Cat Care: Caring for Kittens

Feeding Your Kitten: Chapter One

Kittens are very delicate and kind little animals. It is important for kitten owners to remember that kittens are only babies. They need special care, like a human baby. Most of all, they need a mother. But, when a kitten is older and does not need its mother's milk any more, he or she will have to have nutritious kitten food. A brand of cat food that I recommend (and is vet recommended) is hill's pet food. Here is a link to their website: http://www.hillspetfood.com/cat-care.html. You can buy cat food specifically designed for ether kittens, adult cats, or mature adult cats.

A Balanced Diet

Having had many kittens in my house myself, I know that they need a healthy and balanced diet. All cats need fats, calcium, sodium, carbohydrates, phosphorus, proteins, and omegas three and six. Cats also need vitamins A, D, C, and E. All of these vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have different and important benefits. For kittens, it is critical for their growth to have these things.

You can give wet food once in a while, but usually wet food does not have as many nutrients as dry food. Also, dry cat food is good for a cat's teeth. A cat has to have clean teeth. Like humans, dirty and unhealthy teeth can lead to health problems. Simimoist cat food is also a choice of cat food. It does not have the same benefits as dry cat food, but semimoist cat food can be used as cat treats (also try using damp cat wet food or small bits of cheese for treats).

For more information on feeding your cat the right food, view my blog post 'Kitty Tips-Feeding Your Cat'. Here is a link to that post: http://thepurplepaw.blogspot.com/2011/11/kitty-tips-feeding-your-cat.html Thank you!

A Healthy, Happy Kitty

From when a cat is a kitten to an adult, they are always looking for pants to chew on. This is an instinct that the cat has. In the wild, away from the protection of a human home, cats chew on wild, long grasses. These grasses circle any poisonous or indigestible foods. This food is than regurgitated. This is good for a stray cat. It keeps the cat healthy. But inside, a cat has to eat different plants. Some plants are poisonous to cats and may kill the cat or make him or her sick if she or he eats them. Some of these plants include mistletoe, ivy, buckeye, corn plants, Castor bean, lilies, morning glory, poinsettia, daffodil, holly, dumb cane, clematis, foxglove, iris, rubber plants, weeping figs and yew. These are not all of the plants that are poisonous to cats. These are just a few that I wanted to list.

To stop your cat from eating your plants, you can keep a special kind of grass in your house for your cat. This grass is good for your cat to eat and will keep your cat away from your house plants.

There are also plants that are not poisonous. The spider plant is among the many. Cats can chew on the leaves of the spider plant and other non-poisonous plants and special grasses in safety.

A picture of a spider plant:

Keep in mind: Buy healthy cat foods full of the nutrients that a growing cat (or adult cat) needs, like hill's science diet pet foods. Dry food is healthier for a cat's teeth than wet or semimoist cat foods. Do not have poisonous plants in your cat's reach. Buy no-toxic plants like the spider plant and non-poisonous grasses.

Using the right knowledge of how to care for your kitten, I can assure you that you kitten will grow up to be a very healthy kitty.

-KittyLover8

Cat Care: Introduction

Introduction

This book* is all about caring for a animal loved by people worldwide; the cat. Over 75 million cats inhabit homes in the U.S.A., but not everyone knows how to properly care for their feline friends. Caring for your cat in the best way possible isn't very hard. This book will explain what to do to care for your cat and how to do it. Hopefully, people listen to my words and don't harm their cats by mistreating them.

The chapters of this book will be chock full of information about caring for your kitty friend. I hope that you will enjoy reading this book.

*Information about 'Cat Care': This "book" for 'The Purple Paw' is going to be a series on this blog. See the title? It reads: 'Cat Care: Introduction'. Where it says 'Introduction', instead it might read: 'Caring for Kittens'. These are parts, not chapters. They are segments of the parts that explain certain ways, in this case, to care for kittens. These might be titled 'Grooming your Kitten'. Do you see where this post reads in bold lettering 'Introduction'? That is where the post will tell readers what it will be explaining. This might read 'Grooming your Cat: Chapter Three'.

The reason I am calling this series a "book" is because I am designing it like a book. With many parts and chapters, all full of information on caring for your cat, I hope that you will enjoy!

-KittyLover8
copyright © KittyLover8 2012

Cats

Cats are amazing animals. They fascinate people worldwide with their breathtaking beauty. The domestic cat has found its way into the hearts of many humans. Many people wish to know how cats land on all four paws or how cats see so well in the dark. This post will answer many questions about cats.

The cat anatomy is very interesting. A cat's spine has many vertebra. This helps a cat turn to lick the base of its tail or even land on all four of its paws. When a cat falls, it twists around in midair so that its paws are all pointing downward. Now, the cat arches its back. This helps it parachute down to the ground. While the cat can still get badly injured when they fall, the wounds are almost never fatal. Sometimes, the longer the fall the better. When a fall is from the highest window of a 50 story building, the cat has a harder fall then if it fell from the top of a 70 story building. This is because the cat has more time to parachute to the ground.


