How to Tell If Your Cat is Pregnant

By Chris Beazer
Expecting Kittens? As Bob Barker says, you should spay and neuter your pets. However, sometimes having a pregnant cat is unavoidable and sometimes the pregnancy is done intentionally for breeding purposes. Here are a few simple ways to tell if your cat is indeed pregnant or just fat and moody.

How to Tell If Your Cat is Pregnant

Step 1; Look for observable changes in behavior. A cat that is pregnant will often display a change in behavior. Most will become overtly affectionate instead of their typical anti-social behavior. They may also start "nesting". This means that your cat will start taking blankets, toys, or anything else it can get a hold of and begin making a warm, safe place for her kittens. 

Step 2; Check the underbelly. Most pregnant cat's nipples will start swelling and become more pink and prominent. This will happen especially towards the end of the pregnancy or after she births her litter. 

Step 3; Gently feel the belly. Do not poke or prod the belly because this can cause miscarriages and other complications and it can also cause your cat to rip you to shreds. Feel for small lumps about the size of a golf ball. Once again, make sure to gently stroke the stomach. Don't prod or try to grab the lumps. 

Step 4; Look at your cat's sides. If your cat is just fat, there will be fat all over. A pregnant cat will have a good amount of swelling on its belly and not in the rest of its body. You can usually tell when your cat has had its babies as well since there will be a dramatic change in appearance.

Tips & Warnings
Most cats do just fine with their pregnancy. If you are breeding your cat, you may still want to see your veterinarian just to be sure that the pregnancy goes as planned.
If your cat is pregnant, you may want to take extra precautions if you have small children. Too much rough housing with your cat can cause miscarriages or other serious complications that could quite possibly kill your cat and her kittens.

How to Look After New Born Kittens

By K. T. Logan
Taking care of newborn kittens can be a tough, yet deeply satisfying, endeavor. Whether you're taking care of kittens because their mother abandoned them or died, it’s important to prepare yourself for your new caregiver role. Newborn kittens are fragile and must be handled with care to be able to thrive. Take the time to learn how to provide them with the best possible start to life.

Things You’ll Need: Kitten formula, Bedding, Bottles, Blankets, Cotton balls 

Step 1; Gather the essential equipment. Visit your local pet store to purchase materials like kitten formula, nursing bottles, and blankets. Ask for store personnel recommendations on kitten bedding and cleaning tools. Locate a sturdy box or plastic container to serve as home base for the kittens. Your veterinarian will also be able to provide guidance on the materials you’ll need. 

Step 2; Create a suitable environment for the kittens. Much like newborn babies, kittens aren’t able to regulate their body temperature as well as their adult counterparts. Use clean towels or blankets to line the bedding solution you have chosen to provide warmth for the gentle newborns. Place their new bed in a quiet location where you can keep a close watch on them. Newborn kittens sleep through much of the day and should be housed in a quiet nurturing environment. 

Step 3; Find a reputable veterinarian. The newborn kittens should receive a general physical from the veterinarian to determine any congenital health problems or acquired health conditions. Specialized care instructions may be given in order to provide the kittens with the best individual care plan. Choose a veterinarian that is comfortable handling small kittens and that will be available to answer any questions you may have regarding their care. Keep their phone number nearby for reassurance during this process. 

Step 4; Feed the kittens on a regular basis. Newborn kittens should be bottle-fed formula every few hours. Make sure the nipple system you’re using has a hole sufficient for the formula to easily drip. Clean and sterilize the bottles after each feeding to cut down on the spread of germs and bacteria. Keep an eye on the kittens following feedings for signs of stomach upset which include bloating and fussiness. Contact the veterinarian if the kittens refuse the bottle or are irritable after meals. 

Step 5; Keep the kittens clean and dry. Use a damp cloth to wash away debris and waste material from the kittens’ fur. Avoid immersing the kittens in water to help keep the kittens healthy. Wet kittens are more susceptible to disease and unregulated body temperatures. 

