the ground. The poor cat just happened to be in the hay field that day, and the grass cutter cut off the tips of her 4 legs. She ran away leaving a track of blood and hid under the grain storage building, which was about six inches above the ground. She stayed there for at least a month.

Everyone thought that she was dead. But after a couple of months she was hopping around on the tips of her cut off paws. My father tried to shoot her, because he didn't want her to suffer. He never succeeded. She became a wild cat and hated humans with passion. No one could approach her ever again, she would hiss and snarl and would surely bite your hand off if you would insist on approaching her.

We called her La Chatte Maline. (The Upset Cat) Could you blame her? If somebody I trusted cut my legs off and tried to shoot me, I sure wouldn't like him or them either. We just left her alone, she lived another six years. I guess there must have been some rodents living under the grain building. She had plenty of food. But how she survived our harsh winters is something to be admired. Alone, hurt, and proud, she still loved life and proved the real courage of a regular house cat.

They are more admirable that we think they are. I sure have a lot of admiration for them. They are by far my favorite animals.

What some researchers believe about cats...

There are a lot of ways that researchers have tried to take this subject, one of which being psychic. Some say that cats bond with someone due to a "psychic aura" that is compatible with both the person and the cat. If a cat feels that someone is giving them a bad vibe, they will simply ignore that person. Although this can be true to a sense for some, a majority of those who own cats will tell you that this couldn't be any further from the truth.

Even though there are a lot of theories and speculation out there, no one really knows why cats bond with humans. There's little to no proof available as well, other than cats and their natural instinct for physical survival. Those who own cats know that cats crave attention, simply to make them feel needed. They love to be pampered by their owners, and will shower you with attention and affection if you just give them the chance.

Those who are new to owning cats may find bonding to be very different. Cats are different from other animals, including dogs, in the sense that they bond differently. Different breeds of cats will bond differently with their owners, although most prefer affection and attention. The more time you spend around your cat, the more he will bond with you. Over the years, you'll find that the bond you create with your pet has grown very strong - and simply cannot be broken.

About the Author: Rodolphe Cote is a Canadian, free lance design draftsman, who also writes many internet articles about various subjects. He pursues internet marketing. His websites are Rudy's Health Products and Unlimited Car Part.




Offers

The holidays are coming soon, so I'm beginning to gather ideas for you. If you have a particular need or item you would like to see, please e-mail a reply to this e-zine, and I'll research it for you. Meanwhile, here are some items you might like...

Feline Uretic Diet from Wysong


Innova Cans by the case


Superfood Digestion Aid Powder

Cat Earrings
Cat Earrings

Cat Shirts
Cute Cat T-shirt!

Siamese Cat Address Labels
Siamese Cat Address Labels

Other cat styles available

Cat Shirts
Cute Cat T-Shirt


Hav-a-Heart Trap


SCOE-10x Odor Remover

Gray Cat Mousepad
Cat Mousepad

Cat Pin
Cat Pin

Cat Sign
Cat Sign

Cat Cookie Jar
Cat Cookie Jar

Purrfect for treats!

Cat Coasters
Cat Coasters




This newsletter is produced for YOU, the reader. Please let me know if you want to see anything in here that hasn't been covered for a while. You can view all the past issues and look deeper into the new information I've found.

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