by
Nancy E. Wigal
You've heard that in real estate location is everything. This applies equally to your cat's litter box. Successful, consistent cat litter box habits depend upon several factors, and the litter location is crucial.
This article will highlight how you can successfully locate your cat's litter box to her (and your) satisfaction.
To begin, try to think like a cat. Where would you like to have a cat litter box? Eliminating one's waste is a vulnerable time. Cats need to feel safe and undisturbed while eliminating. If the cat doesn't feel comfortable, she'll seek out a location that satisfies her - but probably not you!
Ideally, you will locate your cat's litter box in a part of your residence that isn't heavily trafficked by family members. Some possibilities are:
- Basement (keep the door open at all times for easy accessibility)
- Bathroom (this depends upon if you're comfortable with the set up)
- Bedroom (consider the noise and smell factor, particularly if kitty does her business at 3 AM!)
- Closet (a place many feline owners don't think about, but can be very desirable for kitty)
If your home has a basement, this is often the most advantageous location for everyone. It's out of the way, you rarely go there, and the smell and mess isn't intrusive. You do have to remember to visit several times a day to scoop out your cat's waste production. If the cat litter box is full, your cat will avoid it, and find another spot to do her business.
Many feline owners set up the cat litter box in their bathroom. The tile floor is easy to clean. It's a room that isn't occupied except for the essential business, and your cat usually has her privacy to eliminate with grace and dignity. However, if you're in the middle of your shower, putting on makeup, or otherwise engaged, the cat litter box smell may be something you need to consider.
Your bedroom (or another family member's) may work well. If the bedroom isn't occupied around the clock, many cats find this a preferable spot to have a cat litter box. If you consider a bedroom, think about kitty's bathroom habits. If she has a schedule that causes her to eliminate waste at 3 AM, will that wake you or other family members up? Will the noise and/or the odor interrupt your sleep?
If possible, a closet is a good location for your cat's litter box. Remember to keep the door open for her to easily gain access. With the confined space, constant litter box scooping is a must to keep the odor to a minimum. Be certain you don't have any clothes items that hang down far enough to be affected by the litter box or its contents.
Cat owners are resourceful at finding the best locations for the cat litter boxes in their homes. Almost any room will do, although many feline owners tell me they draw the line at having a cat litter box in their kitchen. I can't blame them, except I have a cat litter box set up in a kitchen alcove in my home. However, it's far enough away from the main kitchen that it's not a factor for kitchen hygiene. It's not my choice; the cats made the decision for me.
When bringing in a new cat, or when relocating to a new residence, work with your cat to determine the best cat litter box location for both of you. Keep in mind with multiple cats, you'll need to set up more than one cat litter box for maximum use and efficiency.
This article only touches upon some of the possible locations for a cat litter box location in your home. Look around, think like your cat, and I bet you'll find several locations that satisfies both you and your cat.
About the Author
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home.
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
addition
RSS feed:
http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/915/four-cat-litter-box-location-sites-in-your-home.html
Five Cat Food Factors That Discourage Feline UTD
by
Nany E. Wigal
One of the most common causes of Feline Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is what your cat eats. A feline diet that is too high in carbohydrates and magnesium, and low in protein can lead to FLUTD. When their cat is initially diagnosed with FLUTD, feline owners will usually first try to get their kitty to eat the prescription food recommended by their vet.
But what if the cat rejects their offering? As an alternative, there are specific, non-prescription cat foods available to maintain your cat's urine pH balance at 6.6. A high urine pH value indicates struvite crystal formation in your cat's urinary tract. The challenge is to find the right cat food that appeals to kitty, contains the proper amount of protein and magnesium, and has few or no by-products.
If you turn out to be one of those owners who has to find an alternative cat food, then here's five things to evaluate when selecting cat food to prevent future FLUTD occurrences in your kitty:
1. What's the Most Common Ingredient?
The first and most common ingredient that should be listed is protein - meat or fish. Read the label carefully - here's some variations you could see:
Canned cat food:
Beef
Chicken Liver
Deboned Chicken
Beef Broth
Dry cat food:
Chicken
Organic Chicken
Herring Meal
Chicken Meal
Some other good ingredients that will help your kitty maintain good urinary tract health are blueberries and cranberries. Vegetables such as carrots are good, and rice is a good grain
for your kitty to consume.
2. Are There Any By-Products?
Are by-products listed as one of the ingredients? If so, put that food back on the shelf and keep looking. By-products are filler material, and have limited nutritional value for your kitty. By-products are typically carbohydrates, and since cats are carnivores, they need protein, not carbs, for proper nutrition.
Here are some examples of by-products:
Canned cat food:
Corn gluten meal
Ground yellow corn
Soybean meal
Beef By-Products
Meat By-Products
Dry cat food:
Ground Yellow Corn
Chicken By-Product Meal
Corn Gluten Meal
Wheat flour
Corn Meal
Soy flour
3. How Much Moisture Is In the Cat Food?
What's the percentage of moisture in the cat food you're evaluating? The higher the number, the better for your kitty. More moisture means your cat will urinate more. Increased urination will flush out any crystals that may be trying to form in your cat's urinary tract. Canned cat food has a higher moisture content than dry.
4. How Much Magnesium Does the Cat Food Contain?
An excess of magnesium will contribute to struvite crystal formation (FLUTD). Some magnesium is necessary, but generally look for cat food that has a maximum of 0.025% magnesium to prevent struvite crystals.
5. Does the Cat Food Contain DL-Methionine?
DL-Methionine is an amino acid with sulfur, which helps regulate ammonia formation in urine. This amino acid helps maintain your cat's urine pH balance around 6.6, which is normal and does not encourage crystal formation.
And...since cats are cats (which means they are in charge!), be aware that what you select for them may not be what they want to eat, if they don't like the taste. If this happens, you'll need to start over again until you find a wholesome, nutritious cat food that merits two paws up from your feline!
Keep these five factors in mind when shopping for cat food to maintain your kitty's urinary tract and prevent FLUTD.
And remember, when you're considering changing your cat's diet, consult with your vet. She or he will give you expert guidance and information to make the transition easier for you and your kitty.
Copyright © 2005 Nancy E. Wigal
About Nancy: Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home. Subscribe to the Cat Urine Odor Solutions newsletter, and I'll send you my free report "Four Important Litter Box Basics For Your New Kitten." Start your new addition to the family off right, and never have a cat urine odor problem! Web site: http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com; Blog: http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/caturineodoradvisor; RSS feed: http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/300/five-cat-food-factors-that-discourage-feline-utd.html
Nany E. Wigal
One of the most common causes of Feline Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is what your cat eats. A feline diet that is too high in carbohydrates and magnesium, and low in protein can lead to FLUTD. When their cat is initially diagnosed with FLUTD, feline owners will usually first try to get their kitty to eat the prescription food recommended by their vet.
But what if the cat rejects their offering? As an alternative, there are specific, non-prescription cat foods available to maintain your cat's urine pH balance at 6.6. A high urine pH value indicates struvite crystal formation in your cat's urinary tract. The challenge is to find the right cat food that appeals to kitty, contains the proper amount of protein and magnesium, and has few or no by-products.
If you turn out to be one of those owners who has to find an alternative cat food, then here's five things to evaluate when selecting cat food to prevent future FLUTD occurrences in your kitty:
1. What's the Most Common Ingredient?
The first and most common ingredient that should be listed is protein - meat or fish. Read the label carefully - here's some variations you could see:
Canned cat food:
Beef
Chicken Liver
Deboned Chicken
Beef Broth
Dry cat food:
Chicken
Organic Chicken
Herring Meal
Chicken Meal
Some other good ingredients that will help your kitty maintain good urinary tract health are blueberries and cranberries. Vegetables such as carrots are good, and rice is a good grain
for your kitty to consume.
2. Are There Any By-Products?
Are by-products listed as one of the ingredients? If so, put that food back on the shelf and keep looking. By-products are filler material, and have limited nutritional value for your kitty. By-products are typically carbohydrates, and since cats are carnivores, they need protein, not carbs, for proper nutrition.
Here are some examples of by-products:
Canned cat food:
Corn gluten meal
Ground yellow corn
Soybean meal
Beef By-Products
Meat By-Products
Dry cat food:
Ground Yellow Corn
Chicken By-Product Meal
Corn Gluten Meal
Wheat flour
Corn Meal
Soy flour
3. How Much Moisture Is In the Cat Food?
What's the percentage of moisture in the cat food you're evaluating? The higher the number, the better for your kitty. More moisture means your cat will urinate more. Increased urination will flush out any crystals that may be trying to form in your cat's urinary tract. Canned cat food has a higher moisture content than dry.
4. How Much Magnesium Does the Cat Food Contain?
An excess of magnesium will contribute to struvite crystal formation (FLUTD). Some magnesium is necessary, but generally look for cat food that has a maximum of 0.025% magnesium to prevent struvite crystals.
5. Does the Cat Food Contain DL-Methionine?
DL-Methionine is an amino acid with sulfur, which helps regulate ammonia formation in urine. This amino acid helps maintain your cat's urine pH balance around 6.6, which is normal and does not encourage crystal formation.
And...since cats are cats (which means they are in charge!), be aware that what you select for them may not be what they want to eat, if they don't like the taste. If this happens, you'll need to start over again until you find a wholesome, nutritious cat food that merits two paws up from your feline!
Keep these five factors in mind when shopping for cat food to maintain your kitty's urinary tract and prevent FLUTD.
And remember, when you're considering changing your cat's diet, consult with your vet. She or he will give you expert guidance and information to make the transition easier for you and your kitty.
Copyright © 2005 Nancy E. Wigal
About Nancy: Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home. Subscribe to the Cat Urine Odor Solutions newsletter, and I'll send you my free report "Four Important Litter Box Basics For Your New Kitten." Start your new addition to the family off right, and never have a cat urine odor problem! Web site: http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com; Blog: http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/caturineodoradvisor; RSS feed: http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/300/five-cat-food-factors-that-discourage-feline-utd.html
Feral Cats - Society's Problem Children
by
Cris Mandelin-Wood
There is a lot of talk going on about what to do with the issue of feral cat population.
Some measures have been proposed which will allow residents to kill what they perceive to be feral cats on their property. This suggestion has caused a bit of a stir, and amongst cat lovers, it is quite understandable. Cats are natural wanderers and a treasured feline may make a mischievous dash out of its home only to find itself hunted quarry on a neighboring property.
There are more humane solutions being
practiced right now which entail trapping feral cats, neutering and then releasing them back to their environment (TNR). Critics of this method maintain that the problem of cat predation on local small animal populations still exists after neutering, and that a continuous supply of stray cats are finding their fertile way into these feral communities every day. Thus, they
maintain, any positive gains realized by the TNR program are being constantly negated by the actions, or inactions, of irresponsible pet owners.
There doesn't appear to be any immediate, cut and dry solution to feral cats at present except to keep employing the TNR program and educating the public about how to be accountable for their cats. Local laws can be enacted to impose fines on owners whose cats are caught wandering on a frequent basis. Social pressure can be fostered in the form of campaigns that suggest it is
absolutely not cool and downright irresponsible to have unneutered or unspayed cats wandering around. This, of course, would not be applied to owners of show and working cats where planned breeding is necessary for their specific breed.
It comes down to the fact that over 64% of U.S. households have pets, and the majority of these pets are considered as family members. Cats are the rebellious, independent members of the family unit. They shouldn't be left to their own devices or discarded like disposable lighters. Similar to any wayward teenager of a family, special measures and tolerances have to be adopted in order to get the loved ones through a difficult time in their lives and
bring them back into the fold of family unity. Cats are a bit different in that they are wayward children for life, however, they can be conditioned to accept a house-bound lifestyle. Having them spayed or neutered (we're talking about cats now - not teenagers) will help temper their wanderlust a little, and there are some great outdoor "playpens" and containment systems designed just for the benefit of felines. Some cats can even be leash trained for nightly walks, however, that may not be particularly healthy for you or the cat if there are too many unleashed dogs in the neighborhood.
Do what you can to help alleviate the problem of cats turning feral. The animal welfare organizations and volunteers are doing what they can to deal with the current populations by using TNR, rescuing and adopting of cats. But the flow of new, fertile domestic cats into the feral communities must be stopped at the family, neighborhood and regional level. This is accomplished through public awareness campaigns, teaching school children about responsible pet ownership, social pressure and individual involvement. It's a long uphill road, yet it can be accomplished, one or two kitties at a time.
To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to Pet Shelter Pages
About the Author
To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to Pet Shelter Pages and select the State you live in. There you will find listings of local animal welfare organizations and a sign up box for the ezine.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/293/feral-cats--societys-problem-children.html
Cris Mandelin-Wood
There is a lot of talk going on about what to do with the issue of feral cat population.
Some measures have been proposed which will allow residents to kill what they perceive to be feral cats on their property. This suggestion has caused a bit of a stir, and amongst cat lovers, it is quite understandable. Cats are natural wanderers and a treasured feline may make a mischievous dash out of its home only to find itself hunted quarry on a neighboring property.
There are more humane solutions being
practiced right now which entail trapping feral cats, neutering and then releasing them back to their environment (TNR). Critics of this method maintain that the problem of cat predation on local small animal populations still exists after neutering, and that a continuous supply of stray cats are finding their fertile way into these feral communities every day. Thus, they
maintain, any positive gains realized by the TNR program are being constantly negated by the actions, or inactions, of irresponsible pet owners.
There doesn't appear to be any immediate, cut and dry solution to feral cats at present except to keep employing the TNR program and educating the public about how to be accountable for their cats. Local laws can be enacted to impose fines on owners whose cats are caught wandering on a frequent basis. Social pressure can be fostered in the form of campaigns that suggest it is
absolutely not cool and downright irresponsible to have unneutered or unspayed cats wandering around. This, of course, would not be applied to owners of show and working cats where planned breeding is necessary for their specific breed.
It comes down to the fact that over 64% of U.S. households have pets, and the majority of these pets are considered as family members. Cats are the rebellious, independent members of the family unit. They shouldn't be left to their own devices or discarded like disposable lighters. Similar to any wayward teenager of a family, special measures and tolerances have to be adopted in order to get the loved ones through a difficult time in their lives and
bring them back into the fold of family unity. Cats are a bit different in that they are wayward children for life, however, they can be conditioned to accept a house-bound lifestyle. Having them spayed or neutered (we're talking about cats now - not teenagers) will help temper their wanderlust a little, and there are some great outdoor "playpens" and containment systems designed just for the benefit of felines. Some cats can even be leash trained for nightly walks, however, that may not be particularly healthy for you or the cat if there are too many unleashed dogs in the neighborhood.
Do what you can to help alleviate the problem of cats turning feral. The animal welfare organizations and volunteers are doing what they can to deal with the current populations by using TNR, rescuing and adopting of cats. But the flow of new, fertile domestic cats into the feral communities must be stopped at the family, neighborhood and regional level. This is accomplished through public awareness campaigns, teaching school children about responsible pet ownership, social pressure and individual involvement. It's a long uphill road, yet it can be accomplished, one or two kitties at a time.
To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to Pet Shelter Pages
About the Author
To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to Pet Shelter Pages and select the State you live in. There you will find listings of local animal welfare organizations and a sign up box for the ezine.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/293/feral-cats--societys-problem-children.html
Extreme Cat Urine Problems Are Preventable
by
Mike Taylor
Many times cat owners are at a loss as to why their cat doesn't use their litter box. Here are some great tips that can help you solve the problem.
The litter box is the first thing you should check. It should be in a quiet, private area of the house. Many people put them in their basements and leave the door open a little as this not only creates a private environment but also keeps odors to a minimum in the rest of the house.
Some use a closet but if you do this be sure and keep the box clean to reduce odors in such a confined space and don’t forget to leave the door open!
Another placement possibility is under a table. Many people find a place without carpeting is best from a maintenance point of view as tile or cement is a lot easier to clean.
Ask yourself if you changed the litter box in any way:
* Has the box been moved to a high traffic area recently?
* Does the box need cleaning?
* Is a new litter being used or does it have too heavy a scent (clumping and unscented is best).
* Has the depth of the litter in the box changed? Some cats like their litter deep, others shallow.
* Your cat has outgrown the box and needs a larger one.
* The box is too hard to enter and exit. This can be an issue for older cats.
Do not put food and water near the litter box. Cats like these two areas kept separate (don’t you?).
If your cat has picked out a particular room to soil try closing the door to that room if you can or cover the target area with furniture.
Put a bowl of food over the target area as cats like to keep their eating area away from their “bathroom”.
Take your cat to the Vet on a regular basis.
If you have more than one cat get each one of them their own litter box.
Have you recently moved? A cat might smell an area where the previous owner’s cat urinated.
Let the cat alone while it goes so it can have some privacy.
If it is a new cat in your home it could take from three to eight weeks to get adjusted to the new environment. Be patient!
