Pet Haven

Feline diabetes is as hard to diagnose in cats without a medical practitioner as it is in humans.  There are many cats that have some form of the condition, but until their symptoms become more acute, it’s probable that their owner has no idea that there’s a potential serious health issue building up in their otherwise seemingly healthy cat.

As with human diabetes, the cat’s blood sugar levels are higher than they ought to be.  Once identified, this condition can be controlled and monitored by a veterinarian in partnership with the cat’s owner. 

So how do you know if your cat has diabetes?  Well the symptoms that are most likely to be seen are an increase in their both their need to drink, and urinate.  They may also have a poor appetite (more noticeable in a cat that was initially a good eater), their fur will be less healthy looking and they could look as though they’ve lost weight.  The problem is that you can easily link a weight loss to eating less (loss of appetite), and the urinating to the increase in drinking.  This is where it becomes tricky knowing when to take your cat to the veterinary to be checked out. 

The best time to do this would be whenever you see multiple symptoms occurring that “could” be attributed to a potentially serious health issue.  At the very least, ring your veterinary clinic and speak to someone about the way your cat is acting. They will either tell you to monitor some of your cat’s habits and ring them back in a few days, or have you take your cat to the clinic to be examined by the veterinary.

If you haven’t noticed the preliminary diabetes symptoms, then you’ll see the condition take hold of your cat’s energy levels and regularly vomit.  The most serious, and perhaps fatal, time is if your cat falls into a coma and this means you need to take the cat to a veterinary immediately.

Once diagnosed, you’re going to have to work to ensure your cat maintains the eating/medication plan that is prescribed by your veterinary, but by doing so you’re ensuring your cat lives a good life that’s not cut unnecessarily short because of a treatable medical condition.

There’s a wide variety of signs that your cat could be suffering from constipation, and many of them are also a symptom of something else being amiss with your cat’s health, but having a number of these signs together is a good indication that constipation could be at the root of your cat’s litter box misery.  If your cat seems to be spending longer than usual with his toilet visits, then you should be alert for any, or a combination, of the following:

Crying whilst on litter box
Straining whilst on litter box
No (or infrequent) bowel movements
Runny diarrhoea (this could be tinged with blood)
Vomiting
Signs of stomach pain or discomfort
Less, or no, appetite
Bad grooming habits but constantly licking anal area
Lack of energy

Having identified that your cat is constipated you need to contact your veterinary so that they can examine the cat and see how big of a problem it is.  It could be that it’s a one-off occurrence that can be cleared up with some form of medication and then adjusting his diet if necessary to ensure it doesn’t happen again.  Or it could that the bowel is so packed up that the veterinary much do a procedure to help clear the obstruction.  Once clear you will be given advice on a diet plan that will help ensure that this doesn’t reoccur. 

Occasionally however it happens that the constipation isn’t the diagnosis.  It could be that the cat is suffering from a much more serious condition such as feline urinary tract disease (FLUTD), and this is why it’s important that you have the veterinary look at your cat rather than try to handle the constipation yourself.  Other problems that would give similar symptoms as those related to constipation include: abscesses (especially around the anal area), tumours, injuries – as well as weight related ones such as lack of fibre in the cat’s diet and not getting enough exercise.  Hair balls can also create problems if the hair is ingested as this can become matted and create an obstruction.

As in humans constipation can start off as an annoyance but quickly escalates to a painful crisis which requires some form of treatment to release.  As your cat’s guardian you need to be on the look out for the signs that create this problem, and then get veterinary attention for your cat as soon as you can.

Cats are curious, and even though they’re reputed to always fall on their feet as well as have 9 lives, there are still times when you need to step in an apply some degree of first aid to a cat that’s got itself into some kind of mess.  Although most times you should at least ring your veterinary practice and speak to either the vet or his/her assistant, having a first aid kit at the ready means you are prepared to deal with anything that needs immediate attention until you can transport kitty to a place she can receive proper medical attention.

