Some cats will never really need a bath, but for those pet owners, who have allergies, bathing your cat can reduce your allergy symptoms. There are times that a cat may actually need a bath like for instance if your cat falls into the toilet, has a flea problem or if your cat gets into a fight with a skunk and loses.

Bathing a cat can be a real challenge to someone with little or no patience. If you are the kind that does not have the time or patience to handle a yowling wet feline, then your best bet is to take your cat to a professional pet grooming service and have them do it. The younger your cat is when you start bathing, the better it is. The cat will eventually grow accustomed to being bathed on a regular basis and will be less likely to freak out in the tub.

Before giving your cat a bath, you”ll need to gather the required supplies:

Clean towel

Cat shampoo

Cat conditioner

Nail clippers

Cotton balls

Cat brush/comb

The cat (sometimes the hardest to acquire)

When getting ready try to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Cats know when something”s up and will hide. After everything is set up, clean the cat”s ears to remove any debris and check for signs of parasite infections. Trim nails with the special cat nail clippers. Before putting the cat into the tub, you will want to brush the fur to remove excess fur that”s been shed, and to remove all mats and other things that may be caught in the fur. Make sure to be very gentle because cats have very sensitive skin. Use this time with your cat to check for any skin problems your cat may have. Look for open sores, abscesses, rashes, ticks, signs of flea infestation, or any other skin abnormality. After this has been done, and your cat seems calmed down from being groomed, you can then prepare the bath water.

Cats prefer tepid (lukewarm) bath water as opposed to hot. Hot water will cause your cat to be uncomfortable and can dry out the skin. Fill the bathtub enough to cover the cat”s feet up to 4 inches. Try not to use a shower or sprayer because this could frighten the cat. Because of a cat”s independent nature, restraining isn”t the best idea. If you talk gently and just block all the ways out of the tub, the cat will eventually calm down. If the cat still insists on getting out of the tub, then you will need to hold the cat.

Place the cotton balls in the cat”s ears to prevent water from getting into the ear canals. Getting water in a cat”s ear can disturb the pH balance in the ear canal, which can make the ear more susceptible to an infection. Lather the cat up with shampoo gently massaging the cat”s body. When the cat is completely lathered up, take a cup and gently pour water over the cat to rinse all the shampoo off. Even though the cat may seem thoroughly rinsed, rinse the fur again. Cat fur can still contain soap that is not visible, but will still cause some skin irritation.

If your cat has had problems with dry skin after being bathed, then you may want to add conditioner to your cat. Each type is different depending on the brand. Make sure to follow the directions that come with the product, and that you rinse it off thoroughly to prevent irritation to the skin.

After the cat has been thoroughly rinsed, you will need a towel to dry your cat. Before using the towel try to gently remove excess water from your cat by running your hand down their back and sides. After this gently blot the cat dry. Rubbing them can cause the fur to mat and can also hurt a cat because their skin is so sensitive. Your cat will try to shake off. You can prevent getting the whole room drenched by laying a towel over the cat until he is finished shaking off. Make sure the cat stays warm. You can use a blow dryer set on cool to dry your cat if the noise doesn”t frighten him. Never use a heated setting because a cats skin is very thin and sensitive and the direct hot air can not only dry out their skin, but also it can seriously burn your cat.

After the whole bathing process is over, never forget to give your cat a reward. Treats and cuddling are a great reward for a job well done. This will let your cat know that you still love him and that he was a good cat in the tub. Making sure that a rough experience has a pleasant reward in the end is the best way to keep your cat from becoming resentful toward you. Over time the cat will become used to having his bath and will take it all in stride with minimal resistance.

Eukanuba cat food is certainly one of the most well known and trusted cat food brands cat food brands in the world. It is the brand usually recommended by cats veterinary clinics but it is certainly not the cheapest of cat food brands that you can buy.

Eukanuba cat food prides itself on being a top of the range cat food which caters to the specific dietary needs of domestic cats.
Eukanuba sell a variety of different cat food brands so finding a few that your cat enjoys should not be an issue (unless they are exceptionally fussy!).
They also provide foods for various conditions and scenarios. For example there are specially formulated cat hairball foods, weight control foods and kitten food.