Was there a recent addition or loss to the family? A new baby, spouse? This is usually temporary until the cat adjusts to the change in their environment.
A change in your schedule can throw off your cat's schedule as well and cause problems. Try and phase in major lifestyle changes gradually.
NEVER EVER punish the cat by kicking, hitting, chasing, screaming or rubbing their nose in their urine (remember the smell doesn’t bother them). Cats cannot make the cause and effect connection like we can so punishment after the fact is useless and will only make matters worse.
Cats are naturally very clean animals and they know where they are going. It is important to remember this and try and help your cat overcome any stress or anxiety they might be having in a caring and loving manner.
About the Author: (c) 2005 MMV - http://www.cat-urine-remover.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/906/extreme-cat-urine-problems-are-preventable.html
Mike Taylor
Many times cat owners are at a loss as to why their cat doesn't use their litter box. Here are some great tips that can help you solve the problem.
The litter box is the first thing you should check. It should be in a quiet, private area of the house. Many people put them in their basements and leave the door open a little as this not only creates a private environment but also keeps odors to a minimum in the rest of the house.
Some use a closet but if you do this be sure and keep the box clean to reduce odors in such a confined space and don’t forget to leave the door open!
Another placement possibility is under a table. Many people find a place without carpeting is best from a maintenance point of view as tile or cement is a lot easier to clean.
Ask yourself if you changed the litter box in any way:
* Has the box been moved to a high traffic area recently?
* Does the box need cleaning?
* Is a new litter being used or does it have too heavy a scent (clumping and unscented is best).
* Has the depth of the litter in the box changed? Some cats like their litter deep, others shallow.
* Your cat has outgrown the box and needs a larger one.
* The box is too hard to enter and exit. This can be an issue for older cats.
Do not put food and water near the litter box. Cats like these two areas kept separate (don’t you?).
If your cat has picked out a particular room to soil try closing the door to that room if you can or cover the target area with furniture.
Put a bowl of food over the target area as cats like to keep their eating area away from their “bathroom”.
Take your cat to the Vet on a regular basis.
If you have more than one cat get each one of them their own litter box.
Have you recently moved? A cat might smell an area where the previous owner’s cat urinated.
Let the cat alone while it goes so it can have some privacy.
If it is a new cat in your home it could take from three to eight weeks to get adjusted to the new environment. Be patient!
Was there a recent addition or loss to the family? A new baby, spouse? This is usually temporary until the cat adjusts to the change in their environment.
A change in your schedule can throw off your cat's schedule as well and cause problems. Try and phase in major lifestyle changes gradually.
NEVER EVER punish the cat by kicking, hitting, chasing, screaming or rubbing their nose in their urine (remember the smell doesn’t bother them). Cats cannot make the cause and effect connection like we can so punishment after the fact is useless and will only make matters worse.
Cats are naturally very clean animals and they know where they are going. It is important to remember this and try and help your cat overcome any stress or anxiety they might be having in a caring and loving manner.
About the Author: (c) 2005 MMV - http://www.cat-urine-remover.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/906/extreme-cat-urine-problems-are-preventable.html
Enzyme Cleaners - The Only Effective Cat Urine Odor Eliminat
by
Nancy E. Wigal
The first time a feline owner encounters an out-of-the-cat-litter-box experience, she probably uses whatever cleaners she has on hand. Initially, it appears she's cleaned the cat urine odor and stain from the location. However, in a matter of hours or days, she still smells the cat urine odor in the "clean" spot and can't figure out why it's still there.
You can effectively clean cat urine odor spots and get rid of the odor permanently, but you can't use the cleaners you have for other common household stain problems. This article outlines why only enzyme cleaners are effective in removing cat urine odor and stains.
Cat urine is composed of five different bacteria strains. Two of the identified bacteria strains are in cat marking scent, while the others are in the cat urine, the spray, and the uric acid. The bacteria is the main culprit responsible for the eye-watering, stomach-clenching cat urine smell. Cats usually don't lap up water in great quantities like other animals, so their urine tends to be extremely concentrated. This concentration of bacteria results in the strong smell that is unique to cat urine.
Regular household cleaners aren't designed to eradicate the bacteria in cat urine because they don't contain enzymes. If you clean up a cat urine puddle with a commercial household cleaner, you'll wipe up the puddle, but leave the bacteria behind. The odor remains and you feel frustration and anger.
But it's not hopeless. The answer is to purchase a good quality enzyme cleaner that specifically targets pet stains and odors.
Enzyme cleaners work by literally eating the bacteria in the affected area. The enzymes react to the bacteria by consuming it. When the bacteria is removed, the cat urine odor and stain is truly gone, and the smell is removed. Without the smell of the cat urine stain around, your cat is no longer encouraged to use that particular spot for her out-of-the-litter-box experience.
When you find a cat urine puddle, wipe up the puddle as much as possible. Be sure you check far and wide, in case the urine splashed or ran down an uneven surface. Then, spray or pour the enzyme cleaner onto the cat urine puddle area and let it dry. This gives the enzymes a chance to work on the bacteria and remove it. If the surface you're treating has cracks and pits, pour or spray directly into the crevice to make sure the enzyme cleaner encounters the bacteria.
Depending upon how old the cat urine puddle is, you may need to do more than one treatment. The older the puddle, the more treatment you'll need to do. Give the cleaner a chance to work by leaving it on the surface to dry.
You can usually find a variety of enzyme cleaners at your local pet store. My personal favorite is Dumb Cat Anti Marking and Cat Spray Remover. Before you purchase any enzyme cleaner, be sure to check the bottle's contents. Many enzyme cleaners use blood enzymes, which is not effective on cat urine. Dumb Cat uses enzymes that specifically targets cat urine bacteria.
Not only can you use enzyme cleaners on floor and furniture surfaces, but you can also use them as a laundry pre-soak if kitty happens to nail clothes or bedding. I also use an enzyme cleaner as a pre-soaking agent when I'm deep scrubbing my cat litter boxes every week. As the cat scratches in the box to cover her deposits, she creates cracks in the box surface. By pouring some enzyme cleaner in the cat litter box and letting it soak into the scratches, you eliminate accumulated cat urine odors that eventually discourage your cat from using her litter box.
Good luck and happy cleaning!
About The Author
To find out more about enzyme cleaners, go to http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com/get-rid-of-cat-urine-odor.html
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home.
Subscribe to the Cat Urine Odor Solutions newsletter, and I'll send you my free report "Four Important Litter Box Basics For Your New Kitten." Start your new addition to the family off right, and never have a cat urine odor problem!
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
RSS feed http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
nancy@cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/504/enzyme-cleaners--the-only-effective-cat-urine-odor-eliminat.html
Nancy E. Wigal
The first time a feline owner encounters an out-of-the-cat-litter-box experience, she probably uses whatever cleaners she has on hand. Initially, it appears she's cleaned the cat urine odor and stain from the location. However, in a matter of hours or days, she still smells the cat urine odor in the "clean" spot and can't figure out why it's still there.
You can effectively clean cat urine odor spots and get rid of the odor permanently, but you can't use the cleaners you have for other common household stain problems. This article outlines why only enzyme cleaners are effective in removing cat urine odor and stains.
Cat urine is composed of five different bacteria strains. Two of the identified bacteria strains are in cat marking scent, while the others are in the cat urine, the spray, and the uric acid. The bacteria is the main culprit responsible for the eye-watering, stomach-clenching cat urine smell. Cats usually don't lap up water in great quantities like other animals, so their urine tends to be extremely concentrated. This concentration of bacteria results in the strong smell that is unique to cat urine.
Regular household cleaners aren't designed to eradicate the bacteria in cat urine because they don't contain enzymes. If you clean up a cat urine puddle with a commercial household cleaner, you'll wipe up the puddle, but leave the bacteria behind. The odor remains and you feel frustration and anger.
But it's not hopeless. The answer is to purchase a good quality enzyme cleaner that specifically targets pet stains and odors.
Enzyme cleaners work by literally eating the bacteria in the affected area. The enzymes react to the bacteria by consuming it. When the bacteria is removed, the cat urine odor and stain is truly gone, and the smell is removed. Without the smell of the cat urine stain around, your cat is no longer encouraged to use that particular spot for her out-of-the-litter-box experience.
When you find a cat urine puddle, wipe up the puddle as much as possible. Be sure you check far and wide, in case the urine splashed or ran down an uneven surface. Then, spray or pour the enzyme cleaner onto the cat urine puddle area and let it dry. This gives the enzymes a chance to work on the bacteria and remove it. If the surface you're treating has cracks and pits, pour or spray directly into the crevice to make sure the enzyme cleaner encounters the bacteria.
Depending upon how old the cat urine puddle is, you may need to do more than one treatment. The older the puddle, the more treatment you'll need to do. Give the cleaner a chance to work by leaving it on the surface to dry.
You can usually find a variety of enzyme cleaners at your local pet store. My personal favorite is Dumb Cat Anti Marking and Cat Spray Remover. Before you purchase any enzyme cleaner, be sure to check the bottle's contents. Many enzyme cleaners use blood enzymes, which is not effective on cat urine. Dumb Cat uses enzymes that specifically targets cat urine bacteria.
Not only can you use enzyme cleaners on floor and furniture surfaces, but you can also use them as a laundry pre-soak if kitty happens to nail clothes or bedding. I also use an enzyme cleaner as a pre-soaking agent when I'm deep scrubbing my cat litter boxes every week. As the cat scratches in the box to cover her deposits, she creates cracks in the box surface. By pouring some enzyme cleaner in the cat litter box and letting it soak into the scratches, you eliminate accumulated cat urine odors that eventually discourage your cat from using her litter box.
Good luck and happy cleaning!
About The Author
To find out more about enzyme cleaners, go to http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com/get-rid-of-cat-urine-odor.html
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home.
Subscribe to the Cat Urine Odor Solutions newsletter, and I'll send you my free report "Four Important Litter Box Basics For Your New Kitten." Start your new addition to the family off right, and never have a cat urine odor problem!
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
RSS feed http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
nancy@cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/504/enzyme-cleaners--the-only-effective-cat-urine-odor-eliminat.html
Easy Cat Litter Box Cleaning Techniques
by
Nancy E. Wigal
Successful cat litter box habits stem from many different factors. A small investment of time pays off big with timely, periodic cat litter box cleaning. The best "Thank You!" from your cat is when she deposits a gift in her clean cat litter box.
Why should you empty out the old litter and scrub the box? As your cat uses the box, she uses her claws to scratch litter to cover her urine and feces. Cat urine gets into these cracks and begins to smell so bad after awhile that your cat may begin to avoid the litter box. Old cat litter smells extremely bad, and as you scoop out cat deposits, the amount of cat litter is less and less with each scoop. If your cat feels she doesn't have enough litter to cover her mess, she'll find another solution - usually outside the cat litter box.
While not difficult, it is important to properly clean a cat litter box to eradicate as much cat urine odor as possible. With a little bit of practice, you can quickly and easily clean cat litter boxes to ensure consistent litter box habits from your kitties.
First, empty out the cat litter box into a trash can with a closeable bag. Don't get too close to the dust and breathe it - the stuff is foul and it'll cause you to cough! Repeat this step for all cat litter boxes in your home.
If you use clumping litter, be sure to scrape out all litter clumps and loose bits. When you're scrubbing out the cat litter box with hot water, you don't want major chunks going into your drain system. The clumping litter will do exactly what it's supposed to...clump! If this happens, you'll be calling your plumber!
Spray or pour a little bit of your favorite enzyme cleaner into the empty cat litter box. I either use Dumb Cat or Simple Solution. Let this sit in the box while you proceed to the next step.
Go back to the cat litter box location and sweep up all the loose litter. If you use a rug or a mat, pick it up, take it outside, and give it a hell of a shake to dislodge all loose litter granules. Go back inside and use your enzyme cleaner to wipe down the area where the cat litter box resides.
While this area is drying, run hot, soapy water and put some in the cat litter box, along with the enzyme cleaner. I recommend you wear rubber gloves during the entire cleaning process to keep a barrier between the box and your skin. Use a scrub brush, and scrub out the cat litter box thoroughly.
Rinse the box well, and let it dry for a few minutes. Check the cat litter box area, and make sure it's dry. Place the litter box mat or rug back in place.
Fill up the cat litter box with your cat's favorite litter. How much do you put in? It depends upon your cat. Some cats like the box filled up; others only require a couple inches worth of cat litter. Pay attention to your cat; she'll tell you how much she needs. Be sure to put enough in so kitty can cover her deposits when she's made them.
Finally, haul out the garbage bag that contains the old, dirty litter. There's less chance of your house smelling like cat urine odor if the bag is promptly removed from your home.
How often should you clean your cat litter boxes? I have three cat litter boxes for two cats. The two most heavily used cat litter boxes get cleaned weekly. The third, lesser-used one is cleaned every other week.
Repeat this for every cat litter box in your home. Sometimes JJ, my older cat, will hang around while I'm cleaning the boxes. Once I put them back in place, he often hops right into one and makes an immediate deposit, as if he was just waiting for me to finish!
When you're done, take a long, hot shower to clean yourself! It's a great reward after a dirty job.
Happy cleaning!
About the Author
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it.
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
RSS feed:
http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/905/easy-cat-litter-box-cleaning-techniques.html
Nancy E. Wigal
Successful cat litter box habits stem from many different factors. A small investment of time pays off big with timely, periodic cat litter box cleaning. The best "Thank You!" from your cat is when she deposits a gift in her clean cat litter box.
Why should you empty out the old litter and scrub the box? As your cat uses the box, she uses her claws to scratch litter to cover her urine and feces. Cat urine gets into these cracks and begins to smell so bad after awhile that your cat may begin to avoid the litter box. Old cat litter smells extremely bad, and as you scoop out cat deposits, the amount of cat litter is less and less with each scoop. If your cat feels she doesn't have enough litter to cover her mess, she'll find another solution - usually outside the cat litter box.
While not difficult, it is important to properly clean a cat litter box to eradicate as much cat urine odor as possible. With a little bit of practice, you can quickly and easily clean cat litter boxes to ensure consistent litter box habits from your kitties.
First, empty out the cat litter box into a trash can with a closeable bag. Don't get too close to the dust and breathe it - the stuff is foul and it'll cause you to cough! Repeat this step for all cat litter boxes in your home.
If you use clumping litter, be sure to scrape out all litter clumps and loose bits. When you're scrubbing out the cat litter box with hot water, you don't want major chunks going into your drain system. The clumping litter will do exactly what it's supposed to...clump! If this happens, you'll be calling your plumber!
Spray or pour a little bit of your favorite enzyme cleaner into the empty cat litter box. I either use Dumb Cat or Simple Solution. Let this sit in the box while you proceed to the next step.
Go back to the cat litter box location and sweep up all the loose litter. If you use a rug or a mat, pick it up, take it outside, and give it a hell of a shake to dislodge all loose litter granules. Go back inside and use your enzyme cleaner to wipe down the area where the cat litter box resides.
While this area is drying, run hot, soapy water and put some in the cat litter box, along with the enzyme cleaner. I recommend you wear rubber gloves during the entire cleaning process to keep a barrier between the box and your skin. Use a scrub brush, and scrub out the cat litter box thoroughly.
Rinse the box well, and let it dry for a few minutes. Check the cat litter box area, and make sure it's dry. Place the litter box mat or rug back in place.
Fill up the cat litter box with your cat's favorite litter. How much do you put in? It depends upon your cat. Some cats like the box filled up; others only require a couple inches worth of cat litter. Pay attention to your cat; she'll tell you how much she needs. Be sure to put enough in so kitty can cover her deposits when she's made them.
Finally, haul out the garbage bag that contains the old, dirty litter. There's less chance of your house smelling like cat urine odor if the bag is promptly removed from your home.
How often should you clean your cat litter boxes? I have three cat litter boxes for two cats. The two most heavily used cat litter boxes get cleaned weekly. The third, lesser-used one is cleaned every other week.
Repeat this for every cat litter box in your home. Sometimes JJ, my older cat, will hang around while I'm cleaning the boxes. Once I put them back in place, he often hops right into one and makes an immediate deposit, as if he was just waiting for me to finish!
When you're done, take a long, hot shower to clean yourself! It's a great reward after a dirty job.
Happy cleaning!
About the Author
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it.
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
RSS feed:
http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/905/easy-cat-litter-box-cleaning-techniques.html
Declawing Your Cat
by
Brad Knell
Declawing Your Cat
This is a very controversial topic which has a lot of emotion behind but it needs to be looked at. As a cat owner who has experienced difficulty dealing with the cat scratching issue in my home it is difficult not to be biased but let's give the issue of declawing its due and see what exactly the pros and cons are.
There are 2 types of surgical procedures which are commonly done to eradicate this problem. One involves cutting the tendon that attaches the claw to the bone in a cats foot. The claw stays intact but the cat can't use it at all because it is no longer attached to the tendon that works it.
