Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Is Your Cat Safe? 5 Ways to Help Protect Your Kitty By Mary Simpson Platinum Quality Author
Cats can be wonderful and amusing companions. Each has his or her own personality, and many cats simply love to be with their humans. They also have a lot of curiosity and can quickly get into things that can be harmful. Being owned by one or more cats means that we need to do everything we can to protect them from harm. Here are some ways to help keep your kitties safe.
1. Keep cats indoors. There is no reason that they need to go outside. Indoor cats live much longer than cats that are outdoors either all of the time or part of the time. Among the hazards they encounter outdoors are being hit by vehicles, getting into poisonous substances, and being attacked by dogs or other animals.
Increasingly more areas of the country have growing coyote populations, where kitties and small dogs (even as large as Shelties) make easy prey for a quick meal. Birds of prey also sometimes carry off cats and small dogs. And, in some areas, there is the danger of the Fisher cat-a type of weasel-which include cats on its menu.
Spay or neuter your cat. This will not only help to keep down the population of unwanted cats, but it will also quell the desire of the kitties to go outside and will ward off unwanted feline visitors and yowling.
2. Having indoor cats means that we need to cat-proof our homes. Look around for anything dangerous the kitty can get into. Keep anything poisonous, including cleaning fluids and materials, laundry products, insecticides and ant poison, rat or mouse bait, slug bait, and other toxins safely closed in a kitty-proof cabinet. Be sure that your cat cannot open the doors-they can be very resourceful! Also securely contain medications and drugs, antifreeze, and foods that are toxic to animals. These include items like chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions, and macadamia nuts.
Other dangerous indoor items include electrical cords, in which the cats may become tangled or from which they may receive shocks. If you have a paper shredder, always unplug it when you are not actually shredding something. Pets have had serious accidents when they have licked or pawed the shredder, sometimes resulting in death for the animals. If you use candles, be sure that you never leave them unattended. Cats and dogs do knock them over, causing house fires. Candles which are entirely covered are safer but still must be attended. A better alternative is battery-powered luminaries, many of which are inexpensive.
Keep all plastic bags out of kitty's reach, and cut both ends out of any plastic food bags that are thrown away. Pets have suffocated when they stuck their heads inside a plastic food bag and could not get them out or breathe. Also keep children's toys, string, and any other small objects that can be chewed or swallowed safely out the kitty's reach.
3. Pets need to be identified. The most common identification is a collar and tag. Cats should have a break-away collar that will release quickly if it gets caught on something to avoid choking or strangulation. In addition to the tags we normally see, there are now tags available which contain a tiny USB tag that can be read by most computers. Because tags can become lost, you may wish to have your pets microchipped for permanent identification.
4. Have your cats had their shots? Rabies shots are required for felines as well as for dogs. There are also other deadly diseases, many of which are highly contagious, that can be prevented by vaccinations. Kittens should begin receiving vaccines around 6 to 8 weeks of age, and they should be repeated every 3 to 4 weeks until they are around 12 to 16 weeks of age. Your veterinarian will set up a schedule for you. The vaccines they should receive protect against feline distemper and two upper respiratory diseases: herpesvirus and calicivirus. Your vet may also want to vaccinate against feline leukemia and possibly other diseases that are problems in your area. Subsequent booster vaccines will be given as required.
5. Know where to go in emergencies. You probably already know whether your own veterinarian has emergency hours and what they are. Also, find out where the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital is and make a trial run so that you know the route. Keep phone numbers handy. Also be sure that your cat carrier is where you can get it quickly if needed.
You are the one who observes your pets and know what is normal behavior for them. Because of this, you can get help quickly when a pet is sick or injured. Taking precautions to prevent problems and providing appropriate care can go a long way toward giving you and your cat many healthy and happy years together.
1. Keep cats indoors. There is no reason that they need to go outside. Indoor cats live much longer than cats that are outdoors either all of the time or part of the time. Among the hazards they encounter outdoors are being hit by vehicles, getting into poisonous substances, and being attacked by dogs or other animals.
Increasingly more areas of the country have growing coyote populations, where kitties and small dogs (even as large as Shelties) make easy prey for a quick meal. Birds of prey also sometimes carry off cats and small dogs. And, in some areas, there is the danger of the Fisher cat-a type of weasel-which include cats on its menu.
Spay or neuter your cat. This will not only help to keep down the population of unwanted cats, but it will also quell the desire of the kitties to go outside and will ward off unwanted feline visitors and yowling.
2. Having indoor cats means that we need to cat-proof our homes. Look around for anything dangerous the kitty can get into. Keep anything poisonous, including cleaning fluids and materials, laundry products, insecticides and ant poison, rat or mouse bait, slug bait, and other toxins safely closed in a kitty-proof cabinet. Be sure that your cat cannot open the doors-they can be very resourceful! Also securely contain medications and drugs, antifreeze, and foods that are toxic to animals. These include items like chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions, and macadamia nuts.
Other dangerous indoor items include electrical cords, in which the cats may become tangled or from which they may receive shocks. If you have a paper shredder, always unplug it when you are not actually shredding something. Pets have had serious accidents when they have licked or pawed the shredder, sometimes resulting in death for the animals. If you use candles, be sure that you never leave them unattended. Cats and dogs do knock them over, causing house fires. Candles which are entirely covered are safer but still must be attended. A better alternative is battery-powered luminaries, many of which are inexpensive.
Keep all plastic bags out of kitty's reach, and cut both ends out of any plastic food bags that are thrown away. Pets have suffocated when they stuck their heads inside a plastic food bag and could not get them out or breathe. Also keep children's toys, string, and any other small objects that can be chewed or swallowed safely out the kitty's reach.
3. Pets need to be identified. The most common identification is a collar and tag. Cats should have a break-away collar that will release quickly if it gets caught on something to avoid choking or strangulation. In addition to the tags we normally see, there are now tags available which contain a tiny USB tag that can be read by most computers. Because tags can become lost, you may wish to have your pets microchipped for permanent identification.
4. Have your cats had their shots? Rabies shots are required for felines as well as for dogs. There are also other deadly diseases, many of which are highly contagious, that can be prevented by vaccinations. Kittens should begin receiving vaccines around 6 to 8 weeks of age, and they should be repeated every 3 to 4 weeks until they are around 12 to 16 weeks of age. Your veterinarian will set up a schedule for you. The vaccines they should receive protect against feline distemper and two upper respiratory diseases: herpesvirus and calicivirus. Your vet may also want to vaccinate against feline leukemia and possibly other diseases that are problems in your area. Subsequent booster vaccines will be given as required.
5. Know where to go in emergencies. You probably already know whether your own veterinarian has emergency hours and what they are. Also, find out where the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital is and make a trial run so that you know the route. Keep phone numbers handy. Also be sure that your cat carrier is where you can get it quickly if needed.
You are the one who observes your pets and know what is normal behavior for them. Because of this, you can get help quickly when a pet is sick or injured. Taking precautions to prevent problems and providing appropriate care can go a long way toward giving you and your cat many healthy and happy years together.
For Cat Training Secrets that are tried, tested, and proven to work please visit [http://www.yourbestsources.com/CatTraining] Mary Jean Simpson has owned both purebred and mixed breed cats and dogs from the time she was a child. Her earliest memories of cats come from her pre-school years when she dressed some very patient kitties in doll clothes. She has written articles on cats and dogs for various publications. She is currently owned by two cats and four dogs, who enjoy each others' company.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Simpson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Seed Newsvine