Moving With Your Cat

Moving can be a difficult situation with which to deal for all member of your family, including your cats. If you will be moving in the near future there are a number of things that you should consider in order to make sure that your cat’s health is not compromised. Don’t forget to think about your furry friends when moving!

First, when you are packing for the move, it might be a good idea to confine your cat to a single room or to have a friend or family member watch your cat for the day. Movers are often caring very heavy items, like sofas and refrigerators, so they should not have to watch where they step. Your curious kitty could also climb into the moving van or boxes and get packed away! If your cat is a fully indoor cat,— the open doors while you are loading your belongings, will also be a worry, since it is easy for a pet to bolt out the door.

About a month before you move, have your cat wear his or her collar full-time, even if you do not normally put the collar on your cat. All of his or her information should be updated and the tags should reflect your new address. When cats are confused, they often run, and a lost cat in a new neighborhood may not be able to find his or her way home very easily. If your cat needs certain medication, this can be very dangerous. By having him or her wear a collar at all times, at least until he or she gets used to the new location, you can make sure that your cat is returned home if lost.

During the move itself, don’t forget to make special accommodations for your cat. A cat carrier that is well ventilated is a necessity, and if the trip will be more than a few hours long, you’ll also need to carry food, water, and litter box supplied for your cat. Cats that are not used to riding in cars may get sick, so talk to your vet about ways to prevent this. You can also cover the carrier with blankets to provide a bit of extra security for a stressed-out kitty when you’re in heavy, loud traffic or construction areas.

Remember, that you’ll need to find a new vet in your new neighborhood. This should be a top priority for you if you’re moving, and you should talk to your current vet about having your cat’s medical records transferred to a new location. If your cat is acting strangely at all, do not hesitate to call your vet for more tips about moving with your cat.

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Surgery And Your Cat

If your cat needs surgery, for whatever reason, there are multiple steps you can take to help your cat with this process. There are three main classifications of surgeries.

• Elective surgeries are those that you choose to have done, but that do not have to be done. Spaying and neutering fall into this category.
• The second kind of surgery is called non-elective, and these are surgeries which have to be done for your cat’s survival, but which you schedule.
• Lastly, there are emergency surgeries, that are done quickly and as your pet needs them, such as if your cat is hit by a car.
• If your cat is having elective or not elective surgery, there are ways to prepare for this, and if your cat is recovering from any type of surgery, you can do certain things in your home to make this easier.
  

First and foremost, when your cat is going to have surgery, it is usually best for this to happen when your cat has an empty stomach, unless your vet indicates otherwise. The most common response to the anesthetics used is vomiting, so your cat will have fewer problems if his or her stomach has no food in it. If you deny your pet food for about 12 hours before the surgery, most of the food in the stomach will be gone. In most cases, your cat having access to water is fine. If you have other pets in the house, you may need to confine your cat to one room so that he or she does not eat from other dishes, or you may need to withhold food from all of your pets.

When your kitty goes into surgery, remember that any number of things may go wrong. You’ll be responsible for the vet bill, even if it is higher than the estimate. After the surgery, it may take a day or even longer for your cat to be awake and functioning. You may also be looking at a few days—sometimes more—in the vet hospital for recovery. You should visit during the hours allowed, and volunteer to help feed or care for your cat. This will let your cat know that you have not abandoned him or her.

When you bring your cat home, follow all instructions completely. Your cat may need multiple medications daily or a special diet. Your cat may also not be allowed outside for a certain amount of time. For cats with any kind of incision, assume this to be at least a week or two, which may be difficult if your cat is used to going outside often. If your cat’s fur had to be clipped or shaved, keep in mind that he or she is probably colder than normal, so it may be a good idea to provide extra blankets warmed in the dryer or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. Remember, your other cats will need attention too. By making sure that your house is safe and loving, you can keep all of your cats happy after surgery.

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Neutering Your Cat

Most male animals that are not used for breeding purpose's are castrated, neutered, so that they can no longer impregnate a female. For cats especially, this is crucial, since there are hundreds of kittens every year that go without homes. There are many advantages to neutering your male cat, and the process is quite safe, so you should consider it if your furry feline friend is male and not yet neutered.

Male cats that have not yet been neutered are called tomcats. Simply put, it can be difficult to live with a tomcat, no matter how well trained he may be. When your cat is not neutered, he will want to get outside as frequently as possible to mate with female cats in heat. This can be disastrous if you live in a busy street with lots of traffic or if your cat is not used to being outdoors. Tomcats also roam a lot, meaning that they may travel far distances in search of female cats, and it is possible for your cat to roam too far and not know his way home. It is also possible for him simply to resist coming home at all, since he will be shut indoors. To protect your male cat, neutering it the best choice.

