Will Your Cat Get Feline Bladder Infections?

Let's face it.  Until your cat is one of the lucky ones who comes down with a cat bladder infection, you probably don't even think about feline bladder infections.  But they can be prevented, with a little care on your part.  Here's how.

Does Your Cat Drink Enough Water?

It comes as a shock to many cat owners to find out that their cats are chronically dehydrated.  Cats don't always drink a lot of water.  This is because your cat's ancestors lived in the desert, where there's not much water around.Your kitty should be able to get most of his water from what he eats. 

Did you know that a mouse is more than 90% water?  A cat in the wild who is living on the animals he catches and eats gets most of his water from what he eats.  This isn't true of our domestic house cats.  Dry commercial cat food contains about eight percent water.  So if your cat's diet consists exclusively of dry food, he could be heading for trouble in the form of cat urinary problems.

A consequence of dehydration in cats is that his urine will be very concentrated.  This puts him at a much higher risk of developing cat bladder stones and cat bladder infections.

The best thing you can do is to feed your cat a good quality canned food.  Most canned cat food has a moisture content around 75 percent.  The problem is that many cats are addicted to dry food, so it can be very difficult to get them to eat canned food.  But with patience and persistence, it can be done.

Clean fresh drinking water is a necessity for your cat.  It's best to use filtered water to be sure it's free of any contaminants.  Change your cat's water several times a day so it's appealing to him.  You wouldn't drink bad-tasting water with stuff floating in it, and your cat won't either.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Prevent Cat Bladder Infection

Humans have been using herbs to treat and prevent bladder infections for centuries.Natural remedies are still used on a regular basis in many places in the world. 

Homeopathic remedies have also been proven to be safe and effective in treating bladder infections in people, with no side effects.

Wouldn't it be great if there were herbal and homeopathic remedies for cats that would prevent cat urinary problems?Such a product should be formulated specifically for cats and dogs, not people.  It would have to be safe enough to give your cat every day, along with being effective for preventing feline bladder infections.  Most importantly, it needs to be in a form that's easy to administer.Most people don't have a clue how to give a cat a pill.

You'll want to purchase this remedy only from a reputable manufacturer who has years of experience in formulating natural remedies for pets.Put your mind at rest by ensuring that the company is known for producing effective remedies that are safe for your cat.

Do your kitty a favor.  Prevent the pain and stress of feline bladder infections by using a safe and effective natural remedy for cats.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Here you can discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help prevent and treat feline bladder infections.  Find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Are You Sick Of Feline Bladder Infections?

Are you sick and tired of dealing with feline bladder infections?You're not the only one.  Cat urinary problems are probably the most common reason for a vet visit.  In this article, we'll take a look at how your vet treats a cat bladder infection, and what you can do at home.

Cat Bladder Infection Treatments

Your vet may want to do a urinalysis to check your cat's urine for the presence of bacteria, blood, white blood cells, or crystals.  White blood cells indicate an infection, while crystals can show that bladder stones are forming.  If your vet suspects bladder stones, x-rays or an ultrasound may be the next step.

Most bladder infections are treated with antibiotics.  If your cat suffers from frequent feline bladder infections, your vet will want to do a urine culture to try to identify the bacteria involved.The results will help your vet choose the right antibiotic.

If your cat has a bladder infection, it's very important to treat it.  If you don't, it can progress to a feline kidney infection, cat bladder stones, or other cat urinary problems.

Home Treatments for Bladder Infections In Cats

Diet is very important for cats with urinary problems.Chronic dehydration is often seen in cats fed only dry food.Cat bladder stones or a cat bladder infection can happen when your cat is dehydrated, and his urine is too concentrated.

Some cats don't drink enough water either.  This is because cats in the wild get most of their water from their prey, so they don't have to drink a lot of water.  However this leads to big problems when cats are fed only dry food.

Is there anything you can do?  The best answer is to feed your cat a good-quality canned food.The moisture level in canned food is much closer to what a cat would naturally eat.  

Be sure that your cat always has access to clean, fresh water.  You wouldn't want to drink water that's old and has stuff floating in it, and your cat won't either.

