Saturday, January 24, 2009

How to get a Cat make up

Cats are beautiful, graceful creatures, and as Halloween rolls around, it's only natural to want to pay homage to their mysterious beauty. And it's always been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Therefore, why not put on cat make up and a cat costume for your next costume party?

Cat Make Up Kits

There are several cat make up kits on the market. Some emphasize the sexuality of a hot blooded female cat, others focus more on the goofiness of the kitten, still others are slightly forbidding, reminding us that the cat is only partially domesticated whatever we may think. Many cat make up kits will transform you into a feline who looks like an extra for a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats

The kits vary greatly in price, but they all come with basic cat make up and instructions for applying it.

Cat costumes are also readily available both online and in costume stores. Once more you will come across a variety of accessories to pick up from including Hat, Comic looking cat and skimpy dresses that would give a Hollywood actress a run for her money.

But I Want to Do My Own Cat Make Up!

You can't go too far wrong with a cat make up kit, but there's always the chance that you'll show up for your Halloween event looking just like someone else. In order to become unique, insist on doing your own make up.

You will require Paint (preferably grease paint), false eyelashes or mascara, lipstick and lip liner and a white highlighter. If you're really into creating the perfect costume, consider purchasing a latex nose, some spirit gum, and a bristly black paint brush to provide whiskers.

Adequate references are offered on the net enumerating the method of beautifying your pet cat. Study them to get ideas. Then, on a piece of drawing paper, make a rough sketch of your ideal cat face. Think about the image you want to project. Is your inner cat warm and cuddly, or aloof and mysterious? Are you a kitten or a crone?

When you're ready to start applying your cat make up, do so carefully. If you make a mistake with grease paint, it's hard to wash off. You might want to enlist a friend to help you get your make up just right.

When you're finally finished, it's off to the party. Just remember to conduct yourself with the appropriate amount of feline pride. After all, just a few thousand years ago, your ancestors were worshipped as gods.

Finding A Cat Bed That Works For Your Cat

Getting an appropriate cat bed is beneficial for you as well as your pet. Your cat will be thankful to have their own bed and you will no longer have to worry about them resorting to finding their own cuddle place, which is perhaps not where you want it. By selecting an appealing cat bed for your feline they will stop sleeping where you don’t want them.

It can be a daunting task to find the perfect cat bed since there are numerous options available. However, you should rest assured that since there are so many choices you are bound to find one that works for your cat. You can find cat beds that range from small furniture suites to just a simple pad. To find the right cat bed, consider the following ideas.

The Comfort Factor

Always consider what your cat will consider comfortable when shopping around for the perfect cat bed. A bed that is cozy is very important for cats but it should also be one that allows them to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Normally a cup shaped bed is best for your cat during winter because the bed keeps the cat body heat constant. If you are living in extremely cold climates then perhaps a heated bed would be an even better option for you cat.

Getting Your Cat To Use The Bed

If you cat isn’t using the bed you brought home it doesn’t necessary mean they don’t like the style, rather they may just not like where you have placed the bed. Cats prefer their beds placed in a place that is both quiet without a lot of activity but yet in an area where they can still keep an eye on the various household activities.

Considering The Humans

When choosing a cat bed you ideally want one that works for your cat, but you will also want to choose one that matches your preferences. For this reason, it is often best to find a cat bed that is easily washable. Since the bed is often going to collect a lot of fur, you want one that is easy to place in the washer. For this reason, you should make sure you find a bed that is very durable.

What To Avoid

Beds that have hanging fabric or strings should be avoided since your cat can ingest these. As a result of swallowing these strings or fabrics, they will become ill and have intestinal blockage, which could lead to a costly medical bill. For the convenience sake, any one would opt for a color safe bed which will not spoil the other cloths while washing.

Friday, January 23, 2009

What You Should Know About Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

If your furball has been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis in cats, you probably have a lot of questions.  Read on to learn more about this condition, and how you can help your cat with natural remedies for pets.

What Is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

"Idiopathic" is a fancy word that means "we don't know what's causing it." When your cat has feline lower urinary tract disease, this can be hard to deal with.  Cystitis in cats is a very common condition, unfortunately.  And an even more unfortunate fact is that in nearly half of the cats diagnosed with FLUTD, there doesn't seem to be a cause. 

