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Need a Cat Sitter?
Although friends may offer thinking it will be
fun, have the number of a back-up professional as well. A good place
to find a trustworthy cat sitter is to ask your vet. Usually someone
on the staff cat sits on the side. If no one at your vets office
cat sits, call another vets office, one specializing in cats.
Some cats aren't good at boarding. Being in a
cage surrounded by other strange animals, smells and noises. The
stress can be unbearable for some cats.
You cat may be happier home alone!
Though lonely, she'll be in her familiar environment. Keep her well
- fed and have some human visitors, even if it's only for an hour
twice a day will go far to keep her feeling stress-free until you
return.
Learn
more about the PetAlive
range of remedies which is
designed to treat your pet in a holistic and natural manner.
Giving Medication?
If you have to give your cat medication, here's a few tips to make
things go a little easier for both of you.
If you cat requires liquid medicine,
ALWAYS squirt it in the side of their mouth, never straight down
their throat. Start at the back side of their jaw, and squirt almost
straight across, angle it back just so that it doesn't go out the
other side. By squirting the medicine in the side of their mouth,
it allows them to use their tongue to help swallow. When it goes
straight down their throat, it chokes them.
If you're hiding medicine in food, put the medicine
in only a tablespoon of food, and don't give any more food until
that tablespoon has been eaten. Many vets don't recomend putting
medicine in food bcasue if the cat doesn't finish the food they
will not get the full dosage. By putting the medicine in a smaller
amount of food you can make sure your cat gets his full dosage.
Giving a cat a pill really isn't that hard - once
you learn how. Don't try and stick the pill far back in the cats
mouth, he willl just work it forward and spit it out. Remember,
he thinks he's going to choke so it's natural for him to not swallow
it. Get your cat in a sitting position, on a contertop is best.
Reach around and stroke his throat, and he will usually stretch
his neck. Gently put pressure on the side of his mouth, pop the
pill in and close his mouth keeping his nose angled upwards. Usually
it goes right down. Then have a treat ready. Always be very gentle
with your cat so that getting medicne is a treat, not an ordeal.
You don't want your cat hiding under the bed at medicine time.
Scratching Posts
The best post have rope or burbur
(short) carpet.
Fluffy (shag carpeting) posts don't
allow for the deep working of the class that your cat wants for
a satisfactory "scratching."
Make sure the post has a heavy base,
or anchor it to the wall. Try a piece of carpet pad under the base
to help it stay in one place. If you cat is able to pull over the
scratching post, he will become afraid of it and stop using it.
Freshen the post with catnip, but
not more than once a week, or the cats will become desensitized
to the effect of catnip.
Household Hazards
Important things to know:
Lysol is fatal
to cats!
Any product containing PHENOL is particularity deadly:
Room deodorizers
Dishwashing detergents
Mothballs
Antifreeze
If a cat walks through
something poisonous, she'll clean her paws, especially if it
smalls disagreeable. That's the quickest way for a cat to ingest
a harmful substance. If you think your cat has eaten something
poisonous (plants, antifreeze, pills, etc) call the ASPCA:
1-888-ANI-HELP • (1-888-426-4435)
Their National Animal Poison Control
Center charges a $30 consultation fee which can be paid by credit
card.
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