Month: July 2009

Teaching Your Cat to Use Its Litter Box

Posted by on July 26, 2009

Many individuals realize that training a cat to make use of its litter box isn’t the complicated process that they envisioned it could be. Nearly all of them will quickly realize exactly where their box is located. And frequently the whole process of cat toilet training has previously begun before you even bring your new kitten home. The mother cat starts the training process before her litter is even weaned.

Another thing that makes it easy to train your cat is that they are fastidious animals and prefer cleanliness in both their bodies and their environment. It’s instinctive for a cat to cover up its own waste. So providing them a convenient spot to do it in the form of a fresh litter box is often all that’s needed.

If your kitty isn’t trained, however, the entire task of training your kitty to use its litter box can be accomplished in several easy steps. Litter box training is actually all about creating a new routine for your cat.

Whenever you feed your cat, get into the habit of taking it to the litter box immediately after it has done with its meal. It’s natural for cats to eliminate right after they’ve been fed, and you’ll encourage that natural inclination if you set them in the box on a regular basis. As soon as this has turned into an established practice, your kitten will begin to head off to its box after every meal.

If your efforts regarding litter training your cat don’t go as quickly or productively as anticipated, it’s essential that you stay tolerant. There could be all kinds of causes for why your cat doesn’t prefer to make use of the litter box that is available. It may be in an area that’s overly exposed. Cats don’t like to do their business when they’re out in the open and can be viewed by everyone who walks through.

Also, there may be a concern with the make of litter you’re using. Cats are awfully particular and a specific texture or smell may well be sufficient to turn them off utilizing the litter box. If that’s the situation, experiment with several brands and types till you find one your kitty finds suitable.

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Is it really possible that your pet coud have a heart problem.

Posted by on July 14, 2009

If you are worried that something is seriously going wrong with your pets heart then there are a few things that you can check before rushing off to the local animal hospital.

Some of the early stages of heart failure in cats and dogs have no visible signs, heart failure can be diagnosed through an evaluation by a vet.

Things that occur with both cats and dogs with mild to moderate heart failure can sometimes experience heart enlargement, coughing, lethargy and difficulty breathing.

The signs to look for for really severe heart failure is going on you can usually tell by the animal having difficulty breathing (even when at rest), fainting, not wanting to exercise, loss of appetite and weight loss. Sometimes even drooling can be involved so watch carefully to see if your dog is drooling (more than usual).

If some of these symptoms to exist then it is best to go directly to your local animal surgery and have your vet take a look at your pet.

There are many different ways your vet may check to see if your pet has heart problems are EKG, chest x-rays, blood testing, or a heart ultrasound. The ultrasound is going to be the one to be of the most use to you as it gives your vet the ability to see and measure the extent of the heart disease.

If the worst comes to the worst and there is something wrong with your pet then it is not to worry as there are many vets now that are experts in pets cardiology enabling them to even a pacemaker into your pet.

So if you think that your pet may have one or some of these symptoms it is best to at least get it checked out to see if it is a heart problem or not. If left untreated it can result in worse problems or even death of a pet which as everyone who has gone through that knows it is not easy to have a pet pass over.

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Why Cats Make Such Good Pets!

Posted by on July 14, 2009

Cat Scratching Furniture

Cats are very good pets as they don’t require as much attention as other options such as a dog.

You don’t have to walk the cat and you don’t have to deal with it barking at everything that happens to walk by your home.

The only thing you may have to spend on is cat furniture, which is essential for a healthy and happy cat.

With so much modern cat furniture available you should enjoy shopping for it.

Young cats are extremely playful and you can interact with them when you want to. However, most cats are content to play with toys or to be independent.

This doesn’t mean that cats aren’t excellent companions though. They can be silly at times and they often enjoy curling up on your lap and purring.

Your cat won’t come running when you are home at the end of day and knock you over.

They also don’t lick or bite so you won’t have to worry about how they will interact with others when you have company. Cats always seem to be able to tell when you need some comfort.

Taking care of a pet can help a child to become more responsible but some pets just come with too much time required.

A cat makes a perfect choice for children because they tend to take care of themselves. As long as they are given sufficient food and water they will remain happy.

Indoor cats will have to be trained to use a litter box but most of them learn very quickly so you won’t have to deal with cleaning up such messes around your home.

However, you need to clean the litter box regularly because cats do not like to use a dirty litter box.

There is an abundance of cat litter furniture to be found on the internet, and you will definitely find something to suit your taste in design, and budget.

Cats are clean animals as they spend a large amount of time grooming themselves each day.

In the majority of cases, cats lead a very happy and long life without too many problems.

They don’t cost very much because cat food and litter are very cheap. They don’t require as many vet visits for routine shots either like dogs do which can become quite expensive.