Some vets refer to this condition as "feline interstitial cystitis" because it's very similar to interstitial cystitis in humans. 

How Feline Idiopathic Cystitis Resembles Interstitial Cystitis In People


Comparing these conditions in both cats and humans show some interesting results.

  • People with interstitial cystitis have more sensory nerves in their bladders.  Many cats who have FLUTD do, too.
  • Often a person with interstitial cystitis doesn't have the mucus lining in their bladders that protects the bladder from becoming irritated by urine.  This is true of cats with idiopathic cystitis in cats, also.
  • Recurring bladder infections are a problem in both humans and cats.
  • Stress seems to be a precipitating factor for cystitis both in cats and in humans.

The question of whether both people and cats are suffering from the same condition is the topic of research studies.  If so, human treatments may be helpful for kitties, as well.

Drug Treatments For Idiopathic Cystitis In Cats

If your cat is having a lot of severe episodes, your vet may prescribe amitriptyline.  It relieves the pain and inflammation associated with cystitis in cats.  Side effects can include sleepiness, weight gain, bladder stones, and urine retention.  Your cat may not groom himself as much, either. 

Your cat may be given steroids to relieve his inflamed bladder.  Glucosamine has been found to repair the mucus lining of the bladder, so your vet may want to try that. 

What Can You Do At Home To Help A Cat With FLUTD?

Diet is very important for these cats.  There has always been an emphasis on reducing the acidity of the urine, along with decreasing the amount of magnesium and calcium in the urine.  But the latest research shows that the rate of water turnover is the most important. 

What this means is that you need to find a way to increase your feline's water intake.  This will keep his urine dilute to keep the acidity lower, and prevent high mineral levels. 

If you feed your cat dry food, it's very important to switch him over to canned food.  Dry food has moisture levels below ten percent.  Why is this a problem?  Because cats are made to get most of their water from their food.  In a natural setting, cats eat mice and other animals, which are 98% water.  They don't need to drink much water. 

Canned food is has a 75% moisture level, which is certainly better than the moisture level in dry food.  It can be difficult to switch a cat who has always eaten dry food over to canned food, but patience and persistence over several months often pays off in better health for your kitty.

Reducing your cat's stress levels is important, too.  Many cats will have episodes of feline lower urinary tract disease after a stressful event like moving.  Some cats are even affected by weather changes.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Help

Many cat owners have had great success with treating their cats with a natural remedy made especially for pets.  This cat uti remedy contains uva ursi and barberry, two herbs with a long history of use in treating human bladder problems.  It also contains the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagria.This remedy can be safely used on cats for long periods of time, and it's also very effective for preventing cat urinary problems.

Put this to the test right away, and see how well this remedy works on your cat with feline idiopathic cystitis.

Visit Natural Pet Urinary Health, and learn how to prevent feline idiopathic cystitis, and find the best place to buy herbal pet remedies.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cats 101

Cats often compete with Dogs for their position as the favorite pet animal to humans; they are regarded as useful, sweet creatures that delight their owners. Cats are small domesticated animals that have gained popularity for their intelligence and their ability to follow simple commands once trained, and their capacity to catch and destroy vermin, more specifically rats. There are several dozens cat varieties in different colors, color patterns, fur type and size which have either been bred by humans or products of natural inter-breeding between cat species.

The African Wild Cat is believed to be the closes pre-domesticated of cats and present day cats still carry innately wild characteristics like being carnivorous and instinctive in hunting, known to hunt over a thousand species for food. Humans have lived in close association with cats for decades now, which started from the ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Vikings, who in many ways have revered the cat, even placing them in high regard over other animals both domesticated and wild.
Cat-Aloguing Cats
Cat are often called as Tom, while the female of the species is often called Queen, snow cats, pedigreed or purebred cats at times are referred as sirens for males and Dams for females. Purebred and pedigreed cats both have recorded ancestries; purebred, however, have a long-lineage of only one cat variety or breed, while pedigreed cats may have ancestors of different, mostly new breeds. Breeding different cat varieties are subject to strict rules of cat registries and associations that study, regulate and assess the compatibility of varieties to come up with better offspring, both in terms of health and appearance.
Domestic longhairs, shorthairs, random-bred and mongrels are some terms that refer to cats with mixed ancestry that vary from one country to the next. Most of the cat population the world over is comprised of random-bred felines, with purebreds only totaling to less than ten percent of the feline population. Domestic cats, in general, have been classified by Carolus Linnaeus as Felis catus back in the 17th century as the domestic sub-species of the wild cat family.
Cats commonly weigh anywhere between two to seven kilograms with some breeds such as the Maine Coon weighing over ten kilograms. As a result of overeating, some of the bigger cat varieties can weigh more than twenty kilograms but are considered by veterinarians as unhealthy and more susceptible to illnesses, ailments and diseases. Further, there are also adult smaller cats that weigh less than two kilograms but are not classified as miniature varieties but are only considered as smaller, underweight cats and are considered underweight or unhealthy.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Health tips according to the life stage of Cats