Step 6; Stimulate the kittens to potty. Although this job isn’t glamorous, the kittens will gladly thank you for it. Kittens are unable to relieve themselves without assistance until they reach 2 to 3 weeks of age. Wear gloves as you gently rub their genital area with a cotton ball to stimulate their urge to relieve themselves. Although newborn kittens are stimulated by their natural “scooting” behavior, it’s important to ensure they don’t become constipated due to lack of stimulation.

Tips & Warnings
Provide the newborn kittens with lots of love and affection to help ease their fears.
Never be afraid to ask your veternarian questions regarding the care and well being of the kittens.

How to Determine the Age of a Kitten

Kittens mature rapidly in their first three or four months. You can tell their age very approximately by several methods.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy 

Step 1 - If they still have their umbilical cords they are probably between 1 and 3 days old. 

Step 2 - If their eyes are still closed they are probably between 1 and 10 days old. By 10 days their eyes should be open. 

Step 3 - Open their mouths and look for teeth. Do you see little nubs coming in? About 2 weeks. 

Step 4 - Are they attempting to stand? Possibly 2 to 3 weeks. 

Step 5 - Are they starting to play? Figure their age at about 4 weeks.

Check out the itch spots

Written by Dr.Laxmi Iyer 
Fleas. No! They are not lice, nor ticks. Ctenocephalides felis...That's how they were named. For our convenience, we call them fleas. The dog fleas are rightly called Ctenocephalides canis. Fleas are those quick on their feet, clever little creatures that you can see, but never catch. They move in nano second time...quick as ever.

These pesky little creatures merrily romp all over your pet's fur and before you can catch a single one, they are all gone...hiding in the jungle of your pet's fur. The more long haired your pet, the more difficult to trace and eliminate fleas. Sometimes, it may be a long while before you realize that your pets have fleas. Then, when you do, the flea population in your home has already reached epidemic levels. That's because fleas breed fast. 

In flea bite infestations your cat's skin often feels bumpy all over. If you observe closely, you will see that in several places there are small raised red patches covered with crusts. Your vet will call this feline miliary dermatitis. 

Flea infestation can be dangerous for your cat's health. Besides causing a severe allergic reaction on the skin and damaging the skin, fleas can also transmit tapeworms and filarial infections. If you stroke your cat's back against the direction of the fur, you may see little specks of black stuck to your pet's skin. Those are the tell tale signs of flea infestation. 

The places where you can see them; most of these crusty, small red bumps and the black dots are the abdomen, neck and the back end of your cat's back and the base of the tail. Your cat may or may not feel very itchy even with a lot of fleas playing hop, skip and jump all over. This is especially true if the flea infestation has been there for some time. 

Once you recognise that one of your pets has fleas, after taking your pet to the vet, the next most important thing that you need to do is to keep your pet quarantined. Fleas eggs do not stick to the fur unlike lice eggs.

Flea eggs fall all over the fur. When your pet moves around...hundreds of eggs may find a new place to grow... on carpets, bedding and upholstery. In no time, you may find a flea colony happily breeding in your home....under carpets, on cushion covers and even on your mattresses - if you don't watch out.

Both flea eggs and larvae are nearly invisible. It takes only three weeks for eggs to mature to adults. Warm, sunny places make ideal conditions for fleas to breed. Often, flea infestations happen when you are away on that long holiday and you've left your pets behind in the boarding place. Of course, this need not be, but many times, because boarding places have large numbers of cats and dogs staying together, it may happen that a few adventurous fleas land on your pet's back.

More important, you need to remember besides causing a severe allergic reaction on your pet's skin and fur, fleas can also transmit tapeworm infections and filariasis in pets.

The Horrors of Declawing

Written by Dr. Laxmi Iyer 
Declawing is a fashion. A popular culture to keep your cat in control...keep them out of mischief, so to say. Declawing is what people do to their cats who are mischeivious and playful. Isn't that an awful thing to do? 

Declawing suits your lifestyle. A declawed cat means never again furniture that has been scratched or cushions with scratch marks. But...have you ever thought how horrifying it is to be a cat without proper claws? It's terrible. It's awful. The truth is it is a cruelty that can be done without.

