The Best Stuff For Your Cat

By Madeleine Innocent

Caring for your cat is easy when you try to remember her origins. Being domesticated doesn’t mean you should abandon how she would live in the wild. Cats have evolved in the wild over millennia. They have been domesticated for a mere trifle in comparison.

This means that their nutritional and emotional needs remain identical to those of their forebears. In attempting to provide the best cat care means looking at these needs. Lets look at their nutritional needs first.

Wild cats hunt on their own. They hunt small animals, sometimes up to about their own size, but mostly smaller than themselves. They rarely eat anything other than freshly killed meat. Contrasting this with a typical domestic cat’s diet of dried pellets and you realise how off the mark commercial pet food is. Even if dried pellets were made with the best cuts of meat (which they aren’t), the meat is still not fresh or raw. So, if you’re trying to provide the most complete cat care, what should you feed your cat?

In my opinion, the best cat food is raw meat and bones. You can’t completely duplicate a wild cat’s diet, but you can come so close as to not compromise her health. Cat care starts with food as this is consumed daily. Something done daily has much more impact on our health than say something that only happens once a year.

When a cat eats her prey, she will eat all the meat, including the bones. Bones are the best source of calcium for a cat. And meat can only be properly digested when it is consumed with bones. After all, all carnivores eat meat with bones. Not only that, crunching up on bones is the best way of keeping her teeth and gums healthy, as long as they’re not too big. No dried pellets can do that as well, despite the promises on the label.

Some think that giving a cat raw meat will trigger their hunting instinct. In my experience, it does the exact opposite. Because raw meat is nutrient dense, your cat will be satisfied and won’t feel the need to supplement her diet as when fed a nutrient deficient diet.

Natural cat care also means providing your cat with her basic emotional and physical needs. Cats are intelligent and inquisitive. They need visual stimulation. This is best served by being outdoors, where nature provides an abundance of stimulation. If it’s impossible or too dangerous to let your cat outside, do make sure she has access to safe stimulants, perhaps in the form of toys. Make sure you play with her to ensure she gets adequate exercise.

Sun is an important aspect of good cat care. Cats love the sun and it is essential to good health for all of us, not just your cat. Regular outdoor access will allow her to choose for herself. For confined cats, make sure there are times when you can open a window (safely) to allow the sun’s rays in, unhindered by glass or plastic.

Easy cat care really means allowing your cat the freedom she desires. Confining cats indoors is going against good animal husbandry, I am also of the opinion that declawing cats is not only painfully inhumane, it deprives the cat of the natural joy of stretching. If you are considering declawing your cat, maybe you should also consider having a cat is not for you. Cats have already adapted a great deal to live with us. Putting them through an unnecessary, inhumane and painful operation is purely for your benefit, not your cats.

Cats provide us with an abundance affection, love and enjoyment. To provide even adequate cat care, we should at least do the same for them.

If you liked this article, then I invite you to sign up for my free, weekly ezine on how to improve your health and that of your family, including pets, naturally. Included is a complementary ebook on how to have a healthy cat, starting today. Visit http://www.naturallyhealthycats.com

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By Gay L. Miller

I am often asked questions regarding the demeanor of the Siamese Cat. Those who may be contemplating getting a Siamese or had recently acquired one may be concerned about rumors on how the Siamese is relatively mean, pretentious, and peculiar. Let me dismiss these negative tales, Siamese have gotten the wrong publicity due to stories or movies, especially in the film “Lady and the Tramp” from the clip “We are Siamese if you please!” Of course they are beautiful with their mesmerizing blue eyes, head shape, slender body structure, and their sleek striking color contrast. Wouldn’t you be a little conceited if you were that beautiful?

So what is the personality of the Siamese cat like? The Siamese cat is one of the most extroverted and social cats in the world. They are a type of cat that is warm and affectionate and bonds with their human very closely which means that the Siamese is not quite as independent as other cats. Having this close relationship with their human, they prefer and enjoy the inside restrictions of the home with their owners. They are a “people” cat like no other cat for they love to be on your lap, on your bed, at your dinner table, and in your heart!