Proper cat health relies heavily on preventative measures; this includes routine veterinary care as well as grooming on a regular basis. To make sure you cat stays both happy and healthy it is a good idea to watch for any changes in their condition. An excellent time to monitor for cat health is during grooming sessions.

Cat Health According To Life Stages

The best way to keep on top of your cats health is by knowing the life stages and what proper cat health is for each stage. This way you can easily recognize when something is going wrong with your cats health and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The debut life stage starts from day one on the planet till sixteen weeks. At this stage the feline animal begins to grasp survival tactics form the surrounding environment. Often cats are playful during this stage of life but they shy around human beings. Cat health is also extremely important in this stage so that they can grow up to be healthy throughout the rest of their life.

The next stage is from sixteen weeks to one year. During this period, cats are often still very playful. In order to ensure you pet cat remains healthy it is necessary to get it spayed or neutered when it is six months old.

Next comes the one to eight year period, which are the prime years for cat health. During this stage of your cat’s life, it is very important to have yearly visits to the veterinarian. Here onwards comes the stage which continues for next ten to twelve years. This is when pre-geriatric cat health comes into play. Your cat will often slow down but their behavior will remain the same.

Geriatric cat health will start when they turn twelve. This stage is often marked with health issues in the pet cat and it deteriorates as they grow older. Cats will often move very slowly since their joints will start to become stiff. Old cat often behave as irritated.

Common Cat Health Issues

There are varieties of health conditions that can affect your cat. A big part of keeping your cat healthy is proper prevention. Contact your veterinarian right away, if you notice any health problems. The following are some of the more common conditions your cat may get.

Flea allergy is one of the most common disorder observed in cats. A cat’s sensitivity to fleabites will increase as they age. Similar symptoms can be observed in an event of a food allergy or a flea bite allergy, the symptoms are vomiting or diarrhea , skin rashes and severe itching.

Hairballs are a persistent cause of vomiting in cats. You can reduce this issue by maintaining a regular schedule of coat brushing. Even with short hair cats, they can get hairballs if you don’t keep them down with routine brushing. You should take your cat into a veterinarian if they have persistent vomiting since this can also be a sign of thyroid or kidney problems.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Is Your Cat Aggresive?

Cats are generally quirky and lazy.  Their personalities range just like a human, and their moods fluctuate just like one as well.  But does your cat’s attitude have something to do with his or her breed? 

Stereotypically, people associate pit bulls with a bit more of a temper than, say, a golden retriever.  Could this hold true for cats as well?Is there a comparison between Calico and Tabby cats in terms of their behaviour? Are Siamese cats as grouchy and snobby as they are portrayed in children’s fairy tales?  What about a black cat, are they the angriest cat of all?

Apparently, it has nothing to do with breed or color at all, it’s just ingrained in their personalities to be the angriest cats around.  According to sources, about 15% of cats become antisocial and would rather be admired from afar than to be petted or doted on.  This has nothing to do with breed or color, it’s just a general preference. 

Do You Think You Have The Angriest Cat?

If you are worried that you bought the angriest cat at the shelter due to constant hissing and a general aggravation that surrounds your little critter, give him some time!  Don’t immediately regret your purchase.  Let him get used to the family.  Cats are very sensitive creatures, and often, you just need to allow them time to adjust at their own pace.  He or she may hide out under the bed for a few days, or not even touch his or her cat food.  This doesn’t necessarily make him a one of the grouchiest, or angriest cats, it could just mean he’s a little shy, or maybe has a rough memory of what a family is like.Keep in mind that quite a few animals have an fogettable experience befor coming to a rescue pet shelter.  Your cat could have been a stray or an alley cat, making your “getting to know you” process a little more difficult.

