Cat Problems Resolved Blog

Cats are wonderful creatures and bring much joy to their owners - from small children to the elderly living on their own. They quickly become part of our family, in fact they think they own us! However, there are times when they have a problem that can’t be resolved immediately, when we, as responsible owners, need some advice. It can be anything from finding out why your cat is continually scratching at his or her ears, why they have suddenly stopped using the litter box or what’s the best food to feed them. Perhaps you want to house train your cat with a minimum of stress to you both, or you want to stop your cat scratching the furniture. Do you want to know what is wrong with your cat and whether a trip to the vet is necessary?

Cat Problems Resolved contains a growing series of articles on various problems that I or others have had with our cats or kittens.

Cat Ear Mites

Cat ear mites are most often seen in kittens, though they can and do affect cats of any age. They are extremely contagious, and can be passed from cat to cat and even from a dog to cat.

Cat Spraying

Cat spraying or urine marking is when your cat sprays small amounts of urine to announce his presence. This is usually done on vertical surfaces such as door frames, walls or furniture.  Do all cats spray to mark their territory?

Is Your Cat Vomiting

Every cat owner will undoubtedly have to clean up cat vomit many times during their cat’s life. There can be many reasons for your cat to vomit, just like with us.  One possible reason is a hairball lodged in their throat. Does your cat seem to cough a lot before vomiting?

Feline Heartworm

This is something you don’t want your cat to get. Feline heartworm is spread by infected mosquitoes who inject the larvae into the bloodstream of the animal they are biting. Heartworm can kill your cat suddenly without any signs of infection. Check with your vet about having your kitten vaccinated.

Is Your Cat Vomiting

Cat vomit is something that every pet owner will have do deal with eventually. Sometimes it is just a hairball or perhaps too much food that causes your cat to be sick. However if the condition persists and your cat keeps vomiting, a trip to the vet is definitely recommended.

Creating A Safe Environment For Your Cat

Kittens and cats are inquisitive animals and love to play with anything that will fit in their mouth. This includes small toys, balls of wool, feathers and electrical cords. If you are adopting a kitten, make sure your home is safe for them.

Your Cat’s Play Aggression

Does your cat pounce on you when you walk past? Chase and play with moving toys? This is part of play aggression and is an important learning activity for your cat or kitten. This is how they learn to catch their prey and defend themselves in a fight. However, if your cat doesn’t know when to stop attacking you, you might have an aggression problem.

Cat Urine Removers

I find it very sad that many healthy and beautiful cats and kittens end up either abandoned on the side of a road or left at a shelter because their cat ‘makes the house smell’. First find out why your cat eliminates inappropriately, then retrain it. There are many easy to use and non chemical cat urine removers on the market today. Find out what you can to do stop this problem and keep your beloved cat.

Cats Make Wonderful Friends

Cats really do make marvelous pets. They help keep our older citizens company, they can help children learn responsibility and they can make young children laugh with joy. I find it very relaxing and soothing to have a cat curled up on my lap in the evening while I watch TV after a busy day.

Feline Diabetes

Unfortunately Feline Diabetes is more widespread than most people realize. It can affect up to 1 in 400 cats and seems to be more common in overweight cats and male cats. With care, cats with feline diabetes can live long and fulfilling lives.

Up To 60,000,000 Homeless

This staggering number is the estimated number of homeless or feral cats in America today. Cats become feral when they are dumped by thoughtless people who no longer want their cat or kittens for whatever reason, or when they find it is too expensive to take them to a shelter.

How To Keep Your Cat In Top Condition

Like all of us, cats need exercise to keep in top condition. This is especially so for cats who catch prey such as mice. Cats seem to spend a lot of the day sleeping so it is important to make sure your cat gets enough exercise. You can do this easily by playing with it.

Cat Grooming

Grooming and brushing your cat can not only be a wonderful bonding experience for you and your family, it can also be extremely relaxing. Having a purring cat arching its back as you brush it gives a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. It can be likened to having your hair washed and brushed at the hairdressers, something I love.

Caring for Older Cats - Incontinence

It is hard for cats when they face incontinence problems. Because cats are such fastidious creatures, they are highly embarrassed. They feel they have ‘let the family down’ and will even withdraw from being around them.

Older cats in particular can have problems with incontinence.

Training Your Cat - Keeping Them Off Your Counter or Desk

Cats are naturally inquisitive creatures and love to know what is going on and what their favorite person is doing. They can no doubt also smell the food you are preparing and will want to check it out.

It is important to stop this behavior as early as possible.

Cat Adoption

Too many people rush into getting a new kitten for the family or children. They see a friend with a kitten or find an adorable one in the pet shop. There are responsibilities that come with owning a pet and a cat or kitten is no different. Find out the steps to take before adopting a kitten.

Cats, Kids and Responsibility

Are you aware that giving children responsibility for looking after his or her own kitten or cat can help them develop into caring, responsible adults with the ability to plan ahead and form lasting relationships? They understand from an early age that pets are for life and are relying on them for their very existence.

Domestic Cats - Indoors or Outdoors

There has been much discussion as to whether domestic cats should be kept indoors or allowed to roam free outside. There are pros and cons for each side - indoor cats live longer and are at less risk of infection or accidents with other cats, dogs or cars but can become bored easily and create havoc in the house. Outdoor cats build up an immunity to germs and have the freedom to come and go as they please but could kill native wildlife. Some people don’t have the choice - they don’t have an outdoor place for their cat to roam in. Find out how you can keep your indoor cat happy.

Cat Urine Problems

If you start finding cat urine in unexpected places, you need to find out the reason this is happening. Make sure your can is not in pain or uncomfortable when eliminating, or if the litter box has been accidently moved or is difficult or is difficult to access.

Finding the reason for this unwanted problem is the focus of Cat Urine Problems. One easy tip is perhaps purchasing a new litter box, especially if the current one has been in use for some time.

Creating a Cat Friendly Home

Cats are beautiful independent creatures that can bring much joy to a home. However, it is necessary for you to make your home ‘cat friendly’. By this I mean having a cat door if your cat is to be allowed outside, somewhere warm to sleep and lots of love and play time toys. Read 5 Tips to Keep Your Cat Happy & Healthy for some simple tips on cat care.

Skin Problems

Skin infections can be the source of a cat’s distress; they can also be the consequence of self-mutilation, which then causes her to scratch even more. The original diagnosis could be fleas, an allergy to something in the home such as chemical cleaning products or her food, mange, ticks or ringworm. Talk to your vet about possible causes and treatment.

Cat Aggression

In cats there are normally two types of aggression – play aggression (such as kittens exhibit) and serious aggression (when the cat bites, scratches for no discernable reason). Kittens, and some older cats, will engage in play aggression such as pouncing, chasing, biting, hissing, stalking and scratching behavior, something that is completely normal. This is shown in the above video with a mother cat teaching the kitten about play-type aggression. Even though it looks serious, at no time does the mother’s claws come out. Learn to read your cat’s body language to avoid being injured.

Cat Massage

We all enjoy a massage when we are lucky enough to have someone knead the shoulders, neck or back. Cats enjoy a massage as much as we do and it is especially beneficial to them.

Massaging your cat in the evening can be a wonderful bonding experience.

Feral Cats

I came across a wonderful article called Without A Voice by Jessica Crawford and have posted it here for your enjoyment and education. It truly shows the “throw away society” we appear to have become. The “used-to-be” pet finds itself left behind or abandoned on the street, or caged in a shelter among many other unwanted souls in a shelter. The once loved pet is now feral and a menace to society.