Don't declaw your cat's claws. Your cats need those claws. Declawing is a monstrous thing to do to cats. A cat without proper claws doesn't feel like a cat anymore. It's awful for a cat's sense of locomotion, balance, self respect and identity.

Aloof and independent creatures, a declawed cat becomes painfully handicapped. A person who truly loves his or her cats would never declaw. It's one of the worst sins of cruelty to a cat. It cramps their expression, their instinctive desire to express themselves by scratching on wooden barks, tree trunks.

What are the commonly used veterinary procedures? One of them is onychectomy - the cutting of the claw and related bone and muscle tissue. The other is tendonectomy where the cat's tendon is cut so that the cat cannot use the claw. It sounds absolutely barbaric to do that. Yet, it is being practised in some parts of the world - specifically the US and Canada even in this age and time. 

On April 7, 2003, the West Hollywood, California City Council decided to ban cat declawing. It is great news for cat welfare activists because this is the first city in the US to take measures against declawing. One hopes that before the end of this year, the fashion of declawing cats will become extinct.

If you care deeply about your cats and the cats in your neighbourhood, be the whistle blower and cheer leader. Make this issue a community campaign and fight to protect your cats. 

List of some useful websites that give the facts on declawing

http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/html/declaw_law.html
http://www.monmouthcountyspca.org/info.htm
http://www.paws.org/work/factsheet/advocacyfactsheets/exoticpets.html
http://www.de-clawing.com
http://www.declaw.lisaviolet.com
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
http://www.paw-escue.org/declaw_paper.html
http://www.amby.com/cat_site/dc-wyntk.html
http://www.avar.org/avar_cat_declawing.htm
http://www.cfainc.org/health/declawing.html
http://www.declaw.com
http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html

14 simple things to help your cats use the litter box comfortably

Going with the grain! Written by Dr. Laxmi Iyer

1. Keep the litter box clean. That means the litter box should be emptied at least once every day and cleaned every week.

2. Use soap and water to clean the litter box. Don't use ammonia. Cats find ammonia very irritating.

3. Choose a secluded spot in the house to place the litter boxes.

4. Always have one or two more litter boxes than the number of cats in the house. 

5. Avoid using cat litter which uses untreated pine and wood shavings.
  They can cause a lot of respiratory irritation and even cancer. Check out what the following websites have to say about this
  www.earthlyenterprises.co.uk  
  http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
  http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html 

6. Avoid the flushable toilet kind of cat litter. That doesn't make evolutionary sense because cats are simply not used to sitting on a toilet seat. It's a tough act for cats to follow even if they are trained for it. 

7. Try to avoid the hooded litter box because that might make her feel a little uncomfortable. However, it's your cat's preference that you need to check out. Some cats may actually prefer that kind of litter box.

8. Don't declaw your cats. Do check out the Stanford Cat Network's views on what kind of litter material would suit your cats. In nature, cats have always preferred a sandy textured material. 

9. Make sure that you have lots of interesting toys for your cats to play with. 

10. Make sure that your cat's food place is no where near the litter space.

11.Make sure that your cats are getting all their regular intakes of vitamins and minerals. A mineral imbalance or deficiency leads to a condition called pica. You need to watch out for that. A cat with pica will eat a lot of non food material.  

12.Some breeds like Persians are genetically predisposed to woolsucking and pica. Remember that and watch your cats carefully.

13. You must also remember that kittens are curious and playful by nature and will experiment with every new thing by eating some of it. So, you need to take care when you are training your kittens to use the litter box. 

14.Get regular veterinary check ups done - at least every 6 months for allthe cats in your family.

4 Easy Ways to Prevent Your Cat From Growing Crystals in the Urine

Written by Dr.Laxmi Iyer  
Crystals! From a feline perspective it's a nightmare word. 

Stones in the urinary tract - either the kidney, bladder or urethra can be a painful condition - that can be the reason for emergency surgery. The trick is to play with them - even if your cat is a religious carpet and lounge napper. Get them out to breathe some fresh air...Lift them if they won't budge. 

