Healthy Cats

If you are new to owning a cat, you may be surprised to find that health problems are a common thing.

No matter what breed of cat you own, cat health is one of the major topics you will have to know about.  With any breed certain problems are to be expected. Some may be hereditary, while others can easily be prevented. No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.

Some of the most typical worms to infect cats are tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms. There are several symptoms that indicate your cat may require testing for worms including trouble gaining weight, fleas, or white specks in his stool. Please make certain that you have them treated with medication, otherwise worms can prove to be fatal.

Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats. Cats clean themselves every day, and they swallow the hair that they shed. On occasion, this loose hair will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cats stool. When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball - as a popular cat owner manual confirmed recently. Although it is kind of gross, cats can usually get rid of the hairballs without difficulty. Although rare, a hairball can occassionally become lodged in the cats intestines, this creates blockage.

Blockages are not to be ignored, since they can kill you if left untreated. Not eating properly, having a dull coat, and blockage are three factors that could lead to your cat being constipated. Seek veterinary assistance immediately if any of the symptoms listed appear.

If you want to prevent your cat from getting hairballs and blokages, you should get rid of shedding hair by brushing your cat 2 to 3 times every week. Urinary tract infection, also a common health problem with cats, can be controlled by feeding him food designed to control hair balls.

Female and male cats can suffer from urinary tract infections, however, this is more likely to occur in male cats that have not been neutered. This problem is usually the culprit when your cat(s) suddenly stops going to their litter box. One symptom that your cat may have a UTI is strong smelling urine, and if this symptom is there they need to go to the vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe medicine to treat the problem, and can give you advice on avoiding the problem in the future.

Nowadays, vaccines are available to treat the disease, feline leukemia, which used to be the greatest cause of death in cats in the past. To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed. Even though death doesnt happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don’t have a long life span. If you know your cat has feline leukemia, you should never allow other cats around him, as the virus is highly contagious.

To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups. If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Although some health problems can’t be avoided, most of them can. If you take cat care seriously, take him to the vet and keep him healthy he will be your companion for years to come.

Ow! Your cat just attacked you, and those tiny teeth are very sharp. Below are some reasons why your cat bites you.

The cat might be afraid. Your kid might be pulling on the cat’s tail. An unfamiliar person may have tried to pick the cat up. Cats often will bite for protection.

Playing with you or other animals may lead a cat to bite. You might be walking across the room and suddenly feel your toe attacked. Some cats hate to have their bellies tickled and will bite your hand. Whilte biting is normal cat behavior, a bite to you or a family member is probably not what you would like. Give your cat exercise by playing chasing and pouncing games with cat toys with long poles so your hands will not get in the way. Don’t use your hand or other body part as the object to be chased as this cat training will only encourage biting.

Some felines actually bite to express their love. Cats bite each other lightly to demonstrate their affection for each other, and your cat may be giving you love cat-style. Cats may also give gentle bites while they are licking you. Actually, the cat is grooming you, and cats normally give gentle bites when they groom each other.

Cats bite to let you know that they have had enough attention for awhile. Your feline could be purring happily as you pet her and then bite you to get you to stop petting her. Cats generally will use body language that can tell you they have reached their limit before they actually bite by laying back their ears or creating circles with their tails.

Pain can cause cats to bite. If your cat suddenly starts biting for no apparent reason, get a vet exam to rule out any physical problems.

Handling small kittens in front of their mother can result in a bite since they are extremely protective of their young. Usually, the mama cat will quit biting as the kittens grow older.

Now, you should understand why your cat bites. By not playing aggressively with your cat, treating underlying medical conditions, and learning cat behavior secrets , you can reduce or eliminate the biting and enjoy your cat friend.

When we feel pain in our bodies, we can easily tell someone that there is something wrong and that person will be able to take you to the infirmary. Pets cannot do that merely watching them can tell you a lot of things. which is why owners should exercise cat care and be aware of the symptoms.

Talked About beneath are a few diseases and their symptoms you should look out for.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most feared disease by cat owners. It is a acknowledged fact, that it is the leading cause of death amongst cats. It is caused by a coronavirus infection and what is even worse, is that the symptoms are very much like other diseases so it is very difficult to diagnose.

There is also Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) that is similar to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Just like the version in humans, it is a life long infection that advances slowly and kills the cat.

Cats may as well be infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). This is a is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non cancerous diseases. As Luck Would Have It, it can be easily treated by using some household bleach and detergents, also your pet must be kept warm. This disease is transmissible through the saliva, tears, urine and feces of other cats that are infected. unlike the other two diseases, it is unable to live that long in the environment. Hence, it is only transmissible when the infected cat stays with some other cat for any period of time. 

Worms are another threat to cats and this is caused by a fungal infection that is spread through spores.. Since this disease is self limiting, you will not have do anything to make it clear up. It will in eventually clear up on its own, but it may take a few months to do so.

If you have a obese cat, then the prospects are it will already have feline diabetes. The symptoms of this disease are pretty simple to see and are excessive urination and thirst as well as weight loss or gain. Veterinaries are of yet uncertain what is the cause of this, but recent research studies that have been done, have proved that there is a link between pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalance and certain medications.

The symptoms of most of the diseases mentioned are very alike. These include diarrhea, vomiting, lameness lasting for more than 5 days in one leg, a reduction in vision, excessive panting, a seizure, blood in the stool or urine, hair loss, persistent coughing or gagging and breathing heavily or rapidly at rest. In order to find the answer, your cat will have to undergo some tests.

Your veterinarian will take some blood, urine and feces samples and ask for input from you, about any observation you have made. When the tests results come back, only then will the proper treatment be administered to your cat as each case is different, so what worked for another cat may not have the identical positive effect with yours.

Your cat could still be healthy if you gave it constant attention. This can be done by feeding it superior quality food, giving it fresh water, allowing it to exercise, proper grooming, making for sure it stays inside and taking it regularly to the veterinarian.

If you miss any of these simple steps, then something wrong is sure to happen to your cat and you will soon notice a change in the behavior of your cat and if you do nothing about it, it is just going to make matters far worse. So you need to observe proper cat care and look out for any symptoms.

For further Free information on Long Term Cat Care try visiting Caring For Your Cat Help.