Cat Furniture - The Indispensable Element in a Cat Lover's Home

By Anne Moss

Cat furniture? The very term may be puzzling for some people. Why on earth would you need a sofa, a chair or a table for a cat?

However, among cat lovers, it has a become common enough phrase. In fact, the concept of cat furniture has gained in popularity, with more people shopping for a cat tree, a cat bed and even cat condos. Not to mention scratching posts, now considered a mandatory item in the cat owner's household.

Why More Cat Furniture?

A major shift in responsible cat care has taken place over the past two decades: more cats than ever spend their entire life living indoors only. These felines never leave the comfort of their homes, unless traveling to the veterinary clinic in a secure cat carrier. And "comfort of their homes" is more than just a figure of speech in this case.

Raising cats indoors-only has brought on changes relating to cat nutrition, vet care, entertainment and more. By the same token, owners of cats invest more than ever in various items of cat furniture, to create purrfect environments for what they consider to be their "furbabies".

So, why cat furniture for the indoors-only cat household? Let's review the two main advantages of cat furniture.

Cat furniture Can Add space

When we look at a room and try to estimate its size, we tend to look at its width and length, thus measuring its floor space.

Things look different from a feline perspective: you can actually make a room larger, if you take into account the room's height and make good use of vertical space.

The taller units of cat furniture can do just that, adding more surfaces on various levels, in effect creating space where none existed before.

Cat Furniture Can Trigger Exercise

Living indoors is safe and comfortable. It also means a lack of the intense stimuli of outdoors life; and the absence of the intense physical activity associated with having to hunt for food.

Moreover, with owners being away from home for long hours, many cats simply get bored. The result? a cat that sleeps more, gets less exercise and is prone to becoming overweight.

This is where a sturdy, complex set of cat furniture, perhaps decorated with some hanging cat toys, can help. Jumping up, running across beams, climbing, or simply stretching, can all help to keep a cat more active and thus healthier.

Even More Benefits

It doesn't end with exercise and added space. Cat furniture can help in creating a unique environment for your cat, where she may feel safer. Being out of reach of small children, or simply having a nest up on her cat tree, can all add to a cat's sense of security.

Cat furniture can even be an aesthetic addition to your household. A practical and decorative statement which says loud and clear: cats are part of our family.

This article is copyrighted to the writer. You may re-publish it on your website as long as the resource box at the bottom remains intact and with active links. Any other use of this article, in full or in part, is forbidden.

Shop online for cat furniture at Meowhoo.com's Cat Furniture section, or get the latest recommendations on the Cat Shopping Blog - Furniture Category.

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Tags: cat, cat food, treating cat, training cat

How Do I Know If My Cat Has a Feline Urinary Tract Infection?

By Janet Markowitz
Does this describe your cat's behavior: frequent urination, no urine at all, urine with a foul odor, or blood in the urine? These are common, even life threatening, symptoms and signs of cat urinary tract infection. Immediately take your kitty to the vet if you have noticed any of these signs. The difference between life and death for your pet depends on your ability to recognize the symptoms early and get treatment.

It is important to know your cat's normal urinating patterns. If your cat is using the litter box more or less often than usual, this is a sign that there could be an infection. There is a test you can do at home to check for a feline UTI. You can do a simple pH test before the cat feels the pain. You'll save time, money, and be helping to determine if your kitty needs veterinarian care. Kitty won't have to experience the sometimes traumatic visit to the vet.

Begin checking your cat's pH by placing either a little aquarium gravel or some non-absorbent kitty litter into a clean litter box. Only enough for kitty to scratch around is necessary and will keep kitty content.

Next, confine your pet with this litter box in a quiet room, so kitty feels secure. You should do this close to your cat's elimination schedule. For more accurate results, check the sample as soon as the cat urinates.

As soon as kitty has used the litter box, dip a urine pH strip into the specimen. Gently shake off excess, then read and compare the test strip to the chart that accompanied the strips. A level of 6.6 to 6.8 means you pet is healthy. If the results are higher or lower, consult your veterinarian immediately.

BEWARE: This type of test if greatly affected by when your cat last ate. For this reason, retesting might be necessary. For best results, check you cat's pH soon after it has eaten. A later test may read high. If the test strip reads normal, then you have no worries. If there is a difference, take kitty to the vet quickly.

This is a simple, cost effective, and kitty sensitive way to check for feline urinary tract infection. Though this process is simple, the possibility of infection is a serious matter to handle quickly for the safety of your feline companion.

Janet Markowitz has been a German Shepherd Breeder for over 20 years. She has always been interested in using natural and holistic remedies for her Shepherds whenever possible. She has found that by using natural Remedies in conjunction with conventional medicine, she has achieved great success in the health and longevity in her dogs.
Janet Markowitz has been a German Shepherd Breeder for over 20 years. She has always been interested in using natural and holistic remedies for her Shepherds whenever possible. She has found that by using natural Remedies in conjunction with conventional medicine, she has achieved great success in the health and longevity in her dogs.

http://www.PetsNaturalRemedies.net

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Tags: cat, cat food, treating cat, training cat

Cat Health Insurance For Your Cat's Health Needs

By Lara Lee
Before you opt for your cat's health insurance, you need to consider certain things. Going for your cat's health insurance can save you a lot of money. In case if your cat falls ill and requires some major treatment or encounters some fatal accident.
While choosing a plan, you need to take into account many factors. These include your financial circumstances, your living environment, if you have other pets as well then which veterinary service you require etc. To begin with, if you already have a vet, you need to know which pet health insurance companies he accepts. This is because most of them go with specific companies.
Other than this, you need to see as to what procedure a particular plan involves. You may want the services of the specialists be covered by your plan. You would also like to compare the cost along with the coverage it offers; it should be a good deal and worth the cost. You need to opt for the coverage that you seek for and also evaluate if it is worth the money you are going to spend.
Moreover, you also need to know if prescription medicines are covered in the plan which mostly are not; companies seek extra charges for this. You should keep in mind that your coverage may only include the expenditure of the prescription only, and not the charges of the equivalent office appointment to your vet.
One can never be sure as to which insurance plan is the most cost effective. It is necessary to opt for the health insurance of your cat regardless of what you have to pay in return. It will at least provide you with peace of mind for the rest of the year pertaining to the health issues of our cat.
The best thing to do is to have good research and evaluate various cat health insurance options. This will help you to act vigilantly. If your cat's health is perfect, may be you do not have to get an insurance at this point. If she is old or unhealthy then it is advisable to get one straight away.Click here to read everything you needs to know about pet insurance.
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