The second procedure employs the use of a laser for cutting. This procedure removes the lateral attachment. The claw is then removed.
Proponents of both these procedures claim there is minimal blood loss and discomfort. They also state that most cats are up running around in no time after the surgery. Great!
However, what they fail to mention is that both procedures are invasive (any surgical procedure is), both require general anethestic, and both can result in complications especially for older cats. The second procedure is quite plainly amputation. They also fail to mention what many people have stated - that post-surgery their cat developed a biting problem that was not prevelant prior to the surgery. What I have read also doesn't account for the many reports of people's cats undergoing drastic behavior changes afterwards.
One such advocate I read about stated that "there will be medical reasons and other circumstances where this procedure will be necessary." But it fails to cite any of those reasons.
For me at least, it all comes back to the question - "How would you like to have part of the anatomy God gave you amputated?" For me, there is only one "pro" After declawing, no matter what procedure you opt to have done, your cat will no longer be able to claw your furniture and carpets. The "cons" however, are still stacked against this and they are many!
We had a terrible experience with our cat Milo, when he recently developed a lower urinary tract infection and had to be admitted to stay 2 nights in a local vet clinic while he underwent surgery and monitoring for this common cat health problem. After seeing how terrified he was at the clinic and then worrying whether he would live or not because he refused to eat anything for a week after we got him home and had to be forcibly fed water to keep him hydrated, we simply could not bring ourselves to consider the idea of declawing no matter how stressful his clawing behavior was.
Milo is part of our family. God gave him all the parts he has for a reason and declawing to us is tantamount to saying he is less important than any other member of our family; something that we couldn't bring ourselves to think.
Pets count on us to look after their best interests. When we take on the responsibility of owning a pet we make what should be a statement of promise to protect them, nuture them and ensure that they are looked after. If you are considering declawing as a way to deal with your cats clawing behavior, I would urge you to please try some less invasive methods first before you resort to such a drastic measure. Why risk potential side-effects and the trauma that can accompany any surgical procedure if there are clearly other, less invasive ways of dealing with this problem?
About the Author
Brad Knell is the webmaster at http://www.stopcatscratching.com and several other websites designed to help people solve their pet problems.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/197/declawing-your-cat.html
Brad Knell
Declawing Your Cat
This is a very controversial topic which has a lot of emotion behind but it needs to be looked at. As a cat owner who has experienced difficulty dealing with the cat scratching issue in my home it is difficult not to be biased but let's give the issue of declawing its due and see what exactly the pros and cons are.
There are 2 types of surgical procedures which are commonly done to eradicate this problem. One involves cutting the tendon that attaches the claw to the bone in a cats foot. The claw stays intact but the cat can't use it at all because it is no longer attached to the tendon that works it.
The second procedure employs the use of a laser for cutting. This procedure removes the lateral attachment. The claw is then removed.
Proponents of both these procedures claim there is minimal blood loss and discomfort. They also state that most cats are up running around in no time after the surgery. Great!
However, what they fail to mention is that both procedures are invasive (any surgical procedure is), both require general anethestic, and both can result in complications especially for older cats. The second procedure is quite plainly amputation. They also fail to mention what many people have stated - that post-surgery their cat developed a biting problem that was not prevelant prior to the surgery. What I have read also doesn't account for the many reports of people's cats undergoing drastic behavior changes afterwards.
One such advocate I read about stated that "there will be medical reasons and other circumstances where this procedure will be necessary." But it fails to cite any of those reasons.
For me at least, it all comes back to the question - "How would you like to have part of the anatomy God gave you amputated?" For me, there is only one "pro" After declawing, no matter what procedure you opt to have done, your cat will no longer be able to claw your furniture and carpets. The "cons" however, are still stacked against this and they are many!
We had a terrible experience with our cat Milo, when he recently developed a lower urinary tract infection and had to be admitted to stay 2 nights in a local vet clinic while he underwent surgery and monitoring for this common cat health problem. After seeing how terrified he was at the clinic and then worrying whether he would live or not because he refused to eat anything for a week after we got him home and had to be forcibly fed water to keep him hydrated, we simply could not bring ourselves to consider the idea of declawing no matter how stressful his clawing behavior was.
Milo is part of our family. God gave him all the parts he has for a reason and declawing to us is tantamount to saying he is less important than any other member of our family; something that we couldn't bring ourselves to think.
Pets count on us to look after their best interests. When we take on the responsibility of owning a pet we make what should be a statement of promise to protect them, nuture them and ensure that they are looked after. If you are considering declawing as a way to deal with your cats clawing behavior, I would urge you to please try some less invasive methods first before you resort to such a drastic measure. Why risk potential side-effects and the trauma that can accompany any surgical procedure if there are clearly other, less invasive ways of dealing with this problem?
About the Author
Brad Knell is the webmaster at http://www.stopcatscratching.com and several other websites designed to help people solve their pet problems.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/197/declawing-your-cat.html
The Best Definition of a Typical Cat
by
Michael Haydon
How many times have you heard that the typical cat is a predator? More times than you can imagine. But when you are trying to come up with the definition of a typical cat surely it is better to study the overall habits of a cat and come up with the best summary. For starters, what does a cat do during a typical day? Here is my list of the things that acts do: • They purr. • They sleep. • They chase moving objects. • They eat. • They sleep some more. I think the most common activities are sleeping and purring. From kittens to senior cats, purring is the earliest most easily distinguishable hallmark of all cats. All Cats Purr Whilst purring is common to all cats, it is not always indicative of its being happy. Sometimes, cats purr when they are distressed or sick. Some scientists believe that cats use purring as a mechanism to calm itself down in much the same way humans do during meditation. When they purr they produce similar brainwaves to the human ‘alpha wave’ patterns, which induce a feeling of inner calm. There have been recent suggestions that having a purring act on your lap will have a calming effect on you as well. In other words, the benefits of purring can be transferred. Many nursing homes for the elderly are keeping cats as pets for their residents with beneficial effects being noted. Cats can sleep for up to sixteen hours a day as well as taking catnaps of ten or fifteen minutes at a time during periods of activity. Many cats also love catnip plant and will munch at it and roll around in it and, to all appearances, appear to be addicted to it. Any change in behavior should be carefully observed and may require a visit to the vet if you become concerned. Your cat might seem to be an unusually good climber. This is typical of al cats. It is here that the similarity to a predator role is seen most clearly. From a high vantage point, the cat can observe the movement and presence of possible prey. They do this from a position of safety as they have excellent all round vision and can stay out of the way of danger. I think the best way to think of a cat is not so much as a predator, but an independent animal keeping up its hunting skills so they will always be prepared for the possibility that they may be abandoned by their owners. They maintain their independence and their predator behavior is nothing more than this. Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for your kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314593/the-best-definition-of-a-typical-cat.html
Michael Haydon
How many times have you heard that the typical cat is a predator? More times than you can imagine. But when you are trying to come up with the definition of a typical cat surely it is better to study the overall habits of a cat and come up with the best summary. For starters, what does a cat do during a typical day? Here is my list of the things that acts do: • They purr. • They sleep. • They chase moving objects. • They eat. • They sleep some more. I think the most common activities are sleeping and purring. From kittens to senior cats, purring is the earliest most easily distinguishable hallmark of all cats. All Cats Purr Whilst purring is common to all cats, it is not always indicative of its being happy. Sometimes, cats purr when they are distressed or sick. Some scientists believe that cats use purring as a mechanism to calm itself down in much the same way humans do during meditation. When they purr they produce similar brainwaves to the human ‘alpha wave’ patterns, which induce a feeling of inner calm. There have been recent suggestions that having a purring act on your lap will have a calming effect on you as well. In other words, the benefits of purring can be transferred. Many nursing homes for the elderly are keeping cats as pets for their residents with beneficial effects being noted. Cats can sleep for up to sixteen hours a day as well as taking catnaps of ten or fifteen minutes at a time during periods of activity. Many cats also love catnip plant and will munch at it and roll around in it and, to all appearances, appear to be addicted to it. Any change in behavior should be carefully observed and may require a visit to the vet if you become concerned. Your cat might seem to be an unusually good climber. This is typical of al cats. It is here that the similarity to a predator role is seen most clearly. From a high vantage point, the cat can observe the movement and presence of possible prey. They do this from a position of safety as they have excellent all round vision and can stay out of the way of danger. I think the best way to think of a cat is not so much as a predator, but an independent animal keeping up its hunting skills so they will always be prepared for the possibility that they may be abandoned by their owners. They maintain their independence and their predator behavior is nothing more than this. Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for your kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314593/the-best-definition-of-a-typical-cat.html
Is Your Cat Grumpy?
by
Michael Haydon
Is Your Cat Grumpy? You know all cats have attitude right? I think thats a well accepted fact. Its also a fact that cats have quite individual personalities that set them apart from other pets. They are independent and selfish. The question is, are they reflecting their owner, or is it just a part of their particular breed? If you try to compare them with say, Pit Bull Terriers. Its true that this is an aggressive breed of dog, and, whilst they can be calm when with their owner, when they are off leash, well anything can happen. Compare them to, say, a Golden Labrador and youll see what a difference a breed makes. Is it the same with cats. Are tabby cats the angriest? Or black cats, do they own the title? Im happy to tell you that it has nothing to do with color, breed, or length of coat. Its just a part of their little personalities. You wont be able to predict it but you will get an idea from their early behavior. A small percentage of cats develop anti-social behavior and simply dont like being petted. In fact its a bit like being a human isnt it? Do You Have The Angriest Cat? I think it is helpful to think of an angry cat as a little human. What do you do to cure the temper tantrums. Well here are some steps and points you might want to consider: 1. Try to create and maintain a calm environment. Your new kitty can form some early habits based on early experiences. If the household has calm feeing there is a reduced likelihood of anxiety. 2. Give your new housemate some time to settle in. If he/she wants to hide under the bed, you can bet there may be a good reason, so let her stay there and come out when she wants to. 3. Remember that kitty is a sensitive creature by nature and can be easily spooked. If she doesnt have the confidence to mix with the rest of the family immediately, a little time could be all that is required. 4. Even after the passage of time, perhaps kitty still wants time alone. This is normal in all animals including humans, so allow kitty time alone if thats what she is seeking. 5. Remember that kitty may just be shy. People can be and so can cats. You may just have to accept kitty the way she is and leave her alone. 6. If you have adopted your cat and find that she is having difficulty settling in, remember her history may not have been a happy one and she is acting on past experiences whatever they may have been. I hope the above thoughts have reduced your anxiety about owning the angriest cat in the town, and have helped you and, hopefully, kitty to adapt as naturally as possible to her new surroundings. And remember, there is always someone who has a story to tell as to why their cat is angrier than yours! Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314537/is-your-cat-grumpy.html
Michael Haydon
Is Your Cat Grumpy? You know all cats have attitude right? I think thats a well accepted fact. Its also a fact that cats have quite individual personalities that set them apart from other pets. They are independent and selfish. The question is, are they reflecting their owner, or is it just a part of their particular breed? If you try to compare them with say, Pit Bull Terriers. Its true that this is an aggressive breed of dog, and, whilst they can be calm when with their owner, when they are off leash, well anything can happen. Compare them to, say, a Golden Labrador and youll see what a difference a breed makes. Is it the same with cats. Are tabby cats the angriest? Or black cats, do they own the title? Im happy to tell you that it has nothing to do with color, breed, or length of coat. Its just a part of their little personalities. You wont be able to predict it but you will get an idea from their early behavior. A small percentage of cats develop anti-social behavior and simply dont like being petted. In fact its a bit like being a human isnt it? Do You Have The Angriest Cat? I think it is helpful to think of an angry cat as a little human. What do you do to cure the temper tantrums. Well here are some steps and points you might want to consider: 1. Try to create and maintain a calm environment. Your new kitty can form some early habits based on early experiences. If the household has calm feeing there is a reduced likelihood of anxiety. 2. Give your new housemate some time to settle in. If he/she wants to hide under the bed, you can bet there may be a good reason, so let her stay there and come out when she wants to. 3. Remember that kitty is a sensitive creature by nature and can be easily spooked. If she doesnt have the confidence to mix with the rest of the family immediately, a little time could be all that is required. 4. Even after the passage of time, perhaps kitty still wants time alone. This is normal in all animals including humans, so allow kitty time alone if thats what she is seeking. 5. Remember that kitty may just be shy. People can be and so can cats. You may just have to accept kitty the way she is and leave her alone. 6. If you have adopted your cat and find that she is having difficulty settling in, remember her history may not have been a happy one and she is acting on past experiences whatever they may have been. I hope the above thoughts have reduced your anxiety about owning the angriest cat in the town, and have helped you and, hopefully, kitty to adapt as naturally as possible to her new surroundings. And remember, there is always someone who has a story to tell as to why their cat is angrier than yours! Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314537/is-your-cat-grumpy.html
How to Take Proper Care of Cats and Kittens
by
Michael Haydon
How to Take Proper Care of Cats and Kittens Owning a new kitten is just about the most exciting time of your family life. Those first few weeks are something special which will live long in your minds. It’s also a great chance to involve your children in learning how to take care of their new pet. It can become a really meaningful bonding time for the entire family. What better way to introduce children to new responsibilities where they learn to become accountable for the smallest member of the family. children can learn to become more reliable and as well, they will appreciate the satisfaction that comes with the added responsibility. Getting Your Kids Involved in Caring For Your Cats And Kittens It’s always a good starting point to involve the kids in the selection and naming of your new cat. Just as important is making sure your children understand the range of caring activities that will be involved and to emphasize that they will be responsible, along with the rest of the family, for a living creature not a toy that can be put away. It is a whole new ball game. Now, it’s not necessarily a difficult task to care for your pet if you really love them. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love their cat? I’ve seen people who say they hate cats simply melt after they’ve spent a few days with our family and go on to buy one for themselves. What I’m saying here is that although the enjoyment you will get from your kitty will have to be balance against the daily tasks of feeding, cleaning up the bowls, refreshing the water and the medical concerns like fleas, heartworm and general grooming and cleaning up cat hair. But, when all is said and done the time you have to allocate to these matters pales into insignificance when you experience the ultimate enjoyment of watching kitty at play and sleeping soundly on your lap. I have found that kids really respond to the responsibilities when tasks are allocated equally among family members wherever possible. This ensures that tasks are seen as a family responsibility and can be a great learning experience and contribute to the children coming to understand that life’s pleasures are balanced with responsibilities and that is the way life works. If you concentrate only on the jobs that need to be done or leave the “dirty” tasks to only one family member, then it could lead to resentment and then everyone, including kitty, will lose out. Having a balanced approach to pet ownership will have life long benefits when you learn to enjoy your cat and take care of them with love. It’s a life lesson we can all benefit from. Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for your kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314585/how-to-take-proper-care-of-cats-and-kittens.html
Michael Haydon
How to Take Proper Care of Cats and Kittens Owning a new kitten is just about the most exciting time of your family life. Those first few weeks are something special which will live long in your minds. It’s also a great chance to involve your children in learning how to take care of their new pet. It can become a really meaningful bonding time for the entire family. What better way to introduce children to new responsibilities where they learn to become accountable for the smallest member of the family. children can learn to become more reliable and as well, they will appreciate the satisfaction that comes with the added responsibility. Getting Your Kids Involved in Caring For Your Cats And Kittens It’s always a good starting point to involve the kids in the selection and naming of your new cat. Just as important is making sure your children understand the range of caring activities that will be involved and to emphasize that they will be responsible, along with the rest of the family, for a living creature not a toy that can be put away. It is a whole new ball game. Now, it’s not necessarily a difficult task to care for your pet if you really love them. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love their cat? I’ve seen people who say they hate cats simply melt after they’ve spent a few days with our family and go on to buy one for themselves. What I’m saying here is that although the enjoyment you will get from your kitty will have to be balance against the daily tasks of feeding, cleaning up the bowls, refreshing the water and the medical concerns like fleas, heartworm and general grooming and cleaning up cat hair. But, when all is said and done the time you have to allocate to these matters pales into insignificance when you experience the ultimate enjoyment of watching kitty at play and sleeping soundly on your lap. I have found that kids really respond to the responsibilities when tasks are allocated equally among family members wherever possible. This ensures that tasks are seen as a family responsibility and can be a great learning experience and contribute to the children coming to understand that life’s pleasures are balanced with responsibilities and that is the way life works. If you concentrate only on the jobs that need to be done or leave the “dirty” tasks to only one family member, then it could lead to resentment and then everyone, including kitty, will lose out. Having a balanced approach to pet ownership will have life long benefits when you learn to enjoy your cat and take care of them with love. It’s a life lesson we can all benefit from. Michael is the owner of Love Your Kitty, the BEST site for looking after your cat properly. You will also find great gift ideas for your kitty at www.PussyCatsAlive.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/314585/how-to-take-proper-care-of-cats-and-kittens.html
Cat Litter On Mount Shasta
by
Steve Gillman
Climbing Mount Shasta
Topped by snow and glaciers, Mount Shasta rises up above everything else when you approach it from the north.
