Time for a quick cat chat
First, I will address cats and their claws. There are many pet cats that are declawed. More often in today™s world, declawing is not recommended. It used to be a surgery that was considered elective. The veterinary community is making sure that owners are aware that it is not a simple surgery and it should be a well thought out option. The procedure is against the law in some states and cities, there is an organization called the Paw Project (a non profit group trying dedicated to educating humans about the declaw procedure), and the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has posted a policy about declawing (referenced to by many veterinarians).
Scratching is a normal behavior for all cats. It is normal for cats to scratch in order to keep their claws groomed. Cats also have scent marking glands on their paws, so often times they are just marking their scent. Cats that go or live outside use their claws for self defense and for hunting.
So what can be done about those claws to avoid surgery? First of all, it is a good idea to train the cat to scratch in appropriate places such as scratching posts. These can be bought or home made. Encourage the cat to use the post and give them a special treat or some catnip for using it. There are some creative ways to protect the furniture in the house, while you are training. I also recommend trimming the cat™s nails on a regular basis. There are also soft nail caps that can be put on your cat™s claws.Your veterinarian can help you with nail trims and soft paw application.
Next, I would like to address why cats urinate (pee) outside of the litter box. This can be very frustrating for the people in the house. Cats will urinate inappropriately for several reasons. The first is a urinary tract infection. Another reason is an inflamed urinary bladder that is not the result of infection. In both cases, cats can associate painful urination with the litter box. Behavior can be blamed for the next reasons I™ll mention. If cats do not like their litter, the litter box itself or the location of the litter box, they may not want to use it. Cats can also have concerns about using a litter box that another cat uses. There are also cats that prefer to urinate in the great outdoors. If you have a cat that is urinating outside the litter box, have the cat™s urine tested first. If the urine is normal, then some of the other reasons will need to be addressed. If you have more than one cat, make sure to have a litter box for each one and an extra. Do not be afraid to let your cat outside if he/she is constantly wanting outside.
The next topic that I will address is overweight cats. Many cats are overweight, so many in fact that when people see a normal size cat, they often think the cat is too skinny. The most recent data says that over half of all cats are overweight. The reason is simple. Many cats take in calories and do not burn them off. I notice that most overweight cats that I see are the ones confined to the indoors. Indoor cats have it easy, as their food dish is usually always full and it is usually always in the same place. Many cats do not get exercise when they are inside the house and they know the shortest route to their food dish. Outdoor cats, on the other hand, are busy. They hunt, climb trees, and sometimes get into fights. Sure, all cats sleep a lot, but being outside provides more opportunities to be active. If a cat does not rely on humans for food, they eat up to 10 small mice or birds a day. One small bird can be the equivalent to about 10 pieces of dry cat food. So I challenge readers that know of an overweight cat to move the food dish every few days, try to feed less, more often (a good place to start is about one-eighth of a cup four to five times per day). provide more exercise (get creative).
Cats are wonderful pets. There are some common concerns regarding their care. The Indoor Cat Initiative is a great resource for further information. Always consult your veterinarian regarding any questions that you have about a pet cat. Thank you for reading and have a purrfect day!
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