Coax them into the garden. Make them play...Make them work a little to get their food. 
That means if it's chow time, you could place their bowl in a slightly remote place where they would need to climb up and down staircases or walk through serpentine corridors. The dogs had their own role to play in making sure that the cats got their fair share of exercise.

Watch out for the magnesium levels
Magnesium when present in excess in the diet can cause the formation of magnesium-ammonium-phosphate calculi formation.

Examine the food
Whether you feed your cat canned food or dry food the important thing to take care of is to watch out - for how much of the stuff your cat is eating and whether in trying to maintain his or her caloric requirements, more of the magnesium isn't being consumed as well. When you feed your cat commercial cat food check the label to ensure that the magnesium content is less than 20 mg / 100kcal.

If the caloric value of the food your cat consumes is low then in order to meet the calorie needs, you cat will eat more of the stuff....and that in turn will lead to more magnesium intake....propelling the beginnings of a urolith to get formed somewhere in the urinary tract. The truth is that 90% of all the calculi or stones found in the urinary system of cats belong to a single group. Nine out of every ten uroliths detected are magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (struvite) crystals.

About 0.5-3% of the uroliths seen in cats are oxalate and urate while 3-5% are gelatinous plugs. These gelatinous plugs which have significant amounts of struvite occur in the urethra and most often near the urethral orifice. Besides your cat's genetic predisposition there are 4 common sense things you can do to prevent those crystals from condensing in your cat's urinary system. The best way to prevent the crystals from happening is to take care of WEM - an easy acronym for Water, Exercise and Magnesium.

Make sure that your cat drinks enough water
Water! The cool drink that can erase more than a hundred ailments can sure help your cat too! It's all the little drops that count. Make sure that your cats are well hydrated. A lack of water can be detrimental to your cat's health.

Remember the E word
Now, your cats are not natural aquaphiles. If your cat is not naturally fond of water – you need to tastefully inculcate the taste for nature’s brew. So, the best way to get them to the watering ground is to create the thirst. They need to be thirsty enough to down the aqua...and the reasoning that goes with it is that they will get thirsty when they have had their daily bout of good, wholesome exercise.

How to Raise Siamese Cats and Kittens

"Who Else Wants to Know How To Raise Healthy, Happy, Beautiful Siamese Cats?" 2ND EDITION LAUNCH SPECIAL! 
To celebrate the launch of the second edition of "I am Siamese" we are offering it for a limited time only at the special price of $12.77 (recommended retail $27.77). This offer must end soon! 

From: Janine Connor,
Dear Friend, If you love Siamese Cats as much as I do ... then this is going to be the most exciting message you will ever read. Here's why: 

There is an amazing e-book called, "I Am Siamese: How to Raise Siamese Cats and Kittens" (cover pictured left). It covers practically everything you need to know about selecting, owning and caring for Siamese cats.

Now in its second edition, this immensely popular book has been revised and expanded.
Wouldn't it be amazing to know the special requirements that Siamese cats ("Meezers") have ... requirements that are vital to their wellbeing? What price do you put on your cat's health and happiness? Surely, knowledge that will help your Siamese spend a long, healthy and happy life with you is invaluable? 

Imagine how grateful your Meezer will be once you've discovered the secrets that make him/her tick. How would it make you feel? And it's not like any other book you've ever read on Siamese cats.

Why? Simply, every section in the book is there because "you asked for it". Well, not "you" really. But from real live questions. Questions from people who love Siamese cats. A simple web-page was set up, and people like you visited it and left me their most pressing question about Siamese cats. 

Then I answered them! Click to get the answers at Iamsiamese.com

Complete Cat Care

The Complete Cat Health and Care Resource! Thanks to our powerful insider information, thousands of people worldwide have discovered the best ways to look after their cat - for life. "The Greatest Gold-Mine of Easy "Cat Health and Care" Advice EVER Crammed Into One Product!"
What's more... this cutting edge material can be all yours in a matter of minutes! No waiting for the post, download straight to your computer NOW!  
Why do you need a book on cats?
Do you want your cat to be happy and healthy?
Looking for information on cat breeds?
Just got a new kitten and need to know the secrets to looking after it? 
Having trouble with litter training and sick of having to clean up the mess? 
Got a cat with behavior problems (scratching, howling, etc) that need solving?
Trying to keep your cat in peak physical condition?
Or perhaps you just want the best relationship that you can possibly have with your cat? 