You can purchase healthy cat food for your cat which contains protein from lamb and chicken which are scientifically formulated to insure your cat is receiving all its dietary requirements.

Some of the varieties of Eukanuba dry cat food include:

- Chicken and Rice Kitten Food – perfect for kittens under one year old.

- Chicken and Rice Cat Food – Ideal for great cat teeth and dental health by preventing the build up of tartar.

- Lamb and Rice Cat Food – contains excellent levels of protein which is vital for cat health and vitality.

- Salmon and Rice Cat Food – This one contains real salmon (something a lot of other brands actually don’t).

- Weight Control Cat Food – for overweight cats or cats that are inactive. This food assists in fat burning.

- Hairball Control Cat Food – for cat-hairball prone kitties (especially long haired breeds). Assists in the passing of hair through the digestive system.

- Indoor Cat Food – for cats that are a little less active than outdoor cats. Also contains hairball reduction formulas.

- Sensitive Stomach – Uses easily digestible chicken, fish and lamb. Contains high protein and is ideal for cats with stomach conditions.

- Morsels Pouches – Great cat treats of meat chunks in gravy!

As you can see, Eukanuba cat food is not a cat food that is hastily thrown together. Researchers and scientists choose the best ingredients to meet the needs of your cat and this is shown by the sheer variety of food that Eukanuba provide for cats.

Cat and kitten care should be your responsibility if you have your cat at home. An important aspect to understanding your cat’s health would require that you understand how to observe how your cat looks. You should be able to judge if you have an overweight cat or a cat that is too thin. The best thing to do it is to observe your pet cat and see how it looks.

When examining your cat’s weight, you may be able to see the telltale signs if it is either too thin or too heavy. Your cat may be too thin if the ribs are obviously visible on your short haired cat. The ribs may show or you may be able to feel it on a thick haired cat with seemingly no palpable fat anywhere. You may also observe some slight abdominal tuck as well as no visible fat on your pet.

A cat that is too heavy may have their ribs not easily obvious that may be covered by excess fat. If you observe your cat, you may notice that it might not have a visible waist that has become rounded with excess fat. Your cat would seem rounded with the prominent abdominal fat as well as with fat deposits over the back area. This would be one of the signs that your cat may be overweight.

One of the solutions to problems concerning an overweight cat would be the proper feeding regimen that you cat goes through. It is important that, as a pet owner, you will know the right proportion of cat or kitten food to give to your pet. At different points of their life, cat diets would require different nutritional needs and therefore a varied feeding program.

When you have a kitten, you should know that they require twice as much energy per pound of their body weight as compared to a mature cat to keep up proper kitten health. Kittens need to be weaned for about the first six to eight weeks of their life and then they can be given a regular cat diet composed of a well balanced cat or kitten food that will ensure proper growth and a healthy cat. Kittens should be fed three to four times a day with a source of clean drinking water always made available for them at all times. This regimen is to help provide the cat’s nutritional needs during its rapid growth.

After seven months to one year, you may now need to bring down feeding your kitten food to just twice a day. But this should be decided on an individual basis. The amount that you would eventually feed would depend on the level of activity and body condition of your (hopefully) health cat. Your cat’s veterinary team can assess and would be able to provide you with the right cat diet to provide for your new kitten.

When you have an adult cat that go through just the normal day to day activity, a cat diet wold be to maintain that type of feline lifestyle. At this time, a healthy cat food that is well-balanced for maintenance of cats in all life stages may already be used. Be also aware that cats are occasional eaters.

They do not seem to finish up their food at just one sitting. You may observe them to eat a bit of the food you serve but never seem to finish them. They usually try to eat at various times of the day when they feel like it.

For this reason, you might need to provide all-day access to food for your cat along with a clean source of water supply.

ScienceDaily (May 22, 2008) A study released by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, shows that taking care of kittens may have a protective effect against the development of asthma symptoms in young children at age five. The study, published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that families with children who were taking care of kittens and cats in the home were more likely to have made allergy-related antibodies to cats. At three years of age, children who had made antibodies to cats early in life were more likely to wheeze, a respiratory symptom associated with asthma. However, by age five, the same children who had grown up with a cat were then found to be less likely to wheeze.

