Cats

Posted by Jennifer Copley

How Stuff Works provides a wide variety of big cat videos, including lions hunting a wildebeest, tigers exploring their territory, cheetah cubs learning to hunt, a jaguar attack at Denver Zoo, leopards playing, a Florida panther preservation program, a leopard fighting a hyena, and more.

Chat Big Cats and Other Animals Too is a forum where those who love big cats can share their photos, videos, audio tracks, and stories. The site hosts a broad array of images and videos featuring big cats and other animals, including footage of a pig nursing tiger cubs, a baby bobcat playing with a domestic housecat, and a monkey teasing young tigers.

For more information on big cats, see Helping Endangered Wildcats, Wild Cats of Canada, and India’s Endangered Tigers.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

Injecting subcutaneous (Sub-Q) fluids can be scary at first, although it becomes relatively easy with time and experience. Many people feel intimidated or frustrated when they first have to do the procedure.

I’ve provided some basic instructions and links to additional resources in Sub-Q Fluid Therapy for Cats with CRI or CRF. Online demonstration videos of the procedure are available at:

• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
• The Mar Vista Animal Medical Center

There is also a Feline Chronic Renal Failure Support Group through which cat owners who have had extensive experience dealing with CRF offer educational, technical, and emotional support to newcomers.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

Four years ago, Maire Egan took in a single stray kitten, which she named Snowball. Since then, she has cared for and rehomed more than 900 cats, and her Kitten Cottage has been established as a registered charity.

Many people have started successful animal shelters and sanctuaries, though they require a lot of work, both in the planning stages and once up and running. If you think that this is something you’d like to do, see Starting an Animal Shelter for information on requirements, planning, and fundraising.

If you don’t have the time or resources to establish your own animal shelter but you’d like to help, local SPCAs have foster care programs through which you can provide temporary care for an animal that could not manage in a shelter environment. This includes animals that are very young, injured, ill, unsocialized, or extremely stressed out. When shelters run out of space, they may also foster out healthy, well-adjusted adult animals.

The shelter provides medical care for foster animals, while the foster “parent” usually provides the food and litter. The duration of foster care placements is variable. In some cases, people choose to adopt the pets they have fostered.

If you plan to foster a cat or kitten, see Cat Proofing a House for information on how to make your home safe for the new arrival, and Supplies and Equipment for a New Kitty for a list of what you’ll need to purchase in advance.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

The study, which was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicates that owning a cat is a good idea for children who have not yet developed a cat allergy, as it may provide protection. However, if the child already has allergies, they can’t be cured by keeping a cat, and living with cats doesn’t provide protection against other allergies.

Cat allergies are linked to asthma, and children who live with cats from the time they are born are also less likely to develop asthma. Children living on farms are more asthma-resistant as well.

If you have a cat and an allergy sufferer living in the same household, there are a number of ways to reduce allergens. There is also anecdotal evidence that certain cat breeds are less likely to provoke allergic reactions in susceptible people.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

This classic YouTube compilation called “Hilarious Cats” is set to classical music..

Another five-star offering is this video, which features hilarious real-life cat bloopers. It also shows a few cat victories, including karate match between a cat and a dog where the cat appears to be coming out on top, and even more impressively, a cat chasing away a black bear.

I’ve seen cats running off much larger animals many times. Perhaps the larger animal assumes that if the cat is gutsy enough to give chase, he might be able to back it up somehow so it’s best to run away. I wonder what the cat would have done had he actually caught the bear.

For more fun cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat- and Pet-Related Holidays.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

There are many plants that are toxic to cats if eaten. The most deadly common houseplants are lilies, but a number of other plants can also have adverse effects.

Some toxic plant effects are relatively minor. For example, chrysanthemums and poinsettias can cause skin or mouth rash. Plants that induce more serious reactions such as pain, vomiting, tremors, and problems with the heart, kidneys, and respiratory system in severe cases include azaleas and umbrella plants. Morning glory, nutmeg, peyote, periwinkle, and marijuana will induce hallucinations in cats. China berry, moonweed, and water hemlock can cause convulsions.

