Urinary Problems and a Trip to the Vet...

I haven't written for a few months, you know how life gets..


So last week Tye had to take a trip to the vet. I caught the little bugger peeing in the bath! But just as I was about to tell him off, I realised not a lot of urine came out and it was a reddy brown colour.

"If I sit here and look cute you won't take me to the vet - Right?!!"

So it was straight off to the vet that night. It was especially important to take Tye to the vet, because being a male, there was a chance that he could have had a urinary blockage which can be fatal. When he got there (oh and let me tell you he did not like going there, he hates the car!) the vet had a good look at him and tested his urine. Luckily, she said that it wasn't a urinary blockage, and it wasn't a urine infection either. It was an inflamed bladder. So we got Tye some anti-inflammatory medication and took him home.


So what can cause urinary tract problems in cats?

• Changes in the cats environment (a new animal in the house for example)
• A bacterial infection in the urinary tract
• being over weight
• A dry diet that has more mineral content then water content
• Being male increases the risk

There hasn't been any recent changes to Tye's environment or routine and no new animals so I knew that wasn't the problem. He is slightly overweight though. I usually give him biscuits everyday with less biscuits every second day plus wet food. The vet said it was okay to do that, but to give him wet food everyday for a week to get his fluids up.

Its been just over a week since his trip to the vets and he is doing great now. He is urinating normally and he would love the vet if he knew it was thanks to her he gets wet food every day now! I have had to cut down his intake a little though now that he is better because he does need to loose some weight!

I have to keep a close eye on Tye's toilet habits now because urinary problems in cats can likely reoccur. But hopefully for Tye that doesn't happen! Have any of your sweet kitty's had any urinary problems?

Clipping Your Kitty's Claws

Maybe some of you haven't heard of this, but some people clip their cats claws (just as you would for a dog). It can be quite easy to do if you use the right technique. So why would you want to clip a cats claws? Well personally I don't clip my cats claws but I have in the past. Most people clip their cat's claws to stop them from damaging furniture or to prevent them from badly scratching children (or themselves). I have trained Tye to only scratch he's scratchy poles and he doesn't scratch my couches too often. I don't have any kids and I'm used to play fighting with him and a few little scratches don't bother me. 

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What you will need:

• A friend to restrain your cat
• Claw clippers / or regular human/baby nail clippers (which is what I use)
• Treats

How it is done: 

• To clip your kitty's claws the number 1 important thing is to make sure you restrain him or her correctly - if you can't do this yourself and clip at the same time you will want someone else to do this for you (I recommend that you do this anyway until you feel comfortable with your technique).
• Hold your kitty under you arm tightly and use the hand of the same arm to secure his or her paws tightly
• You will need to use the same hand to push the claws out. This is done by using your index finger to push on the paw pad beneath the claw and use your thumb to press down on the 'knuckle' to extend the claw. This shouldn't hurt your kitty and if your doing it correctly it will come out with ease.
• IMPORTANT: You MUST make sure you do not clip past the beginning of the quick. If you don't know what this is it is the pink part of the inside of the claw which looks like a vein. It is the blood vessel of the claw. If you clip this the claw will bleed and it will be very painful for your kitty. This is another reason why your cat needs to be restrained correctly because if it moves suddenly you could accidentally clip the quick. 
• When you have the claw extended look at the claw and make sure you know where the quick is. For your first few times you may want to cut considerably far from the quick just to be safe. 
• Simply position the clippers where you are going to cut and clip! Don't forget to make sure your cat is restrained properly first!
• If your cat isn't being cooperative you can give him or her treats throughout this process (whatever their favourite is). Maybe you could practice and show the kitty the clippers and put them on their claws without clipping to get them feeling comfortable.

Claw clipping won't hurt your kitty at all unless you accidentally clip the quick. If you do accidentally get the quick try not to panic and get some baby powder, flour or baking soda and dip the claw in to stop the bleeding.

It is important that you never clip your cats claws if your cat is allowed outdoors. They need their sharp claws to protect themselves.

Thanks for reading,

-MsKitty

SPIDERS FOR LUNCH? A danger to our cats?

