I'm Allergic To My Cat!

by
Gary Nugent

Having a cat allergy came as something of a surprise to me. Growing up, I had many pets - cats, dogs and birds. My family were animal lovers and pets abounded, so being in contact with animals was a daily occurance. No one ever seemed to suffer from a cat allergy or any kind of animal allergy for that matter.

After my teens and my last pet had died, I wasn't in a position to take on another pet for many years. Then, eleven years ago, a friend of a cousin was looking for a home for their last remaining kitten. And so it was that Kira came into my life. This was a cat with attitude (and still is!) and we bonded pretty much immediately. While she was still a kitten, I'd put her in the kitchen overnight with a little cat bed to sleep in and the litter box close by.

As she grew older, I started letting her sleep in the bedroom. It's surprising how relaxing a cat's purring can be in wee small hours.

A little over a year later, when down with the vet getting some supplies, I heard that there was a kitten that needed a home or it would have to be put to sleep. And so, Fritz came home with me that day.

Unfortuately, Kira was less than impressed with this interloper and I had to keep the two separated for several days before an uneasy truce ensued.

They're an odd pair - Kira has attitude, Fritz is much more companionable; what you'd call a "gentle soul". She's still the Queen around the house and occasionally puts Fritz in his place with a right-hook to the face when she feels the need to assert her authority.

As Fritz matured, he also was allowed into the bedroom. Both he and Kira would sleep there during the day and night, as was their want.

We all know that cats are the greatest creature-comfort-seeking animals on the planet and a comfy place to catnap is one of their major concerns. But the place your cat chooses to snooze may not be your first choice. While I didn't mind the cats sleeping on the bed, I did take exception to Fritz's tendency to charge in from the garden and sleep in a basket of warm, freshly dried laundry straight from the dryer.

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a poll of pet-owners on the sleeping habits of their pets and found that 60% of them sleep in bed with one of the family. Where cats are concerned, there are two potential problems here: one is that, somehow, they manage to take up 90% of the bed and the other has to do with allergies.

I found I had a mild cat allergy when I started producing weird wheezing noises any time I was doing something strenuous. Coughing eased it for a few minutes but it would always return. I figured I’d developed a mild form of asthma, probably due to bad air quality and pollution, so I went to the doctor to have it checked out. After listening to my lungs he asked me one question: "Do you have a cat?"

Well, yes, I did. Two in fact.

"You’re allergic to your cats", he intoned.

Then he asked if the cats slept in the bedroom. Of course they did.

"There’s your real problem", he said. "What you’re allergic to is the dander produced by your cats. When a cat sleeps on your bed, the dander ends up in the sheets and the duvet and you breathe it in deeply at night when you’re asleep. Not good. That’s what causes your wheeziness. Stop the cats sleeping in your bedroom for two or three weeks and see if that eases your symptoms. If not, you’ll probably need to use an inhaler for the rest of your life."

Ok, that last sentence kinda hit me between the eyes. Much as I love my two furballs, I didn’t want to suffer a long-lasting health problem that could possibly be avoided.

So why is dander such a problem? It's the layer of dead skin that's rich in animal protein, which is continuously shed by animals. Sebaceous (oil producing) glands in the skin also produce these protein allergens. Male cats have, on average, greater amounts of sebaceous secretions and therefore are more allergenic than female or neutered male cats. This is a result of testosterone hormone effects on sebaceous glands.

So, with that information and the prospect of an enduring health problem, I banned my cats from the bedroom, threw out the duvet (on the advice of the doctor), bought a new one and changed everything on the bed (including getting new pillows). I didn’t get too much sleep the first few nights with the cats meowing and scratching on the door to get in but they got used to the idea, finally. After three weeks in a cat free bedroom, my wheeziness had all but disappeared. The cats haven’t been allowed back in since.

Should you find yourself with a similar cat allergy problem, banning the cat from your bedroom is one possible course of action. Alternatively, you can get your cat his own cat bed and put that somewhere out of harm's way (yours and the cat's).

Since finding out I was mildly allergic to my cats, I've spoken to other cat owners about it and quite a number also suffer some mild form of allergic reaction - sneezing, wheezing, watering eyes, blocked sinuses and so on. Owners appear to become at least somewhat immune to their own cats insofar as the symptoms are not as pronounced as they become when they're around other people's cats.

But, having said that, none of us would ever part with our feline companions and would exhort others to adopt a cat as a pet, as the benefits far outweigh any minor inconveniences.

Animal dander allergy can significantly contribute to respiratory problems involving the sinuses, nasal passages, and eyes, as well as causing upper respiratory tract problems that can result in asthma (as in my case). These problems can significantly diminish your quality of life despite various medical treatments. For some people, it can be even more serious, leading to recurrent acute asthmatic attacks that can be life threatening, requiring emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The good news is that most people who are allergic to their pets can keep their symptoms under control if they know the facts.