As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be up there. We were coming south from Oregon, after driving across the country from Michigan. A detour to northern California before heading home seemed like a good idea to both of us.
"I wonder if we could climb it?" I asked. John just nodded his head quietly, agreeing not to the climb, but to the fact that he was wondering the same thing. I checked the map. Mount Shasta is 14,162 feet above sea level. I liked the idea of climbing that high.
"Have you ever climbed a mountain," John asked me. I thought about it for a while. "Not really. A lot of hills though."
Mount Shasta City
"Oh yes," the old woman at the visitor's center told us, "people climb Mount Shasta all the time." John pointed out the glaciers on the map she had given us. "Oh, well, did you bring crampons and ice axes?" John looked at me, and I could only say, "I've heard of these things."
We did have some gear: backpacks, sleeping bags, and a tent. John had good hiking boots, but mine were more like high-top shoes. Neither of us had ever used crampons or an ice axe, so we went the few blocks across town to see what the guy at the climbing store had to say.
"Have you done any climbing before?" he asked us.
"A little," I answered, remembering the buildings we used to climb on as teenagers, and the rocks we had recently scrambled up in Oregon. I figured we were ready for Mount Shasta.
"Well, you can't put crampons on those boots," he said to John, "and you sure can't put them on those," he told me, shaking his head at my shoes. Crampons apparently need rigid boots - our mountaineering lesson of the day. We could rent them, but only if we rented real mountaineering boots also. "And you'll need ice axes, of course." I felt a pain in my wallet.
Backpacking On Mount Shasta (Too Poor For Climbing)
A speeding ticket in North Dakota had strained the budget, and Mount Shasta was another detour from the route and the budget. We could, we decided, hike up the mountain and do a little backpacking. Still, I had to ask, "Do people climb Shasta without gear?" The store owner realized that the sale was lost.
"It's been done," he answered impatiently.
"It's been done," I reminded John as we drove up the road to Mount Shasta. He didn't answer, which was a good sign. I watched the Pine trees go by, and absentmindedly poked a finger through a hole in my shoe.
"Old Ski Bowl Trailhead," John said. I looked over at the sign. "7,900 feet." We were at the trailhead, along with forty other cars, and it was early enough to hit the trail.
Mount Shasta Poop Bags
We looked at the registration forms, and had a decision to make. There was a $10 fee to hike or climb above "Horse Camp," at 8,400 feet. John pointed to a pile of paper bags, each with a handful of cat litter in it, and a plastic bag to put it in. These were for carrying our excrement off the mountain, a requirement above 10,000 feet. That clinched it. We put $10 each in the envelope and dropped it in the slot. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to poop in a bag in the mountains. I took two for myself, in case of good luck.
An easy trail took us to the hut and spring at Horse Camp. We filled our water bottles. The dayhikers looked up at the mountain through cameras, while the climbers cooked noodles and discussed weather reports. They looked at my shoes and smiled at each other when I mentioned we might climb Mount Shasta.
After Horse Camp the trail gets steeper and rockier. The trees end at about 8,500 feet, leaving only grasses, flowers, and other tundra plants. Then the trail gets lost in the rocks just before the steep climb up to Helen Lake.
Wind And Rain At Helen Lake
There is no lake. Helen lake is a more-or-less level area of snow and ice. At the edge, overlooking Horse Camp far below, there are dusty clearings in the rocks where the climbers camp. We found an empty spot and we set up camp. The wind was howling. We were at 10,440 feet.
About the time the rain started, I realized it might have been a bad idea to talk John into bringing only a tarp, instead of the tent. The edges pulled loose in the wind again and again, until we pinned down one side with heavy rocks, and wrapped the other side around us. Dust blew in, despite the tight wrap and rain. I was enjoying the adventure more than John, who was very quiet. So I talked until he fell asleep.
Climbing Mount Shasta
"Apparently they start very early," John grumbled. It was dark, but there were lights and noise from the tents around us. I stood up, and I saw lights on the mountain a thousand up. It was 5:30 a.m. Hmm... climbers start early. With that new insight, we packed our daypacks, hid our big backpacks in the rocks, and stepped onto the ice.
Helen Lake was a mile of ups and downs, through sun-dished ice. Then we reached the loose rock at the base of a steep slope, in Avalanche Gully. We started climbing Mount Shasta. an hour later, we quit.
"I can't do it," John gasped. "Can't get enough air." We were at about 11,000 feet, and we knew there was less oxygen, but this was the first time John had actually been this high on foot. I once drove higher in Colorado, but apparently driving wasn't a strenuous enough for me to notice the thinner air. I noticed it here. We both did. We sat down and rested for a minute.
"Are you sure," I asked. He was - I wasn't. It was light now, and John didn't see any problem hiking down the four hours to the car alone. I would go on to the summit, and then come back down by evening. I had to continue. Mount Shasta was my first mountain, and I hadn't even used the poop bag yet.
Altitude Sickness
The "Red Bank" is a line of broken cliffs above Avalanche Gully. I scrambled, climbed, slipped on ice, and eventually found a way up and over. Then there were long steep slopes covered in loose rocks, with a few bamboo sticks marking the way. My route converged with that of the other climbers, who had come up the snow-slope route with crampons and ice axes.
After much climbing, I finally made it to the summit, which is called Misery hill, because it isn't actually the summit. It just seems like it should be. There was still a mile of snow to cross, and then more rocky terrain. One snow field had three-foot-high peaks covering it, like a huge merange pie.
I rested a moment, and realized I'd been hearing a new sound. Bang! Bang! Bang! It was the inside of my head, which had never been so loud before. Hmm...interesting. I got used to the noise and pain after an hour or so.
I got used to the smell of sulphur too. Mount Shasta, it turns out, is a volcano. When John Muir climbed it more than a hundred years earlier, he had to huddle next to the hot sulphur gas vents to survive a night near the peak. He was alternately freezing and burning.
At The Top Of Mount Shasta
"So this is the top?" I mumbled lamely to the guy who had just told me the John Muir story. Clouds, and smoke from forest fires, obscured the view in every direction, but it felt good to be so high, and down to the east, I saw my first glacier, a few hundred feet below.
"You can write your name in the register there," the guy told me, pointing to something in the rocks. Guestbooks on top of mountains? Another lesson for the day. I signed in, wrote some comment, and started down the mountain.
Sun cups, or whatever they call those depresions in the snow, fill with water in the warm afternoon sun - another discovery. I'd climb out of one ten-foot-wide bowl and slide into the pond at the bottom of the next. This was the pattern until I thankfully reached the ankle-twisting mile of rocks piled up below Helen Lake. Climbing down, I realized, is more difficult than climbing up, or at least more dangerous.
I found the trail, my headache disappeared, I reached the road, where John was waiting. By evening we were driving towards Michigan, Mount Shasta hidden in the clouds and smoke behind us. Oh, and yes, I did get to use the poop bag. Somewhere around 11,500 feet, I think, which I remembered when I was looking through my pack. "Pull over at the nearest garbage can," I told John.
About the author:
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/23142/cat-litter-on-mount-shasta.html
Steve Gillman
Climbing Mount Shasta
Topped by snow and glaciers, Mount Shasta rises up above everything else when you approach it from the north.
As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be up there. We were coming south from Oregon, after driving across the country from Michigan. A detour to northern California before heading home seemed like a good idea to both of us.
"I wonder if we could climb it?" I asked. John just nodded his head quietly, agreeing not to the climb, but to the fact that he was wondering the same thing. I checked the map. Mount Shasta is 14,162 feet above sea level. I liked the idea of climbing that high.
"Have you ever climbed a mountain," John asked me. I thought about it for a while. "Not really. A lot of hills though."
Mount Shasta City
"Oh yes," the old woman at the visitor's center told us, "people climb Mount Shasta all the time." John pointed out the glaciers on the map she had given us. "Oh, well, did you bring crampons and ice axes?" John looked at me, and I could only say, "I've heard of these things."
We did have some gear: backpacks, sleeping bags, and a tent. John had good hiking boots, but mine were more like high-top shoes. Neither of us had ever used crampons or an ice axe, so we went the few blocks across town to see what the guy at the climbing store had to say.
"Have you done any climbing before?" he asked us.
"A little," I answered, remembering the buildings we used to climb on as teenagers, and the rocks we had recently scrambled up in Oregon. I figured we were ready for Mount Shasta.
"Well, you can't put crampons on those boots," he said to John, "and you sure can't put them on those," he told me, shaking his head at my shoes. Crampons apparently need rigid boots - our mountaineering lesson of the day. We could rent them, but only if we rented real mountaineering boots also. "And you'll need ice axes, of course." I felt a pain in my wallet.
Backpacking On Mount Shasta (Too Poor For Climbing)
A speeding ticket in North Dakota had strained the budget, and Mount Shasta was another detour from the route and the budget. We could, we decided, hike up the mountain and do a little backpacking. Still, I had to ask, "Do people climb Shasta without gear?" The store owner realized that the sale was lost.
"It's been done," he answered impatiently.
"It's been done," I reminded John as we drove up the road to Mount Shasta. He didn't answer, which was a good sign. I watched the Pine trees go by, and absentmindedly poked a finger through a hole in my shoe.
"Old Ski Bowl Trailhead," John said. I looked over at the sign. "7,900 feet." We were at the trailhead, along with forty other cars, and it was early enough to hit the trail.
Mount Shasta Poop Bags
We looked at the registration forms, and had a decision to make. There was a $10 fee to hike or climb above "Horse Camp," at 8,400 feet. John pointed to a pile of paper bags, each with a handful of cat litter in it, and a plastic bag to put it in. These were for carrying our excrement off the mountain, a requirement above 10,000 feet. That clinched it. We put $10 each in the envelope and dropped it in the slot. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to poop in a bag in the mountains. I took two for myself, in case of good luck.
An easy trail took us to the hut and spring at Horse Camp. We filled our water bottles. The dayhikers looked up at the mountain through cameras, while the climbers cooked noodles and discussed weather reports. They looked at my shoes and smiled at each other when I mentioned we might climb Mount Shasta.
After Horse Camp the trail gets steeper and rockier. The trees end at about 8,500 feet, leaving only grasses, flowers, and other tundra plants. Then the trail gets lost in the rocks just before the steep climb up to Helen Lake.
Wind And Rain At Helen Lake
There is no lake. Helen lake is a more-or-less level area of snow and ice. At the edge, overlooking Horse Camp far below, there are dusty clearings in the rocks where the climbers camp. We found an empty spot and we set up camp. The wind was howling. We were at 10,440 feet.
About the time the rain started, I realized it might have been a bad idea to talk John into bringing only a tarp, instead of the tent. The edges pulled loose in the wind again and again, until we pinned down one side with heavy rocks, and wrapped the other side around us. Dust blew in, despite the tight wrap and rain. I was enjoying the adventure more than John, who was very quiet. So I talked until he fell asleep.
Climbing Mount Shasta
"Apparently they start very early," John grumbled. It was dark, but there were lights and noise from the tents around us. I stood up, and I saw lights on the mountain a thousand up. It was 5:30 a.m. Hmm... climbers start early. With that new insight, we packed our daypacks, hid our big backpacks in the rocks, and stepped onto the ice.
Helen Lake was a mile of ups and downs, through sun-dished ice. Then we reached the loose rock at the base of a steep slope, in Avalanche Gully. We started climbing Mount Shasta. an hour later, we quit.
"I can't do it," John gasped. "Can't get enough air." We were at about 11,000 feet, and we knew there was less oxygen, but this was the first time John had actually been this high on foot. I once drove higher in Colorado, but apparently driving wasn't a strenuous enough for me to notice the thinner air. I noticed it here. We both did. We sat down and rested for a minute.
"Are you sure," I asked. He was - I wasn't. It was light now, and John didn't see any problem hiking down the four hours to the car alone. I would go on to the summit, and then come back down by evening. I had to continue. Mount Shasta was my first mountain, and I hadn't even used the poop bag yet.
Altitude Sickness
The "Red Bank" is a line of broken cliffs above Avalanche Gully. I scrambled, climbed, slipped on ice, and eventually found a way up and over. Then there were long steep slopes covered in loose rocks, with a few bamboo sticks marking the way. My route converged with that of the other climbers, who had come up the snow-slope route with crampons and ice axes.
After much climbing, I finally made it to the summit, which is called Misery hill, because it isn't actually the summit. It just seems like it should be. There was still a mile of snow to cross, and then more rocky terrain. One snow field had three-foot-high peaks covering it, like a huge merange pie.
I rested a moment, and realized I'd been hearing a new sound. Bang! Bang! Bang! It was the inside of my head, which had never been so loud before. Hmm...interesting. I got used to the noise and pain after an hour or so.
I got used to the smell of sulphur too. Mount Shasta, it turns out, is a volcano. When John Muir climbed it more than a hundred years earlier, he had to huddle next to the hot sulphur gas vents to survive a night near the peak. He was alternately freezing and burning.
At The Top Of Mount Shasta
"So this is the top?" I mumbled lamely to the guy who had just told me the John Muir story. Clouds, and smoke from forest fires, obscured the view in every direction, but it felt good to be so high, and down to the east, I saw my first glacier, a few hundred feet below.
"You can write your name in the register there," the guy told me, pointing to something in the rocks. Guestbooks on top of mountains? Another lesson for the day. I signed in, wrote some comment, and started down the mountain.
Sun cups, or whatever they call those depresions in the snow, fill with water in the warm afternoon sun - another discovery. I'd climb out of one ten-foot-wide bowl and slide into the pond at the bottom of the next. This was the pattern until I thankfully reached the ankle-twisting mile of rocks piled up below Helen Lake. Climbing down, I realized, is more difficult than climbing up, or at least more dangerous.
I found the trail, my headache disappeared, I reached the road, where John was waiting. By evening we were driving towards Michigan, Mount Shasta hidden in the clouds and smoke behind us. Oh, and yes, I did get to use the poop bag. Somewhere around 11,500 feet, I think, which I remembered when I was looking through my pack. "Pull over at the nearest garbage can," I told John.
About the author:
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/23142/cat-litter-on-mount-shasta.html
CAT HEALTH PROBLEMS: YOUR CURIOSITY COULD SAVE YOUR CAT!
by
Dean Erickson
Cat health care is an issue that you can now take an active interest in. Use your own curiosity and your Internet skills to keep up to date with all the cat health information that is available to you at your very fingertips.
There are many websites out there on the World Wide Web that specialize in cats and cat-related issues, including cat health problems, cat health symptoms and cat health insurance. The expert, of course, is your veterinarian, but if you keep yourself informed and actively involved in your cat's health life you could well save your cat from any health-related discomfort. Early detection of any ailment is the only way to help your cat live happier and longer.
You can start with a web search or you can ask your veterinarian to recommend a website that he or she may also find useful. There are websites that offer access to databases full of all the information you could ever need about your cat's health needs.
Information on common illnesses or illnesses specific to certain breeds can be found online, which can also help you to be aware of the potential health problems that your pet could face.
But keeping informed about your cat's health is not based on just negative information. You'll find positive information and advice on nutrition, vitamins, pet toys and supplies to keep your cat happier and healthier.
The most common cat health problems are colds, bite wounds, digestive problems, urinary problems and diarrhea, and eye problems.
Cats are sensitive to many respiratory viruses and infections. Fighting can lead to various wounds. Eyes are particularly sensitive to feline fights. A sure sign of a cat's health ailing is if he or she stops eating and isn't interested in playing. Wounds should certainly be treated immediately, but if your cat is eating and playing as normal, then you've no real need to worry.
Fleas are also a common problem with cats, especially if your cat spends a lot of time outside. Tapeworm and other parasites are common problems too and often cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Visit your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms.
Cat health insurance is a popular choice these days and it is something to consider, albeit carefully. There are insurance companies online that specialize in pet insurance. You can get a quote online and even pay online. The positive aspects of having cat insurance is that if you cat does fall ill or have an accident the insurance will cover part or all of the veterinary bill. Some insurance companies even say they'll cover the cost of advertising for lost cats. As with all insurance packages you should read the fine print before paying for anything.
About the Author
Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of feline-cat-health.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/156/cat-health-problems-your-curiosity-could-save-your-cat.html
Dean Erickson
Cat health care is an issue that you can now take an active interest in. Use your own curiosity and your Internet skills to keep up to date with all the cat health information that is available to you at your very fingertips.
There are many websites out there on the World Wide Web that specialize in cats and cat-related issues, including cat health problems, cat health symptoms and cat health insurance. The expert, of course, is your veterinarian, but if you keep yourself informed and actively involved in your cat's health life you could well save your cat from any health-related discomfort. Early detection of any ailment is the only way to help your cat live happier and longer.
You can start with a web search or you can ask your veterinarian to recommend a website that he or she may also find useful. There are websites that offer access to databases full of all the information you could ever need about your cat's health needs.
