Monday, March 28, 2011

Cat Health and Maintenance

By Mick Moore


Getting a pet has specific duties. You have to nourish and groom it and also keep them away from numerous ailments. This is what cat maintenance and health is all about and by doing it correctly, they can live for 10 years or even longer.

Cat vaccinations are the most effective means of preventing a disease. This also stops the cat from ever becoming a carrier. Some of the common vaccinations given are for cat flu, feline leukemia or FeLV, Feline Chlamydophilosis and Feline Infectious Enteritis or FIE.

If the cat is given a vaccination, be aware that they may experience some side effects. This disappears quickly even if they develop flu like symptoms or fatigue in the week. In rare instances, the cat may develop cancer where the injection was inserted that may grow in weeks, months or even years.

Cats just like humans experience allergies. This may come from pollen, dust, disinfectants and others. If you notice your cat suffering from any symptoms, you should quit using such items, keep them far from plants and be certain that your household is clean.

One other issue that your cat may encounter is fleas and ticks. You will be aware they are there if they scratch more frequently than usual. You ought to check around the neck to see if you can find any black dots using a special flea comb to look deeper into the coat.

Treatment for fleas and ticks is carried out by dabbing a bit of liquid onto the back of their necks once a month. As for those that are already present, you can pluck them out individually by making use of a pair of tweezers or applying Vaseline over the affected area. Always wear rubber gloves during this process so the bacterium does not transfer to your fingers.

Contrary to fleas and ticks that you can view, cat worms are inside their intestinal system. There are three of them namely hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms. If not treated, they will have an irritated stomach that occasionally can be lethal.

The best way to prevent this from occurring is to give them worming tablets annually. But if it is already there, then you must get a prescribed medication from your veterinarian. Another choice is to use a tick eliminator spray that is obtainable in pet stores. You will observe a wound when the tick or flea is taken off. This should be cared for by washing the area with salt water afterwards so no infection occurs.

Cats can cause harm and injure people. You can keep this from happening by giving them a scratch pad to play with and trimming their claws on a regular basis.

Have you ever heard the line curiosity killed the cat? Well this also happens if they wander freely around your house. To prevent this from transpiring, ensure all cupboards are closed, the windows are shut, medicine and rat poison are hidden. You must never let them have chocolate as a treat as this can be lethal.

Proper cat maintenance is the best means of keeping them strong. Studies have shown that cats that are kept in the house and loved by their owners live 5 times longer than those you see outside. Since you decided to own one, you should appreciate it.




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