This finding suggests that prolonged cat ownership and early life exposure to cats may have a protective effect against early asthma indicators, such as wheezing, as children reach age five. “While the study design does not allow us to recommend early cat ownership to prevent asthma, it does seem to indicate that avoiding cats to prevent the development of asthma is not advised. However, once a child has asthma and has cat allergies, the recommendation would still be to find a new home for the cat,” said Matthew Perzanowski, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health and lead author and investigator on the research.

The study is part of a broader multi-year research project started in 1998, which examines the health effects of exposure of pregnant women and babies to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, pesticides, and allergens. The Center’s prior research findings have shown that exposure to multiple environmental pollutants are associated with an increase in risk for asthma symptoms among children. For this study, the investigators controlled for other exposures that might have contributed to developmental problems such as socioeconomic factors and exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental contaminants.

“Today’s findings contribute to a further understanding of how the environment impacts child health,” said Rachel Miller, MD, Irving Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University; director, Asthma Project; associate director and lead physician scientist, DISCOVER Initiative, Mailman School’s CCCEH; and senior author on the study. “They help us comprehend the complex relationship between early exposure to cats and the risk for asthma symptoms such as wheeze. The presence of cats in the home at a very early age seems to help reduce the risk of developing asthma. This is an important finding given the high prevalence of asthma in New York City and elsewhere.”

Other investigators on the study include Frederica Perera, DrPH, Ginger Chew, ScD, Inge F. Goldstein, DrPH, Robin S. Garfinkel, PhD, Lori A. Hoepner, MPH, Adnan Divjan, Alina Johnson, and Thomas A. E. Platts-Mills, MD, PhD. The study was co-authored by researchers from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center at the University of Virginia. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

If possible start training your cat to have her claws trimmed as a kitten. Gently stroke your cat”s paws often, getting her used to having her paws held before you attempt trimming. Be sure to reward your cat with a special food treat-one that she receives only during claw trimming or some other grooming procedure-during or immediately after trimming. The best time to trim your cat”s claws is when she is relaxed or sleepy. Never try to give a pedicure right after a stressful experience or an energetic round of play.

Your cat should be resting comfortably on your lap, the floor, or a table. Hold a paw in one hand and press a toe pad gently to extend the claw. Notice the pink tissue (the quick) on the inside of the claw. Avoid the quick when you trim the claw; cutting into it will cause pain and bleeding Remove the sharp tip below the quick (away from the toe), clipping about halfway between the end of the quick and the tip of claw. If your cat becomes impatient, take a break and try again later. Even if you can clip only a claw or two a day, eventually you”ll complete the task. (Because cats do little damage with their rear claws and do a good job of keeping them trim themselves-by chewing them-many cat owners never clip the rear claws. Others trim their cats” rear claws three or four times a year or have them done by their veterinarian or a professional groomer.)

Many people hold the clippers at right angles to the nail, thus cutting across the nail. This tends to make the nail more subject to splitting or fraying. It is better to hold the clippers in a vertical position–that is, up and down, so that the claw is trimmed from bottom to top instead of across the nail. This position help prevent splitting.

If you accidentally clip into the quick, don”t panic. The claw may bleed for a moment, but it will usually stop very quickly. Soothe your cat by speaking softly to her and stroking her head. If the bleeding hasn”t stopped after a minute or so, touch a styptic pencil to the claw end or pat on styptic powder to help staunch the bleeding. How often you need to clip your cat”s claws depends somewhat on how much of the tip you remove, but usually a clipping every ten to fourteen days will suffice. If” your cat absolutely refuses to allow you to clip tier claws, get help from your veterinarian or a professional groomer

Gently press the cat”s toe pads to reveal sharp claws in need of a trim.

Notice the pink tissue (the quick) on the inside of the claw. Avoid the quick when you trim the claw; cutting into it will cause pain and bleeding Remove the sharp tip below the quick (away from the toe), clipping about halfway between the end of the quick and the tip of claw.