For those that have problems with mice, cats make a great natural system for taking care of them.

This means you won’t have to deal with messy traps or dangerous poisons around your home. Many cat owners claim they haven’t come across a mouse in their home for years with this line of defense.

Cats are very precious and beautiful animals as well. They have a gentle hum to them that can be relaxing for humans.

They have coats in all colors as well as eyes that are very shiny and bright. Each cat has their own personality and you just can’t help but adore them.

There are many breeds of cats if you want a particular kind but some of the most beautiful cats are those that are mixed breeds.

Cats are very smart animals too so they will quickly catch up to what you like from them and what you don’t based on the praise you give them.

Contrary to popular belief, cats are obedient and they want their owner’s to be happy with them.

They will learn fast that you don’t like them scratching on the furniture or putting their tail in your face while you are sleeping.

To prevent them scratching on your furniture you can buy them their own cat scratching furniture.

For your entire cat furniture needs please visit www.catbedandtoy.com.

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What cna happen if your pet breaks its leg?

Posted by on July 13, 2009

When a pet breaks a leg it is just as unintentional as when a human does. This can be done from anything from falling down the stairs to a simple fall in the garden. But what can you do when this actually happens when you are not with a private animal hospital? Being a member of a vet centre is key as without it you cannot do very much at all when your animal needs care.

One of the plus sides to actually being a member of one of these animal surgery places is that if something worse happens like your animal happens to have its leg needed to be removed they actually have blood transfusions available for pets now so they will not lose any blood if they are hit by a car or something like that and have to have a limb removed.

It is also true to say that many smaller animals have thier limbs removed too and can carry on with a perfectly normal life. Wheelie the tortoise is an example of this as she had to have three of her limbs taken away and was fitted with a set of wheels. Since the wheels have been fitted she has started to mate which before she didn't do which just goes to show how even the smallest of animals can be helped out.

A cast is a lot better than putting the animal down surely which is why going to a vet when your animal starts to limp could be just a bit of old age arthritis or something more sinister like bone cancer. Bone cancer is a very painful thing for a dog or other animal to have and if you suspect something it is far better to have it amputated than to make the animal suffer in pain.

So if it’s a broken leg or even a heart problem a vet will either treat it with a cast or using pet’s cardiology and make your pet feel that much better!

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Training Your Cat To Use The Toilet

Posted by on July 13, 2009

When people think of cats, they often think of meowing, purring, sleeping, cuddling, and kitty litter. However, what many people do not know is that you can train a cat to use the toilet. This is not something that only animal professionals can do. Instead, it is more than possible for people of all ages and backgrounds. Cat potty training will take some time, but it is certainly effective. In fact, if you do this, you can save yourself a lot of money. Additionally, if you can train a cat to use the toilet, you will not only rid the house of the smell of cat urine and other fun things but will also help the environment by not buying cat litter. The following includes the basic steps for those who want to learn how to toilet train their cats.

The Litter Box

If your litter box isn’t already in your bathroom, move it to the bathroom. Do this gradually, a little each day until the litter box is in the bathroom. It will take some time to train your cat, but the first step is to get the cat into the bathroom. Raise the box off the floor gradually, you can stack books or other solid objects under it. Continue raising the box until it is level with the toilet. As you are raising the box, put less and less! litter in it. The box needs to be well anchored so your cat can’t knock it over.

After the litter box has been raised even with the height of the toilet, move it closer to the toilet by increments, a little at a time. You are trying to get the cat to understand that the toilet is a litter box. Moving the litter box as close to the toilet as possible will help. Keep using smaller and smaller amounts of litter each day so the cat becomes accustomed to not having much litter. When you reach a point where there is less than an inch of litter in the box, you can stop redu! cing the amount.

Replace the Box

The final step in training your cat to use the toilet is to put a litter pan over the toilet , but under the seat. You can use any pan the will fit, or you can buy a special training pan at your local or online pet store. Put less than an inch of flushable litter in the pan. Make sure the pan is secure and won’t slide around and scare the cat. If you can’t find a training aid pan, or don’t want to spend the money on one, use duct tape to secure the pan in place.

For the final step in toilet training your cat, cut a small hole in the bottom of the pan. If you have a kitty training aid, it may have pieces that can be removed so you won’t have to cut a hole. Gradually enlarge the size of the hole a little at a time.. As you enlarge the hole, the cat will get used to not having litter in the pan. When the hole is nearly as large as the opening of the toilet, you can remove the pan. Toilet training your cat is mostly an investment of your time and patience. The investment is worth it and you don’t have to deal with litter boxes again. Now, if you could only potty train the dog.

 

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