More Hazards for Your Cats

Since cats love to look outside and even be outside occasionally, you can allow them to be outdoors, in your yard, in a safe environment.

In a previous blog, I discussed poisons your cat could get into. Now I would like to discuss some other hazards.

CARS: Cats who are allowed to room outside are in extreme danger of either being killed or injured by a car. Cats dart into the street, often very fast, and drivers have difficulty stopping fast enough. We’ve had cats killed by cars and it is devastating for the family!

Cats also like warm places, and getting under the hood of your car or truck near your engine may be just the place they decide to sleep. Turning your car on when a cat is under the hood can be deadly. If you suspect your cat could be sleeping under there, always check before you start your car.

And don’t forget the possibility of poisonous gas, oil, or antifreeze leaks.

FALLS: You may allow your cat to go out on a balcony or upper deck; or maybe they will try to go through an open window, or fall while trying to get a bug on a screen and when the screen falls out so does  your cat.

Cats don’t always fall safely; they are often hurt. I higher fall allows them to turn to land on their feet, but they can be injured in this kind of a fall as well as a short fall.

If you live in a high rise apartment building, or you have a balcony or deck  on a second floor, consider installing wire fencing around the balcony so they can’t fall through the decking or off of the railing.

When I was growing up, we had a couple of cats that would get up on the roof of our house. They would meow and want help getting down. We would have to show them where the tree was near the roof line so they could come down. My mom said that if they got up there, they could figure out how to get down, but my siblings and I would come to their rescue. It they get up in high places like in trees, I think they become frightened and need help in getting them down. Help anyway you can, but don’t risk self-inflicted injury to rescue them.

Until next time, make sure your cat has as safe of an environment that is in your power to create.     Mrs. Paws
Thanks for looking for looking at PawsitivePamperings.com for your cat and dog needs.

Cat Door Training

Cats are naturally inclined to want to be outside in nature. They like to climb trees, chase birds or squirrels, and play in your yard. However, they can easily be trained to be an indoor pet, even adult cats can be trained to stay inside.

If you want to provide him some outdoor space, an easy-to-install cat door maybe the answer.

Our daughter’s cat is pure white and has been deaf since birth. For this reason, she has wanted to keep him inside for his own protection. However, he would occasionally sneak outside just to explore the neighborhood friendly manufactured home park. Her home did back up to a busy street, but fortunately he never ventured there.

When she got married, she moved into her husband’s home that was on a busy street also. To help solve the problem, her husband enclosed a space outside of their kitchen, a space approximately 12’ x 12’ with wire fencing. That way their cat could be outside in a protected space. During the summer they could leave the kitchen door open slightly, and her cat could come and go. When the winter time came, they were not going to keep the door opened.

They solved the problem by installing a cat door so he could still go outside. It wasn’t difficult to train him to use the door, they just put food on the other side of the door, showed him how to push it open, and that was all that it took. For them, there was also another added bonus. He no longer used the indoor cat litter box!

One caution: make sure the door is big enough for your cat, but not big enough for dogs, raccoons, skunks, or other wild animal to venture into your home. With the wire fencing, the area is protected, and so far, no other critters have entered their home.

Some cat doors can be locked so you can secure them when you want to.

Thanks for all you are doing to keep your kittens and cats safe. Mrs. Paws

We do offer pet entry doors and cat scratching posts on our website: pawsitivepamperings.com.

More Household Dangers for Your Cat

Jan 26 – More Household Dangers for your Cat

I have discussed the dangers of poisons both inside and outside of our homes. I’m sure you realize that poisons are not the only dangers a cat incurs, so now I will discuss a few more hazards.

Since cats like to jump and climb, why not provide them with their own scratching post. With something the she knows is hers only, she will love climbing on it and sleeping on the platforms.

Having a scratching post for them, may protect your valuables from being pushed or knocked off of a table, shelf, or even the mantel. I have seen our cat just knock something off, watch it fall, and move on to something else to do. Don’t tempt her by leaving ‘untouchables’ and ‘valuables’ within her reach.