It's almost summer in Australia which means its almost spider season (all kinds of bugs season for that matter). You know when summer is drawing near when your front porch is suddenly home to several spiders and your finding dozens of millipedes in your house.
Tye was quite entertained today when he found a large wolf spider on the other side of the window, or maybe he was just frustrated he couldn't get to it and have it for lunch? Watch this hilarious video I captured of him...

So can spiders be of much harm to our cats? Some cats do like to eat spiders and other insects so I'm sure some of you have wondered this. Usually if a cat eats a spider it won't harm them - unless the spider is poisonous. According to the Australian Venom Research Unit (http://www.avru.org/vetpet/vetpet_spiders.html) the main spider that can cause harm to our cats (and dogs) in Australia is the redback spider, although cats and dogs cope much better than humans. Symptoms in cats include saliva from the mouth, open mouth breathing, twitching and agitation. 


Although it is not highly likely that a spider could have a detrimental effect on our kitty's health, I'd rather steer my kitty clear of them to be safe. He'll just have to be happy with playing with them from the other side of the window!


Thanks for reading,
-MsKitty

10 things EVERY cat owner should know...

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1. Indoor cats should have the opportunity to eat grass occasionally. Grass helps eliminate hairballs and can provide vitamins which your cat may be missing in its diet. You can grow a small pot of grass in your house for your kitty.
2. Desexing your cat can increase life expectancy, preventing health problems such as cancer.
3. You should not give your cat milk unless it is lactose free. Most cats are lactose intolerant and cows milk can cause an upset stomach and diarrhoea. Certain companies produce lactose free cat milk if you would like to give your kitty the occasional bowl of milk as a treat.
4. Purring DOES NOT always mean a cat is happy. They also purr to comfort themselves when they are sick or frightened.
5. DO NOT let your cat eat chocolate. It's like poison to them! If you ever suspect your cat has eaten chocolate you should contact a veterinarian (this also applies to dogs).
6. Cats are VERY good at hiding the fact that they are sick. This comes from instinct. If they were in the wild and they showed that they were sick they would be in danger from predators.
7. Cats CAN learn tricks. It just takes more effort. And there has to be something in it for them.
8. The amount a cat moults largely depends on the amount of sunlight it gets daily.
9. You should not clip an outdoor cat's claws, this is their protection!
10. A cat sleeps 16 to 18 hours a day. Some have been known to sleep up to 20 hours!

Thanks for reading,

-MsKitty

Tye, my boy

Okay so I thought that since I'm writing a blog about cats I should probably tell you a bit about my own cat, Tye. I wrote briefly about him in my last post "Indoors or Outdoors? That is the question". 

Tye (short for Tye Lang) is a brown tabby and white domestic (domestic is the name used to describe a non-pure-bred cat). 


He was a stray kitten, we found at the back of our home about three years ago. A stray had had a litter near-by. We looked after him and took him to vets to get him checked and have his vaccinations. We fell in love with his beautiful personality instantly.

Kitten Tye

You would never guess he had stray in him if you met him! He is a very loving and playful boy. He loves playing games. He's favourite game is fetch! He plays it with small toys but his favourite for some reason is those little candy canes in wrappers that you hang on your tree during Christmas time. One Christmas we had some in a bowl and he would climb up on the table and get one and drop it at our feet! 


Sometimes I swear he thinks he's half dog. He also loves to roll on his back and just lay there and stare at us until we give him some attention!


I want to keep this short but you will hear little bits about him in my future posts! Please tell me something about your cat! I would love to hear it!


Thanks for reading,
-MsKitty

Indoor or Outdoor? That is the question

Many cat owners want to know "Is it better for my cat to be an indoor cat or an outdoor cat?” I believe there is no right answer for this question. It depends on your feelings about it, your lifestyle and your cat’s personality.

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Tye was originally an outdoor cat. He would spend most of the day outside. But sometime he's routine would be out of wack and he would be meowing at my bedroom window at three in the morning (this is where a cat-flap would have come in handy!). I also had the odd day where I would go to the back door to find a half-eaten gift (or two) waiting for me. Another problem was the occasional cat fight. Although Tye never had any serious wounds, it is still not a very healthy or safe thing for your cat to be getting into scuffles (even on a rare occasion). Wounds are not the only danger; it is also putting your cat at risk of diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (although you can get your cat vaccinated for this and other diseases). 