Special claw trimmers (two types are shown) are available from veterinarians or pet supply stores, but sharp nail clippers for humans work just as well. Keep a styptic (astringent) pencil or powder on hand in case you accidentally clip into the quick and bleeding hasn”t stopped within a couple of minutes.

Yes, it is. To remove a cat”s claws is far worse than to deprive cat owners of their fingernails. This is because the claws have so many important functions in the life of a cat. A declawed cat is a maimed cat, and anyone considering having the operation done to his pet should think again. People hastily declaw cats hoping to protect their furniture as well as themselves from potential scratches. It”s natural for a cat to scratch, but with a little human effort, you can direct that energy so that you, your cat, and your furniture can comfortably live together.

Consider the facts. To begin with, it is important that every cat should keep itself well groomed. A smooth, clean coat of fur is essential for a cat”s well-being. It is vital for temperature control, for cleanliness, for waterproofing, and for controlling the scent signaling the feline body. As a result, cats spend a great deal of time every day dealing with their toilet. In addition to the typical licking movements, they perform repeated scratchings. These scratching actions are a crucial part of the cleaning routine, getting rid of skin irritations, dislodging dead hairs, and combing out tangles in the fur. Without claws, it is impossible for any cat to scratch itself efficiently, and the whole grooming pattern suffers as a result. Even if the human owners help out with brush and comb, there is no way they can replace the sensitivity of the natural scratching response of their pet. Anyone who has ever suffered an itch that can”t be scratched will sympathize with the dilemma of the declawed cat.

It has been argued that a declawed cat can learn to use its teeth more when grooming. It is true that cats often nibble an irritation rather than scratch it, but unfortunately, some of the most urgent scratching requirements are in the region of the head, mouth, neck, and especially, the ears. Teeth are useless here, and these important parts of the body cannot be kept in perfect condition with only clawless feet to groom them.

A second problem faces the declawed cat when it tries to climb. Climbing is second nature to all small felines, and it is virtually impossible for a cat to switch off its urge to climb, even if it is punished for doing so. And punished it certainly will be if it attempts to climb after having its claws removed, for it will no longer have any grip in its feet. Even the simple act of climbing up onto a chair or a window ledge may prove hazardous. Without the pinpoint contact of the tips of the claws, the animals may find themselves slipping and crashing to the ground. The expression of disbelief and confusion that is observed on the faces of such cats as they pick themselves up is in itself sufficient to turn any cat lover against the idea of claw removal. If the cat accidentally gets out of doors, it is defenseless against enemies (other cats in a cat fight, dogs, mean humans, etc.). In addition, scratching offers psychological comfort through its rhythmic action, and reassurance of self-defense by the contraction of the claws.

In addition to destroying the animal”s ability to groom, climb, defend itself against rivals, and protect itself from enemies, the operation of declawing also eliminates the cat”s ability to hunt. This may not be important for a well-fed family pet, but if ever such a cat were to find itself lost or homeless, it would rapidly die of starvation. The vital grab at a mouse with sharp claws extended would become a useless gesture.

In short, a declawed cat is a crippled, mutilated cat, and no excuse can justify the operation. Despite this, many pet cats are carried off to the vet by exasperated owners for this type of convenience surgery. The operation, although nearly always refused by vets in Britain, has become so common in certain countries that it even has an official name. It is called onyxectomy. Using an old Greek name for it somehow makes it seem more respectable. The literal translation of onyxectomy, however, is simply “nail-cutting out” and that is what vets are doing, even though they may not like to be reminded of the fact when they record their day”s work.

The consequences of declawing are often pathetic. Changes in behavior can occur. A declawed cat frequently resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Biting becomes an overcompensation for the insecurity of having no claws. Bungled surgery can result in the regrowth of deformed claws or in an infection leading to gangrene. Balance is affected by the inability to grasp with their claws. Chronic physical ailments such as cystitis or skin disorders can be manifestations of a declawed cat”s frustration and stress.

The reason for the popularity of the declawing operation in recent years has been the concern of owners for their furnishings. Valuable chair fabrics, curtains, cushions, and other materials are often found scratched, torn, and tattered as a result of the family cat”s claw sharpening activities around the house, and the addition of commercially manufactured scratching posts to the indoor furniture rarely seems to solve the problem by itself. It takes other measures by the pet owner in combination with an alternative scratching area. Home furnishings are expensive, but a cat”s well-being is priceless.