Keep rubber bands out of sight as well as small objects that can be swallowed. Keep sewing and knitting supplies covered, locked up, or stored away in drawers. We had a cat that swallowed approximately ½ spool of thread. We didn’t know it until we had taken him to the vet a couple of times because it appeared he had flu symptoms. It was only after surgery that the Vet told us what the blockage was. I was horrified that he had been a victim of my sewing hobby. He never recovered from the surgery.

Remember to keep the toilet lid closed. They may want to drink the water. The danger is they could fall in while trying to get a drink and drown, or drink water that you have put chemicals in to keep your toilet bowl clean.

Keep the washer, dryer, and dishwasher doors closed.

Store medication in a safe place so pills don’t end up on the counter or floor for her to find and play with, chew, lick or eat.

Our cat loves to jump up on the ironing board. The landing of a 15+ pound feline can topple the iron onto the floor. I know this can happen because it has happened. Don’t tempt them with dangling cords either.

Other items they may try to swallow are: dental floss, cigarette butts, and small earrings.

Take a serious look around your home for potential dangers and find them before your cat does. Always keep your cat’s safety in mind.

It is true that kittens may be more apt to find things to get into more than a neutered adult cat; but nonetheless, you should try to make your house danger free as much as possible for your sweet feline.

Thanks for cat proofing your home. Mrs. Paws

Thanks also, for visiting our website pawsitivepamperings.com. You may even find that special scratching post you have been looking for.

Protect Your Cat From Household Poisons

Danger for cats lurks in many areas of your home. Since cats like to jump and climb and generally are very curious creatures, they can find dangers under your kitchen sink, sniffing for food on your stove or counters, searching your bathroom, finding something intriguing on your floor on which the decide to lick and chew, looking around in your garage, and discovering new things in your yard and even in your gardening shed.

One of the many dangers found in and around your home are poisons.

Some of the dangerous poisons are: bleach, pesticides, insecticides, oil and gasoline, and antifreeze (which is sweet to the taste and very toxic!).

This list goes on: chemicals for your yard, rodent poisons, drain cleaners, disinfectants, ammonia, and cleaning agents. They don’t just have to lick the container to be poisoned; they can walk across the surface of a poison and then lick their paws. This can be the case when they walk in your garage or on your driveway, and even across a wet floor that has just been cleaned with chemicals.

Another poison for your cats can be your houseplants. Here is a list of the most common poisonous house plants your cat could chew, since they do like to ingest greens like grass, etc.: holly, oleander, Boston Ivy, caladium, English holly, foxglove, Jerusalem cherry, elephant’s ear, mother-in-law plant, pathos, amaryllis, asparagus fern, azalea, daffodil, delphinium, larkspur, spider mum, wisteria, umbrella plant, yew, creeping Charlie, ivy, Jasmine, Laurel, Marijuana, mistletoe, nutmeg, philodendron, and poppy. This is not a complete list, but it is the most common of plants to be aware of.

If you notice your cat eating any of these plants, licking harmful chemicals, or if you notice symptoms like vomiting, or staggering, or laying down with a foaming mouth, call your Vet immediately!

You can also call Animal Poison Control Center toll free at 888-426-4435, or visit their website at http://www.aspca.org, the select “Animal Poison Control Center”.

Until next time, please take the time to safe guard your home. These precautions would also be good if you have dogs or small children. Mrs. Paws

 

You Came Home with a Cat

We recently discussed on this blog the elements in making the decision to bring a dog into your home. Now let’s switch gears and talk about bringing a cat into your home.

Cats are much less demanding than dogs, but the still have definite needs. Cats need good cat food, her own food and water dishes, a comfortable cat bed in which to sleep (unless you don’t mind if she sleeps on your bed with you), a litter box away from her food area, cat toys and scratching posts. The good thing is: they don’t need to be taken for daily walks.

It is very important that you keep your cat’s food and water dishes clean, and her litter box clean. Don’t keep her food near her cat litter box…this is not healthy.

