Abnormal Urine Outflow Due to Urinary Bladder Dysfunction in Cats-cat care

Abnormal Urine Outflow Due to Urinary Bladder Dysfunction in Cats-cat care

Vesicourachal diverticula occurs when a fetus' urachus -- embryological canal or tube connecting the placenta with urinary bladder of fetus -- fails to close. 

This congenital condition impairs the animal's normal urine outflow and makes it susceptible to urinary tract infections. 

Moreover, the condition may persist indefinitely if not treated properly.

Often, vesicouracahal deiverticula occurs in the womb or during the birthing process. However, there is also an acquired form of the condition, which results from diseases that put undue pressure on the bladder (e.g., bacterial urinary tract infections, uroliths, and urethral plugs).

The acquired form is more common in cats with lower urinary tract disease; male cats are also at higher risk for vesicouracahal deiverticula than females.

You will need to give a thorough history of your cat’s health, including the onset and nature of the symptoms. 

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The veterinarian will then conduct a complete physical examination, as well as a biochemistry profile, urinalysis, and complete blood count (CBC) -- the results of which help identify the underlying cause of the condition and the present of concurrent disorders.

The best tool for confirming diagnosis, however, is X-rays of the urethra and bladder while using contrast medium.

 cats dental care

A tube found between the bladder and the outside of the body; used to assist in urination.

An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness

The prediction of a disease’s outcome in advance

The organ of mammals that comes while a female is pregnant; may also be referred to as afterbirth

 cat care

Aggression in Cats (Overview)-cat care

Cats are small, and often become the target of other animals, making them vulnerable to all kinds of dangers. 

Anyone who owns a cat understands that it needs protection, especially from dangers that can be encountered outside of the house. 

This vulnerability accounts for the built-in aggression response cats have when they perceive a threat. 

Aggression can also come from fear, a health condition, genetic predisposition, an environmental change, or to protect its territory. 

 However, overaggressive behavior can make a cat difficult to live with.

Many aggressive signs are accompanied by a fearful body posture and facial expression, and with submissive behavior. Some cats exhibit these signs if they are cornered, feel like they cannot escape, or are provoked. 

 There are a few types of aggression, including intercat, predatory, territorial and those induced by fear, pain or punishment. 

Some common signs of these types of fear include:

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StaringStalkingHissingSwattingPouncingShowing teethArched backTail straight upEars pulled backDilated pupilsRaised hair on the back (hackles up)Attacking with claws and teethMarking a territory by chin-rubbing or sprayingDrawing in the limbs (purpose: hide neck and belly)

Of these types, predatory behavior requires separate treatment because it is so strong in cats. Normal predatory behavior sets in at about five to seven weeks of age. Hunting behavior may be passed from mother to kitten because different skills are used to kill certain kinds of prey.

 By 14 weeks, a cat may be a very good hunter. 

Well-fed cats may not be predatory at all, or they may kill and only behead the prey. Stalking and hunting is more common in cats that must fend for themselves.

Stealth, silence, concentration, slinking, lowered head, twitching tail and pounce posture all characterize predatory behavior. 

The cat will then lunge or spring at the prey, clutching the object of its attack with its claws and teeth. 

A new male in a group may kill kittens to encourage a female to come into estrus, or heat. At times, a cat may “prey” on things that are not appropriate, such as a foot, a hand, or an infant.

The causes for inappropriate or unwanted aggression can come from many sources. 

For example, in the same way that some people have serious and grumpy dispositions, cats, can be born with an aggressive personality type, too. 

Also, if the cat had no human contact before the age of three months, or has not had social interaction with other cats, it simply does not know how to behave appropriately.

 cat care

Conversely, if the cat shares the home with other cats (or animals), it may be asserting its hierarchy within the social group. 

This may be especially relevant as the cat reaches the age of social maturity -- around two to four years of age. 

Age is a significant consideration regarding behavior, since play aggression is an important developmental stage for a kitten. 

 Natural predatory behavior starts around 10 to 12 weeks of age, and will generally wind down on its own if you respond to it correctly.

Fear can also bring on aggression. 

Cats that are traumatized by unhealthy environments, such as shelters, cages, or overcrowded catteries, occasionally lash out aggressively. 

This can be particularly true if they have been abused by animals or humans, and especially so with children, since small children tend to be rough with animals. 

