Diabetes in Cats

By Alison Grimston
Introduction- Diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes is an endocrine (hormone) illness characterised by high levels of glucose in the blood. It is seen in dogs and cats, and in each species is commoner in the overweight. There is no cure, but treatment, which in cats may or may not include insulin injections, can maintain a healthy and active life.

Pathology - Diabetes occurs when the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, the Islets of Langerhans, stop producing sufficient insulin to cope with the body's glucose load (Type 1 diabetes), or when the peripheral tissues in the body that react to insulin become resistant to its effect (Type 2 diabetes).

Symptoms:

* Weight loss (more likely in type 1 diabetes) * Thirst, excessive drinking (polydipsia) * Increased urination (polyuria) * Increased appetite * Increased blood glucose (hyperglycaemia) * Blindness * Weakness * Depression

Causes: * Obesity * Chronic Pancreatitis * Stress (cortisol, one of the stress hormones, makes fat cells less sensitive to insulin) * Genetic predisposition - it affects cats of all ages, sexes and breeds, but is commoner in older, castrated male cats, especially Burmese cats Diagnosis

Diagnosis depends on a urine test followed by a confirmatory blood test for glucose levels.

Effects of Diabetes - There is an increased incidence of: * Cataracts * Premature death * Problems in pregnancy * Infections, especially bladder * Pancreatitis

Current Western Treatments

* Insulin * Diet * Exercise * Neutering of diabetic female cats

Insulin - The discovery of insulin in 1921 ( see www.discoveryofinsulin.com) was pivotal in changing diabetes mellitus from disease that was fatal within weeks to a chronic and not necessarily life-threatening condition.

Insulin is the most important treatment in many cats, although some cats, once stabilised, can be managed with diet alone. Diet

Diet needs to be specific and timed correctly. Glucose control is easier to obtain if you feed a fixed formula feed, low in fat and high in slowly digested complex carbohydrates. However, if your cat's routine is to eat several times per day, your vet is unlikely to change this.

If your cat is overweight, getting his/ her weight down to normal is essential over the first 3-4 months after diagnosis.

Exercise - Your cat should be allowed to take exercise as normal. Other considerations

A diabetic cat will take up a lot of your time and finances over the years, but will reward you with years of companionship.

Complementary Therapies - Stress Reduction by whatever means will help with glucose control, and can be helped by:

* Spiritual Healing * Reiki * Crystal Healing with crystals such as amethyst * Massage * T-touch technique

Herbal remedies

* Stinging nettles - for fatigue, poor appetite * Garlic - for digestive problems * Fenugreek - for fatigue and weight loss * olive leaves - for blood pressure and glucose control

Bach Flower Remedies tend to be favoured over aromatics by cats. Your choice of remedy will depend on your cat's personality and current circumstances.

Conclusion - With Diabetes it is very important that you work closely with your vet in order to get the best glucose control. The triad of insulin (where needed), diet and exercise is pivotal. Other things that can help you to support your cat.

I am a holistic doctor and animal healer specializing in connecting and informing animal therapists. My natural animal therapy website informs the public about animal therapies while connecting animal therapists worldwide. http://www.TheNaturallyHealthyPet.com

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The Best Gifts For Cats – Gifts They Will Love2

4. Cat themed clothes and coffee mugs. Cat lovers will enjoy receiving cat-themed T-shirts and sweaters. You can often find funny cat-themed coffee mugs too.

5. A work of kitty art. Cat lovers abound nowadays, so it easy to find works of art that is cat related. For the true cat lover, a lovely cat sculpture can be a wonderful and whimsical gift. You can easily find all sorts of cat-related ceramic pieces, wooden sculptures, planter, fountain, or other types of cat art. For the truly dedicated cat fancier, you can even commission a local artist to paint a portrait of your friend's cat!

6. A gift subscription to Cat Fancy magazine! For people looking for gifts for cat lovers, the die-hard cat fanatic will love a subscription to a cat themed magazine. If you can't get cat-related magazines at your local newsstand, go to your local pet supplies store. You'll find other magazines besides Cat Fancy that your recipient can relish to be receiving for many issues to come.
For more info, see Best Gifts For Cats and The Best Gifts For Cats. Ron King is a web developer; visit his website Cat Fanciers. Copyright 2007 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

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The Best Gifts For Cats – Gifts They Will Love1

By: Ron King
Do you have a gift list that includes a true cat lover? If so, you're in luck! Buying for a cat fancier is simpler than ever, especially with the selection and specialty items available over the Internet. Before you grab the first kitty-themed item, take a moment to consider the following idea. The best gifts for cat fanciers are personal and specific to their cat.

Before you buy a present for the cat lover on your list, think of the following:

What type of cat breed does the prospective recipient most like or have? Many potential presents for cat lovers are also breed specific. If possible, purchase a gift that reminds the recipient of their favorite cat.

If you are buying a gift for someone who currently has a cat, find out the sex of the cat. Many cat-themed gifts are gender-specific, so you should ask what sex your recipient's cat is.

Does your recipient like to dress up your cat? If you are buying a gift for a person who likes to dress their cats in sweaters or other types of apparel, your search for an appropriate gift will be much easier. Don't assume that the receiver dresses their cat, however.

Now that you've taken a few moments to think of your recipient's cat, here are the top 6 gifts that any cat lover would be happy to be given.

