The following is a guest post from Dr. Michele Gaspar. In addition to Dr. Gaspar's tips, I would like to add that keeping your kitties indoors is a much safer alternative to letting them outside - no risk of other animals attacking them, cars hitting them, etc., and no risk of them hurting anyone or anything else (think: birds!).
Whether your cat enjoys the outdoors or prefers the inside, it’s important to protect her from what may be a surprising risk.
A number of fragrant flowers can be deadly for cats. “Certain types of lily are extremely poisonous to cats if eaten or if the pollen is ingested,” said Dr. Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP, veterinarian and feline specialist for Feline Pine. “The first signs of poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to two hours of ingestion and include vomiting, loss of appetite, blindness, paralysis or kidney (renal) failure.”
Common lily types that grow in yards and are sent in bouquets include tiger lilies, stargazer lilies, Easter lilies, and daylilies. If you suspect your cat has come in contact with one, seek medical care immediately. Dr. Gaspar offers these additional health tips for cats:
Great Getaways
If you’re planning to take your cat in the car – even if you’re only heading across town – be certain to use a sturdy, reliable carrier that closes completely. A soft, thick towel or rug placed inside the carrier will provide additional comfort and help prevent your cat from feeling stressed. If you’re going on a long trip, bring veterinary records – including vaccination records – and medications. Also, familiar foods and water from home will help avoid stomach upset.
Healthier Cats
“The right food and the right cat box filler are two of the most important choices you can make in your cat’s life,” says Dr. Gaspar. “If your cat doesn’t find the cat box filler acceptable, there can be problems with inappropriate urination and defecation.” You might protect kitty from carcinogens with an all-natural litter, such as Feline Pine. It’s made from 100 percent natural, biodegradable pine and is silica dust free. It’s also proven to produce less dust in general than other litters.
Healthful Diets
Fat cats are susceptible to a number of health problems. If your pet is overweight, he’s being fed too much. Kittens between the ages of six and 12 weeks should be fed kitten food four times daily. Ages three months to six months should be fed three times daily. Adult cats should be fed twice a day. Also, choosing moist canned food could help cats avoid Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS) – a term used to describe lower urinary tract disorders, including kidney and bladder stones. Finally, avoid feeding your cat any human or dog food and always keep fresh water out for her.
7 Responses
1
wii remote
June 5th, 2009 at 1:28 am
After knowing so much about cats caring, i feel like to buy a new healthy cat.thanks for the different tips on cats caring.
2
pays to live green
June 5th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Which food you feed your cat makes a huge difference. I feed my cat only dry and wet foods with high quality proteins and occasionally raw foods. Ever since I switch her to this diet, it has made a huge difference. It may be more expensive to buy high quality food, but it will save you money in the long run on veterinarian bills.
3
wilson
June 8th, 2009 at 11:46 am
If you found your cats starting to drink the bath or washing machine water that spill on the bathroom's floor, then you should take a minute and check out your cat's health condition.
Remember that you must boil the water or distill the water first, if you want to feed the cat with it, as most of the cats didn't like the heavy chlorine taste!
4
Kelly Pro
June 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Thank you very much for this tips, Dr. Gaspar. I will try to focus and work on them, so my cat would be even more happier.
5
prevajanje
June 9th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Thanks for the tips, I'll remember them if i once again have a cat. I used to have a cat, she disappeared when she was 10 years old. It was almost worse as if we would have seen what she died of. That's why I'm really reserved about buying a cat at the moment.
6
knee replacement surgery
June 30th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Thanks for awesome tips for health happy cats; I wasn’t aware about diets for my cat as I thought only feeding is essential for it but after reading this blog post I get rid from so many misunderstandings about diet and vaccination of cats.
7
Habib
September 13th, 2009 at 11:31 am
It is really astonished that certain types of lily are extremely poisonous to cats if eaten or if the pollen is ingested.