If your cat has developed a fear of children it may become aggressive with all children.

“Normal” acts of aggression can also take place when the cat feels a need to be on the defensive. 

A mother will naturally be aggressive in protecting her kittens, and likewise, a father cat will do the same. Some cats will stake a certain amount of territory as their own, and will physically assert their dominance of that territory.

If you have exhausted all of the motives that could be causing your cat's inappropriate behavior, and still not found a solution, you will want to take your cat to see your veterinarian, in case there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated. 

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Sometimes aggression may indicate that the cat is in pain and does not want to be touched, or that it is suffering from an illness that is affecting its temper.

The diagnosis is generally made from observing dominance behavior, conflict aggression, and social status aggression.

 However, there are also some medical conditions that can bring on behavioral changes and that might be mistaken for aggression. 

Your veterinarian will want to rule these out before addressing any behavioral issues:

The act of urinating on objects or areas as a method of marking territory

a) The term for the plumage on the neck of some male birds

 b) The term for the hairs on the backs of certain types of animals

The time period in which a female is receptive to male attention

An animal’s tendency to overpower another, in character or in activity

Cats and dogs Diabetes-cat care

Cats and dogs Diabetes
Cats are one of the most popular pets in North America. 

They are loving pets, capable of providing you years of companionship. 

 Like other pets, cats can sometimes get sick. 

 There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes. 

 cat care

 Feline diabetes is a serious disease, although it can be treated by a veterinarian.
Diabetes is more common with humans than with cats or other animals. 

The cause of diabetes is actually quite simple. 

Sugar, or glucose, is found in the blood. 

The level of blood sugar in the body or the animal is kept under control by hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces.

 When the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, diabetes is to blame.

cat grooming tips
The symptoms of feline diabetes will vary. 

 The most common symptoms include an increase in urine and an increase in thirst. 

 Other symptoms of feline diabetes include a loss of appetite, weight loss, and a poor coat. An increase in thirst is easy to detect, as you can easily notice the water dish empty throughout the day.

If you don’t get your cat treated for feline diabetes immediately, the cat will eventually become inactive, vomit on a regular basis, and eventually fall into a coma.

 On the other hand, if you get the diabetes treated in time, the cat will more than likely lead a normal and healthy life. Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and dedication.

Cats that have feline diabetes will need to be given food at the same time every day. They should be prevented from going outside as well.

 If your cat has diabetes, you’ll need to give him insulin shots once or twice or a day.

 Once your veterinarian checks your cat, he will tell you how many shots and how much insulin you need to give your cat.

cats dental care
Before you give your cat his insulin shot, you should always make sure that he has some food first. If he hasn’t eaten and you give him a shot anyway, he could end up with a hypoglycemic shock. 

This can also occur from too much insulin as well. 

A hypo can be really dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. If your cat gets a hypoglycemic shock and you aren’t around, he may end up dying.
If you have to give insulin shots to your cat due to feline diabetes, you should always keep a watchful eye on him after you have administered the shot. After your cat has been on insulin for a period of time, your vet may reduce the amount of insulin.

 Even though he may have to stay on insulin the rest of his life, he will lead an otherwise healthy life.

Heartworm Treatment for Cats-cat care

Heartworm Treatment for Cats

As most pet owners already know, heartworm treatment for cats and dogs isn’t the same. Never, under any circumstances, should you give your cat heartworm treatment that is designed for a dog – or vice versa.

 Even though you may own both dogs and cats, you should always give them medicine that is designed for their species.

cat care
No matter how you look at it, heartworm treatment isn’t easy.

 Your goal is to get rid of the heartworms, although there are several factors that you’ll need to consider. 

The first thing to do is take your cat to the vet, as he will be able to run tests to determine just how many heartworms your pet has. 

 He can also find out how the worms are affecting your cat and if your cat can deal with any side effects that the treatment medicine may impose.

Heartworms are a very serious condition, as the worms will feast on the vital areas around your cat’s heart. 

 Treatment can be serious as well, especially if something goes wrong. 

 Veterinarians are trained to deal with heartworms though, in both cats and dogs.

 Even though you may be able to buy treatment medicine at your local department store, you should always consult with your vet before you give anything to your pet.

cats dental care
Treating your cat for heartworms may indeed be no treatment at all, as cats are extremely difficult to treat. 