Scratches to humans can be avoided by always handling cats gently and respectfully and keeping a cat”s claws clipped (described in my care and grooming section of the Dandy Lions home page) is the single best way to prevent scratches to humans, as well as to reduce a cat”s need for scratching to keep nails sharpened.

Your cat should trust you, and depend upon you for protection. Don”t betray that trust by declawing your cat. Below are safe alternatives to declawing your cat.

Six Simple Alternatives to Declawing Your Cat

1. A tall, sturdy and heavy scratching post sprinkled occasionally with catnip is the favored alternative. Some cats are partial to sisal doormats.
2. When selecting furniture, a closely woven fabric is the best. Cats find this type of fabric difficult to pierce with their claws.
3. When your cat begins to scratch on a piece of furniture, give him a firm warning such as “No, Kitty!” and then give him a quick squirt from a mister or water pistol. This should discourage him. Then call him to his scratching post with a food treat and praise him when he comes and uses the post. This may have to be done over and over until he understands.
4. If accustomed to the procedure, cats will tolerate having the curved part of their claws clipped regularly. Consult your veterinarian for instructions.
5. Until your cat learns that only the scratching posts (it”s recommended that you have several), are for scratching, cover his favorite furniture scratching areas with either one or a combination of aluminum foil, a loosely woven fabric, double-sided tape, or blown up balloons taped to the furniture.
6. When playing with a kitten or cat NEVER use your hand or arms in play. This teaches him that people are toys and he may scratch simply in play. Each time your cat scratches you, give him a loud “OUCH” and leave the room. One of the most effective punishments for a cat is being ignored.

Scratching is the very essence of a cat being a cat. These simple, inexpensive modifications in your cat”s behavior and environment can eliminate damaged furniture and scratched humans.

Remember, declawing is radical surgery that involves amputating the first joint of a cat”s toes. It”s permanent, expensive, and irreversible, and may have unwanted affect on your cat”s behavior. Please consider other alternatives such as SOFTPAWS nail caps before committing your cat to surgery.

What is urine marking?

Urine marking sometimes called spraying is when your cat deposits small amounts of urine (usually on vertical surfaces) as a kind of message tag to announce his presence.

Although this issue involves inappropriate urination inside the house, marking isnt actually a housetraining problem: its a deliberate expression of territoriality, which is a completely different thing.

Why do cats mark?

There are a number of reasons why cats mark:

– Territoriality: the cat is letting other cats know that the marked area is his territory
- To communicate sexual availability
- Out of stress or anxiety
- A change of location: some cats will begin to mark when their owners move house
- If a new animal or human is introduced to the house
- Because of overcrowding (too many other cats in the house)
- The cat is receiving less attention than normal
- A significant change in lifestyle or routine (for example, the owner gets a full-time job; someone moves out of home; the house is renovated)

Which cats are more likely to mark?

All cats mark – and unfortunately, theres no way of predicting in advance which cats are going to become sprayers!

However, some cats are more likely to mark than others. From most likely to least likely, these are:

– Unneutered (intact) male cats
- Neutered male cats
- Intact females
- Spayed females

If you have an intact male cat, urine marking is practically to be expected. The urine of a tomcat has that characteristically strong, catty odor, and is very recognizable (and offensive) to humans: neutering your male cat will remove this odor and will also reduce the likelihood of recurrent marking.

Although neutering is strongly recommended in the treatment of feline marking, its not necessarily guaranteed to work: approximately 10% of neutered males and 5% of neutered females keep right on doing it.

How can I get my cat to stop marking?

Although theres no hard-and-fast, guaranteed cure for this undesirable behavior, there are a number of steps that you can take which are likely to either significantly reduce, or stop entirely, your cats marking.

Listed below are some of the most effective options:

– Take him for a checkup

There are a huge number of reasons why your cat is choosing to urinate outside the litterbox: he may be marking, or there may be a medical cause for the behavior. Before you can decide on appropriate treatment, you need to rule out health-related causes for the inappropriate elimination.
Take him to the vet for a urinalysis (a complete analysis of his urine) and an overall checkup, to make sure that there are no medical reasons for his behavior.