Cats are more independent creatures than dogs, but they still have very important needs. Some are very social creatures. They like attention. Kittens especially like playtime. Sometimes they create their own entertainment with their cat toys, and sometime they like interactive time with you. Some like to be held and some like to be petted. Some do not like their tummies rubbed and they will let you know immediately when you try. Most often, however, they choose the time they want to play.

Cats adore be loved and treated kindly, but they do not like to be controlled. They don’t want to be held a lot or even often. Short periods of time are what they will prefer. They don’t like to be controlled by being placed in a carrier to take to the vet, or taken some place else. They don’t even like to be held long enough to have their nails trimmed. They want control as much as possible.

Each cat has her only personality. Some are shy; some more frisky; some are more inquisitive; some like more social time; some attach themselves more to one family member than others.

We have discovered with our own cats, having had indoor/outdoor cats, and strictly indoor cats, that indoor cats develop a very special personality. Whatever their personality, however, cats are a delight to own.

Thanks for stopping by to read our blog, and for checking out our website: pawsitivepamperings.com

Until next time, have a great day. Mrs. Paws

More about Simba to the Vet

Well, good news about our cat Simba.  After all of the tests, he is just fine.  No liver, kidney, cancer, parasites, or thyroid problems.  I am so glad we have kept him inside because I believe that indoor cats lead a healthier life style.

Now he needs to gain some weight.  With the vet’s permission, we have just fed him human food – canned albacore tune and canned chicken that we get at Costco- all week.  What a happy cat!  He ate and ate last week.  Every time I go into the kitchen now, he thinks it is for the sole purpose of giving him something more to eat.  He has lots of energy and only one small bout of vomiting, which is pretty good for him.  He doesn’t like dark meat chicken or turkey, so I know that is why we will need to stick to the albacore tuna.  Okay, we are definitely spoiling our cat more and more each day. He does have plenty of water and 2 kinds of dry food as part of his diet.

Even though it was a large vet bill, at least we know that Simba is healthy.  We are also blessed to know that we don’t have to give him daily medication.  Cats just don’t like to be forced to take medication in any form, pill or liquid.  Actually, they really don’t like to be forced to do anything.

Tomorrow I will talk about bringing a new cat into your home.

Until next time, have a good evening.   Mrs. Paws

P.S.  Thanks for taking your time to view our website for your dog and cat needs – pawsitivepamperings.com.

Our Cat to the Vet

It is inevitable that we need to take our cats to the vet sometime. Our cat is 11-1/2 yrs old and is extremely healthy. Since he is a totally indoor cat, we haven’t been good about getting his feline shots each year, so he hasn’t been to the vet since 2003.

I know most of you are thinking “What kind of a cat parent is this person?” Actually, we love our cat, but we don’t run to the doctor for ourselves very often, unless necessary and I guess we just carried that philosophy over to him.

Well, this last weekend, he developed a vomiting issue accompanied with being lethargic and a bit of diarrhea. This was the time, so we took him in yesterday. After a senior cat series of tests, and a lot of $$$, the vet called and said he has a possibility of a thyroid issue. This issue, because it his thyroid is elevated, it could cause heart problems and stomach irritation. Another test is being taken.

He is feeling a whole lot better, for which we are grateful, but we do want to keep him healthy. So, we will find out what the next step is that we should take by the end of the week.

It just shows that you need to be very aware of your pets so you know when you must have them examined by your vet. We didn’t wait when we knew that there was a possible issue.

Until next time, have a good day. Mrs. Paws

Thanks for looking at our website pawsitivepamperings.com for your dog or cat supplies.

A fun day with Fido

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Maybe it is a holiday for you. If so, why not treat your dog to a holiday and have fun and play with him today? Or maybe you did some of these things last Friday on the 13th? Nothing bad, nothing superstitious – just a fun day to change the perceptive of a Friday the 13th.

Give him that extra time and make this day a special day. You could take your dog for a nice walk. Walks are good for us humans as well as our four legged companions. Great to get some fresh air also.