Cats have a wonderful sense of smell. In fact, cats have twice as many smell-sensitive cells in their noses as humans do. This is a great advantage for them when they are hunting. Cats can tell if the animal they're hunting is a mouse or a vole just by its scent. Cats have an organ called Jacobson's organ that helps them smell and taste.

Cats also are grate at hearing. A cat's ear can hear even the slightest sound like the heart of a mouse pumping. A cat's ears are positioned on the top of its head. They are large and have many musculus inside of them. These musculus rotate the ear to funnel in sounds from any direction. The shape of a cat's ear helps in the process. The sound waves that the ear catches then passes down the ear canal. The ear canal is like a tube that starts at the ear and end at the eardrum. Then, in the middle ear, three bones called the ossicles transfer the vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear, or cochlea, and auditory nerve. A cat's cochlea is located deeper inside of the head. It is snail-shaped and small. Then the sound waves are sent to the brain. This is how a cat hears.

A cat's eyesight is amazing. Cats can see in one sixth of the light that humans need to see in. Cats also have more rods (things in cat and human eyes that help them see in the darkness) than cones (things in the eyes of both cats and people too that help them see in light). Cat's eyes also have a wider angle of vision than people.

A clear cornea covers a cat's fluid-filled chamber called the anterior chamber. Behind the anterior chamber is the three-part uvea. This includes the iris, a lens, flanked by the ciliary bodies. Behind the lens is another fluid-filled chamber lager than the anterior chamber called the posterior chamber. The retina lines the back of the posterior chamber. The retina "reads" the light and passes this information to the optic nerve. The optic nerve then sends the information to the cat's brain which than flips the upside down image so that it is right side up.

So, that is a bit about the anatomy of a cat. I hope that, for many years to come, people continue to love and care for these fantastic felines.

-KittyLover8

Kitty Tips-Traveling With Your Cat

In this "Kitty Tips" I will talk about traveling with you cat. The first thing that I should cover is that you don't have to bring your cat with you when you're traveling. There are many ways you can handle this. You can bring your cat with you, leave your cat at home with a catsitter, or board your cat somewhere, like at a vet clinic.

If you are going to bring your kitty friend along, you should always put her in a cat carrier. Make sure that she is comfortable. Put down a towel and perhaps her favorite toy. It is important that she isn't stressed out, because stress can lead to sickness. Make sure that you have enough of your cat's regular food on hand while traveling. A change of food can add to your cat's stress.

Planes are not good places to have your cat. People cat put their pets in the storage aria of the plane, but this is uncomfortable and scary for a cat. Most likely it is best to drive to your destination if you're bringing your cat then to fly on a plane.

Of course, you can also leave your cat at home. This is much less stressful for your cat. You can leave your cat at home unsupervised for one to two whole days. If you chose to do this, then leave lots of food and water. Also, cat-proof your house right before you leave, just to be sure that you fuzzy friend won't get into any trouble.

If you will be gone any longer then two days, then hire a trustworthy catsitter to watch your cat while you're away or board your cat. The catsitter that you pick out should be a family member, good friend, or a catsitter who has a good reputation with cats. You want you kitty to be in good hands. You should meet and talk with the catsitter beforehand, telling him or her about your cat's needs and what is and isn't normal.

If you are going to board your cat, then find a good place for your cat to be. One place that is very safe for your cat is your nearby vet clinic. Not all vet clinics board animals, but that's a good place to look at.

Another place where you can board your cat is a kennel. Talk to your veterinarian about what kennels the may recommended. Your veterinarian might know some patents that have complained about a certain kennel or might have treated cats with diseases that they got from a kennel. Make sure that the kennel you chose keeps your cat up to date on it's shots. Tell the owner of the kennel you chose your cat's regular food and any illnesses that your cat might have. If your cat does have a contagious diseases, then cure the sickness before you take them to the kennel. Other cats might get ill from your cat's sickness.

So, those are some of the ways you can travel with or without your cat. As someone who volunteered at a vet clinic that boarded cats, I recommend leaving your cat at home with a catsitter or at a vet clinic. Try to find the solution best for you and your cat. I hope that I helped!

Thank you for reading!

-KittyLover8

© 2012

The Amur Leopard

The Amur leopard is a true beauty with her amber, caramel, brown, dark cream and golden pelt with coal-colored spots and gray-blue eyes. She has a white chest and belly with a halo of cream around it.

Amur leopards usually live beside a river basin. Mates live close together, their territories sometimes overlapping slightly. Depending on age and sex, the size of an Amur leopard's territory can vary from 19–120 sq miles.

The Amur leopard can leap more than 19 feet horizontally and over nine feet vertically. Along with powerful jaws and sharp claws, these qualities help the Amur leopard hunt her prey. In the Ussuri region Amur leopards prey on sika deer, musk deer, Manchurian wapiti, moose, roe, mice, badger, fowl, raccoon dogs, hare and wild pig. In Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve Amur leopards hunt Eurasian black bears that are less than two years old and roe deer.