Keep a sturdy box in an easy to reach place in your home that contains your feline first aid kit.  This should be far enough out of reach to stop your children from using it on their dolls, but close enough to hand for you to grab if your cat has an accident.  It should be easy to open and you should be able to take the items out of the box with one hand (whilst holding your cat with the other!)  Inside the lid of the box tape the phone number of not only your veterinary practice, but also a 24-hour 7-day a week practice within your area so that you know you can always get medical advice for your cat when it’s needed.  Periodically (at the time of your cat’s annual injections for example) check that these numbers are still valid and if not, make sure you update them.

The first thing you should have in your cat’s first aid box is a towel.  This will have two purposes, it will not only keep your cat warm if she’s going into shock, but it will also shield you from defensive claws whilst you administer any treatment that’s required.

Other things that you should keep in your box are:

Bandages (both 2.5cm and 5cm gauge variety)
Tape for securing the bandage
Cotton wool
Gauze pads for stemming any bleeding
Blunt edged scissors
Tweezers
Rectal thermometer
Silver nitrate pencil (useful if you draw blood from a nick when claw trimming)
Eye wash
Fur ball treatment
Tick remover (if you live, or are holidaying, in an area that has ticks)

You should also have a small booklet of how to treat emergency first aid situations such as bleeding and poison ingestion so you know the steps you can take to prepare your cat for transfer to your veterinary’s practice.

As with first aid on humans, this is not meant to take the place of proper veterinary care for your cat, but it does allow you the security of knowing if your cat does have an accident you do have some form of kit available that you can quickly get hold of and so try to help your cat as soon as the incident occurs.

Christmas is a great time of year, and if you’ve got children it’s also a time of great excitement.  However, if you’ve got a cat, it’s also a time when you need to be extra vigilant so that you don’t inadvertently put your cat at risk from some of the Christmas traditions that seem harmless.

A beautiful Christmas tree is one of the most visual signs of the coming celebration, but to a cat it’s a dazzling array of sparkling toys to be played with.  Your cat will stalk the various baubles and try to knock off anything that’s dangling temptingly down.  The lower branches should therefore be free of anything that’s expensive and fragile as you can expect to put anything that’s at this level back onto the tree almost daily!

The tree itself needs to be secured from both the ceiling and the wall behind it – some parcel string and small hooks should be enough to withstand a probably assault by an active cat who attempts to climb right up the centre of it!  Tinsel should be firmly attached to the tree branches at both ends, and none of the light wires should be accessible to curious paws.  Finally, avoid the string tinsel as this can seriously, if not fatally, injure any cat that swallows it.

Gift wrapping is another source of potential hazards for a cat owner.  When you’re wrapping your parcels keep an eye on what your cat’s doing.  Make sure that he doesn’t start chewing tape, or curling ribbon that you’re using to dress up your parcels.  When it comes to packages that you are intending to put under the tree, don’t use curling ribbon at all – this is just too much temptation and your cat will shred your beautifully gift wrapped parcel in no time, and could even end up at the vets if he swallows some of the ribbon or tape and it gets stuck.  Never be tempted to wrap anything that contains catnip and place it under (or worse, in) the tree.  

Cats can smell catnip anywhere and they’ll dig with their claws through all the other gifts until they find the source of that wonderful smell!  Keep their gifts in a drawer that they can’t get into until it’s time to open them – think of them as toddlers who don’t understand the idea of waiting for the right time, or the fact that they shouldn’t destroy other packages to find their own!

On Christmas Day make sure that the cat isn’t playing with any dangerous gift wrap or packaging that comes from the gifts, and make sure that the turkey bones are disposed of securely so that the cat isn’t tempted to look for them.

Cats are both playful and inquisitive by nature, and Christmastime is a fuel for both of these traits so keep the above tips in mind and minimize the scrapes your feline friend can get himself into this year!

There are those that believe that cats belong outdoors, and then there are those who think that a cat is safer indoors.  Cats, on the whole, prefer the outdoors, but there are a number of reasons why you may agree with the indoors only debate and choose not to allow your cat outdoors.  This may be because you live in an area with busy roads.  It could be that you’ve had a cat in the past, maybe more than once, that’s been killed or seriously injured by cars or even dogs.  Possibly you live in an area where cats are mysteriously disappearing and no-one knows why.  Or it could be that you have small children and believe that the cat has less chance of bringing infection into the house if it doesn’t get out amongst dirt and germs.