 The dying worms have side effects as well, often times causing more than 1/3 of the treated cats to end up with serious problems. 

Dying worms can become lodged in the arteries of the heart, which are already inflamed due to the worms being there.

 When a lodged worm starts to decompose, it can lead to very serious problems. Pets that have a serious infestation with heartworms may need to spend some time at the hospital, to ensure that they are properly treated.

Some cats may not be able to take a certain type of heartworm treatment medicine. Depending on the side affects and how the medicine affects the cat, some breeds may not be able to take some of the better medicines. 

To determine the best treatment options for your cat, your vet will need to run several tests. Once the tests have concluded, your vet will be able to tell you the best options available for treatment.

cat grooming tips
With all diseases, prevention is a lot better and safer than treatment. 

 Be sure to talk to your vet and find out what heartworm prevention medication is the best to use. 

 Your vet can tell you what you need to get, and how to use it. 

This way, you can prevent your pet from getting heartworms – and the serious side effects and life threatening issues that go along with them.

Dealing with cat allergies-cat care

Dealing with cat allergies

Cats are one of the most loved pets in the world, no question about it. More than 50% of all households in the United States own dogs and cats. 

 Although cats are loved animals, cat allergies are one of the common forms of allergies. 

Statistics in the past have shown that over 10 million people in the U.S. alone have allergic reactions to cats - especially their fur.

cat care
The biggest cause of cat allergies is dander. 

The dander, is dust that is produced by the body of the cat. 

Dander is basically shed skin that comes off of cats, normally in the form of small flakes. Although dander can irritate your skin, it can also get into your immune system as well, resulting in a variety of symptoms and almost immediate allergic reactions.

The dander, once in the immune system, is perceived to be a threat. Even though it isn’t classified as a disease, it’s more of a reflex by your body and your immune system. Cat allergies occur quite often due to cats having allergens that are spread throughout their blood, urine, and saliva. Although a cat may not be present at the time, the excretions probably still are.

Cat dander, urine, and saliva, are found throughout the home of cat owners. 

Cats constantly groom themselves, which involves rubbing their saliva into their fur. 

When they do this, they spread their dander and allergens around. 

 Although you may try, there is really nothing that you can do about it. 

 Cats have a natural instinct to groom or bathe themselves, no matter how many baths you give them, you simply won’t stop them from grooming.

cats dental care
Normally, when someone is taking an allergic reaction to cats, he or she will wheeze, cough, sneeze, itch, have watery eyes, or a difficult time in breathing. 

 Different people react different ways to cat allergens, meaning that some symptoms may not occur at all. Fever and chills is very rare, although it can happen. 

If someone who has cat allergies comes down with fever and chills, you should contact a doctor immediately. Chances are, it isn’t an allergic reaction to cats, but instead another type of disease that a doctor will need to identify.

Cat allergies are normally treated with antihistamines and decongestants. 

Those that experience asthma attacks or other forms of allergies, normally take antihistamines. Decongestants on the other hand, are normally used to cure coughs and swollen nasal passages. Sometimes, doctors will recommend allergy shots as well.

 Allergy shots can help to prevent the attack, especially if someone is really allergic to cats. They are a good form of treatment and prevention, and they can also help to decrease the risk of allergies affecting the individual.

If you suspect that you have cat allergies, you should always make it a point to visit your doctor. 

 He will be able to further diagnose your situation, and give you the best options available for treatment. 

 If you do indeed suffer from cat allergies, the best way to stop the attacks is to get rid of your cat.

cat grooming tips
Getting rid of a cat can be a very tough thing to do. 

 If you have become allergic to your cat’s fur, there may be no other way to prevent attacks than to get rid of him.

 Although doctors can give you medicine and shots, it will only do so much. 

Cat allergens are no fun, especially if you develop them years after owning your cat. 

Cats are great animals to own - although cat allergies are something we could all live without.

Common meanings of cat behavior-cat care

Common meanings of cat behavior

A lot of people think that cats work on their own agenda, not paying much attention to their owner – provided they have clean litter, food, and water. 

Cats can behave in odd manners at times, which can easily confuse their owners and make it really hard to determine what the cat wants.

 As much as cat behavior can be confusing, there are some ways that you can solve common cat behavior mysteries.

cat care
A common behavior that almost all cats do is push their heads into any type of object that will allow them to do it. 