About the Author

Gary Nugent has been a life-long animal lover, especially of cats and is the webmaster of http://www.just-pet-cats.com - a site that helps you make the best choices to keep your cat healthy, happy and long-lived. Information about cats in general, health issues, behavior patterns and their history. And, not to forget about you...there are a few things on the site to keep cat owners amused as well.



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How To Have A Healthy Happy Cat

by
Dave Cole

Giving your cat a simple monthly examination can help prevent potential problems for years, here's what to look for.

We all have the tendency to take our pets for granted, butyou're making a big mistake if you do so. Cat owners, inparticular, share the erroneous belief that their four footedcompanions know what's best for them and rarely thinkabout their pet's diet or health until the animal becomes visibly ill.

The truth is, smart as cats are, you're smarter! With minimaleffort - essentially a once a month home examination andyearly veterinarian exam, you can avert a variety of problemsand unnecessary trips to the vet, and keep your cat asfit as it ought to be for life.

1. Have you noticed any recent changes in your cat'sattitude or behavior, such as listlessness, restlessness,loss of appetite, aggression?

2. Does your cat's coat look dull or feel dry, brittle, orgreasy?

3. Are his whiskers short or broken?

4. Using your hand, brush your cat's hair backwards fromtail to head. His skin should be a normal grayish white.Is the skin a healthy color, or is it red and irritated? Isthe tail area greasy with sparse hair?

5. Also look carefully for fleas or any little blackflecks (the excrement of fleas) on the skin. Do you see any?

6. Does the neck, back or base of the tail show any lesions?

7. Smell your hand after running it through yourcat's fur. Your fingers should not have an unpleasantfishy, rancid odor.

8. Are you able to feel good muscle tone aroundthe sternum (breastbone)? If should not be soft orflaccid.

9. Do you feel a firm muscle mass when you run your hand down your cat's spine and over the ribcage? There should not be more than a pinch of fat.

10. Open your cat's mouth and smell his breath.It should smell clean and not have an offensive odor.Does it smell clean?

11. Look at the gums. They should be pink, not pale or white, nor should they be swollen, bright red,or bleeding.

12. Check the teeth. Do they look white and healthy?They should be free of tartar and not loose.

13. Examine your cat's eyes. Are they clear of filmand free of mucous discharge? Is there any crustingaround them?

14. Feel the inner side of your cat's thighs. Arethere any roundish bumps or swellings? These couldindicate enlarged lymph nodes and usually thepresence of worms.

15. Is your pet's stomach unusually distended?

16. Look at the paw pads. Are they smooth withoutdry, cracking lines?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


For more really cool info on all aspects of Dog, Cat, Horse & Bird Care visit our site and take advantage of our extensive library of f r e e pet care tips & pet fun info.

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How Many Cat Litter Boxes Do You Need?

by
Nancy E. Wigal

The number of cat litter boxes available for your kitties is another key to good litter box habits. Many cats are fussy about their litter boxes, and if they aren't happy with number you provide, they communicate their unhappiness to you in most direct manner possible - they stop using the litter box.

Here is some essential information for determining the minimum number of cat litter boxes you need for your cats.

First off, there is a tried and true formula that tells you the bare minimum number of cat litter boxes you should have available:

"X" cats + 1 = minimum number of cat litter boxes.

If you have three cats you need a minimum (I can't stress this enough) of four cat litter boxes. However, depending upon your cat's litter box habits, you may need more. Why?

Some cats require two litter boxes for their personal use. They use one for liquid waste deposit, and the other one for their solid waste output. If you have just two cats, and one of them fits this description, you're already up to four cat litter boxes!

With this formula, even one cat requires at least two cat litter boxes. If you have a dwelling that is multi-story, you may need to strategically locate litter boxes on each level of your home. This works well to eliminate any problems your cat may have about making it to the litter box in time. Particularly as cats get older, they develop stiff joints and/or memory problems. You will see this illustrated in their ability to get to the cat litter box in time, provided they remember where the nearest one is located.

If you have several cats in your household, applying this formula can be challenging if you run out of litter box locations that suit you. What if your cats don't like the litter box locations you chosen? They tell you - they do their waste elimination business in the location they'd prefer to see a cat litter box.

It may take some creativity on your part, as well as negotiation with the cats, to place the minimum number of cat litter boxes around your house that will reinforce good cat litter habits.

When I am contacted by cat owners who have 4 or more cats, and they want to know how boxes they need to have available, they sometimes gasp at my answer. But cleaning up after multiple cats can become a full time job. You really have to scoop out the boxes as often as the cats deposit their mess, because a dirty cat litter box will cause problems.

For this reason, I always urge feline owners who live in rather small spaces to think seriously about the number of cats they wish to keep, especially if they decide to keep all kitties indoors. I agree that all cats should be kept indoors, except under special circumstances. However, space considerations are finite and can only accomodate so many cats and their litter boxes.