Cranberry juice is an old remedy for preventing bladder infections in people.  However, most cats won't drink it.  You can find cranberry capsules at the drugstore.  If you're good at giving your cat pills, this can be an effective way to prevent and treat bladder infections in cats.  But if you're like most cat owners, poking a pill down your cat's throat is not high on your list of fun things to do.

Natural Remedies For Cat Urinary Problems

Over the centuries, people have learned by trial and error which plants can help heal different health conditions.  Uva ursi and barberry are two herbal remedies for human urinary tract problems that have stood the test of time. 

Homeopathic remedies for bladder problems in people are very effective, with no fear of side effects.  Cantharis and Staphysagris are proven natural remedies to support bladder health.

The question is, how to use these natural remedies on your cat.  It's very important to find a product that's specially formulated for pets, not people, so it's safe for your kitty.  And of course, it has to be easy to give to your feline friend, or you won't use it for long.

Take charge of your cat's health by finding a product that's effective and easy to use, and so safe that you can give it to your cat every day. This is the easiest way to prevent feline bladder infections.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Here you can discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help prevent and treat feline bladder infections.  Find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Bladder Stones In Cats Can Be Prevented

If you've ever had any experience with a cat bladder stone, you want to know why this happened to your cat and how to prevent it from happening in the future.  By the time you've finished reading this article, you'll have a better understanding of bladder stones in cats.

Why Do Bladder Stones In Cats Happen?

Researchers have several theories on this.  The most commonly accepted one is that they form due to high mineral levels in your cat's urine.  This can be due to a bladder infection or from his diet.  When the mineral levels get too high, crystals form.  These crystals grow and form stones in your cat's bladder.  These stones can be very small, about the size of a grain of sand, or they can grow to the size of a small pebble.

If a stone blocks one of your cat's ureters (the tube leading from the kidney to the bladder), or his urethra, a urinary blockage can occur, making it difficult or impossible for him to pass urine. 

Tips For Preventing Bladder Stones In Cats

The most important thing you can do is to start feeding your cat a high quality canned food.  Cats who eat dry food exclusively are more prone to developing bladder stones because they are usually chronically dehydrated.  Cats are made to get most of their water from their prey.  A mouse is over 90% water, so a cat in its natural environment doesn't need to drink as much water.

Most canned foods have a moisture level of about 78%.  You can see that feeding your cat canned food will help prevent him from becoming dehydrated.If your cat is always dehydrated, his urine is more concentrated, which can lead to bladder stones forming.

Always be sure your cat's water dish is full of clean, fresh water.  It's best to give him filtered water to be sure it's pure.  A cat that drinks plenty of water will have dilute urine, which is helpful in preventing bladder stones.

Some cat owners give their cats a supplement containing cranberry.Cranberry is an herbal remedy that prevents bladder stones by making the urine more acidic.  It also helps to prevent cat bladder infections, too.

Herbal Pet Remedies Can Help Prevent Cat Urinary Problems

People have been using herbal remedies like uva ursi and barberry to treat and prevent urinary problems for centuries.Homeopathic remedies are also becoming very popular. 

Now pet owners are questioning whether herbal pet remedies are effective for pets.  The answer is yes.  The advantages of these remedies is that not only are they safe and effective, but they're inexpensive, and don't have any side effects.

However, it's extremely important to buy products that are formulated especially for animals.  You'll want to purchase herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that stand behind their products.

Natural remedies for cat urinary problems can help treat and prevent the problem of cat bladder stones.  This is an easy way to keep your kitty healthy.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help treat cat bladder stones, and find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Anxious Cat Problems

Animal separation anxiety disorder ends up being a huge and tough to deal with hassle for dogs and their owners, in the same way that obsessive-compulsive grooming or spraying can be for cats who are under this stress and their owners. Why did I bring up these two obviously unconnected disorders? You’ll see in just a moment just specifically what it is that links the mentioned concerns and what really they look to as potential cures and methods to fix the situation. One shouldn’t want to let a continuing pattern of destructive behavior to proceed and create concerns both for your little friends and yourself.

