When we experience pain in our bodies, we can easily tell someone that there is something wrong and that person will be able to bring you to the hospital. Pets cannot do that but watching them can tell you a lot of things which is why owners should practice cat care and be aware of the symptoms.

Here are a few diseases you should watch out for and their symptoms.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most feared disease and in fact is the leading cause of death among cats. It is caused by a coronavirus infection and the worse part is that the symptoms are very common with other ailments so it is really hard to tell.

There is also Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) that is similar to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Just like the human version, it is a life long infection that progresses slowly and kills the cat.

Cats can also in infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). It is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non-cancerous diseases. Fortunately, it can be treated using some household detergents and bleach as well as warmth and drying. It is transmitted through the saliva, tears, urine and feces of infected cats. Unlike the other two, it cannot survive that long in the environment so it is only contagious when the infected cat stays with another cat for a long period of time.

Worms are also another threat to cats and this is caused by a fungal infection that is spread through the spores. Since it is a self-limiting disease, you don’t to do anything to make it go away. It will eventually clear up but it may just take a few months.

If you cat is overweight, chances are it already has feline diabetes. The symptoms of this disease include excessive urination and thirst as well as weight loss or gain. Vets are not yet sure what causes this but there have been a few research studies that have shown that there is a link between pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalance and certain medications.

The symptoms of most of the diseases mentioned are very similar. These include diarrhea, vomiting, lameness lasting for more than 5 days in one leg, a decrease in vision, excessive panting, a seizure, blood in the stool or urine, hair loss, persistent coughing or gagging and breathing heavily or rapidly at rest. In order to find the answer, your cat will have to undergo some tests.

The vet will take some blood, urine and feces samples. Any input that you have observed and give will also be useful. When the tests come out, only then will the proper treatment be administered to the cat as each case varies so what worked for one cat may not have the same positive effect with yours.

Your cat could still be healthy if you gave it constant attention. This can be done by feeding it high quality food, giving it fresh water, allowing it to exercise, proper grooming, making sure it stays indoors and taking it regularly to the vet.

If you have missed any of these simple steps, something wrong is bound to happen and you will soon notice a change in the behavior of the feline and doing nothing about it just going to make matters worse. So observe proper cat care tips and look out for symptoms.

The eyes of your feline friends have often been used on horror films. But if you are a pet owner, you will know that the cat’s stare is really the opposite of what’s being portrayed on films. That is why you have to know the importance of cat eye care.

I Love You

How do cats say these words? Through their eyes, of course. That is why you shouldn’t be frightened by that gaze. How does this work? First, the cat stares at you for a long while. And after that, it blinks its eyes slowly. Some people tag this as a cat’s kiss. But you can also say that this is your cat’s way of saying that it loves you.

But how do you return the favor? Easy, just follow your cat’s lead. Stare at it for a long time and then slowly blink your eyes. See? Cats’ eyes can also be used as elements for romantic films.

Not a Third Eye

Don’t believe the horror films you see. Cats don’t have a third eye. Their eyesight is really sharper than with humans. Instead of a third eye, what cats have is a third eyelid. This is called a nictitating membrane.

This inner eyelid protects the eyes of the cats from harm and also from dryness. You will notice that when a cat is sick, this membrane will somewhat close. This should alarm you to call the vet or get your cat to them fast.

But this third eyelid will also show once a cat is happy. So you will know what mood your cat is in just by looking at the membrane.

The Pupil

Your feline friend’s pupil of the eyes should also be observed. A change in size of one pupil can be an indication of an inflammation. It can also be a sign of a kind of a disorder in neurologic called Horner’s Syndrome. Or worse, it can also indicate tumors or injuries in the central nervous system.

The Nocturnal Vision

Do not believe what others say that cats are color blind. They see some. They may not see as clear as humans do, but it’s not like that they cannot see any colors at all.

Cats can also see clearly from afar. It’s very different from people. They find it blurry to be looking at things that are so close to them.

Yes, cats have the nocturnal vision. But they can’t see in complete darkness. Do you see the muscles on their iris that surround the pupils of their eyes? They are constructed in a way that it narrows into a vertical split when they are exposed in the bright lights. And it opens fully when the acts are in a quite dim light.

This feature of the cats may be traced back to their roots. They can use such to hunt for food during the night if they were left out in the jungle or left with no one to care for them.

So forget about the horror flicks. You’ve already got the thrills. Not it’s time to put some effort into cat eye care. Do not let a minor thing worsen. Call the vet immediately when something’s amiss. You don’t want your cat to lose their sight or even lose their lives. It is always better to be safe than blind.

You do not have to wait for the month of February to remember about cat teeth care. It is a part of your responsibility as a pet owner to be mindful about cleaning your pet’s oral hygiene.

Why February, you may ask. The American Veterinary Medicine Association or the AVMA and the American Veterinary Dental Society or the AVDS join forces each February to give this month a different meaning. Yes, it is still about love. But now it is love for pets and their teeth.

These two groups tagged what used to be the love month as the Pet Dental Health Month. They both aim and do steps in educating pet owners like you about how to care for the dental needs of your pets every day.

But these groups know how important this is for the pets and their owners. They actually would want all those who are caring for any pets to consider each month as the dental health month for pets.

Did You Know?

Did you know that about 85 percent of the old pets have dental diseases? Did you know that this is one of the most common causes of health related problems with cats? And did you know that if you didn’t pay any attention to those periodontal diseases, more problems may surface?

If such conditions will not be properly treated, such may cause harmful elements like bacteria from the dental cavity spreading all through the bloodstream. And as a result, this will infect other major organs that will cause more complications that may lead to your pet’s death.