What Do You Do?

A good rule of thumb for starting out on the right foot with the angriest cat in the batch, is to start slow.  Don’t force interaction, this will just cause him to become more distant.  Let him get used to the new atmosphere, eventually he will come up and want to check you out.  It might be a little frustrating at first, thinking you ended up with the angriest cat you’ve ever seen, but he could turn out to be a great pet once he gets used to his new home.  There are also products on the market to ease his introduction like Feliway, which is a spray that is advertised to help relax a cats nerves.  You may find that these types of products make your first few weeks of pet ownership a little more tolerable. 

Monday, January 19, 2009

Food of Different Cats

If you are getting a new cat, one of the most important first decisions you will make is which cat food to feed them. Your cat food selection should be made carefully since it has a lot to do with your cat’s health and longevity. At times it becomes really cumbersome to select the appropriate cat food from the pile of options available in today's market.

What To Look For In Cat Food

When it comes to dry cat food, it is important that you choose one to meet your cat’s specific life stage. In case you are buying food for your new kitten ensure the food is for kitten and not for adult cat. When a cat reaches the adult stage then you should use a regular dry food. Once your cat is in the senior stage a food specifically formulated for their age can go a long way to helping them age gracefully.

When selecting your dry food always check the package and make sure it is AAFCO approved. This means it will have a seal on the package showing the contents are approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This means the food conforms to the minimal diet standards that the association has set up to guarantee good cat food.

Finally, you should consider what your veterinarian recommends. No one knows better than your cat’s doctor does what food is best for his or her needs. In absence of a veterinarian advice you should opt for a high quality product by evaluating the product content through the ingredient list marked on the label.

What To Take Into Consideration

The most important aspect of your cat’s health is good nutrition, which as a major affect. The fact especially holds true for growing kittens. Try to give the best quality food available to you loved pet within a budget you can afford.

Before you choose which cat food to purchase you should consider several things. Included in this is your specific cat breed, their age, size and health. It is also a good idea to keep in mind where you will be feeding your cat and how much you are willing to spend on cat food. By keeping in mind these facts, you will easily be able to choose appropriate cat food for your pet, that will ensure your cats health and life.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Truth about Cat Flea Medicine

If you have pets you know that fleas can really be a big annoyance. If you are allergic to fleas your self you may find that they are painfully irritating as well. A good cat flea medicine can help you keep pest free all year long.

I am allergic to bites from fleas and I have had my share of painful experiences with these little buggers. I know that when I see my pet scratching and squirming that I need to invest in a cat flea medicine that will do the trick, the last thing I want is for boys bedding of my little one for be infected, not only for my cat but for me as well. I will get nasty welts from a few bites and I want to avoid this by any means possible.

I try to keep my pets chemical free so I avoided getting cat flea medicine in order to try natural methods instead. Nothing really worked. Most of the home remedies for these pests are lacking and they are basically ineffectual in keeping my boys bedding sets free of fleas. One item did a little better than the rest.

A flea comb is a good method that can replace cat flea medicine but I don’t recommend it on a regular basis. The comb is useful when your cat is unable to take medication because she is having kittens or she is nursing kittens. Cat flea medicine is not for pregnant and nursing cats.

I make sure to use the comb instead when a feline is expecting a litter and when she is nursing them. Once the kittens are grown and ready to move on I start the mother on the cat flea medication again after consulting with the vet.

Since I have cats and dogs in my house I use two different treatments. It is important to remember that dog and cat flea medicine are quite different from one another. You should avoid using dog products on felines because they can be harsh on your kitty’s system.

This can be a little tricky. Some bottles are difficult to read and others can be really vague. Just because a product boasts insect and boys bedding control does not mean that it is cat flea medicine. You really want a product designed specifically for your pet. When in doubt, talk to you vet.

I found that the veterinarian is the single most important resource when it comes to making sure that my home stays flea-free. The perfect cat flea medicine will be preventative in nature. Hopefully, we won’t see another one ever again.