You’ve probably seen your cat do this before, probably against table legs, TV stands, or another object. 

This can be noticed more when you have other people who own animals or those with allergies over at your house. 

When a cat notices this, he will rub his head against the person. 

In doing so, he will put a touch of saliva on the individual. In a cat’s mind, he owns what he puts his saliva on.

cats dental care
By putting his saliva on something, that object or person will have a familiar scent. 

Although this can be very annoying, you have to understand that other people in your home are seen as odd or weird to your cat. When a cat does this, he is simply trying to make the visitor belong. 

When he brushes up against them and puts his saliva on them, he is trying to put his scent on them – which in his mind will mean that they belong in his territory.

Even though marking someone or something with saliva is beneficial to the cat, saliva is one of the most common forms of pet allergies. 

 When someone wipes the saliva off of them, the scent will be gone and the cat will go back and attempt to do it again. 

Even though it may appear that cats target those with allergies, cats are actually just trying to make the visitor belong at the house.

 If the guest simply cannot take the saliva, allow the cat to rub himself on their pants leg a few times. Normally, this is all takes for a cat to leave the person alone.

cat grooming tips
Those of you who an indoor cat should expect the cat to spend quite a bit of time lying near windows. 

During this time, you may hear your cat make very strange noises or weird movements. 

 You shouldn’t fear though, as he is simply acting out his hunting instincts. 

 Whether it’s another cat or object outside moving about, the cat will see it and simply go into his native hunting instinct.

As most already know, cats love to play. 

They love to played with, especially with toys. 

They will pounce on things on occasion, which should always be expected. 

If you try to prevent this type of behavior, your cat will take a very negative approach and you’ll end up with a lot of broken things in your home. 

 You can always play with your cat using a string, as he will love to chase the string around the room.

The longer you own your cat, the more odd behavior you’ll see him exhibit. 

Cats behave in strange ways, although they always have a reason for behaving the way they do.

 If you can understand why your cat behaves like he does, you’ll have no problems keeping him healthy and happy. 

If you simply pay attention to your cat and the way he behaves at times – you’ll be able to understand him better than ever before.

Healing Bad Cat Breath-cats dental care

Healing Bad Cat Breath
Cat owners know for a fact that bad cat breath can be downright awful. 

 It isn’t that much different from bad human breath, as both are caused by bacteria found in the mouth that breaks protein down and releases the sulfur compounds out into the air. Sulfur smells really bad on its own, which is why breath containing it smells bad as well. 

 The bacterium that causes bad breath with cats is normally associated with a buildup of tartar around the teeth. Tartar is yellow in color, known as a coating of bacteria, food, and minerals.

cat care
To cure your cat from bad breath, you’ll need to remove the buildup of tartar. 

There are several cat foods out there that are designed to reduce the buildup of tartar, many containing enzymes that will literally dissolve it. 

You can also give your cat treats as well, as many of them will help eliminate and prevent tartar. 

 If the buildup of tartar is bad, you may need to have your cat’s teeth professionally cleaned. Once the tartar has been removed, the bad breath will go away.

cats dental care
You may be able to clean the tartar off your cat’s teeth at home.

 There are several toothpastes available for pets, available in several different flavors. 

You’ll need to get a mechanical toothbrush, as the motion is very important for removing tartar buildup. 

Toothpastes that contain enzymes will dissolve tartar, helping to cure bad breath. 

 If you start early with brushing your cat’s teeth, you can virtually eliminate any type of tartar buildup that will ultimately lead to bad breath.

Some bacteria that lead to tartar can be found in your cat’s diet.

 When you feed him, you should always make sure that the food he consumes doesn’t contain a lot of bacteria. 

 If you shop healthy and feed him only healthy foods, it can help his bad breath a great deal. When you give your pet a treat, make sure that the treat is designed to help with tartar. 

After your cat has finished eating, you can brush his teeth or rinse his mouth out.  

This way, you’ll get the bacteria out of his mouth before it has time to build up on his teeth.

cat grooming tips
Sometimes, cats may have a bad odor in their mouth that doesn’t come from tartar or bad breath in general. 

In these rare cases, it can be either liver or kidney disease.

 If you notice bad breath and it isn’t tartar, you should take your cat to the vet.

 Even though it may be something to do with tartar, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Your veterinarian can pinpoint the problem, let you know what the cause is – and how you should go about fixing it.