Whatever the reason is that makes you decide not to let your cat out, know that it’s not cruel for your cat, not matter what some people may tell you!  It may be frustrating, especially for a cat that has at one time been an outdoors cat – perhaps you’ve taken in a stray, or re-homed a cat – to have to spend its time sitting at the window watching birds from a distance.  These cats will show their displeasure vocally at first, but they will eventually settle.  Kittens who have ever known the outdoors may try to get out but this will be more from curiosity than anything else – just as they try to get into cupboards and under beds.

Keeping a cat indoors means having to be extra vigilant about keeping outer doors shut tight and windows open on security locks so that they can only open an inch, not enough to allow even a skinny determined cat to squirm his way out!  You need also to drill everyone in the house to check where the cat is before they open the front or back doors.

The main problem with having an indoors cat is that they have no road sense.  Even a cat that used to be outdoors loses its sharpness and so the outdoors world is full of danger.  This is why, having made the decision to keep your cat in, you must be committed to ensuring that it doesn’t then get out and be at even more risk than it would have been if it had always been allowed out and had learned street smarts!

Cats love to breathe fresh air, so lock your windows open a tiny bit so that they can inhale the outdoors whilst not actually being able to go outside, and every now and then bring them some fresh grass to eat, especially in the summer.

All cats are particular about their hygiene and they won’t go on a dirty litter tray – some of them won’t even use their tray twice, preferring to wait until it’s cleaned before they use it again.  This means that if you are considering buying a cat as an indoor only cat you will need to budget financially for the cat litter, and also be prepared to keep the tray clean two or more times each day.

Indoor cats live long happy lives with few health problems but they do have poorer immune systems so if you know someone who has a sick cat with a contagious illness, keep them away from your cat – and wash your hands after you’ve been near their cat – to minimize the risk of transferring the disease to your cat.

Whilst he isn't able to actually speak to you in a language that you underStand, your Cat is communicating with you constantly thrOugh his body language and the sounds that he makes.  The ways that your Cat uses, for example, his voice, eyes, whiskers, to communicate with you, and once you know how he does this, you’ll be able to understand a lot more about how your cat is feeling about things!

Voice

The verBal communication your Cat usEs will be in a serIes of mews, purRS, grOwls and hisses.  Some cats arE morE "talkative" than otherS - for Example Siamese cats arE noted for Their VerBal interAction with both humans and other Animals.

A cat will usUally meow to get your Attention.  This could be to illicit food, or FusS, or To alerT you that he needs some assistance.  He will also mew whilst he plays with some prEy that he has caught.

If a cat is content and feels securE he will purR.  If you arE ignorIng the mews that mean he rEquirEs food, your Cat will sometimes rEsorT to brIbing you by "making nice" and purRIng on your Lap! 

A cat which feels thrEatened, insecurE or In danger, will hiss and grOwl at whatever Is crEating the prOblem.  This is the way he alerTs you - or A possible attacker - that he is not happy with the situation.  This forM of verBal communication is usUally a warNing which if not heeded will be followed by a physical attack.

If your Cat is usUally vocal but suddenly becomes quieter Or Sounds a little "hoarSe" then it could be a sign of a thrOat infection and will need checked out by your VeterInarY clinic.

Eyes

Your cat's eyes will rEflect his mood.  If he’s staring at you, see what size his pupils are and you’ll be able to accurately gauge if he’s happy – or not!

Narrow pupils indicate that your cat is angry and not happy with his life.

Large pupils mean that he’s either frightened or Excited.  If he’s happy and content however, his pupils will be darker than usual.

A cat usEs his eyes to communicate affection - if he sits starIng at you for A while, and then blinks slowly; this is a non-physical verSion of a kiss.

WhiskersAlthough not their PrImarY function, your Cat's whiskerS can tell you something about his mood. If the whiskers are relaxed and forward, all is right with the world and your cat is happy/content.  On the other hand, if they are pushed backwards the cat is angrY/defensive. Once you know what to look for you’ll find that it’s easy to read the communication signs that your cat is sending out.