Dog Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety for dogs can be quite a bothersome concern. Dogs are extremely socially focused animals and depend greatly on the comfort of a pack for all social relationships. As pet owners, people end up being the lead dog in your pack and will thus be as the leader. Usually in today’s busy existence, those pack alpha dogs wander away and abandon the dogs separated by themselves for much of the day. Animals separation anxiety reveals itself by means of several well clear and increasingly troubling symptoms. Starting off with barking, over-salivating, and hyperventilation, it will quickly end up into further stages of inappropriate pooping and / or urination, eating furnishings, and attempting to escape and re-join the pack on their own. This will of course not be successful and cause noticably more stress for the poor dog.

Obsessive Compulsive Grooming Disorder

Anxiety concerns in cats are of a different nature. Cats are generally independent of their people, but social relationship concerns often still arise. Cats get rather territorial or aggressive, so they may have issues both during moving from a familiar home to a new, unfamiliar location, or anxiousness due to aggressive felines either in the neighborhood or the home. Feline anxiety can also show up as obsessive compulsive grooming behaviors, where the cat over cleans themselves and actually turns out to clean off patches of their fur!

Clomipramine

Clomipramine for dogs is a promising cure to just these kinds of concerns. In the same way as people and their anxiety disorders, pets may get treated with medicines for the exact array of disorders. Basically, we’re talking about pet prozac. Medications in the vein of Clomipramine work to help take the edge off from the animal’s stress, allowing you time and breathing space to find a resolution for the actual underlying issues. Effects of Clomipramine can include drowsiness, dizziness, dehydration, weakness, constipation or loss of appetite, so you need to be sure your animal gets lots to drink and you watch them closely for a bit. They definitely can’t tell you in plain English if they’re not feeling well. Clomipramine dogs are happy and healthy animals!

 

Tips To Start Your Cat Toilet Training

potty training tips

You've heard stories and seen pictures of kitties using toilets. That may have prompted you to take a second look at the process of cat toilet training. Handling and changing a smelly litter box and hoisting large bags of expensive litter in and out of your car is no fun for anyone. If the thought of banishing the cat box and litter forever is appealing to you, then read on about how to potty train your kitty. In as little as 3 or 4 weeks to 3 or 4 months of potty training, you can say goodbye to scooping.

To start potty training your kitty, go slowly. The transition from litter box to toilet should be accomplished in a series of stages. If at any time he has a setback and uses a rug instead of the potty, then you may be going too quickly. Just back up a stage or two and try again.

You have to gradually train your kitty to use the toilet properly. Start your cat toilet training off by placing the litter box next to the toilet bowl. Gradually, after a few days or a week, when you know he's used to the new arrangement, add newspapers or a phone book under the box to raise it a few inches at a time. Continue adding height until the bottom of the litter box is even with the top of the toilet seat.

Now, move the litter box over so that it is sitting directly over the toilet seat. Let your cat adjust to this for a few days. The next step in potty learning is a big one. Take away the box entirely.

Toilet training for cats is big business and many companies sell "kitty potty training" kits or a toilet training system online and at pet retailers, or you can purchase a metal mixing bowl or aluminum roasting pan for this next step. Place either container (measure the inside of the rim to make sure your bowl or pan is big enough) inside the toilet bowl and lower the seat. Fill it with a few inches of scoop-able litter. You may need to tape it in place to prevent it from sliding around.

Begin reducing the litter in the container every few days. Go as fast as your cat will feel comfortable with. Make sure to flush the waste immediately to minimize both the smell and the possibility that your cat tries to cover it up and ends up tracking unpleasantness into the rest of the house.

By now, you should be down to a teaspoonful of litter in the bottom of the container. Start adding a little bit of water to the container. Increase the water level every few days. Remember that if your kitty isn't adjusting well, back up a step and try again more slowly.

Once the water in the bowl or pan is a couple of inches deep and your cat is comfortable with everything, take the container away, leaving the bare toilet. The task of potty training is now complete.

Of course each pet is different, so the time it takes to accomplish cat toilet training will vary. Remember, if your kitty is hesitant at any stage of training, then just go back a step or two. Don't worry about it because it is amazing how well cats take to toilet training. Slow down and go back a bit. Be patient, adhere to these potty training tips and you will be rewarded.

Are Cats The Ideal Pet?

The domesticated cat of today has become the companion animal of choice for a people around the world. In the USA alone, over 30 million domestic pet cats now overshadow the dog population by several million, with the gap growing ever wider each day. Why has the household feline gained in popularity? What is it about this puzzling animal that so many of us find appearling?