Tomcats also fight and are generally more aggressive than neutered cats. Because they want sexual dominance in a particular area, they may seek fights with other male cats to drive them away. Cats will fight to the death if they feel threatened, and fights cause not only injuries, but also the spread of diseases like the FeLV virus, which can be fatal. Neutering your cat will not stop an aggressive cat from being less aggressive toward humans, but it will prevent your cat from actively seeking fights with other male cats in the neighborhood.

Vasectomies are not done with male cats. Rather, the simple neutering procedure will remove the male reproductive organs, which are easily accessible in most tomcats. In some cases, more extensive surgery has to be done, because they have not developed and descended correctly. The removal of these organs is what causes the changing in male hormones through a cat’s body, changing the cat’s behavior. Sterilization is not enough, because the cat won’t notice the difference and will still seek to fight and mate. Your vet can tell you more about this procedure, but all in all, it is the best choice for any cat, since there are already so many homeless cats in the world.

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How to care and breed your discus fish

More manuals over the years have been written about keeping and breeding discus fish then any other exotic fish. This is because they are very popular with pet owners. Discus fish are very sensitive creatures, if you want to keep long lasting discus fish you need to be aware of there preferred living conditions and feeding and breeding habits.

Discus is a native of the calm and warm Amazon River Keeping discus fish requires the pet owner to have the right information about what to expect and what to offer them to make these exotic creatures happy. Discus fish keeps changing their behaviour according to the environmental factors.

They are generally shy but if your planning to keep discus fish you will notice that they become quite aggressive to there own kind this is because of breeding territory protection. In this type of situation only the strong discus will survive and the week get attacked. Its best to keep to keep discus fish in groups of minimum six individuals is considered ideal. By keeping them in groups it will increase confidence in group members and lower the risk of misbehaviour. Keeping discus fish can bring lots of challenges and rewards at the same time too.

Here are some quick tips for you...

Pairing: Discus fish really don't take well to arrange marriages, the best way to get a pair to gather is to buy a group of young unrelated fish of the same colour type and let them pair up themselves. This might happen from when the fish are half grown, spawning usually occurs when there ¾ of their adult size. The fish will usually remain a pair until the remainder of there lives.

Spawning: Discus will choose a near vertical smooth site, which they clean and then the female will lay any ware from 80-400 eggs and then the male fertilises them. It can take between 50-60 hours for the eggs to hatch and another 36-48 hours until their swimming freely.

Breeding Tank: It’s best to keep the breeding tanks simple and to have a simple air powered filtration, spawning sites (terracotta cones, broad leafed plants or slate) and no substrate. The water needs to be very soft so the eggs can develop properly. The quality of the water needs to be excellent and have a temperature of about 84-88F. Also a suitable tank size is 24x18x18.

Feeding and Conditioning: The parents will need a good and varied diet not just to condition them to spawn, but to provide nutrition when they are feeding their fry. Large water changes, a temperature rise and heavy feeding is often a good spawning trigger.

Fry Rearing: It's a good idea to give the fry additional feedings of small foods such as (BBS) baby brine shrimp whilst with parents. You will notice after about 3-6 weeks the parents will be exhausted, also the fry will be growing fast it's a good idea to remove them. This is where lots of tanks and water changes are needed to achieve a decent growth rate. I used to grow circa. 40 fry to just under 2" in a 55G tank, and this required heavy water changing. The discus market is saturated with fish, so it best to grow 20-50 excellent fry than 80 runts. Growth is reasonable, but not spectacular.
Guide To Pet Care

Cats and Household Poisons.

It is important to know about the different household items that could poison your cat, if you seek to provide the best living environment possible for your furry feline friend. Remember, your cat cannot resist tasty-smelling or unusual substances, nor can he or she tell you what was ingested to make him or her feel badly. Therefore, know which items you own could hurt your pet and keep these items securely in cabinets and other places your cat cannot access. If possible, keep these items out of your home altogether.

First, many homes have bleach products. You’ll find bleach and Clorox mainly in the laundry room or in other cleaning supplies; however, you can also find bleach products in swimming pool supplies. In generally, household bleaches are fairly mild. Although they will make your cat feel ill, most animals are smart enough to not drink enough to kill. Signs that your cat may have drunk a bleach product include excess drooling, vomiting, and abdominal pain. If your cat seems to be in pain, smell his or her fur if possible to detect the scent of the bleach. In general, call you vet and have your cat drink large quantities of milk or water if you possibly can. Monitor your cat for bloody vomit and difficulty breathing, and wash the paws and mouth area thoroughly.