The Amur leopard is almost extinct. There is thought to be only 40 Amur leopards left in the world. Help save these beautiful cats survive by joining anti-poaching programs like WWF's (http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/amur_leopard2/#help). If people don't start stopping Amur leopard poaching and hunting, soon, these amazing animals will become extinct.

“Please help me.”

-KittyLover8
© 2012

Kitty Tips-Vet Checkups

Vet checkups are very important in a cats life. Once every six months you should take your cat to a vet clinic.

When you first get your new BFF, take him or her to a vet clinic for a checkup and shots. This will prevent parasites like Worms (Hookworms, Tapeworms, Roundworms, est.), Ticks, Mosquitoes and Fleas. This will also prevent diseases like Rabies.

Just because you got your new cat from the SPCA, doesn't mean that they don't have parasites infections or diseases. The shelter might not treat the cats when they find them or receive them. Even if they do treat the cats, you should still give your new friend a vet checkup.

If you did buy your cat from a SPCA, Animal Shelter, Farmers Market or another place, you should ask for your new cat's health records, when they were born, if they were spayed or neutered (depending on if they are a male or female) and what diseases, infections and/or parasites he or she might have.

Here is a list of some unhealthy things that cats may do that indicate illness or infection:

1. Vomiting frequently.
2. Constipation or Diarrhea.
3. Abnormal Urination.
4. Rashes and/or discharge in the eyes, nose and ears.
5. Abnormal behavior.

Report any of these signs to your vet.

Please remember: You are your cat's guardian and friend. View and use some advice and facts about cats. Take note that not everything is true. Some people will not find the right facts. Find different web sites and/or books and compere. It is important for the health of your cat that you get the right information.
Thank you for reading!
-KittyLover8
© 2012

Kitty Tips-Christmas Safety

Christmas season can be a very dangerous season for cats. People decorate their homes with plants that are poisonous to cats and with ribbons that cats can choke on. I will list some alternatives that are safe for your cat.

Poinsettias and mistletoe are poisonous to cats. Instead of decorating the house with the real plants, buy fake mistletoe and poinsettias. They look just as festive and are much more safe.


Ribbons look like grass to cats, so they are naturally drawn to chewing on the ends of ribbons. A way to solve this is to buy cat grass for your cat. This could help them distracted from the ribbons and other dangerous things around the house.

Cats are kind and curious animals. Taking care of your cat is important. Alternatives and relinquishing a few minor things can help you and your cat on the magnificent journey of life.

-KittyLover8

© 2011

Kitty Tips-Grooming Your Cat

If your cat is a long hair, then a wide-toothed comb would work best for his fur. On a short haired cat, use a bristle brush or a baby brush. Be sure to be gentle, but firm at all times. Your cat's legs, belly, and tail should be brushed with a bristle brush, no matter what his fur length is. If your cat is a short hair, brush his fur once or twice a week. If he is long haired, brush his fur three to four times a week.

Clip your cat's claws monthly, if your cat's fur is dark (Black, dark gray, dark brown, etc.), his claws will probably dark, too. If the pink bundle of nerves within the claws is hard to see, you might what a specialist to clip your cats claws.

Grooming your cat is a special and important time for you and your cat. Grooming your cat can help you bond with him and keeps him healthy.


-KittyLover8

© 2011

Kitty Tips-Feeding Your Cat

Cat foods can have multiple different textures; dry, semimoist, and wet foods. Dry foods are best to feed a young cat, because they clean their teeth. When a cat is older, sometimes it is easier for them to eat wet food or semimoist food. Depending on the life stage, kitten (Less then one year old), adult (One to six years old), and mature adult (Seven to fifteen or more years old), it is up to you, your cat, and your vet to decide on witch food is best for your cat.

Wight gain can be a big problem. The amount of food given to your cat daily differs depending on your cats size. Half a cup to a cup of food is a good amount. Finding a properly balanced food brand can be hard. Nutrients that your cat should have are, vitamin A, C , and E, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, carbohydrates, fats, and omegas three and six.

Cats need to have grass to chew. If they have eaten anything toxic, grass will make them regurgitate. You can buy grass that is healthy for cats to eat. If you don't do this, your cat might eat your potted plants inside your house. Some of which may be poisonous.

Be sure to give your cat the proper type of food (dry, wet, and semimoist), the right amount (this depends on your cat), and a perfect balance of nutrients with some grass to have a healthy cat.

-KittyLover8
© 2011

The Bobcat

Bobcats are about the size of a house cat; two feet tall and three to four feet long.

Bobcats are a subspecies of lynx, giving them their other name, red lynx. Bobcats are wonderful swimmers, like lynx are.

Bobcats are commonly found in deserts, prairies, swamplands, mountains, and around forests. The size of their territories very, depending on how old they are, their gender, and the distribution of prey. Bobcats prefer to make their homes in thickets, rock ledges, and hollow logs.

Bobcats eat anything from insects, birds, rabbits, hares, and rodents to deer.

Bobcats have long, reddish-silvery-brown fur coats with black tabby markings. They have golden-and-white muzzles and white bellies and chests with some cream, brown, and gold smudges here and there. They also have short bop tails.

-KittyLover8
© 2011