1. A cat-themed picture frame. What better way to show your love for your animal than putting the feline's picture on display? People looking for gifts for cat lovers would be pleased to receive a lovely picture frame to show their beloved pet. You may want to ensure your intended recipient doesn't already own too many cat picture frames. This is a popular gift to give and to receive, so it is not uncommon for avid cat lovers to possess more than one cat picture frame.

2. Cat-themed jewelry. It is common to run across a lovely cat broach, pin, charm bracelet, necklace, or other piece of jewelry. Nothing could be more personal or intimate than a pretty piece of jewelry. If you have a close friend who you think would love this type of present, you will find many online retail websites dedicated to presents for cat fanciers that carry a great selection of cat-related jewelry. For an even more personal effect, you can also have these type of gifts engraved with a message as well.

3. Cat-related stationary, desk calendar, engagement calendar, diary, or books. Every New Year, hundreds of beautifully-designed calendars are put on the market for purchase. The selection can be fantastic with hundreds of breeds and cat themes represented. This is a great choice that any cat fancier would enjoy receiving, especially if you can find a calendar that represents the recipient's favorite breed. If you want to go beyond the ever-popular cat calendar, you can also purchase lovely cat-related stationary for your recipient. Another superior choice is to get a nice cat-themed diary for your recipient.

Gifts for cat lovers may include a cat calendar, stationary set, or diary that you like. Consider buying the cat lover on your list a beautiful cat-themed coffee table book. Most cat lovers will delight in feasting on the gorgeous photography and text of a good cat coffee table book.
For more info, see Best Gifts For Cats and The Best Gifts For Cats. Ron King is a web developer; visit his website Cat Fanciers. Copyright 2007 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

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Potty Training your Cat, Stop That Cat Urine Smell For Good

By Mike Legg
Are you fed up with that cat urine smell all over the house? Are you frustrated by your cat constantly marking their territory with urine? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should be potty training your cat! Urine marking is the most effective way for your cat to mark its territory, which sends a message to other cats that he has claimed this territory as his.

Potty training your cat is the best way to avoid this urine marking. It not only stops you from having to put up with that cat urine smell all over the house, but it will also give your cat a proper sense of toilet routine.

If a cat is new to your house, then allow it to explore the place freely, but keep it indoors for about ten days. Provide more than one litter box, and if you live in a multi-storey house, then you should have a litter box on each floor. If you have more than one cat, there should be at least one more litter box than there are cats.

Cats are shy toileters so try to place the litter boxes in quite areas of the house, away from family members and any other animals. Make sure that the litter box is partially filled with an even layer of commercial cat litter, and remove soiled litter daily. It should also be totally emptied and cleaned with a safe disinfectant at least twice a week.

If your cat does mess in parts of the house where it shouldn’t, then don’t rub his nose in it. Your cat will not understand why you are doing this; in fact punishing your cat like this will frustrate him and stunt his learning, making it even harder to train him.

As well as providing a good number of clean well placed litter boxes around the house, you should also make sire that your cat has an unlimited supply of fresh drinking water. Cats are prone to a urinary disease, which is a complaint where large crystals form in the cat’s bladder. These then become lodged in the cat’s urethra which restricts the flow of urine, causing the cat to become very ill.

So by potty training your cat and making sure that it has plenty of clean drinking water, you are not only getting rid of that cat urine smell all over the house, you are also helping your cat to stay healthy. And a healthy cat is a happy cat.

For more great tips and a complete guide to cat training visit our site at: http://www.BuyTryReview.com/category/pets

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How To Remove Cat Urine, And Dealing With Cat Urine Smell

By Mike Legg
If you have problems with cat urine smell, either because of a cat not using its litter box, or because of urine marking, don’t panic! There are some simple tips on how to remove cat urine. However just because you remove the stains and the cat urine smell, it doesn’t get to the heart of the problem. If you don’t find out why it is doing it your cat will probably continue with this behaviour.

Before we get to the clean-up lets try to find out why your cat is doing this. There could be many different reasons why your cat is not using its litter box, and urinating in different places around the house. It may simply be marking its territory, or it may be more serious and be caused by a medical problem. If you suspect the latter then you should take it to a vet for a urinalysis, and an overall check-up, just to make sure there is not a medical reason for its behaviour.

Another reason for a cat not using its litter box is because cats can be very shy when it comes to going to the toilet. Cats enjoy their privacy, especially when they are doing their business. Make sure that you have more than one litter box for your cat, and always place it in a quiet spot away from people and other animals. You may find by simply doing this that it will start to use the litter box, and stop leaving that nasty cat urine smell all over the house.

There are several tips on how to remove cat urine, and the use of white vinegar seems to be a popular one. After soaking up as much of the urine as you can with paper towels, (don’t rub, as this will only push the urine further in,) mix two parts warm water with one part distilled white vinegar. Apply the mixture to the stained area and this time rub it well in. Allow the area to dry, and then go over it again using just warm water.

Once the affected area is fully clean and dry, you should use a high quality pet odour neutraliser; (available at pet supply stores) this will get rid of any lingering smell and so should stop your cat from re-offending in the same place

This is just one method of how to remove cat urine, there are many more home made remedies as well as some very good commercial products available at pet shops. However never use anything with ammonia for removing cat urine odours, as the urine itself contains ammonia and this will only attract your cat to mess in the same place again.

For more great tips on and advice, or for Potty Training Your Cat, And Understanding Cat Behaviors visit our site at http://www.BuyTryReview.com/category/pets

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