When I finally decided that my cat may be better off being an indoor cat (and the 3am wake up calls were getting a bit much) I attempted to keep him inside. This was harder than I expected. It wasn’t just the constant meowing but also the fact that the few house-mates living with me would forget or accidentally let him slide past them when they were going outside. In the end I decided that I would just do my best to get him into a good routine.

After a few months I was close to having him in a routine but it was no where to my liking. Unexpectedly, I had to go live with my mother for a few months. My mother has two female cats making this situation a lot more interesting. When Tye had settled down in his new home for about four or five weeks, after much contemplating, i decided it was time to let him out. I supervised him every time (I even tried the lead - unsuccessfully) because being a protective mum I was worried he might get lost. Well one afternoon I left him for about five minutes and when I got back he was nowhere to be seen. I thought to myself he would be fine and he'd be back in an hour or so. Well hours went by and then two days. I was so scared I had lost him! Any of you who have lost your beloved cat would understand how scary this is! On the second night I decided to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. Well wasn't I glad when I got about four streets across to hear a little meow! I saw his little face sitting in a bush and he seemed scared. I picked him up and clutched him to my body so tightly the whole way home!

Let me tell you he didn't get let out again unsupervised.

So my cat is an indoor cat. Tye now lives in his third home with his mummy and daddy and YES it is very hard keeping a cat that is so eager to explore inside but it is worth not having all the worries that an outdoor cat comes with.

Did you know that an indoor cat has a longer life expectancy than an outdoor cat?

Outdoor cats can have their upsides:

1. If you’re the kind of person that feels animals should be outside then you have probably already made up your mind.
2. Outdoor cats don't require litter trays (or at least you don’t have to clean them very often).
3. They don't need as much attention because there is plenty of things outside to amuse them (but if you’re like me and give your cat all the attention in the world then this isn't a problem for you).
4. They don't need as many toys and things to keep them amused.
5. They're less likely to claw your furniture.
6. You don't have that guilty feeling when they are crying at you to go outside or gazing out the window.
7. It is easier to keep an outdoor cat's weight under control.

Here are the good things about keeping your cat indoors:

1. They can't get lost.
2. They won't get hit by a car (although if they have never been out and they do get out at some point they can be in more danger of this because they don't have 'street smarts').
3. Your cat won't get stolen (trust me this has happened to some people).
4. If you don't want your cat desexed you don't have to worry about random kittens.
5. No cat fights!
6. You will never have the worry about wondering where your cat is.
7. Much lower risk of diseases.
8. Longer life expectancy.
9. You can still allow your cat to enjoy the outdoor elements by building a cat run attached to your home.

There is probably many more positive things for both options. Please comment and tell me if you can think of any more! You could also tell me if your cat is indoors or outdoors and how you have made it work - or if its not working?

Thanks for reading,

-MsKitty

Who is MsKitty?

Hi there! 

I will start by telling you all that I am not just a cat lover but a lover of all animals. I have started this blog because I would like to connect with others who are passionate about this and give advice to people about their cats. I have chosen cats as the main topic of the blog because I would like to share with my readers the funny antics of my own cat, Tye. And hopefully find out about my reader's cats! 
I feel that my blog will be of great help because I myself as a cat owner have often found myself wondering "What should I do?". Often I find my answer by trial and error, but there is also some really basic solutions to our cat problems. 
There is so many things to learn about our pets; products and services are constantly changing and research is constantly being done. Another reason I decided to start this blog was to give myself the opportunity to learn more. All of our pets have their own individual personalities, there is endless things to talk about.

My blog posts will mostly be about cats. I will talk about things such as cat health, food and diet, behaviour and training, products and services, and cat breeds. But as I said before my passion doesn't just lie on the subject of cats but of all animals; So I will occasionally talk about other types of pets (for example dogs, birds, reptiles and rodents).

I have gained my knowledge of cats with trial and error, research and I have a certificate II in Veterinary Nursing. I am currently completing my diploma in Animal Technology. 

Please feel free to leave a comment and give me feedback. I am new to blogging and I welcome any tips or constructive criticism. You can email me if you have any questions. Please follow me!

Thanks for reading,

-MsKitty