Pets

Tips on getting your cat to scratch in the right places

How to keep your cat from scratching up your furniture, drapes, etc.

You love your feline friend. You even love the many quirky things she does. However, you don’t love the way she scratches your furniture. Yet, you are against having her declawed for many reasons. What do you do?

First, you must understand why cats want to scratch the furniture and everywhere else. No, it isn’t just to sharpen their paws or to help them shed that outer nail layer that they have. They want to scratch to leave their mark and to tell other cats that this is their territory.  

Scratching is also an exercise for your cat. It stretches out their shoulder muscles, the tendon of her paws, and the muscles in their forelegs. This is all beneficial to your cat and a reason why she should scratch. However, she needs to learn where to scratch and it is our duty as cat owners to teach her where this place is.

Cleaning cat urine

Find it with a UV light, then hit it with Nature's Miracle

It's a problem that plagues so many cat owners: cat urine in the wrong place. Anywhere but the litter box, and you have a major problem. 

The first thing to do is address the cause of the inappropriate urination, of course. If you have a cat who is suddenly peeing in the wrong spot, the first thing you should do is take your cat to a vet. This is a classic sign of a urinary tract infection, which can be both painful and damaging. Male cats may also suffer from urinary tract crystals which can be excruciating and potentially fatal.
 
Male cats should always be neutered, and not only to prevent territorial marking (a.k.a. "spraying"). The same goes for female cats, who may otherwise urinate inappropriately as part of their hormonal cycle.
 
The first step to cleaning up cat urine is to find it. You may be surprised where the urine is, and how much of it there is. Cat urine will fluoresce under black light, and if you have a cat urine issue, I strongly recommend getting (or borrowing, or renting) a black light device for detecting cat urine.

KittyCam proves: Your kitty really is a killer

Study illustrates why outdoor cats lead shorter lives

Cats are always trying to convince us that they are ninjas, cold-hearted killers who deserve our respect and awe. Don't tell your cat - their ego doesn't need the boost - but a new study shows that it is probably true.

Dubbed "KittyCam," this project is a collaboration between National Geographic and the University of Georgia. Researchers chose 60 free-roaming outdoor house cats in the town of Athens, Georgia, and fitted them with cameras. They sent the cats out to live their lives, then studied the results.
 
Bird lovers and ecologists have long known that cats are a major threat to wildlife. Still, many owners are shocked to learn that 44 percent of free roaming cats hunt and kill on a daily basis. On average, these hunters will kill a surprising number of animals - approximately two animals per week. Most of the kills were birds, but the cats also killed a fair number of lizards - facts their owners would never suspect, because the cats invariably left the dead lizards at the kill site, rather than bringing them home.

"My Cat From Hell" returns!

Summer is saved!

In the midst of a long drought of summer re-runs, one bright spot is the return of a new season of Animal Planet's breakout hit, "My Cat From Hell." This show stars Jackson Galaxy, the tattooed, pierced, oddly-bearded, biker-looking dude who is - contrary to appearances - and isn't that a lesson for you - a kind, sensitive, and empathetic cat behavioral specialist. 

In the same way that "The Dog Whisperer" IS Cesar Milan, "My Cat From Hell" IS Jackson Galaxy. He literally makes the show. Galaxy's humor, intuition, and ability to assess a situation from a cat's point of view is as unique as it is fascinating. I recently found his blog, jacksongalaxy.com, via his Twitter feed. (Animal Planet promotes the "My Cat From Hell" section of its website, which is somewhat paltry. If you are interested in the show, check out Jackson's own site!) His seven minute video "The Politics of Litter" will teach you more about cat psychology than an entire shelf full of useless conventional cat books.

Super Old Cats

How long can a cat live? You might be surprised at the answer!

Although the average lifespan for an indoor-only, male cat is 12-14 years, some cats manage to live considerably longer. Cats of 17, 18, even 20 years old are not too uncommon. But then on the very far end of the bell curve, you have the world's oldest cats!
 
Currently the world's record is held by Creme Puff, who was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as being 38 years old and 3 days at the time of her death. Creme Puff lived with Jake Perry, an Austin, Texas cat lover who is the subject of this ten minute mini documentary. 

Four Products For Older Cats

Make your cat's golden years truly golden!

Although the typical life expectancy for a male indoor cat is 12-14 years, cats can live up to 18, 19, even 20 years or more. (The world's record is held by Creme Puff, who died at the age of 38.) As they age, just like people, certain things will make a cat's life much easier and more comfortable. 
 
1. Good Nutrition
A high-quality food is even more important for an older cat than a younger one. Older cats have a more difficult time metabolizing their food, so it needs to be as nutritious as possible in order for them to get the same benefit as they did when they were younger. In addition, a high-quality food will have less filler and ash, both of which are substances that can cause health issues in older cats (like kidney and bladder problems). 

Constipation in Cats

It's more common than you might think

 

Constipation is a frequent concern in cats, particularly in older cats. Most cats will have a bowel movement once or twice a day, but a constipated cat may go 2, 3, or even 4 days between bowel movements. At which point, the experience is incredibly painful, and the cat is in a considerable amount of discomfort and pain.
 
How do you know a cat is constipated?
Being aware of your cat's usual elimination schedule is your best bet. You can also look for signs of distress, crying, discomfort, a belly which seems fuller or harder than usual, and a cat who visits the litter box often without anything happening. 

Food for Finicky Eaters

Tiki Cat, baby food, Nutrical, and Science Diet A/D
Even a healthy cat can go through an occasional bout of being a finicky eating. The conventional wisdom is that you should "wait it out and he'll eat when he's hungry enough." But what these laypeople don't realize is that if a cat fails to eat (or under-eats) for long enough, they are at risk of Fatty Liver Disease. This is basically a feedback loop where not eating makes the cat feel sick, and the sicker the cat feels the less they eat, which makes them feel worse. Next step: liver failure.
 
Then again, you might just want to give your cat a special treat, maybe for her birthday, or for a holiday!
 
Either way, there are several great options out there for treating a happy cat, or coaxing an unhappy one to eat.

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