- Neuter your cat

Neuter your cat immediately. This is the single most effective thing you can do to stop your cats spraying, and if you hope to get any control at all over the issue, it”s pretty much mandatory.

Statistics show that a whopping 87% of all cats stop marking when theyre altered – of this number, 78% cease marking immediately, and 9% stop within three months.

- Behavioral modification

Behavior modification is a tried and true method of controlling your cats spraying, although it will require a considerable investment of time and effort on your behalf. Youll need to supervise your cat closely, paying attention to where and when he marks. The use of behavioral-modification tools like water pistols and shake cans (a tin can with ten pennies or a handful of pebbles inside when shaken, it makes a loud, scary noise) speeds the process up considerably: when you catch him marking, startle him out of continuing by either spraying him with the water pistol or shaking the can vigorously.

Redesignating the areas which he tends to mark in can also help: cats dont like to spray in areas where they eat, sleep, and play. If he marks in particular places around the home (as opposed to indiscriminately), put his food bowls next to the spot, play with him there, and put his bed there.

- Make things easy for your cat

Treatment for marking is based around removing your cats motivation to mark in the first place. The most common reasons for marking is territoriality: he could be feeling threatened by the presence of strange cats around the house, or he could be experiencing some conflict with another cat(s) in the house. So, to control his marking behavior, you need to minimize his need to act in a defensive, territorial way.

You can do this by minimizing his exposure to the strange cats, and by resolving any conflict in the home.

For strange cats:

Keep him inside the house, and restrict his access to windows: shut the doors to high-risk rooms, block out his view by installing shields across the sills (these are made of translucent plastic, and can be bought from home-improvement and DIY stores), and if you have a cat-flap, make sure its permanently closed (both to prevent your cat from going outside, and to prevent other cats from coming in.)

For problems inside the home:

If the problems based around a situation in the home (perhaps hes feeling overcrowded, perhaps there are conflict issues with one or more other cats), youll need to pay attention to how your cats are interacting, and then separate the cats that have issues with each other.

Keep them in separate rooms, with separate litter boxes and food bowls. This doesnt have to be a permanent thing once the spraying”s stopped, give them at least another week of separation (just to be on the safe side) and then you can gradually reintroduce them by way of mutually-enjoyable events like mealtimes and playtimes.)

- Use your common sense

Make it really easy for your cat to urinate appropriately. Make sure that there are enough litter boxes in the house: there should be at least one more than the total number of cats. If you have a multi-storey house, make sure theres at least one box per storey (more, if you have more cats), and see that theyre all cleaned regularly.

For a really detailed look at how to deal with your cats behavior problems, take a look at Complete Cat Training. Its a cutting-edge cat training manual thats focused on training your cat and changing her behavior for the better.

For professional tips on transforming your cats behavior problems (as well as teaching her some pretty neat tricks, from sit and stay to roll over, play dead, and fetch!) Complete Cat Training comes very highly recommended.

You can visit the Complete Cat Training website by clicking on the link below:
Complete Cat Training

Click on the banner below to check it out.

Dry cat food is the most common type of food given to cats. Given its low price and ease of storage, cat owners simply love purchasing dry cat food for their feline.

Dry cat food does not go off and smell like meat does, therefore can be left for the cat to graze on over a period of days. This is another benefit that cat owners enjoy when purchasing dry cat food.

The process of making dry cat food is that of cooking under very high pressure and heat. This is a process know an extrusion cooking. Other ingredients are then added.

Some cat experts believe that dry cat food is not ideal for cats based on the pretence that cats are descendents of wild cats, therefore are naturally inclined to eat a diet of raw meat only. They argue that the unnatural ingredients in dry cat food can harm the cat.

The truth in that statement is still hotly debated and there really is no real answer to it. The fact is that dry cat food remains very popular and most cats live an extremely long life on a diet of a combination of dry and wet commercial cat food.

An added benefit of dry cat food is the way it removes build up on the teeth of cats. The brittle food crunches against the cat””s teeth, therefore removing built up grime.