Information on common illnesses or illnesses specific to certain breeds can be found online, which can also help you to be aware of the potential health problems that your pet could face.
But keeping informed about your cat's health is not based on just negative information. You'll find positive information and advice on nutrition, vitamins, pet toys and supplies to keep your cat happier and healthier.
The most common cat health problems are colds, bite wounds, digestive problems, urinary problems and diarrhea, and eye problems.
Cats are sensitive to many respiratory viruses and infections. Fighting can lead to various wounds. Eyes are particularly sensitive to feline fights. A sure sign of a cat's health ailing is if he or she stops eating and isn't interested in playing. Wounds should certainly be treated immediately, but if your cat is eating and playing as normal, then you've no real need to worry.
Fleas are also a common problem with cats, especially if your cat spends a lot of time outside. Tapeworm and other parasites are common problems too and often cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Visit your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms.
Cat health insurance is a popular choice these days and it is something to consider, albeit carefully. There are insurance companies online that specialize in pet insurance. You can get a quote online and even pay online. The positive aspects of having cat insurance is that if you cat does fall ill or have an accident the insurance will cover part or all of the veterinary bill. Some insurance companies even say they'll cover the cost of advertising for lost cats. As with all insurance packages you should read the fine print before paying for anything.
About the Author
Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of feline-cat-health.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/156/cat-health-problems-your-curiosity-could-save-your-cat.html
Cat Anxiety And Cat Litter Box Problems
by
Nancy Wigal
Frazzled felines will sometimes relieve their anxiety by urinating, or marking (spraying) outside the cat litter box. Here are a few of the causes and the solutions to calm your kitty down.
Like humans, cats like their routines and daily habits. When something changes in their home, one way their anxiety may manifest itself is by urinating outside the cat litter box. With a little bit of work and patience, your kitty can be calmed down and get back to her good litter box habits.
Here are just a few situations that can make cats anxious:
- A new person or pet comes to live in your household
- You change jobs and your daily schedule
- A trip to the vet
There are many more situations, but these can be fairly common stressors for felines.
A new person or pet comes to live in your household:
If you're introducing a roommate of the human kind, be sure this individual understands that cats are different from dogs. They don't play the same, and cats may be viewed as being cold or aloof. Tell your new roommate about your cat's personality, likes, and dislikes. Then introduce them to one another. It may take a couple weeks for everybody to get adjusted to one another.
One thing you may want to do during this transition period is to either confine your cat to her favorite room with her food, water, clean cat litter box, and toys, or keep the roommate's bedroom shut to prevent your cat from marking the new housemate's clothes, furniture, and possessions. Supervisor your cat's forays into this person's space. Your new roommate may opt to keep the door shut permanently. This won't be a problem unless your kitty is constantly curious about what's behind the closed door.
You change jobs and your daily schedule:
Cats like to know when their big cat mom and/or dad are coming and going, so they can adjust their schedules accordingly. If you or your partner takes a new job that drastically changes your household routine and lifestyle, your cat may get upset. She might react by refusing to use the cat litter box.
Observe your cat carefully. If you find cat urine puddles outside the litter box once the new routine has been established, you'll need to confine your cat to limit the damage to one area of your home and retrain her to back to good litter box habits. For the first week or so, spend more time with your cat and reassure her that everything is OK, and her life is going to be just fine.
On the other hand, she may adjust with no reaction whatsoever, because she realizes you're still coming home at night, and she's getting love and delicious cat food from you.
A trip to the vet:
This ranks high on any kitty's list of terrors! The loud noises, the strange smells, and unknown people handling her can be very stressful. Once you get kitty home from the awful place where she's stuck with things in unmentionable places, you may want to confine her to a quiet location in your home for a few hours. Give her food, water, a clean cat litter box, and her toys. She'll generally be just fine in less than half a day.
What are the solutions for these situational anxiety problems?
Many feline owners have discovered natural flowering essences and synthetic feline pheronomes are very effective in alleviating cat anxiety. Some of the more popular ones are Bach's Rescue Remedy, Nerve Ease, Calm Supplement, and the Feliway Comfort Zone Plug in modules.
Bach's, Nerve Ease, and Calm are liquid compounds that can be administered directly into your cat's food or water. A few drops twice a day make a big difference for most anxious cats.
The Feliway Comfort Zone Plug in modules are synthetic feline pheronomes that calm cats down. The Feliway module plugs directly in your electrical wall socket. The pheronomes are then diffused, or transmitted throughout the room. Many cat owners buy several of these of these plug in modules, and install them in kitty's favorite rooms throughout their house. Each bottle lasts approximately 30 days.
All of these solutions are effective within several hours of administration. You can use them singly, or combine them. My cat Scout, improved noticeably within 24 hours of getting the natural flowering essences in her food, and the installation of the Feliway modules.
For any feline anxiety based on situations, try either the natural flowering essences or the Feliway Plug in modules. One or the other work very well for most cats.
About the Author: The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home. http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com RSS Feed: http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included.
Source: www.isnare.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/154/cat-anxiety-and-cat-litter-box-problems.html
Nancy Wigal
Frazzled felines will sometimes relieve their anxiety by urinating, or marking (spraying) outside the cat litter box. Here are a few of the causes and the solutions to calm your kitty down.
Like humans, cats like their routines and daily habits. When something changes in their home, one way their anxiety may manifest itself is by urinating outside the cat litter box. With a little bit of work and patience, your kitty can be calmed down and get back to her good litter box habits.
Here are just a few situations that can make cats anxious:
- A new person or pet comes to live in your household
- You change jobs and your daily schedule
- A trip to the vet
There are many more situations, but these can be fairly common stressors for felines.
A new person or pet comes to live in your household:
If you're introducing a roommate of the human kind, be sure this individual understands that cats are different from dogs. They don't play the same, and cats may be viewed as being cold or aloof. Tell your new roommate about your cat's personality, likes, and dislikes. Then introduce them to one another. It may take a couple weeks for everybody to get adjusted to one another.
One thing you may want to do during this transition period is to either confine your cat to her favorite room with her food, water, clean cat litter box, and toys, or keep the roommate's bedroom shut to prevent your cat from marking the new housemate's clothes, furniture, and possessions. Supervisor your cat's forays into this person's space. Your new roommate may opt to keep the door shut permanently. This won't be a problem unless your kitty is constantly curious about what's behind the closed door.
You change jobs and your daily schedule:
Cats like to know when their big cat mom and/or dad are coming and going, so they can adjust their schedules accordingly. If you or your partner takes a new job that drastically changes your household routine and lifestyle, your cat may get upset. She might react by refusing to use the cat litter box.
Observe your cat carefully. If you find cat urine puddles outside the litter box once the new routine has been established, you'll need to confine your cat to limit the damage to one area of your home and retrain her to back to good litter box habits. For the first week or so, spend more time with your cat and reassure her that everything is OK, and her life is going to be just fine.
On the other hand, she may adjust with no reaction whatsoever, because she realizes you're still coming home at night, and she's getting love and delicious cat food from you.
A trip to the vet:
This ranks high on any kitty's list of terrors! The loud noises, the strange smells, and unknown people handling her can be very stressful. Once you get kitty home from the awful place where she's stuck with things in unmentionable places, you may want to confine her to a quiet location in your home for a few hours. Give her food, water, a clean cat litter box, and her toys. She'll generally be just fine in less than half a day.
What are the solutions for these situational anxiety problems?
Many feline owners have discovered natural flowering essences and synthetic feline pheronomes are very effective in alleviating cat anxiety. Some of the more popular ones are Bach's Rescue Remedy, Nerve Ease, Calm Supplement, and the Feliway Comfort Zone Plug in modules.
Bach's, Nerve Ease, and Calm are liquid compounds that can be administered directly into your cat's food or water. A few drops twice a day make a big difference for most anxious cats.
The Feliway Comfort Zone Plug in modules are synthetic feline pheronomes that calm cats down. The Feliway module plugs directly in your electrical wall socket. The pheronomes are then diffused, or transmitted throughout the room. Many cat owners buy several of these of these plug in modules, and install them in kitty's favorite rooms throughout their house. Each bottle lasts approximately 30 days.
All of these solutions are effective within several hours of administration. You can use them singly, or combine them. My cat Scout, improved noticeably within 24 hours of getting the natural flowering essences in her food, and the installation of the Feliway modules.
For any feline anxiety based on situations, try either the natural flowering essences or the Feliway Plug in modules. One or the other work very well for most cats.
About the Author: The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home. http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com RSS Feed: http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included.
Source: www.isnare.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/154/cat-anxiety-and-cat-litter-box-problems.html
Analysis of Cat Behavior
by
Keith Kingston
The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are not stemmed from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying to get revenge on you for being away from home too much or bringing a new baby into the house.
Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress or anxiety for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to conclude that the cat's feelings toward them are causing the behavioral differences; it is human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In reality, there is a missing link: your behavior may cause the cat physical anxiety, thus the cat's behavior alteration is based on physiological changes in his body.
One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has suddenly chosen a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his litter box. This could be a result of a few factors. First, it may be a medical problem. Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make it extremely painful to urinate. Cats then associate the pain of urination with the litter box, so they do not like to visit their designated urination station. If your cat has stopped using the litter box, your first step should be to take him to the vet and have a thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural preferences for certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed the type of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care for the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet. The best strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have a medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the cat to his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a kitten again.
To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully analyze any changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new baby or roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so be sure to give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more time away from home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that your cat does not spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having emotional reactions, his body feels different due to changes around him.
Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious, analyze the situation, and do the loyal owner duty of relieving his stress.
About The Author
Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on cat health, cat supplies, and kitten names.
http://cats.allspecialoffers.com/
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/8360/analysis-of-cat-behavior.html
Keith Kingston
The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are not stemmed from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying to get revenge on you for being away from home too much or bringing a new baby into the house.
Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress or anxiety for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to conclude that the cat's feelings toward them are causing the behavioral differences; it is human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In reality, there is a missing link: your behavior may cause the cat physical anxiety, thus the cat's behavior alteration is based on physiological changes in his body.
One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has suddenly chosen a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his litter box. This could be a result of a few factors. First, it may be a medical problem. Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make it extremely painful to urinate. Cats then associate the pain of urination with the litter box, so they do not like to visit their designated urination station. If your cat has stopped using the litter box, your first step should be to take him to the vet and have a thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural preferences for certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed the type of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care for the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet. The best strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have a medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the cat to his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a kitten again.
To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully analyze any changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new baby or roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so be sure to give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more time away from home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that your cat does not spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having emotional reactions, his body feels different due to changes around him.
Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious, analyze the situation, and do the loyal owner duty of relieving his stress.
About The Author
Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on cat health, cat supplies, and kitten names.
http://cats.allspecialoffers.com/
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/8360/analysis-of-cat-behavior.html
Allergic To Your Dog Or Cat?
by
Samuel Murray
Pets definitely help us live longer and healthier lives. This is especially true of the elderly and those of us who live alone. Pets make wonderful and faithful companions. They are always there for us. However, this relationship can become strained, and sometimes even be broken when someone in the household develops an allergy to a beloved pet.
Studies show that approximately 15% of the population suffers from an allergy to a dog or cat, and about one third of those with an allergy to cats choose to live in a household with a cat despite the allergy. Some allergy suffers live happily with a pet for a year or two before an allergy starts.
There are sometimes long term health ramifications of repeated allergy flair up's, especially for children. Repeated flair-up's can cause permanent lung damage in children. This should be carefully and thoroughly discussed with your physician. One of the ways to live happily with an animal you are allergic to is to decrease your exposure to the animal. Keep the animal outside if possible.
If the allergy sufferer only has a mild reaction to the animal there are ways for the two of them to live together in harmony, but it takes work. The animal should not be allowed in the allergy sufferers bedroom or on the bed. Keep the animal off of any upholstered furniture in the house as dander can be transferred to upholstered furniture. Use a room purifier to remove airborne animal dander. Remove carpets from the home if possible and replace with wood floors. Wash area rugs on a regular basis with warm water. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter in order to trap dander. The allergy sufferer should wash his or her face and hands after handling the animal. The animal can be bathed weekly in specially formulated shampoo that removes dander.
In some cases where the above methods and the use of over the counter antihistamines and decongestants do not help, the allergy sufferer may need to seek the help of an allergist. Immunotherapy can be thought of like a vaccination against your allergies. Given on a regular basis as shots, immunotherapy helps your body build up a natural tolerance to specific allergens.
With the use of the above methods you'll be able to live a long and healthy life with your pet!
About The Author
Samuel Murray
This article courtesy of http://www.allergies-facts.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/845/allergic-to-your-dog-or-cat.html
Samuel Murray
Pets definitely help us live longer and healthier lives. This is especially true of the elderly and those of us who live alone. Pets make wonderful and faithful companions. They are always there for us. However, this relationship can become strained, and sometimes even be broken when someone in the household develops an allergy to a beloved pet.
Studies show that approximately 15% of the population suffers from an allergy to a dog or cat, and about one third of those with an allergy to cats choose to live in a household with a cat despite the allergy. Some allergy suffers live happily with a pet for a year or two before an allergy starts.
There are sometimes long term health ramifications of repeated allergy flair up's, especially for children. Repeated flair-up's can cause permanent lung damage in children. This should be carefully and thoroughly discussed with your physician. One of the ways to live happily with an animal you are allergic to is to decrease your exposure to the animal. Keep the animal outside if possible.
If the allergy sufferer only has a mild reaction to the animal there are ways for the two of them to live together in harmony, but it takes work. The animal should not be allowed in the allergy sufferers bedroom or on the bed. Keep the animal off of any upholstered furniture in the house as dander can be transferred to upholstered furniture. Use a room purifier to remove airborne animal dander. Remove carpets from the home if possible and replace with wood floors. Wash area rugs on a regular basis with warm water. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter in order to trap dander. The allergy sufferer should wash his or her face and hands after handling the animal. The animal can be bathed weekly in specially formulated shampoo that removes dander.
In some cases where the above methods and the use of over the counter antihistamines and decongestants do not help, the allergy sufferer may need to seek the help of an allergist. Immunotherapy can be thought of like a vaccination against your allergies. Given on a regular basis as shots, immunotherapy helps your body build up a natural tolerance to specific allergens.
With the use of the above methods you'll be able to live a long and healthy life with your pet!
About The Author
Samuel Murray
This article courtesy of http://www.allergies-facts.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/845/allergic-to-your-dog-or-cat.html
A Great Day of Cat Skiing
by
Lachlan Brown
Snowcat skiing offers strong-intermediate and expert skiers the ultimate powder snow experience.
Operators provide full-service guided tours into remote high-mountain regions. Powder snow and “fresh tracks” are the norm. Uphill transportation is provided by a tracked snowcat having warm, comfortable cabs. They usually accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a driver.
Some snowcat operators are based in towns or near highways and offer guests continued access to “civilization”. In some cases, guests use local hotels and restaurants for accommodation and meals. Such operators may offer single-day trips.
Other snowcat operators use remote lodges high in the mountains, far from cars and telephones. These lodges provide a multi-day backcountry experience in the midst of pristine alpine wilderness. They also place guests very close to their skiing.
Many backcountry “cat skiing” lodges offer double-occupancy bedrooms complete with private ensuite baths. They have cozy and comfortable sitting areas, dining halls with cathedral ceilings, drying rooms for boots and outside clothing, games rooms, well-stocked bars and “commercial” kitchens. They offer exercise areas, video players, satellite telephones, perhaps a computer with Internet access and, of course, a well-stocked bar. Guests can enjoy a social drink and spectacular views while luxuriating in an outdoor hot tub, and then step right to their bedrooms for a shower or a nap.
No special equipment is required for cat skiing, just boots and clothing. Powder skis can be rented at the lodge. However, snowboarders should bring their own boards. Guests will make the most of their snowcat skiing tour by being in good physical condition.
Lodge life is informal and relaxed. Juice and fruit and coffee are served at 7:00 AM and a buffet breakfast is available at about 7:30. Snowcats depart between 8:30 and 9:00, when guests are ready.
The first day of a tour is special. Guides take the first hour or so to make sure guests understand safety procedures. Everyone has practice using the radio beacons that the operator supplies. No one goes out without one.
The first run of the day is rarely more than 20 minutes from the lodge and the last run of the day can end at the lodge door. During the day, the group moves around, sampling different areas and never staying long in any one spot. Each run is in fresh, untracked snow.
On “bluebird” days, the guide will head for the high alpine. Perhaps for two or three runs on a glacier before trying the big open slopes, taking a run or two in each before heading to the next. The highest skiing elevation can be close to 10,000 ft and the views are spectacular. There is always time to pause for pictures.