Whatever your reasons are, we have designed the cutting-edge Complete Cat Care book with you in mind, no matter what the situation, so that you will get immensely satisfying information FAST...

We designed Complete Cat Care to be the easiest to follow system for learning everything that you could possibly need to know about cats. It is jam-packed with information, including tons of cat pictures, litterbox training, cat behaviors (and why they do it!), fixing common cat problems, such as scratching, destroying your chairs, howling, etc all within one instantly downloadable book... 

Thousands of people worldwide, just like you, have used our unique Complete Cat Care resource to give their cat the best possible life, whilst having piles of fun in the process. Will you be next?

Click and visit Complete Cat Care

Cat Urine Remedy

"STOP PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT OVER WHY YOUR CAT IS URINATING EVERYWHERE IN YOUR HOME!" LEARN HOW A PET SERVICE BUSINESS OWNER KEEPS HER HOME CLEAN WITH A SIMPLE MANUAL AND HOW YOU CAN TOO... 

Are you frustrated by your cat urinating where it shouldn't in your home? Tired of always having to clean up after your pet? Have you ever had the embarrassment of house guests who don’t say anything, but one look on their face and you know they smell what your cat did on the living room carpet. Sometimes cat owners aren’t even aware that their house smells of cat urine. But everyone else does! 

You love your cat, but is the smell and damage from the urine costing you time, money, and headaches? If you’re like me, you’ve tried a lot of different products and followed numerous tips on correcting your cat’s problem. But nothing seemed to work.

I’ve owned multiple cats at one time and can tell you that getting rid of cat urine is a difficult job. Cats have a protein rich diet, which makes their urine smell worse than dogs, and more likely to penetrate and cause stains. Some of the things that determine how strong your cat’s urine will be in terms of staining ability on surfaces such as carpet are: Diet, Age, Sex, Health, and if any Medication is being taken. 

Does YOUR home smell like a litter box? 
It’s a hassle to keep cleaning that same spot your cat is always urinating on. That could be more quality time that you spend with your spouse, children, or your beloved cat. It frustrates me that cat owners can’t find a solution to their problem. When they do find something it doesn’t always work as advertised. Or worse yet, it just temporarily hides the problem. 

There are many products in stores and on the internet that claim to get rid of pet urine and pet odors. But do they actually work as advertised?

To solve your cat urine problems, visit CatUrineRemedy.com

Cat Health Secrets

A special report just for people who love their cats..."An 87 year old Southern Belle on Her Death Bed Reveals the Truth About...How to Have Happy, Healthy, Long-Living Cats... Without Spending a Penny on Vets, Medicines or Special Foods!...her cats routinely lived over 30 years!

From:Chantal Williams
Dear Friend, It's been 17 years since I shared a lemonade with that Louisiana lady.But I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a scene right out of the movies.One of those typical, hot, hazy, mid-July afternoons in the South. We sat on the veranda that extended along the front and side of the two-story white home.

Well my friend, if you love your cat, then this is the most exciting message you may ever read! Here's why...
My name is Chantal Williams. Ever since the day I had that revelation about how to have healthy, happy, long-living cats ... I've been on a mission. A mission to find out the truth about how to properly care for cats. The real truth ... The whole truth... What really works ...I had to let go of a lot of old beliefs.

It's taken years. More important, during this time, I've uncovered a lot of hidden treasures, hundreds of tips, techniques and secrets about caring for cats that no one else seems to know. I've put these tips, techiques and secrets ... along with all the "traditional" cat health information you'll ever need ... into a great guide ... that will show YOU how to have a happy, healthy, long-living cat ... without spending a penny on vets, medicines or "special" foods. 