The majority of questions I receive from stressed-out cat owners involve multi-animal households. Often, the owner simply doesn't realize that each cat needs at least one litter box to call her own. When they realize the number of cat litter boxes necessary, they often have to be very creative to place the litter boxes in strategic locations.

However, once you set up enough cat litter boxes, depending upon your cat's litter box habits, successful litter box habits can be learned and enforced.


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

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Heartworm Treatment for cats and dogs

by
Niall Kennedy

The treatment for heartworms is different for cats and dogs. Do not ever give medicine intended for a cat to your dog or vice versa.

Once your pet has heartworms the treatment is not easy. You want to rid your pet of heartworms but many factors need to be looked at before proceeding. Your veterinarian will have to do many tests to determine how many worms your pet has, how it is affecting your pet and if your pet can handle the side effects of the medication.

Let’s first look at the treatment of heartworms for dogs. The first thing that will have to be done is an evaluation of your dog and what treatment is necessary to stabilize them for treatment for heartworms and then the elimination of all the heartworms and larvae.

The adult heartworms will be killed first, then comes the larvae and the microfilaria. Both have to kill with different treatments. There are side effects that can happen that are very dangerous to your dog while ridding them of the adult heartworm. As the adult heartworms die they can become lodged in the arteries. The arteries are already inflamed by the presence of these worms but as the worms decompose the arteries can become more inflamed and your dog will need to be watched carefully for things like this that may occur during treatment. Sometimes, according to how infested your dog is with heartworms, he may need to stay at the hospital for proper care. Talking with your veterinarian will ease your mind and let you know the best options for your dog.

The treatment for heartworms in cats may be no treatment. Cats are very hard to treat for heartworms. The side effects of the dying worms cause at least one third of the cats treated life threatening problems. Cats can not also take some of the medications available for eliminating heartworms. Your veterinarian will have to do many tests to determine if your cat should undergo treatment.

As with all disease prevention is better than the treatment. Before your pet can get heartworm disease talk with your veterinarian and find medications that can prevent heartworms in your pet from ever happening.


About the Author

Niall Kennedy
http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net
Pet Medication Supplies can help you get the best possible protection for your pet. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard - find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.

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Got A Cat As A Pet? Here’s How To Keep Them Healthy…

by
Michael Erder

Our pet cats are often as close to us as members of our family. In fact, they virtually are members of our family! That’s why cat owners should know as much as they can about cat health. Here are the major things to know about caring for your pet cat in a loving way:

GROOMING: Long-haired cats should be groomed regularly for optimum cat health. Use a pet brush and groom no less frequently than once a week.

DIET: Cat health is strongly affected by what your cat eats. Obesity is a major factor in heart disease particularly as your cat gets older. Choose a pet food for your cat that is right for it’s age but feed it regularly. Consistency is the key to a well-fed cat.

OLDER CATS: Some diseases occur simply because your cat is getting older. These can be labeled elderly cat health problems. As cats age their kidneys and eyesight fail and they may need special diets.

LITTER: The litter box can be dangerous to both cat health and human health if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Change your pet’s litter no less than once every four days and keep a small dish of baking soda near the litter area.

SCRATCHING: Scratching is a major cat health concern because if a cat scratches regularly it is often a sign of other problems. If your cat is scratching a particular area often try a delousing product and then take your pet to the vet.

DECLAWING: Declawing your cat can be a major factor in Cat health. If you choose to declaw your pet it is important to remember to keep them inside at all times.

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: Many cat health problems relate to difficult or uncommon behavior. Listlessness can be a symptom of depression. Strange aggression is sometimes caused by hormone imbalances.

STRESS: Your cat can easily get stressed out. Stressful situations like moving, travelling, natural disasters or even changes in the family can affect cat health. To minimize the effects of stress on your pet, buy a tranquilizer for distance travelling and have a place in your home where your cat can escape if there are busy changes in the house.

POISON: Make sure dangerous poisons like antifreeze cannot be reached by your pet. Some plants are fatal to cats so make sure to raise your plants and lock your toxins.

PARASITES: Parasites such as ringworms, heart worms and rabies can greatly affect cat health. Blood in a cat’s stool or uncommon appetite are common signs of parasites.

MOUTH: Cats often have mouth diseases and this can influence cat health. Cats are just as prone to gingivitis as humans. For problems like rodents ulcer or bad breath, brush your cat’s teeth with a small child’s toothbrush.

INDOORS/OUTDOORS: One of the greatest factors in determining cat health is whether your pet goes outdoors. Cars, children, other animals and toxins are all dangerous and should be avoided by keeping your cat indoors.

Taking care of your cat is critical to your cats health. Hopefully this article has provided you with information that will make your pet’s life much safer, healthier, happier and longer.


About the Author: Michael Erder is the author of http://www.elitepetproducts.com a site completely dedicated to pets and pet products. Visit http://www.elitepetproducts.com and keep your pet happy and healthy!
Source: www.isnare.com

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