If visibility is poor or if the alpine snow is unstable, it’s off to one of the many ridges to “ski the trees”. Tree skiing is amazing! The tree-protected snow is usually deeper and softer than in the alpine. It is consistent, light, and there are no moguls. The short, fat “powder skis” are easy to control. Forget the trees. Just ski the openings! Intermediate skiers who may never before have skied in trees find that they can not only do it, but that it’s fun.
In the old burns, the trees are gnarly, but very widely spaced. The living forest has closer-spaced trees, but offers beautiful glades and tree stands that may have been thinned. Some of the glades are as open as some ski-area runs. The old cut-blocks are great fun. Snow-buried stumps create “pillows”, small mounds to ski around or “pop” off. Landings are nearly always the same, soft and forgiving. It’s amazing!
Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest “augers in”, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist.
The speed of the group depends on it’s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of “whoops” and hollers”. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and “smell the roses”.
Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some “steeps”, “drop-offs” or other challenges, while others are guided down more “mellow” lines.
By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can “sit out” a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It’s all very relaxed and very friendly.
Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It’s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. “Hip flasks” are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times.
At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.
Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one “dresses” for dinner. It’s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day’s conquests. Amusing speeches and special “award” ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no “loners”.
After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!
Some photos of cat skiers at play can be found by following the links located at the bottom of the Chatter Creek Cat Skiing photos Web page at: www.backcountrywintervacations.com/snowboarding-pictures.html
Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver, Canada and skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. He also organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges, located about 120 km north of Golden, BC, in a snow belt in the Canadian Rockies. Chatter Creek has an informative Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
lockiebrown@hotmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/14718/a-great-day-of-cat-skiing.html
Lachlan Brown
Snowcat skiing offers strong-intermediate and expert skiers the ultimate powder snow experience.
Operators provide full-service guided tours into remote high-mountain regions. Powder snow and “fresh tracks” are the norm. Uphill transportation is provided by a tracked snowcat having warm, comfortable cabs. They usually accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a driver.
Some snowcat operators are based in towns or near highways and offer guests continued access to “civilization”. In some cases, guests use local hotels and restaurants for accommodation and meals. Such operators may offer single-day trips.
Other snowcat operators use remote lodges high in the mountains, far from cars and telephones. These lodges provide a multi-day backcountry experience in the midst of pristine alpine wilderness. They also place guests very close to their skiing.
Many backcountry “cat skiing” lodges offer double-occupancy bedrooms complete with private ensuite baths. They have cozy and comfortable sitting areas, dining halls with cathedral ceilings, drying rooms for boots and outside clothing, games rooms, well-stocked bars and “commercial” kitchens. They offer exercise areas, video players, satellite telephones, perhaps a computer with Internet access and, of course, a well-stocked bar. Guests can enjoy a social drink and spectacular views while luxuriating in an outdoor hot tub, and then step right to their bedrooms for a shower or a nap.
No special equipment is required for cat skiing, just boots and clothing. Powder skis can be rented at the lodge. However, snowboarders should bring their own boards. Guests will make the most of their snowcat skiing tour by being in good physical condition.
Lodge life is informal and relaxed. Juice and fruit and coffee are served at 7:00 AM and a buffet breakfast is available at about 7:30. Snowcats depart between 8:30 and 9:00, when guests are ready.
The first day of a tour is special. Guides take the first hour or so to make sure guests understand safety procedures. Everyone has practice using the radio beacons that the operator supplies. No one goes out without one.
The first run of the day is rarely more than 20 minutes from the lodge and the last run of the day can end at the lodge door. During the day, the group moves around, sampling different areas and never staying long in any one spot. Each run is in fresh, untracked snow.
On “bluebird” days, the guide will head for the high alpine. Perhaps for two or three runs on a glacier before trying the big open slopes, taking a run or two in each before heading to the next. The highest skiing elevation can be close to 10,000 ft and the views are spectacular. There is always time to pause for pictures.
If visibility is poor or if the alpine snow is unstable, it’s off to one of the many ridges to “ski the trees”. Tree skiing is amazing! The tree-protected snow is usually deeper and softer than in the alpine. It is consistent, light, and there are no moguls. The short, fat “powder skis” are easy to control. Forget the trees. Just ski the openings! Intermediate skiers who may never before have skied in trees find that they can not only do it, but that it’s fun.
In the old burns, the trees are gnarly, but very widely spaced. The living forest has closer-spaced trees, but offers beautiful glades and tree stands that may have been thinned. Some of the glades are as open as some ski-area runs. The old cut-blocks are great fun. Snow-buried stumps create “pillows”, small mounds to ski around or “pop” off. Landings are nearly always the same, soft and forgiving. It’s amazing!
Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest “augers in”, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist.
The speed of the group depends on it’s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of “whoops” and hollers”. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and “smell the roses”.
Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some “steeps”, “drop-offs” or other challenges, while others are guided down more “mellow” lines.
By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can “sit out” a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It’s all very relaxed and very friendly.
Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It’s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. “Hip flasks” are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times.
At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.
Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one “dresses” for dinner. It’s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day’s conquests. Amusing speeches and special “award” ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no “loners”.
After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!
Some photos of cat skiers at play can be found by following the links located at the bottom of the Chatter Creek Cat Skiing photos Web page at: www.backcountrywintervacations.com/snowboarding-pictures.html
Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver, Canada and skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. He also organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges, located about 120 km north of Golden, BC, in a snow belt in the Canadian Rockies. Chatter Creek has an informative Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
lockiebrown@hotmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/14718/a-great-day-of-cat-skiing.html
A Day of Cat Skiing
by
Lockie Brown
Snowcat skiing offers strong-intermediate and expert skiers full-service guided tours into remote high-mountain regions. Powder snow and “fresh tracks” are the norm. Uphill transportation is provided by a tracked snowcat equipped with a warm, comfortable passenger cab. They usually accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a driver.
Some snowcat operators are based in towns or near highways and offer guests continued access to “civilization”. In some cases, guests use local hotels and restaurants for accommodation and meals. Such operators may offer single-day trips.
Other snowcat operators use remote lodges high in the mountains, far from cars and telephones. These lodges provide a multi-day backcountry experience in the midst of pristine alpine wilderness. They also place guests very close to their skiing.
Many backcountry “cat skiing” lodges offer double-occupancy bedrooms complete with private ensuite baths. They have cozy and comfortable sitting areas, dining halls with cathedral ceilings, drying rooms for boots and outside clothing, games rooms, well-stocked bars and “commercial” kitchens. They offer exercise areas, video players, satellite telephones, perhaps a computer with Internet access and, of course, a well-stocked bar. Guests can enjoy a social drink and spectacular views while luxuriating in an outdoor hot tub, and then step right to their bedrooms for a shower or a nap.
No special equipment is required for cat skiing, just boots and clothing. Powder skis can be rented at the lodge. However, snowboarders should bring their own boards. Guests will make the most of their snowcat skiing tour by being in good physical condition.
Lodge life is informal and relaxed. Juice and fruit and coffee are served at 7:00 AM and a buffet breakfast is available at about 7:30. Snowcats depart between 8:30 and 9:00, when guests are ready.
The first day of a tour is special. Guides take the first hour or so to make sure guests understand safety procedures. Everyone has practice using the radio beacons that the operator supplies. No one goes out without one.
The first run of the day is rarely more than 20 minutes from the lodge and the last run of the day can end at the lodge door. During the day, the group moves around, sampling different areas and never staying long in any one spot. Each run is in fresh, untracked snow.
On “bluebird” days, the guide will head for the high alpine. Perhaps for two or three runs on a glacier before trying the big open slopes, taking a run or two in each before heading to the next. The highest skiing elevation can be close to 10,000 ft and the views are spectacular. There is always time to pause for pictures.
If visibility is poor or if the alpine snow is unstable, it’s off to one of the many ridges to “ski the trees”. Tree skiing is amazing! The protected snow is usually deeper and softer than in the alpine. It is very consistent and there are no moguls. The short, fat “powder skis” are easy to control. Forget the trees. Just ski the openings! Intermediate skiers who may never before have skied in trees find that they can not only do it, but that it’s fun.
In the old burns, the trees are gnarly, but very widely spaced. The living forest has closer-spaced trees, but offers beautiful glades and tree stands that may have been thinned. Some of the glades are as open as some ski-area runs. The old cut-blocks are great fun. Snow-buried stumps create “pillows”, small mounds to ski around or “pop” off. Landings are nearly always the same, soft and forgiving. It’s amazing!
Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest “augers in”, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist.
The speed of the group depends on it’s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of “whoops” and hollers”. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and “smell the roses”.
Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some “steeps”, “drop-offs” or other challenges, while others are guided down more “mellow” lines.
By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can “sit out” a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It’s all very relaxed and very friendly.
Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It’s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. “Hip flasks” are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times.
At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.
Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one “dresses” for dinner. It’s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day’s conquests. Amusing speeches and special “award” ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no “loners”.
After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!
The Chatter News photo journal (http://powder-skiing.blogspot.com/) displays over 350 photos of snowcat skiers at play, and the Cat Skiing Terrain photo gallery (http://cat-skiing-terrain.blogspot.com) provides a tour of the cat skiing areas at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing near Golden BC.
About the Author
Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver. He skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends. His favorite location is Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing (http://chattercreekcatskiing.com/) located in a snow belt near Golden BC, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/19893/a-day-of-cat-skiing.html
Lockie Brown
Snowcat skiing offers strong-intermediate and expert skiers full-service guided tours into remote high-mountain regions. Powder snow and “fresh tracks” are the norm. Uphill transportation is provided by a tracked snowcat equipped with a warm, comfortable passenger cab. They usually accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a driver.
Some snowcat operators are based in towns or near highways and offer guests continued access to “civilization”. In some cases, guests use local hotels and restaurants for accommodation and meals. Such operators may offer single-day trips.
Other snowcat operators use remote lodges high in the mountains, far from cars and telephones. These lodges provide a multi-day backcountry experience in the midst of pristine alpine wilderness. They also place guests very close to their skiing.
Many backcountry “cat skiing” lodges offer double-occupancy bedrooms complete with private ensuite baths. They have cozy and comfortable sitting areas, dining halls with cathedral ceilings, drying rooms for boots and outside clothing, games rooms, well-stocked bars and “commercial” kitchens. They offer exercise areas, video players, satellite telephones, perhaps a computer with Internet access and, of course, a well-stocked bar. Guests can enjoy a social drink and spectacular views while luxuriating in an outdoor hot tub, and then step right to their bedrooms for a shower or a nap.
No special equipment is required for cat skiing, just boots and clothing. Powder skis can be rented at the lodge. However, snowboarders should bring their own boards. Guests will make the most of their snowcat skiing tour by being in good physical condition.
Lodge life is informal and relaxed. Juice and fruit and coffee are served at 7:00 AM and a buffet breakfast is available at about 7:30. Snowcats depart between 8:30 and 9:00, when guests are ready.
The first day of a tour is special. Guides take the first hour or so to make sure guests understand safety procedures. Everyone has practice using the radio beacons that the operator supplies. No one goes out without one.
The first run of the day is rarely more than 20 minutes from the lodge and the last run of the day can end at the lodge door. During the day, the group moves around, sampling different areas and never staying long in any one spot. Each run is in fresh, untracked snow.
On “bluebird” days, the guide will head for the high alpine. Perhaps for two or three runs on a glacier before trying the big open slopes, taking a run or two in each before heading to the next. The highest skiing elevation can be close to 10,000 ft and the views are spectacular. There is always time to pause for pictures.
If visibility is poor or if the alpine snow is unstable, it’s off to one of the many ridges to “ski the trees”. Tree skiing is amazing! The protected snow is usually deeper and softer than in the alpine. It is very consistent and there are no moguls. The short, fat “powder skis” are easy to control. Forget the trees. Just ski the openings! Intermediate skiers who may never before have skied in trees find that they can not only do it, but that it’s fun.
In the old burns, the trees are gnarly, but very widely spaced. The living forest has closer-spaced trees, but offers beautiful glades and tree stands that may have been thinned. Some of the glades are as open as some ski-area runs. The old cut-blocks are great fun. Snow-buried stumps create “pillows”, small mounds to ski around or “pop” off. Landings are nearly always the same, soft and forgiving. It’s amazing!
Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest “augers in”, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist.
The speed of the group depends on it’s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of “whoops” and hollers”. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and “smell the roses”.
Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some “steeps”, “drop-offs” or other challenges, while others are guided down more “mellow” lines.
By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can “sit out” a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It’s all very relaxed and very friendly.
Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It’s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. “Hip flasks” are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times.
At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.
Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one “dresses” for dinner. It’s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day’s conquests. Amusing speeches and special “award” ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no “loners”.
After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!
The Chatter News photo journal (http://powder-skiing.blogspot.com/) displays over 350 photos of snowcat skiers at play, and the Cat Skiing Terrain photo gallery (http://cat-skiing-terrain.blogspot.com) provides a tour of the cat skiing areas at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing near Golden BC.
About the Author
Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver. He skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends. His favorite location is Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing (http://chattercreekcatskiing.com/) located in a snow belt near Golden BC, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/19893/a-day-of-cat-skiing.html
7 Good Reasons for Playing With Your Cat
by
Larry Chamberlain
Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.
Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you. Do you want your cat to think of you as more than someone who is there to provide food, shelter and warmth? Then regular play sessions will go a long way to ensuring that your feline friend sees you as an object of his or her affections, that you are someone to greet when you arrive home.
Do not let your cat think that your hands are playthings. If your cat gets the message that it is OK to scratch at, or bite your hands, you will have the devils own job of curing him of the habit.
Playing will help preventing your cat from becoming overweight.
The best way to ensure that your cat does not become overweight is by feeding him correctly with a balanced diet, but exercise also plays a part in keeping your kitty healthy. If yours is an indoor cat, then playing with you may be his only opportunity for exertion and staying trim. Don't overdo it though, limit play time to about 15 minutes.
Playing will help your cat to become confident.
Kittens learn how to relate with their siblings and other cats through play, it is their social education, how they learn their place in the world. Help you cat to continue this enlightenment by playing with him.
Also regular play periods, coupled with petting sessions, will get your cat used to human interaction, he will be less likely to shy away and hide, when visitors call.
Playing will help your cat develop his hunting abilities.
Hunting is a natural instinct for all cats, a cat confined to indoors usually has little chance to express and develop this instinct. Enjoy some of your play times using an interactive cat toy, the kind with a catnip mouse on the end of a cord are good. Encourage kitty to chase the toy mouse, allow him to pounce for the 'kill'.
Have a selection of cat toys but use only three or four in one session, next time amuse your feline with a different choice. Keep some toys only for play sessions, put them away between times, so that they remain interesting to your cat. Toys like catnip mice can be safely left out for kitty to amuse himself with, but be aware that small objects can, and do, get swallowed by cats. Never encourage playing with buttons, pieces of string, small bells etc. Plastic bags are as dangerous for cats as they are for children, and are not playthings.
Playing will help your cat release aggression.
Cats often display aggressive traits through boredom. Tutor your cat not to scratch, bite or attack you with play sessions. Use praise to reward your cat for playing gently, as soon as he shows any sign he is about to use his teeth or claws - end the play session. This will teach your cat that aggressive cat behavior is best directed to his toys, and not you!
Playing is 'Fun' for your cat!.
Cats need fun in their lives, just like humans need it. Relieve the monotony of eating, snoozing and using the litter tray by putting a bit of fun in your cats life. You will have a happier, more confident and less aggressive kitty.
Playing is 'Fun' for you!.
And finally, it is fun for you to play with your cat. A cat is a wonderful pet just to have around the place to admire its beauty and for its company. But how much better for you to enjoy a little fun by playing with your cat. Cat playtime, good for your cat, good for you!
If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to
http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-breeds.html
Information about your favorite cat breed.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7613/7-good-reasons-for-playing-with-your-cat.html
Larry Chamberlain
Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.
Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you. Do you want your cat to think of you as more than someone who is there to provide food, shelter and warmth? Then regular play sessions will go a long way to ensuring that your feline friend sees you as an object of his or her affections, that you are someone to greet when you arrive home.
Do not let your cat think that your hands are playthings. If your cat gets the message that it is OK to scratch at, or bite your hands, you will have the devils own job of curing him of the habit.
Playing will help preventing your cat from becoming overweight.
The best way to ensure that your cat does not become overweight is by feeding him correctly with a balanced diet, but exercise also plays a part in keeping your kitty healthy. If yours is an indoor cat, then playing with you may be his only opportunity for exertion and staying trim. Don't overdo it though, limit play time to about 15 minutes.
Playing will help your cat to become confident.
Kittens learn how to relate with their siblings and other cats through play, it is their social education, how they learn their place in the world. Help you cat to continue this enlightenment by playing with him.
Also regular play periods, coupled with petting sessions, will get your cat used to human interaction, he will be less likely to shy away and hide, when visitors call.
Playing will help your cat develop his hunting abilities.