How to Care for the Teeth

As a pet owner, you have the responsibility to clean your cat’s teeth every day. This could be tasking if you will imagine about it. But you can use some help from other household members to open kitty’s mouth for you while you complete the task.

Your feline friend may not like the process at first. But it is for its own good. For this reason, you both need to get accustomed with it. You can try toothpaste that has a fish flavor for the experience to be more fun for your cat.

You must also have a regular appointment with your vet regarding the dental health of your pets. Aside from this, you have to check on your cat’s teeth as well as the gums every day to see if they are clean. If you want, you can also floss your cat’s teeth.

You have already provided a lot for your cat. Don’t let it all go to waste. Take care of your cat’s teeth as soon as you have them. You don’t want further complications as they grow old. If you have experienced what it’s like to experience pain because of your teeth. You can only imagine how a helpless cat can cope with it.

If you will not do something about it soon, your cats will be prone to diseases like in the heart, even their lungs and liver, as well as the kidneys.

Be mindful about cat teeth care. Just following the abovementioned simple rules will keep your cats smiling all the way into adult age. By doing the necessary actions, you are preparing your pets to have an easy life as it grows older.

Cats just like humans are prone to sicknesses. In fact, cats succumb to two cat viral infections that will be discussed shortly. The good news is that there is a cure.

These two common viral infections are Feline Herpes 1 virus known as rhinotracheitis virus and infection with the organisms called Chlamydia psittaci and mycoplasma.

When a cat is infected, they will experience a fever, have weepy eyes, a crusty nose and sneeze a lot. This can go away with or without treatment but this can come back.

When this happens, the condition is called Feline Keratoconjunctivitis the virus settles in the nerves around their face. Corneal scars can be seen to a little over a centimeter in diameter. This makes it hard for the cat to see and it usually happens due to stresses associated with boarding, weather change, a new pet in the house or as mentioned earlier other diseases.

Things are going to get worse as the outer coating of the cornea will be lost to the invading virus. Secondary bacterial and mycoplasmal infection of these areas may cause deep ulcers around the eye and in some cases damage the surrounding areas as well.

Fortunately, this can be treated using an amino acid called ?lysine by reducing the amount of another amino acid called arginine that is present in the cat’s body. The vet will prescribe a dosage between 200 to 500 mg per day and sprinkled into their food. There are different brands available and when you look for one, make sure it is glycol free.

You can also try topical antibiotics that have also proven to be effective but they are only designed to quell secondary bacterial invaders.

Another option is for you to use topical anti-virals that are designed to directly fight the virus. Some examples of these include Herplex (idoxuridine), Viroptic (trifluorothymidine, and Vira-A (vidarabine). These medications are relatively expensive and have to be given 5 times a day. Only when the cornea is indeed infection should this be given.

Something more affordable than the topical anti-virals is an oral solution called Oral Interferon. Although it has never been scientifically proven to treat cat viral infections, cat owners that have used this have claimed that it does shorten the length of the infection. The best part is that there are no known side effects so you don’t lose anything by trying it.

Vaccines seem to be the best way to prevent these diseases from happening. Ideally, this should be given to a cat during their 9th, 12th and 14th week of age. It should be administered using a 25 gauge needle on the anterior side of a rear leg and massaged afterwards to prevent tumors from forming in the injection sites.

There are other eye infections that mimic what was just mentioned. One example is eosinophilic conjunctivitis. So before any medication can be given, the vet will first have to do a test to make sure that the proper medication is given.

This is known as PCR or the Polymerase Chain Reaction test. It is a DNA test that amplifies the presence of viral DNA so that even one single virus can be detected in a sample from a conjunctival swab.

Cat viral infections are common among kittens but they can be prevented and cured. You have to know first which one you are dealing with so the proper medication can be given. For more information about them, do some research online and go talk to your vet.

It may be hard for a pet owner to notice a pet cat getting older. Outside, pet cats may show the same things- playing with toys around the home, taking naps sprawled on a favorite spot inside the home, snuggle up with you on the sofa. But inside, it might be a whole different thing. And health care for cats as they get old may change a little bit.

When caring your an aging cat, there are some things that a concerned pet owner should know about. When a cat approaches somewhere between the ages of eight or twelve years, this is the equivalent of a human being approaching middle age. This will be the time that your pet cat may be needing a bit of extra attention.

Most veterinarian generally estimate that cats start their geriatric years when they reach twelve years. This will be the time that caring for your pet cat would have to change to accommodate the needs that aging brings.

A major part of caring for older pet cats involve feeding them. As cats get older, their digestive systems do not function as efficiently as before. Aging cats may need to eat smaller and easily digestible meals in a day rather than just two square meals. Try also to make sure that you give your cat a variety of food to eat to ensure that it gets a well balanced diet.

There are also a number of cat food now available as food for the different life stages of your pet cat. There is cat food that is specially formulated for older cats as well as for the less active ones. The best advice in feeding your aging pet cat would be to ask your vet about the nutritional needs of your cat.

When cats age, they also start to lead a less active lifestyle. Whereas cats enjoy playing around and hunting during their younger years, older cats seem to prefer spending more time quietly around the home. This would be a benefit for some pet owners since they no longer have to worry about their once playful cat overturning and breaking things around the house. But this sedentary lifestyle would not be good for the cat.

Even though your pet cat would you may still need to keep them active since the exercise would help keep them healthy. Try to have them active as often as possible to keep them active. As they age, cats may also need to have their vaccinations up to date. Older cats have a less efficient immune system and may need vaccinations to keep them protected from diseases.

Dental problems may also become a concern for old cats when they become prone to having loose teeth, tartar buildup, and sore gums. This can have a big effect on your pet cat’s well-being. Dental problems may be the reason why they are not eating well. A regular dental check up might be needed as part of health care for old cats.