The answer to this certainly has to be the enigmatic personality of the cat. Highly intelligent, it possess a remarkable amalgamation of personality traits not found in other domestic pets. Beguiling and quiet, self-sufficent amd poised, fastidious and athletic, the cat is seldom needy. It appreciates company but is also content to spend time alone for hours at a stretch, making it the perfect pet for single people especially, let alone a family.

This independent streak, a result of cats in the wild living a largely solitary life, gives the domestic cat a slightly haughty attitude for life; for them, the sun does not rise and set with humans, although they will take us when they can get us, thank you very much.

The talent with which cats survive, with  or without humans may just be one of the top reasons why we like them so much. Pets (or people) that are emotionallly needy tend to become increasingly irritating after some time; cats are charming narcissists. This, combined with their beauty, grace, dignity, and ease of care, always makes them dsireable.

Humans also love cats because they say, " we are your roommate, not your servant," and for their ability to recognize the value of a good nap. And who can fail to appreciate the cat's clean, fastidious nature and built-in toilet training? Try getting a Schnauzer puppy to use a litter box!

There's no doubt that cats enjoy all the attention we humans lavish upon them, though they will, given the chance, never confess it. They are perfectly happy to stay with us because we love them and provide for them, but if we vanished from the planet tomorrow, it#s more than likely that the cat would mourn somewaht, meow some, and then get on with the business of finding a furry morsel to eat - all the while lampooning the millions of aimless, doleful dogs aimlessly wandering about, wondering what to do next.

In my experience, closer ties have been forged with a cat when an owner enables the cat to decide for itself when and where it wants affection from its owner. As my grandmother used to say: "You'll never own a cat but one may choose to live with you".

Toilet Training Your Cat in Two Quick Lessons

Virtually anybody who possessed a house cat knows what a pain it is, to daily take care of a litter box. And many owners of indoor cats have experienced what an even greater task it is if the cat doesn't use the litter box! For sure there are many among us always dreaming of more important things and do not wish to learn more about litter box cleaning. For these kitty owners, there is good news now. Indeed, believe it or not, it is possible to train kitties, to use a real toilet. When you do the toilet training with your kitty, you will teach it in the process to to do business on the toilet instead of using the litter box. If this sounds too good to be true, don't be disappointed when you see that you still have to flush the toilet for your kitty.

1. Moving Your Kitty's Litter Box

In case your cat's litter box is not yet in the bathroom, you will have to move it there. The box should be near the toilet on the floor for several days. After a few days you should put the litter box up several inches making sure that it is sitting very stable. In case you have no furniture fitting this description, you can use books if they are stacked in a balanced manner. Of course it is the goal, to reach the point where the rim of the cat box and the toilet bowl are on the same level. After that you can put a sturdy aluminum pan over the toilet bowl in a way that will allow it to support your cat steadyly as you start the toilet training with your cat. You should put less than an inch of cat litter over the surface of the pan.

2. Getting your Cat Accustomed to the new Toilet Seat

Once you have removed the litter box and have the cat using the pan only, you are prepared to start the last part of toilet training of your cat. You can begin the training by putting some holes in the surface of one side of the pan. Of course, you should cut back on the cat litter so that it doesn't go down the toilet. In addition to that, you should consider using flushable cat litter at this point. The holes are supposed to direct the kitty to put its front paws on the toilet seat as it needs to potty. Once your kitty has been doing this for several days, you should put holes on the other side of the pan and that the cat will be standing completely on the toilet seat. The tricky step of the toilet training instructions is that you have to remove the pan after your cat has been doing this with success for quite some time. If you trained your kitty with success, your cat will from now on use the bathroom toilet!

One Final Word on Cat Toilet Training

These two steps could take as long as two to three months with a narrow minded, senior cat. So be patient with your cat. Remember water isn't something cats are usually comfortable around. Don't stop if your cat doesn't use the toilet every day. You should keep your pan in case your cat is resistant or at times down the road prefers to not using the toilet. Put the pan back on the toilet and the cat can re-learn to use the toilet again quite quickly. The benefits of toilet training your cat are plentiful.