And it's called.."Cat Health Secrets"
Pretty original huh?! Well I never really intended for this to be published. It was for me. I wanted to know what I could do to help my cat live the life it was intended to live. I've spoken to hundreds of people -- from veterinarians to holistic healers, from nutritionalists to herbalists and breeders to successful cat owners.

Along the way I've learned a few things ... actually, some little known, very interesting, insider secrets ... that you need to know to properly care for your cat.And it's scientifically verified!

Click & visit Cat Health Secrets

Cat Food Secrets Revealed

Discover The Deadly Secrets The Cat Food Manufacturers Have Been Hiding From You And Learn How You Can Prevent Crushing Disease And Illness In Your Cat For Less Than $10.
  
From The Desk Of W.P. Allen: Cat Care Expert and Cat Owner
Dear Cat Caretaker, It's hard to believe, but it's true: Commercial cat food has actually been linked to the deaths of thousands of cats across the United States.

Most veterinarians, cat care experts, and authors will tell you that if your cat eats certain types of commercial cat food on a regular basis he or she can end up having a much greater risk of dying a premature death related to illnesses such as: Cancer-Kidney failure-Severe allergies-Chronic diarrhea-Urinary tract disease-Diabetes-Obesity-And more

And often by the time you begin to notice the symptoms, it is far too late to prevent the problem. "Do you know what is in meat meal, the major constituent of dry cat and dog food?... Urine, fecal matter, hair, toxic chemicals, pus, and tainted meat from animals afflicted with cancer, Tuberculosis., etc."--Wendell O. Belfield, DVM

It's important that you start making some very drastic changes immediately in the way you feed your cat or you may end up making them severely ill or terminally diseased. But don't panic. No matter how old your cat may be, it is not too late to start caring for them properly to ensure their health and happiness.

However, you must act soon. It's important that you pay very close attention to this letter, because I'm going to let you know how the commercial cat food industry has been lying to you and how that lie translates into tragedy (for you, not them). I'm also going to show you the appropriate steps to take to prevent this tragedy and keep your cat alive, healthy, and happier for much longer.

I spent the last 2 years researching commercial cat foods and cat food nutrition and what I found is shocking to say the least. What I discovered, and what the huge conglomerate pet food manufacturers don't want you to know, is that most of the cat food you find in the supermarkets, groceries, and pet food stores are not at all what they say they are.

And now I'm revealing the secret, visit my website at Catfoodsecretsbook.com

A Guide to Cat Ownership and Training

"Who Else Wants to Experience the Incredible Enjoyment & Sense of Companionship That Comes From Having a Pet Cat?"
Finally, Everything You Need to Know About Buying & Caring for a Happy, Healthy & Yes Even Obedient Cat is Revealed!

From: Tiffany Schneider, 
Dear Cat Lover, Are you wondering whether a cat is the right pet for you?
Or have you already decided to take the plunge into cat ownership, but don’t have a clue as to what you should do next – other than buy the cat?

Well, luckily for you, I’m going to reveal how you can quickly and easily determine whether a cat is the right pet for you as well as learn everything you need to know about taking care of one!

So if you are wondering:
How to find a cat whose personality fits with yours
What you should do when you get a cat
How to properly care for a cat
If a cat really can be trained just like a dog
What obstacles you might face having a cat as a pet and how to best overcome them

And much, much more Then I urge you to keep reading!
Here’s Your Chance to Discover How to Turn Your Dream of Having the Ideal Pet Cat into Wonderful Reality . Throughout history the cat has been a part of our world and whether it has been worshipped or vilified, it has always been perceived as a creature of mystery.

The truth is there are a number of myths, misunderstandings, and mysteries that surround the cat and in an effort clear up many of those, I have written a new ebook entitled, “Cat Care Secrets: A Guide to Cat Ownership and Training.”

This ebook is filled with all the tips, secrets and hard-to-get information you need to ensure you get the right cat for you and that you care for your cat properly – even if you don’t know the first thing about cats right now.

Click and get more secrets at Catcaresite.org