Dogs love to play with their toys. If you rotate their toys, find one they haven’t played with in a while. Make it an interactive toy so you can play with him. Maybe a gentle tug-o-war or frizzbe toss….you decide.

If you’re confined inside because of the weather, you could take the time to brush and groom him. Many dogs like to be pampered and groomed as you talk oh so nice to them.

All of these activities are bonding time activities. Enjoy the day, and your dog.

Until next time, have a great day! Mrs. Paws

Natural, Organic, or Vegetarian Dog Food Diet?

More About Dog Food

Thanks for coming back.

First, let me list one major DON’T in feeding your dog. Don’t give your dog any chocolate, or place chocolate where he can get into it. Chocolate can be fatal to dogs! I have a friend whose dog got into a box of chocolate candy while there were gone. Their dog had to have his stomach pumped!

Also not good for dogs is Junk Food, which is probably good advice for each of us also. It gives them little nutrition and often breeds obesity. If they have any stomach problems, junk foods will probably aggravate the issue.

Now, on with more information about dog food. The best dog food to buy is sometimes a trial and error process. The dog food you select is often determined by what your dog will eat. For you to make a decision depends on your dog’s health, and your philosophy of food for yourself.

A ‘natural’ dog food is without artificial colorings, no preservatives, and no artificial flavorings.
An ‘organic’ dog food has meat, vegetables and grains that were grown without pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, hormones or antibiotics. Animals are sometimes raised free range, such as chickens.
The only real way to determine if your selected dog food meets these requirements is to call the manufacture. I wish they would but that information on their labels.
‘Vegetarian’ diets are preferred generally because the dog owner is vegetarian. The only danger with this dog food diet is that dogs require a high grade of protein, and grains and vegetables don’t have this high grade of protein. Even though grains and vegetables have protein, the quality is not as good as meat.
Never force a dog to eat their food. He may sense the food contains toxins or mold that you do not see. Often, dry dog food is stored in a non-climate controlled environment and toxins and mold spores can grow in these conditions before they get to the store. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it is not there.
If your dog has some allergies or ailments such as stomach or elimination problems, your vet may prescribe a particular food for him.
Always keep the health of your dog in mind when selecting his food, just like you would when selecting food for yourself. Unfortunately, the best dog food for him may be expensive, but realize it could cost less than vet bills.
In future blogs will cover more on meat proteins and dog food supplements.
Have a great day! From, Mrs. Paws
Thanks for checking the high quality dog food we offer on pawsitivepamperings.com.

Scat Mat is a Training Mat for Dogs and Cats

Today, I want to share information about a product I have just seen that I thought might be helpful to you.

Have you ever said to your dog or cat, “Get off of that chair!”, or “Stay away from those plants!”. I recently saw a training item that would be great to help you train your dog or cat not to get on furniture, counters, around the Christmas tree (too late this year), or near plants. How would you like to keep animals away from your garbage cans. It is a training mat called Scat Mat.

We don’t have any plants in our home that are accessible to our cat because we have hanging plants. One time, though, my parents had a cat that found nice soft dirt in a planter that divided 2 rooms. The planter was about waist high and the kitty had no problem jumping up and using it as a potty box. Bad Kitty!

Another idea is to use a strip of the training mat on the floor in front of an area you don’t want your dog or cat near. Maybe you have a special room, like a formal living area that you don’t want your pets to go into, or a baby’s room. These strips would work fine across the entrance.

There are several uses for these training mats. They emit a very low-power electronic pulse, sort of like static electricity, and your pet’s paws will be sensitive to this pulse if they step on it… and they don’t like it.

One of the things I like about these training mats is that they won’t hurt your dog or cat in anyway. If you don’t have an outlet near the area you want pet-free, that is no problem, because these mats are battery operated. It sounds to me like these mats are designed so you can place them anywhere you want.

If you want more information about these training mats, please check out our website at www.pawsitivepamperings.com. They are a featured item on the home page.

Thanks.  Mrs. Paw