Cat Guide

One of the buzz words around children’s school yards these days seems to be; diet intolerance. I have friends whose children are lactose intolerant, wheat intolerant, have a severe egg allergy, nut allergy…the list goes on.  I am fortunate that my daughter is intolerance/allergy free, however I hadn’t realised that my cat was not.

Certain food intolerances in cats can be extremely unpleasant as the main symptoms often include vomiting and diarrhoea.  Because my cat displayed no other symptoms than these and was fine otherwise the vet explained that food intolerance was the most likely culprit. He explained how we were supposed to start managing this situation when he confirmed that the intolerance trigger was most likely a particular ingredient in his regular cat food.  There are many different types of food on the market to help manage food intolerances, but my vet recommended that we first try Royal Canin Sensitivity food pouches, which are specially formulated to help manage dietary intolerance in cats.

According to my research the most common food intolerances in cats are cows’ milk, beef and cereal – all ingredients that are present in a lot of cat foods. Royal Canin Sensitivity Control cat food contains a single source of meat or fish and a single source of non-cereal or gluten free carbohydrate, plus it is also lactose free.  My cat settled well on both the chicken and rice and the duck and rice pouches, so we were fortunate to not have to go through a lengthy trial and error process trying to eliminate the food trigger.

Royal Canin Cat Food also had the perfect food for my other cat who my vet very generously described as being a bit on the heavy side.  My sister used to describe her as a hovercraft – so it was safe to say that she was supposed to go on a diet.  We tried various diet foods, some of which were point blank refused and others which didn’t seem to reduce her weight.  After our success with Royal Canin Sensitivity we decided to try her on their Ultra Light range.  The ingredients list said it contained L-cartinine, which helps the body utilise fat stores and reduces spontaneous calorie intake.  After just a few weeks on this food we noticed an improvement to her bulk and a visit to the vet’s three months later confirmed a significant weight loss, therefore I highly recommend this product!

Curse of the Cat – Cats are hardy creatures that present remarkably few health problems with which to traumatized their owners, but they have one drawback: they bring up food with remarkable ease. Knowing how to manage, or even better, prevent those foul little heaps is something every cat owner can profitably learn, to everyone’s advantage.

It’s true to say that cats will throw up at the drop of a hat. One episode should not be a cause for concern.  It could even be ‘normal’ for a cat to throw up a couple of times a month. Sustained upchucking is a cause for concern but even then, given the cat’s mastery of the practice, it is not necessarily cause for panic. A crucial first step is to distinguish between vomiting and regurgitation. Vomiting is the ejection of the contents of the stomach. If you observe the act, you may see your cat retching, flanks heaving as the rejected food makes its way back up. It maybe accompanied by a distinctive rasping and gulping that sounds like ‘hauk! hauk!’

Curse of the Cat – Regurgitation is slightly less unpleasant (believe it or not). The ingested food has not reached the stomach but is ejected from the esophagus or upper digestive tract. Typically this happens within a short time of eating, sometimes almost instantaneously. It lacks the vile smell of stomach acids and the cat may even try to re-eat it, typically inducing consternation in the owner. Haii balls —prime suspect

Curse of the Cat – The most common cause of feline vomiting is hairballs, or trichobezoars, that consist of hair accumulated from grooming. They are more common in long-haired cats, for obvious reasons, but short-haired cats are far from immune. If all is working well, the hair will be excreted. Hairball indicators include eating grass, which provides fibre that help shunt it through the system. An offering of mucus and grass is a good sign of a hairball problem. Successful vomiting produces a bedraggled little mass of fur. With luck, that is the problem solved. In rare cases, wads of fur can block the stomach or intestine, but this is exceptional.

Because cats seem to get more sleep in a 24-hour period than their owners can manage in a week, people sometimes assume that felines don’t need a space where they can detach from the dramas of the human world. Observant pet owners understand that when a cat feels insecure (which may be often or infrequently, depending on the pet), its first instinct is always to hide in an inaccessible place away from the chaos of high traffic areas. Wise owners also report that even the most social cat (you know, the one that has to meet everyone at the party) needs some private time in a kitty corner to sleep, or groom and daydream about mice. In short, a kitty corner provides for your cat’s emotional needs as much as his need for rest, which means he may be happier when he emerges from his lair and wants to interact with you again.

The type of comer your cat requires will depend on her age, your rules, and even the family dynamic. If your cat is young and nimble (say, less than five years old), she will manage very well in a larger or calmer home, provided that she’s allowed on top of and under beds. These accommodating circumstances do two things for your cat: they allow her to sleep on an adequate surface and provide a means of escape from toddlers, surround sound, and disagreements between parents and teens. Older cats, on the other hand, require additional rest and a reliably quiet, accessible space with a padded surface.

Here are some tips for choosing and arranging an appropriate kitty corner for your cat:

1. Let your cat choose the location. Sensitive owners readily identify their cat’s favorite spots and what attracts the feline to these spaces.  If your cat likes to soak up the sun by a window in a little-used room, she may have already shown you the perfect location for her corner. Observing a cat’s behavior often leads owners to arrange a kitty comer on a second floor or in an  attic. Generally, cats will sleep in the least active parts of a house and prefer privacy for their rather long naps.

2. Consider your cat’s temperament when designing the corner. Shy and introverted cats are often discovered at the back of closets. If you’re tired of cleaning fur off the bottom of your coats, an enclosed kitty condo might be attractive to you and your feline. These ingenious ‘houses’ come complete with carpeting and space to accommodate a cat and his bedding. The downside of a kitty condo is the difficulty of cleaning the interior, but you might prefer this job to vacuuming your closets and removing hair from low-hanging clothing.

3. Take your cat’s age and any mobility issues into account.  In a pinch, hiding under beds, inside closets, or behind washing machines will work very well for your cat; however, older cats need a cushioned surface for sleep, and their days of jumping up on sofas may be numbered.  In addition, mature cats will attract to hot spots in your home, such as near radiators or even kitchen appliances. They won’t use a bed in a drafty location, no matter how private or well-appointed the space.

4.  Put some thought into assembling or choosing your cat’s bed. If your cat is 13 years old and  you’re in your 50′s, she probably feels as comfortable sleeping on a hardwood floor as you do on low-pile carpet. Cat beds can be assembled with old duvets and towels, and even pieces of mattresses or memory foam.  Although pet beds available in  stores are inexpensive and machine washable, they often lack sufficient padding for older or arthritic cats A comforter under the bed will make it more attractive to your feline and give you a break from cleaning fur from own comforter. In addition to poor cushioning, beds designed for cats are sometimes too small for your feline to lie at full length. You know how you feel when you try to sleep in an airplane seat with your knees up higher than your belt buckle? That’s how your cat feels with his legs hanging over the edge of an adequately supportive but cramped cat bed.

Ensuring that your cat has a well-padded place to sleep and retreat from human contact can reduce your cat’s anxiety and even improve her physical health. Felines need to feel secure regardless of their individual temperaments, particularly in highly stimulating environments.  However much your cat enjoys the happy anarchy of your home, he has an equal need for peace and quality sleep.