Mothballs and other products containing naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene can also make your cat sick. Ingesting this substance can cause liver damage and seizures. Symptoms include vomiting, seizures, blue or brown colored gums, increased heart rate,loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

Citrus oils, which are found in shampoo, insect repellent, fragrances, and insecticide are very harmful to cats as well. Although these items can harm all pets, cats are more sensitive than dogs and if you treat a cat with dog products, the result could kill your pet. Signs that your cat has ingested citrus oils include that common citrus smell, drolling, falling, trembling, and weakness. Eventually, liver damage occurs, and many cats experience liver failure, resulting in death. If your cat is treated, the prognosis is good, but left untreated, this poison could be deadly.

Therefore, it is simply important to call your vet if you see anything wrong with your cat at all. Cats are creatures of habit, so if your feline seems to be acting strangely, it is best to schedule an appointment. Do what’s best for your pet and try to keep harmful products in places where they can’t be reached.
A Guide To Pet Care

Dental Health For Your Cat

It is important for you to go to the dentist at least once a year for checkups. This is, however, also important to your cat! Many people never think about it, but good dental health can keep your cat happy and disease-free. Whenever your cat goes to the vet, make sure that the dental health is checked and discussed, and if your cat is acting strangely at all, especially with eating habits, make sure that dental health problems are not a concern.

Kittens, like baby humans, have fewer teeth than adult cats. Each kitten has 26 temporary teeth, which begin to appear at about three weeks of age. An adult cat will have 30 permanent teeth—16 on the top and 14 on the bottom. A cat usually begins getting his or her permanent teeth when he or she is three of four months old. Some of these teeth have two roots while others have three.

The most common dental diseases found in cats are resporption lesions and gum disease (gingivitis). Resorption lesions are also known as cervical line lesions or neck lesions and often result in tooth loss. These lesions are difficult to detect, as they often grow below the gum line. Gum disease is found in over 70% of cats by the age of three. You can tell if your cat has gum disease by looking for yellow and brown tarter build up along the gum line and over the tooth, red inflamed gums, and chronic bad breath.

Oral disease is often an indication of other more serious health problems. For example, it is common for a cat with feline leukemia virus (F.E.L.V) to have oral health problems. Dental conditions are also commonly found with feline immunodeficiency virus and feline calici virus. Therefore, if your pet is have dental problems, you need to see a vet right away about these conditions to make sure they are symptoms of a much more serious disease.

Cats can also accidentally break teeth. This can be a result of a fall, a fight with another cat or other animal, or biting into something too hard to chew. Usually, the upper canine tooth will be the tooth fractured. This is the tooth in your cat’s mouth that looks like a large fang. If this is fractured, your cat may or may not be in pain. The first symptom of this kind of a fracture is continuous sneezing.

Overall, oral health is important in all mammals. Cats are susceptible to a number of dental disease and problems, just like humans. By taking your cat to the vet often and asking about oral health, you can make sure that you are providing the best health care foods and tools for your feline friend.
A Guide To Pet Care

As Your Cat Ages

Age is just a number, right? A Human who is 60 years old may act like a young adult, while another human the same age may at like he or she is on a deathbed. Cats are the same way! Your pet may act like a kitten for many years or they may look like they are old and gray with arthritis . Specific breed, environment, and genetics play a role, but in general, a well-cared for house cat usually lives to be at least 15 years old. Some cats live to be well over 30.

There are things you can do, however, to provide your cat with the chance for the longest life possible. For example, have your cat spayed or neutered. Statistics show that fixed cats live longer, because this causes the cat to stay closer to home and be exposed to few dangerous situations and disease. Good nutrition is also important. Make sure that you are buying cat food that is appropriate for your cat’s age.

As you cat ages, certain medical conditions may cause you to make special considerations for your cat. Examples include reduced tolerance to extreme temperatures, decreased sensory perception, susceptibility to infection, arthritis and joint stiffness, digestion problems, liver and kidney problems, weaker bones, cancer, muscle weakness, slow reaction, memory loss, high blood pressure, and irritability. As you can see, aging cats have many of the same problems as aging humans!

Along with a good diet, promote healthy amounts to exercise in your cat. You can do this by allowing your cat to go outside and by playing with your cat every day. Toys and environmental pieces, like scratching posts, are great for encouraging your cat to exercise. Remember, cats may spend a lot of the day sleeping, which is fine. If you are overly concerned, talk to your vet about your cat’s sleeping habits.

Preventative health care is, of course, important. Make sure that your cat has regular checkups with the vet to make sure everything is in check. You should also brush your cat’s teeth daily and have your cat groomed regularly to prevent skin diseases. As cats age, most grow to love grooming. Monitor your cat for diet chances, changing sleep habits, and unsafe water consumption. The key to graceful aging in a cat is and owner who is well involved in his or her life. Make sure that you provide advanced care for your cat as he or she grows, and your pet should be a part of your life for a very long time.

A Guide To Pet Care