Besides their gorgeous two-toned coat, another distinctive feature of this breed is that it has a very loud and distinctive low pitch to its voice. The Siamese meow has been compared to the cries of a human baby. The intensity of the vocalization should not be prolonged if you are smart enough to understand what they want. Most of the time the Siamese will talk at conversational levels, and they always have something very important to say. So the Siamese is very talkative.

In the hierarchy of cat intelligence, the Siamese stands on top. It has been indicated that Siamese and other oriental shorthairs are the most intelligent of all domesticated cats. Anyone who has owned one will brag about and the amazing feats that these cats can accomplish. You may want to “cat-proof” your home for a Siamese can learn how to open doors, cabinets, and latches. Actually these cats love the challenge of these feats, and will not give up. They find creative and unusual ways to get into trouble.

Because of their intelligence, Siamese are very lively and entertaining. They can also be very demanding, and can be totally involved in their owner’s life. Siamese do not like to be ignored and always want to be the center of attention. They regard themselves as people instead of cats. One thing for sure, you will never be bored if you own a Siamese cat.

The author lives in west TN, where she resides in a blissful multi-cat home. She has done extensive research for almost twenty years on cat behavior especially that of the Siamese cat.

Website: http://www.we-are-siamese.com

Email address: lynn@we-are-siamese.com

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By Rebeca Rambal

If you haven’t had the pleasure of owning a pet cat before, you may not know that you can run into some cat health problems. Some can be prevented easily, while others begin genetically.

One of the most common problems with your cat’s health and well being is the terrible hairball. Cats keep themselves clean by cleaning their fur with their tongues. Loose hair is removed and swallowed. Sometimes, instead of passing through the cat’s digestive tract, the hair forms into a ball in the cat’s stomach. Cats with hairballs develop a hacking cough, gradually expelling the hairball. Hairball prevention is easy: groom your cat daily to help remove the loose hair. You can also get cat food that helps prevent hairballs. If you look at your local stores, you may also find cat treats that can help with this problem.

Urinary tract infections are another feline health problem. This infection happens more frequently in un-neutered male cats, though it is seen occasionally in females as well. If your cat has suddenly developed an aversion to his litter box, it could be due to a urinary tract infection. Another clue is that your cat’s urine will smell unusually strong if he has an infection. A trip to the veterinarian is the cure. He will also recommend cat foods that may help prevent the infection from coming back.

Cats are prone to several viruses as well that can be very dangerous to their health and well being: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FLV) are the most common.

FIP is a cousin to the Corona virus, and is a very serious condition as there is no known treatment. The problem lies in the test. Cats that test positive for FIP may not have it, since Corona virus gives the same result on the test. A vaccine for FIP does exist, but many veterinarians do not believe it is very effective. Fortunately, this disease is not as simple to contract as some of the others.

FIV, also known as cat AIDS, isn’t necessarily fatal. Some pet owners are afraid that they can catch HIV from an FIV-positive cat, but it is not possible.

FLV is easily preventable through vaccination if the cat has not been exposed to the virus yet. While FLV is not always immediately fatal, once this disease has been contracted, the cat usually does not live for long. If you have a pet with FLV, do not bring other cats into your household. It is contagious.

Many cats also become a host for worms. Hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms are the most common parasites that infect pet cats. Sometimes, they can also get heart worms. Symptoms that may indicate worms is weight loss, with the inability to gain it back; flea infestation; or white specks in the stool that looks like rice. If you notice any of these signs, take your cat to the vet for a test. Worms are easily gotten rid of with a few doses of worm medication. If left untreated, the cat can waste away and die.

If your cat likes to play outdoors, examine him frequently for ticks. If you find one on your cat and he has been moving more slowly than usual or acting lethargic or as if he is in pain, he may need to be tested for Lyme Disease. Your veterinarian can take care of this test and the treatment. Lyme Disease is given to both people and animals by ticks.

Your cat’s health and well being is very important if you want to have many happy years with him or her. Caring for your cat properly is easy with a few regular trips to the vet.

If you want to read more stories and find very useful information about your cats and dogs, please visit me at http://www.yourpetsuniverse.com

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