Personally I feed my cat a variety of dry and wet foods. I also feed raw meat several times per week. This gives him an all round diet containing many nutrients.

As long as your cat is not exclusively feeding on dry cat food then you can be assured that it is not doing him any harm.

Vegetarian cat food is not an ideal cat diet. Cats are not vegetarians therefore depriving them of meat is akin to abandoning them. Although humans themselves may have the choice of turning vegetarian, it does not give them the right to turn their cats vegetarian. This is the mistake many vegetarian people make when owning a cat – they feed the cat the same diet as themselves, resulting in disastrous health effects on the cat.

Some effects of a non-meat diet include urine acidity problems and weakness.

Cats are born meat eaters so it is absolutely vital you do not feed your cat vegetarian food on its own. That sort of diet is best left for your guinea pigs!
Cats are carnivores and therefore require the nutrients which are found in meat sources. Vets advise against vegetarian cat diets.

Instead of vegetarian cat food, feed your cat regular meat and dry food as well as raw meat. This insures he receives optimal nutrition – something that would be lacking with a vegetarian diet.

Premium cat foods are often preferred over grocery store brands. They generally are more expensive but contain higher quality ingredients. If you can afford it, go premium.

If you are health conscious for your cat, there is a line of healthy cat foods such as that offered by Dr Foster and Dr Smith. These foods contain fruits and vegetables (catering to the vegetarian owners) but also contain the much needed real meat and protein as well as brown rice and barley to make up the whole grain portion of the diet. This really is gourmet food for your cat.

Gourmet cat food does cost a lot more, so it is up to you if you think it is worth it (ask your vet if you are unsure).

One thing is for sure – vegetarian cat food should not be a staple diet for your cat if you want him to live life to his maximum potential.

The Internet has become a goldmine to information about anything and everything. This is also true if you are looking for cat care websites.

Cats can be a good companion. Be a good care giver to them by providing for your pets like you will do for your own children. You have to take note that cats have their basic needs that you must suffice.

Food Alert
Do not feed your cats your leftovers. The nutrient requirements of your pets are different from yours. So make them eat cat food. You need not be threatened by how much it would add up on your budget.

The idea is to find the right brand that is known for its quality as well as affordability. Allot about $10 to $13 a month for this purpose. This is just about the cost of a movie ticket for two. You surely can sacrifice some movie viewing habits to be able to give your cats what they need to stay fit and healthy

You can ask your vets for suggestions for this purpose. Actually, you need to partner with a good and reliable vet to be able to raise your pets well and good. So from the start of your venture in caring for cats, find the right doc nearest you.

Safety Alert
If you are used to clutter, then you better move fast in having everything in their proper places before you let your pet into it. You have to make everything safe for them. Do not let anything that is poisonous lying around.

You don’t want to be the reason for anything dangerous that might befall on your pet cat. So make sure that you tidy up your place and that it is harmless for your feline friend.

And take note, you cat’s sense of smell is 14 times sharper than yours. They are so sensitive to such and won’t go on anywhere that stinks. This also goes to the litter boxes that you provide for them. You have to keep them cleaned and well maintained.

If you will not do that, your cat may then opt to look for better places to do their thing. Do you want them to hide their poops on your recently vacuumed carpet? You certainly wouldn’t want to find that kind of surprise on your basket of newly washed clothes.

Veterinarian Alert
Yes, you can always look up on the Web to find some quick fixes on your problems regarding your pets. But there is no better ally for simple to complex health situations for your cats than your trusted vets.

Aside from the annual physical exam, your feline friend must also have the required vaccinations. Plus, they needed to be examined by the doc whenever they show signs that they are acting far from the usual.

As its owner, you have to watch out whenever they are lacking their appetite. You have to be wary if there is something far from ordinary about their bowel. You need to be alarmed if they seem to be depressed. All these must be related to the vet for further diagnosis.

For the rest of your queries, you can always log in on the Internet to be enlightened. There are many cat care websites which were done by cat-loving people just like you. It will also be okay to learn from other pet owners’ experiences. So explore the cyberspace and click your way through the vast resource it provides you for your cat care needs.