Hunting is a natural instinct for all cats, a cat confined to indoors usually has little chance to express and develop this instinct. Enjoy some of your play times using an interactive cat toy, the kind with a catnip mouse on the end of a cord are good. Encourage kitty to chase the toy mouse, allow him to pounce for the 'kill'.
Have a selection of cat toys but use only three or four in one session, next time amuse your feline with a different choice. Keep some toys only for play sessions, put them away between times, so that they remain interesting to your cat. Toys like catnip mice can be safely left out for kitty to amuse himself with, but be aware that small objects can, and do, get swallowed by cats. Never encourage playing with buttons, pieces of string, small bells etc. Plastic bags are as dangerous for cats as they are for children, and are not playthings.
Playing will help your cat release aggression.
Cats often display aggressive traits through boredom. Tutor your cat not to scratch, bite or attack you with play sessions. Use praise to reward your cat for playing gently, as soon as he shows any sign he is about to use his teeth or claws - end the play session. This will teach your cat that aggressive cat behavior is best directed to his toys, and not you!
Playing is 'Fun' for your cat!.
Cats need fun in their lives, just like humans need it. Relieve the monotony of eating, snoozing and using the litter tray by putting a bit of fun in your cats life. You will have a happier, more confident and less aggressive kitty.
Playing is 'Fun' for you!.
And finally, it is fun for you to play with your cat. A cat is a wonderful pet just to have around the place to admire its beauty and for its company. But how much better for you to enjoy a little fun by playing with your cat. Cat playtime, good for your cat, good for you!
If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to
http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-breeds.html
Information about your favorite cat breed.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7613/7-good-reasons-for-playing-with-your-cat.html
13 ways to save your furniture from cat scratching
by
Petar Petrov
The cats are great pets. They love to play, they love to cuddle when you are watching TV or sleeping, and they purr for no reason other than being near you. But they also love to scratch. Unfortunately, the things they love to scratch are often the legs of your antique table, your upholstered sofa, or your expensive carpet.
Although many humans do not appreciate when their cats scratching, you have to know that kittens and cats do not scratch to make us angry, they just need to scratch. Scratching is a natural hardwired behavior in cats, just like breathing and purring, and every cat owner must know WHY THE CATS SCRATCH.
In the wild, cats scratch around their immediate environment to signal their presence to other cats and to claim the area in question. The marking takes two forms: visual and olfactory. The visual is in the form of clawing marks and is so obvious that even we humans can recognise it. The olfactory mark is subtler, involving the release of pheromones. These are substances secreted from the body to be picked up by the number of the same species, causing them to alter their behavior.
Scratching has additional function too. It removes the nail sheaths, outer layer of dead cells from the claw. You might thing your cat scratches to sharpen her claws, but it more likely it provides her with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of her paws.
There are two groups of target for every cat. The first one is when your cat target one or two areas in the home, usually near important territorial areas such as: sleeping area, litter tray, hunting or play areas. The second one is your cat undertake more widespread and destructive scratching in highly visible sites such as: doorways, windows, prominent furnishings - like sofas.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOUR CAT SCRATCHING YOUR FURNITURE?
1. The easiest but the most painful method for cat is declawing. Faced with cat scratching problems, many people consider declawing surgery. But many veterinarians believe declawing is a painful and unnecessary surgery and refuse to do it for humane reasons. Instead, they advocate training your cat to use a scratching post.
2. Make sure there are multiple scratching opportunities. Cats often like to scratch after eating and sleeping, so be sure there is something to scratch near where they eat and sleep. A scratching post is an excellent investment for your cat. It will allow her to scratch, stretch and exercise all at once. If you want to provide your cat not only with scratching surface, but and places where she can climb, perch and sleep you should consider cat tree.
3. Cover the furniture with something your cat does not like: double sided tape, some plastic or aluminium foil. Some cats dislike the feeling and sound of foil, and most cats hate things that stick to their fur. Double-sided sticky tape used in carpet installation works well, but be sure the tape won’t harm your cat or furniture.
4. Keep your cat mentally stimulated and offers her plenty of opportunity for exercise, and she will has less opportunity to be destructive in your home. If your cat is frustrated and bored, she may scratch your furniture or tear your drapes. Give her enough play time. Cats are motivated by smell, sound, texture and movement. The toys you use should aim to cover all these aspects. Discover your cat’s preferences by presenting a variety different sized toy made from different materials and watch her reaction to gauge her preferences.
5. Cutting the nails regularly may help keep a cat from scratching the furniture, or at least reduce the damage done by its scratching. Get your kitten used to having its nails clipped while it is young, praise her while you clip the nail and reward her with a treat.
6. Booby trap the furniture with a soda can with some pennies in it, so that if cat scratches, it makes a noise.
7. Use a doorknob alarm on your curtains. When pinned to the drapes, the alarm will sound every time your cat tries to use curtains as a ladder.
8. Consider a window perch for your feline friend. It will give your cat hours of entertainment - especially if you place a bird or squirrel feeder in the garden outside the window. Be sure the window is closed so your pet won’t fall out.
9. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try squirting her with a water pistol or squirt bottle and use a firm ‘no’. Of course, this won’t stop your cat when you are not around.
10. If your cat is gaining access to a high bookcase by leaping from a nearby chair, move the chair. Without her launchpad, your cat will no longer be able to reach her perch.
11. You can also try taping inflated balloons to the problem areas. When your cat pops one with her claws, she will avoid scratching there again. However, try this only when you are at home, so you can pick up the balloon pieces before your cat tries to eat them.
12. There are training devices that keep cats off forbidden areas by making annoying sounds. They are available at pet supply stores, catalogs and websites.
13. If your cat still scratches in appropriate places, use some sprays like bitter apple or actual orange peels, which are good deterrents.
All forms of physical punishment should be avoided since they can cause fear or aggression toward the owner, and at best, the cat will only learn to stop the scratching while the owner is around.
It does not matter which method you will choose to prevent your furniture destroying, every cat owner mush know that it is impractical and unfair to expect cats to stop scratching entirely.
About the Author
The author Petar Petrov is founder of CozyCatFurniture.com. His site together with the cat furniture that offer, try to help people to make their cat’s life better. Visit the site www.cozycatfurniture.com take your free cat newsletter and learn more about Cat Cares, Cat Health, Cat Behavior, Training Cat and Cat Breeds.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7358/13-ways-to-save-your-furniture-from-cat-scratching.html
Petar Petrov
The cats are great pets. They love to play, they love to cuddle when you are watching TV or sleeping, and they purr for no reason other than being near you. But they also love to scratch. Unfortunately, the things they love to scratch are often the legs of your antique table, your upholstered sofa, or your expensive carpet.
Although many humans do not appreciate when their cats scratching, you have to know that kittens and cats do not scratch to make us angry, they just need to scratch. Scratching is a natural hardwired behavior in cats, just like breathing and purring, and every cat owner must know WHY THE CATS SCRATCH.
In the wild, cats scratch around their immediate environment to signal their presence to other cats and to claim the area in question. The marking takes two forms: visual and olfactory. The visual is in the form of clawing marks and is so obvious that even we humans can recognise it. The olfactory mark is subtler, involving the release of pheromones. These are substances secreted from the body to be picked up by the number of the same species, causing them to alter their behavior.
Scratching has additional function too. It removes the nail sheaths, outer layer of dead cells from the claw. You might thing your cat scratches to sharpen her claws, but it more likely it provides her with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of her paws.
There are two groups of target for every cat. The first one is when your cat target one or two areas in the home, usually near important territorial areas such as: sleeping area, litter tray, hunting or play areas. The second one is your cat undertake more widespread and destructive scratching in highly visible sites such as: doorways, windows, prominent furnishings - like sofas.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOUR CAT SCRATCHING YOUR FURNITURE?
1. The easiest but the most painful method for cat is declawing. Faced with cat scratching problems, many people consider declawing surgery. But many veterinarians believe declawing is a painful and unnecessary surgery and refuse to do it for humane reasons. Instead, they advocate training your cat to use a scratching post.
2. Make sure there are multiple scratching opportunities. Cats often like to scratch after eating and sleeping, so be sure there is something to scratch near where they eat and sleep. A scratching post is an excellent investment for your cat. It will allow her to scratch, stretch and exercise all at once. If you want to provide your cat not only with scratching surface, but and places where she can climb, perch and sleep you should consider cat tree.
3. Cover the furniture with something your cat does not like: double sided tape, some plastic or aluminium foil. Some cats dislike the feeling and sound of foil, and most cats hate things that stick to their fur. Double-sided sticky tape used in carpet installation works well, but be sure the tape won’t harm your cat or furniture.
4. Keep your cat mentally stimulated and offers her plenty of opportunity for exercise, and she will has less opportunity to be destructive in your home. If your cat is frustrated and bored, she may scratch your furniture or tear your drapes. Give her enough play time. Cats are motivated by smell, sound, texture and movement. The toys you use should aim to cover all these aspects. Discover your cat’s preferences by presenting a variety different sized toy made from different materials and watch her reaction to gauge her preferences.
5. Cutting the nails regularly may help keep a cat from scratching the furniture, or at least reduce the damage done by its scratching. Get your kitten used to having its nails clipped while it is young, praise her while you clip the nail and reward her with a treat.
6. Booby trap the furniture with a soda can with some pennies in it, so that if cat scratches, it makes a noise.
7. Use a doorknob alarm on your curtains. When pinned to the drapes, the alarm will sound every time your cat tries to use curtains as a ladder.
8. Consider a window perch for your feline friend. It will give your cat hours of entertainment - especially if you place a bird or squirrel feeder in the garden outside the window. Be sure the window is closed so your pet won’t fall out.
9. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try squirting her with a water pistol or squirt bottle and use a firm ‘no’. Of course, this won’t stop your cat when you are not around.
10. If your cat is gaining access to a high bookcase by leaping from a nearby chair, move the chair. Without her launchpad, your cat will no longer be able to reach her perch.
11. You can also try taping inflated balloons to the problem areas. When your cat pops one with her claws, she will avoid scratching there again. However, try this only when you are at home, so you can pick up the balloon pieces before your cat tries to eat them.
12. There are training devices that keep cats off forbidden areas by making annoying sounds. They are available at pet supply stores, catalogs and websites.
13. If your cat still scratches in appropriate places, use some sprays like bitter apple or actual orange peels, which are good deterrents.
All forms of physical punishment should be avoided since they can cause fear or aggression toward the owner, and at best, the cat will only learn to stop the scratching while the owner is around.
It does not matter which method you will choose to prevent your furniture destroying, every cat owner mush know that it is impractical and unfair to expect cats to stop scratching entirely.
About the Author
The author Petar Petrov is founder of CozyCatFurniture.com. His site together with the cat furniture that offer, try to help people to make their cat’s life better. Visit the site www.cozycatfurniture.com take your free cat newsletter and learn more about Cat Cares, Cat Health, Cat Behavior, Training Cat and Cat Breeds.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7358/13-ways-to-save-your-furniture-from-cat-scratching.html
10 Reasons Why Your Cat Loves You
by
Larry Chamberlain
There are plenty of reasons why your cat loves you. Ten of the main reasons are listed below. Enjoy!
1. You provide food - Cats love food and they love you for giving them that food. If it wasn't for you, they'd go hungry, and of course, if it wasn't for you, they wouldn't get those tasty scraps of meat after a meal. Those crunchy little biscuits aren't half bad either.
2. You clean the litter tray - You always keep their bathroom area very clean. After all, cats are very clean animals, and they're very appreciative of the work you do in cleaning out their litter tray, as well as the area around it. Poor things, they can't help spraying litter all over the floor!
3. You are a great companion - You're always there to play with them, whether it be with a piece of string or with a toy mouse which looks so amazingly real yet it magically comes back to life every time its head has just been chewed on for five minutes by your cat!
4. You're comfortable to sit (and sleep) on - On those cold dark evenings, you're always there to be sat on and nuzzled into. You're so warm compared to some of the places they could sleep, and the gap between your knees makes a great paw warmer!
5. You provide shelter - They have a whole house to themselves thanks to you. While it's raining outside they can cheerfully look out the window at all the other poor animals that have to put up with the rain. There's always a corner in your house where they can curl up and go to sleep as well. Luxury!
6. You're bigger than any dog - You're (almost) always there to fend off any nasty big dogs that could eat them whole and they appreciate this greatly. Especially at the vets when a huge hairy dog is eyeing them up, they know that you're behind them so they'll be safe.
7. You always know where to scratch - Whether it's behind the ears, under the chin, or on their stomach, cats just love the way you always scratch, stroke, and pet them. Its one of the things they love most, and they love you for it, and when you get that special brush out, it's just the best thing in the world!
8. You always talk back - Whenever they meow, you always give a consoling reply either in native cat language by meowing back, or by saying something in a high pitched voice that only babies would understand!
9. You provide things to claw - Whether it is furniture, carpet, or a delicate set of curtains, there's always something for your cat to get their claws into. What would they do without all the clawing material you provide...? It's possible that they might consider using the specially designed scratch post that you bought for them.
10. You love them - The greatest reason of all, which encompasses all those mentioned above. They love you because you love them.
Well, those were ten of the main reasons your cat loves you. I'm sure you related to most, if not all, of them. Rest assured, your cat does love you, because they couldn't live without you, just as you couldn't live without them!
Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong cat lover and webmaster of http://www.best-cat-art.com. Cat art posters, art prints, cat calendars and cat collectibles. Great cat gifts for yoursellf or your cat loving friends Cat Lover Gift.
larry.chamberlain@best-cat-art.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7266/10-reasons-why-your-cat-loves-you.html
Larry Chamberlain
There are plenty of reasons why your cat loves you. Ten of the main reasons are listed below. Enjoy!
1. You provide food - Cats love food and they love you for giving them that food. If it wasn't for you, they'd go hungry, and of course, if it wasn't for you, they wouldn't get those tasty scraps of meat after a meal. Those crunchy little biscuits aren't half bad either.
2. You clean the litter tray - You always keep their bathroom area very clean. After all, cats are very clean animals, and they're very appreciative of the work you do in cleaning out their litter tray, as well as the area around it. Poor things, they can't help spraying litter all over the floor!
3. You are a great companion - You're always there to play with them, whether it be with a piece of string or with a toy mouse which looks so amazingly real yet it magically comes back to life every time its head has just been chewed on for five minutes by your cat!
4. You're comfortable to sit (and sleep) on - On those cold dark evenings, you're always there to be sat on and nuzzled into. You're so warm compared to some of the places they could sleep, and the gap between your knees makes a great paw warmer!
5. You provide shelter - They have a whole house to themselves thanks to you. While it's raining outside they can cheerfully look out the window at all the other poor animals that have to put up with the rain. There's always a corner in your house where they can curl up and go to sleep as well. Luxury!
6. You're bigger than any dog - You're (almost) always there to fend off any nasty big dogs that could eat them whole and they appreciate this greatly. Especially at the vets when a huge hairy dog is eyeing them up, they know that you're behind them so they'll be safe.
7. You always know where to scratch - Whether it's behind the ears, under the chin, or on their stomach, cats just love the way you always scratch, stroke, and pet them. Its one of the things they love most, and they love you for it, and when you get that special brush out, it's just the best thing in the world!
8. You always talk back - Whenever they meow, you always give a consoling reply either in native cat language by meowing back, or by saying something in a high pitched voice that only babies would understand!
9. You provide things to claw - Whether it is furniture, carpet, or a delicate set of curtains, there's always something for your cat to get their claws into. What would they do without all the clawing material you provide...? It's possible that they might consider using the specially designed scratch post that you bought for them.
10. You love them - The greatest reason of all, which encompasses all those mentioned above. They love you because you love them.
Well, those were ten of the main reasons your cat loves you. I'm sure you related to most, if not all, of them. Rest assured, your cat does love you, because they couldn't live without you, just as you couldn't live without them!
Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong cat lover and webmaster of http://www.best-cat-art.com. Cat art posters, art prints, cat calendars and cat collectibles. Great cat gifts for yoursellf or your cat loving friends Cat Lover Gift.
larry.chamberlain@best-cat-art.com
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/7266/10-reasons-why-your-cat-loves-you.html
Plastic Feeding Bowl Can Make Your Cat Sick
by
Charley Hwang
What do you use as a feeding bowl for your cat? A normal feeding bowl from the pet shop? Or some cheap container you were going to discard? How important did you think were food bowls and water bowls to your cat? Apparently, many people feel that cats can eat and drink out of anything, and though it may be true, a domesticated cat may have a different view compared to a stray. Bowls you use for your cat’s water and food should at least be acceptable to your cat, or otherwise, it would not want to eat or drink there. The bowls you use should not scratch easily as bacteria can be stuck in the gashes caused by the scratches and make your cat sick after feeding. Cheap feeding bowls usually scratch easily, so find your pet cat something of more quality. Instead of plastic, which may scratch or crack, invest in a stainless steel or high impact plastic feeding bowl. You can even match these bowls to your home interior, and these feeding bowls usually come in various shapes, colors, and sizes, to you and your cat’s preferences. Don’t limit yourself to pet shops; shop online or at specialization stores which allow you to custom make products. If you are less picky and prefer plain products, a common stainless steel dish will suit your cats’ needs. As aforementioned, avoid plastic dishes by all means. They scratch easily, and attract bacteria that can spread diseases to your pets. Not only that, the scratches can even hurt your pet while it feed in the bowl, causing sores or lesions on its face. Therefore, if you notice that your cat is getting frequent cuts on its lips or face, and even chin, look out for a better feeding bowl. The most basic aspect of feeding bowls that is usually neglected: clean dishes. Old food stuck in feeding dishes can attract bacteria as well, and of course as a responsible pet owner you would never allow your cat to eat bad, rotten food, would you? Keep your cat’s bowl clean and your cat will not reject its food, and will eat according to time. As cats have a keen sense of smell, it will sometimes avoid the feeding bowl and will not eat if the bowl is unclean. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/learn-why-plastic-feeding-bowls-might-be-making-your-cat-sick Cat Feeding Bowl or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/learn-why-plastic-feeding-bowls-might-be-making-your-cat-sick/, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318046/plastic-feeding-bowl-can-make-your-cat-sick.html
Charley Hwang
What do you use as a feeding bowl for your cat? A normal feeding bowl from the pet shop? Or some cheap container you were going to discard? How important did you think were food bowls and water bowls to your cat? Apparently, many people feel that cats can eat and drink out of anything, and though it may be true, a domesticated cat may have a different view compared to a stray. Bowls you use for your cat’s water and food should at least be acceptable to your cat, or otherwise, it would not want to eat or drink there. The bowls you use should not scratch easily as bacteria can be stuck in the gashes caused by the scratches and make your cat sick after feeding. Cheap feeding bowls usually scratch easily, so find your pet cat something of more quality. Instead of plastic, which may scratch or crack, invest in a stainless steel or high impact plastic feeding bowl. You can even match these bowls to your home interior, and these feeding bowls usually come in various shapes, colors, and sizes, to you and your cat’s preferences. Don’t limit yourself to pet shops; shop online or at specialization stores which allow you to custom make products. If you are less picky and prefer plain products, a common stainless steel dish will suit your cats’ needs. As aforementioned, avoid plastic dishes by all means. They scratch easily, and attract bacteria that can spread diseases to your pets. Not only that, the scratches can even hurt your pet while it feed in the bowl, causing sores or lesions on its face. Therefore, if you notice that your cat is getting frequent cuts on its lips or face, and even chin, look out for a better feeding bowl. The most basic aspect of feeding bowls that is usually neglected: clean dishes. Old food stuck in feeding dishes can attract bacteria as well, and of course as a responsible pet owner you would never allow your cat to eat bad, rotten food, would you? Keep your cat’s bowl clean and your cat will not reject its food, and will eat according to time. As cats have a keen sense of smell, it will sometimes avoid the feeding bowl and will not eat if the bowl is unclean. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/learn-why-plastic-feeding-bowls-might-be-making-your-cat-sick Cat Feeding Bowl or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/learn-why-plastic-feeding-bowls-might-be-making-your-cat-sick/, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318046/plastic-feeding-bowl-can-make-your-cat-sick.html
The Cat Dances In XK8 Convertible
by
Michelle Crimson
The XK8 Convertible concept car that was flaunted by Jaguar at the Detroit Auto Show is making a graceful impact in the auto industry. XK8 exudes sensibility wrapped in stylish curves and elegance. Auto enthusiasts said that XK8 Convertible got poise, grace and power. Ian Callum, Jaguar design guru said he created the Jaguar XK8's lines in homage to those of Kate Winslet. Callum admitted that his well-received and irrefutably lovely XK8 Jaguar design was inspired by Kate Winslet. Winslet is the lead star of the blockbuster movie Titanic. She was Leonardo Di Caprio's muse in said movie. Enthusiasts speculate that Callum must have admired the lady's lines. Callum said, "[Winslet has] substance, she is not just a pretty face". Evidently, body parts Jaguar XK8 are made to complement the delicately curvaceous shrink-wrapped beauty which is very much feminine. In fact, it is far from the aggressive charisma of Corvettes. Experts and aficionados alike appreciate the classy and innovative XKR. They said that this is a good sign of life for Jaguar. It is obvious that the automaker is experiencing a remarkable moribund and it needs products to boost its situation. All-new XKR is engineered to wipe away flaws of its clan. It promises lots of things and enthusiasts expect that these promises will not be breached. The new XK8 is made lighter by using aluminum skeleton and body panels. The typical XK weighs 3,671 pounds while XK8 weighs a lot lighter. This fact has contributed significantly to improve handling of this vehicle. The version is also given all-new Jaguar XK8 convertible fuel injection to make it more efficient and performance-oriented. However, what makes the vehicle stunning is its fantastic design. The 2007 version uses most of 2000 Jaguar XK8 accessories however; it is designed to showcase a brand new look. The long-hood, short-deck proportions and the oval grille mated to single horizontal chrome bar have subtle touches of previous Jaguar cars. To give the car that powerful look without adding bulks, the automaker used massive wheels. Teardrop-shaped taillights are also utilized to boost the distinctive aura of the car. To improve poise and grace, Jaguar used complementing color schemes, upholstery, and devices. The car can serve as a mighty rival of Mercedes SL-Class and Lexus SC430. ### Michelle Crimson holds a degree in business administration. She is currently working as an editor in New Orleans, Louisiana. This 32 year old mother of two is also a car racing fanatic. You can visit http://www.jaggparts.com/Jaguar_XK8_01.html for more information.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/313940/the-cat-dances-in-xk8-convertible.html
Michelle Crimson
The XK8 Convertible concept car that was flaunted by Jaguar at the Detroit Auto Show is making a graceful impact in the auto industry. XK8 exudes sensibility wrapped in stylish curves and elegance. Auto enthusiasts said that XK8 Convertible got poise, grace and power. Ian Callum, Jaguar design guru said he created the Jaguar XK8's lines in homage to those of Kate Winslet. Callum admitted that his well-received and irrefutably lovely XK8 Jaguar design was inspired by Kate Winslet. Winslet is the lead star of the blockbuster movie Titanic. She was Leonardo Di Caprio's muse in said movie. Enthusiasts speculate that Callum must have admired the lady's lines. Callum said, "[Winslet has] substance, she is not just a pretty face". Evidently, body parts Jaguar XK8 are made to complement the delicately curvaceous shrink-wrapped beauty which is very much feminine. In fact, it is far from the aggressive charisma of Corvettes. Experts and aficionados alike appreciate the classy and innovative XKR. They said that this is a good sign of life for Jaguar. It is obvious that the automaker is experiencing a remarkable moribund and it needs products to boost its situation. All-new XKR is engineered to wipe away flaws of its clan. It promises lots of things and enthusiasts expect that these promises will not be breached. The new XK8 is made lighter by using aluminum skeleton and body panels. The typical XK weighs 3,671 pounds while XK8 weighs a lot lighter. This fact has contributed significantly to improve handling of this vehicle. The version is also given all-new Jaguar XK8 convertible fuel injection to make it more efficient and performance-oriented. However, what makes the vehicle stunning is its fantastic design. The 2007 version uses most of 2000 Jaguar XK8 accessories however; it is designed to showcase a brand new look. The long-hood, short-deck proportions and the oval grille mated to single horizontal chrome bar have subtle touches of previous Jaguar cars. To give the car that powerful look without adding bulks, the automaker used massive wheels. Teardrop-shaped taillights are also utilized to boost the distinctive aura of the car. To improve poise and grace, Jaguar used complementing color schemes, upholstery, and devices. The car can serve as a mighty rival of Mercedes SL-Class and Lexus SC430. ### Michelle Crimson holds a degree in business administration. She is currently working as an editor in New Orleans, Louisiana. This 32 year old mother of two is also a car racing fanatic. You can visit http://www.jaggparts.com/Jaguar_XK8_01.html for more information.
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/313940/the-cat-dances-in-xk8-convertible.html
Knowing the Changes of Your Aging Cat
by
Charley Hwang
A cat will not always be young and sharp, and after it grows old, its senses will become duller, such as vision worsening and hearing or sense of smell deteriorating. Some cats age before others, or have different changes as they age, so here are some common signs of aging in a cat that you should look out for to be able to take care of your cat. Some changes may be harder than others to notice, for your cat may have adapted to the changes themselves. But after some extra attention and checkups, you should be able to find out diseases or negative aspects of your cat’s aging, and find the best prevention method. Some changes would be noticeable, such as dental diseases, which causes bad breath. Besides that, there are also harder-to-spot signs such as hearing senses deteriorating. Your cat may have gotten used to not hearing as properly as it used to, and due to that, you would not have known that your cat is actually becoming deafer. To find out for sure if your cat is really not hearing well, you can look out for its reactions to certain noises. Once when your cat used to react quickly to loud sounds and yet now, it is not really startled, or shows no signs of hearing the sound, you can be sure that your cat is suffering from hearing loss. Snap your fingers quickly behind your cat’s head, and see if it curls back right away, or react in any way to the direction of the noise. If your cat is unsure of the origins of the noise, or looking somewhere else instead, then you can be certain it has hearing problems. If you usually keep your pet in the house, then there is no need to worry about its loss in hearing. If your cat is an outdoor cat, then you should take precautions about letting it wander outside, as it may not be able to hear oncoming dangers such as vehicles or other animals like dogs. As it cannot hear the approaching sounds of these things, it may become a victim before it realizes it is in danger. Besides hearing and eyesight that is affected in your cat, its sense of taste is also reducing. For cats, this could be a problem, for they are picky animals that usually test and smell at their food to see if it is still good, or spoilt. Therefore if they cannot sense if it is delicious enough or bad, they may ignore the food, and not eat it for enough nutrition. An aging cat needs its health, and this may be damaging for its health. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-aging-cat-learn-what-changes-are-taking-place-as-your-cat-gets-older Aging Cats or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-aging-cat-learn-what-changes-are-taking-place-as-your-cat-gets-older, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318113/knowing-the-changes-of-your-aging-cat.html
Charley Hwang
A cat will not always be young and sharp, and after it grows old, its senses will become duller, such as vision worsening and hearing or sense of smell deteriorating. Some cats age before others, or have different changes as they age, so here are some common signs of aging in a cat that you should look out for to be able to take care of your cat. Some changes may be harder than others to notice, for your cat may have adapted to the changes themselves. But after some extra attention and checkups, you should be able to find out diseases or negative aspects of your cat’s aging, and find the best prevention method. Some changes would be noticeable, such as dental diseases, which causes bad breath. Besides that, there are also harder-to-spot signs such as hearing senses deteriorating. Your cat may have gotten used to not hearing as properly as it used to, and due to that, you would not have known that your cat is actually becoming deafer. To find out for sure if your cat is really not hearing well, you can look out for its reactions to certain noises. Once when your cat used to react quickly to loud sounds and yet now, it is not really startled, or shows no signs of hearing the sound, you can be sure that your cat is suffering from hearing loss. Snap your fingers quickly behind your cat’s head, and see if it curls back right away, or react in any way to the direction of the noise. If your cat is unsure of the origins of the noise, or looking somewhere else instead, then you can be certain it has hearing problems. If you usually keep your pet in the house, then there is no need to worry about its loss in hearing. If your cat is an outdoor cat, then you should take precautions about letting it wander outside, as it may not be able to hear oncoming dangers such as vehicles or other animals like dogs. As it cannot hear the approaching sounds of these things, it may become a victim before it realizes it is in danger. Besides hearing and eyesight that is affected in your cat, its sense of taste is also reducing. For cats, this could be a problem, for they are picky animals that usually test and smell at their food to see if it is still good, or spoilt. Therefore if they cannot sense if it is delicious enough or bad, they may ignore the food, and not eat it for enough nutrition. An aging cat needs its health, and this may be damaging for its health. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-aging-cat-learn-what-changes-are-taking-place-as-your-cat-gets-older Aging Cats or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-aging-cat-learn-what-changes-are-taking-place-as-your-cat-gets-older, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318113/knowing-the-changes-of-your-aging-cat.html
Is It Better to Adopt An Adult Cat Instead of A Kitten?
by
Charley Hwang
Want a pet cat but do not know whether to get a cat or a kitten? There are advantages to getting a grown cat as a pet, but of course, one of the biggest disadvantages is that you will miss out on all the cuteness and adorable factors of a kitten that a grown cat does not have. Little kittens are definitely the most fun pets to own, and even more so if you have children around. Kittens are like children, energized and full of curiosity. These balls of fur can run and jump around the house, and skid on floors just like your children can, and attacking things that have movement, even yourself! How adorable is that? Of course, there would be a minority of people who would not welcome this behavior at all, and these people might not think that kittens are the least bit adorable. Cats, after a certain stage will slowly become less active; and become more reserved animals, with a sense of calmness about them. They become less playful and mischievous. The Pros :- Looking at an adult cat before adopting it, you will know what you are getting, as an adult cat is already fully grown. Its body, size and shape, color and behavior will not change, and it is what it is. Whether or not it is active, or loud, shy or quiet, you will know when you meet it. Therefore, you can decide on the spot whether if it is suitable for you, and you are also able to tell if the cat accepts your company and shows interest in you. Adult cats are generally easier to care for, as opposed to kittens. Not many people looking for pets want to get adult cats, as most would prefer kittens and seeing them grow up. Therefore, you are actually saving its life, as most adult cats that do not get adopted are usually put to sleep. The Cons :- Now that you think an adult cat is well trained and well behaved, you would d be surprised to find out that a common problem cat owners abandon their cats is that the adult cats does not resort to using litter boxes. This problem is not apparent when you pick out your pet. Although not using the litter box may seem like an excuse to put a pet into a shelter, finding out first hand that a cat urinates all over your house can be very maddening. At the end of the day, most people decide that they rather keep the house intact than the cat. If that little problem has changed your mind about getting a cat, do not let it. These problems are only behavioral, and it can be changed and corrected with some more proper training. Most good breeders and shelters are rather honest, and they will tell you as much as possible about the cat you are interested in, about its behavior, attitude and personality. Therefore, if the cat has a problem they will probably disclose it to you. Hence, chances are you would not be ending up getting a cat with problems, as these are rather noticeable issues that breeders and shelters won't miss. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-adopting-an-adult-cat Adopting An Adult Cat or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-adopting-an-adult-cat , a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318614/is-it-better-to-adopt-an-adult-cat-instead-of-a-kitten.html
Charley Hwang
Want a pet cat but do not know whether to get a cat or a kitten? There are advantages to getting a grown cat as a pet, but of course, one of the biggest disadvantages is that you will miss out on all the cuteness and adorable factors of a kitten that a grown cat does not have. Little kittens are definitely the most fun pets to own, and even more so if you have children around. Kittens are like children, energized and full of curiosity. These balls of fur can run and jump around the house, and skid on floors just like your children can, and attacking things that have movement, even yourself! How adorable is that? Of course, there would be a minority of people who would not welcome this behavior at all, and these people might not think that kittens are the least bit adorable. Cats, after a certain stage will slowly become less active; and become more reserved animals, with a sense of calmness about them. They become less playful and mischievous. The Pros :- Looking at an adult cat before adopting it, you will know what you are getting, as an adult cat is already fully grown. Its body, size and shape, color and behavior will not change, and it is what it is. Whether or not it is active, or loud, shy or quiet, you will know when you meet it. Therefore, you can decide on the spot whether if it is suitable for you, and you are also able to tell if the cat accepts your company and shows interest in you. Adult cats are generally easier to care for, as opposed to kittens. Not many people looking for pets want to get adult cats, as most would prefer kittens and seeing them grow up. Therefore, you are actually saving its life, as most adult cats that do not get adopted are usually put to sleep. The Cons :- Now that you think an adult cat is well trained and well behaved, you would d be surprised to find out that a common problem cat owners abandon their cats is that the adult cats does not resort to using litter boxes. This problem is not apparent when you pick out your pet. Although not using the litter box may seem like an excuse to put a pet into a shelter, finding out first hand that a cat urinates all over your house can be very maddening. At the end of the day, most people decide that they rather keep the house intact than the cat. If that little problem has changed your mind about getting a cat, do not let it. These problems are only behavioral, and it can be changed and corrected with some more proper training. Most good breeders and shelters are rather honest, and they will tell you as much as possible about the cat you are interested in, about its behavior, attitude and personality. Therefore, if the cat has a problem they will probably disclose it to you. Hence, chances are you would not be ending up getting a cat with problems, as these are rather noticeable issues that breeders and shelters won't miss. For more information on http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-adopting-an-adult-cat Adopting An Adult Cat or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-adopting-an-adult-cat , a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/318614/is-it-better-to-adopt-an-adult-cat-instead-of-a-kitten.html