Your Pet Cat Health

As cats grow older, a host of feline health concerns can arise, including diabetes.

“Diabetes is a common problem in older cats,” said Dr. Kenton Beard, a licensed veterinarian. “They produce a larger volume of urine, and it does tend to have a stronger smell. That’s due to the fact that cats, compared to humans, can’t regulate their glucose levels as well.”

Therefore, senior cats with diabetes need to have their litter box cleaned more frequently. For this reason, some owners of older cats are realizing they need a more effective litter - one that stops the strongest odors, handles a high volume of urine and can be easily scooped and cleaned.

One alternative is a natural cat litter such as Swheat Scoop, a clumping litter that’s made from naturally processed wheat. Through a patented process, its natural enzymes work to eliminate, rather than mask, litter box odors - even the extra offensive odors associated with diabetic cats.

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Just like having a child, it can be incredibly fulfilling bringing a kitten into your family and watching it grow up. It takes only a year for your cute little kitten to mature into a cat. It can seem hard to believe but it will happen fast. Being prepared is the goal here. So what are the key milestones for a young cat?

The First Moments

Kittens are born blind and they are completely dependant on their mother. The first stages will involve learning to eat and then growing. The kitten’s eyes will open and he will want to explore. At four weeks old, he is romping around shakily with his siblings. At this time he can begin to learn to use the litter box and should start to become a social animal. In the wild, the kitten’s mother will start to supplement his diet with dead mice and other small pretty. But, you may want to give him some soft kitten food or some dry food that is softened a little with water.

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So, you read somewhere that introducing a new kitten into your home could be great for your existing cat, for companionship. And you remember how much fun your cat was when she was a new kitten, and you would love to re-live those days.

It is generally thought that cats thrive better with the company of another feline, especially cats confined indoors. But before you rush off to your local cat shelter or breeder, here are a few tips to make bringing home a new kitten
as stress free as possible.

Choose a time when your home is not too busy and you will have time to devote to your new kitty and your existing cat, avoid holidays, for example, or other times when friends and family are likely to visit.

Before bringing home the new kitten, take her to your veterinarian to get her checked and vaccinated, kittens have weak immune systems and are likely to pick up something at the shelter or cattery. Consider adopting a cat of the opposite sex to your existing cat, this will avoid same sex rivalry and associated problems. For a number of reasons all your cats must be spayed/neutered.

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The hordes of homeless and feral cats everywhere are growing by leaps and bounds, and finally people are beginning to wake up to the necessity of neutering their cats.

Population Explosion

Because cats can reproduce several times a year, and kittens mature quickly, just 2 feral cats (the wild offspring of domestic cats) can quickly become 2,000. In fact, the feline reproduction statistics are staggering. 2 uncontrolled breeding cats produce: 2 litters a year, at a survival rate of 2.8 kittens per litter. Continued breeding will produce 12 cats the first year, 66 cats the second year, 2,201 cats in the third year, 3,822 cats in the fourth year, 12,680 cats in the fifth year, and on and on . . .

Unaltered Cats Spread Disease

Many of these feral cats are actually unaltered pet cats (or their offspring) that were released by owners who could no longer care for them. A colony of feral cats can spread diseases among pet cats and dogs in the area.

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America’s most popular pet, the cat, lives more than half of its life in the senior years. Although advances in veterinary care, better nutrition and better educated owners have helped improve the quantity and quality of these years, studies reveal that senior cats continue to struggle with weight as the result of reduced activity levels and a steady decline in senses, nutrient absorption and fat digestion.

“One of the most important goals when feeding senior cats is maintaining an ideal weight and keeping that weight stable,” said Dr. Arnold Plotnick, who developed a senior wellness program to address the special needs of aging cats at his veterinary clinic, Manhattan Cat Specialists in New York City.

Owners of senior cats can help their aging felines maintain an ideal body weight throughout the senior lifestage by feeding a diet that addresses their unique nutritional needs. Purina Pro Plan, for instance, has reformulated its entire line of senior cat foods to address the changing nutritional needs of aging cats in two different phases of the senior lifestage: ages 7 to 11 (mature) and 11 and up (senior).

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