Outdoor plants, trees, and shrubs that can have toxic effects include daffodils, delphiniums, marigolds, fox gloves, wisteria (seeds), larkspur, holly, yew, and horse chestnut. Most outdoor plants will just cause stomach upsets, but there are a few, such as ivy, that can be fatal if larger quantities are ingested.

Given the option, most cats are far more inclined to snack on grass than other plants, and they are usually not interested in eating the poisonous ones (though accidental ingestion may occur if there are a lot of poisonous seeds lying around). Growing some cat grass indoors can help prevent munching on houseplants.

For links to full lists of toxic plants, see Franny Syufy’s “How Does My Cat Garden Grow.” For a partial list that provides information on symptoms, see The Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook.

If you suspect that your cat has eaten a toxic plant, see What to Do if Your Cat Has Been Poisoned.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

Onions contain an ingredient called allyl propyl disulfide, which can lead to anemia in cats and dogs because it causes their red blood cells to rupture. Garlic also contains allyl propyl disulfide, though not as much of it.

Anemia symptoms include depression, high respiratory rate, rapid heartbeat, weakness, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fever. Anemia can destroy kidney tissue, causing kidney failure.

Many owners give sick cats baby food to encourage them to eat. When doing this, it’s important to check the label as many baby foods contain onions or onion salt.

Benzocaine topical preparations and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also cause anemia. Dogs or cats that have ingested these substances or onions should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

• For more information on onions and pets, see Just Say No to Onions and Why are onions dangerous for dogs and cats?
• For more information on feline nutrition, see Dry Food, Wet Food, and Raw Diets for Cats and Cat Nutrition and Home-Made Food.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

There are a number of reasons why even healthy cats must take pills or other medications, such as the prevention of heartworms. Spot-on lotions are used for a variety of purposes, including tick and flea control. Also, many older cats suffer from chronic renal insufficiency and require regular subcutaneous fluid injections at home.

Giving such medications can be daunting. Many cats fight hard against taking pills, and injecting subcutaneous fluids for the first time can be intimidating for someone who doesn’t have medical training. The Feline Advisory Bureau has created three helpful step-by-step guides with information and pictures to help owners administer cat medications and fluids successfully at home.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

Nora the cat’s playing is rather primitive, but given her lack of musical training and opposable thumbs, she does quite well. Here you can watch a video of Nora playing duets with others (people rather than cats). Her attention span is short, but she appears to practice regularly and diligently, working alongside her owner’s students to hone her musical skills. Nora’s talent has spawned a broad array of copycat videos, including Sugar the Pianist Cat and many others.

Not all cats can be virtuosos, but many cats have other marketable skills. In the past, cat careers were limited to rat catcher and foot-warmer. Happily, in this day and age, cats can be circus performers, dance partners or even train station attendants.

Posted by Jennifer Copley

All cats should be provided with a scratch post and trainedto use it. However, some cats have a strong preference for scratching the furniture and many cats like to jump up on kitchen counters, tabletops and other surfaces that owners prefer to keep cat-free.

Hitting or yelling at cats for engaging in problem behaviours is a bad idea, as it can lead to anxiety and aggression. To keep cats off surfaces such as countertops, cover them with carpet runner or car mats (bumpy side up), or clear tape (sticky side up) for a week or two to break the habit. If you use sticky tape, be sure to buy a non-toxic brand.

Sticky Paws offers of a variety of non-toxic double-sided surface tape products designed specifically to keep cats from clawing furniture, jumping on counters and climbing into plant pots. Cats loathe sticky surfaces, and after a couple of attempts at walking on them will usually begin to avoid the area. When the habit is broken, the tape can be removed.

Sticky tape or upside-down carpet runner is also useful in discouraging cats from peeing on furniture and other surfaces if there is an area outside the litter box that the cat uses regularly.