Cats and Kittens

Feline distemper or Panleukopenia is a dangerous and highly contagious viral disease that affects both cats and kittens. In the past this disease was referred to the cat plague or cat fever. This virus is similar to distemper disease (parvovirus) that affects dogs. Fleas, flies and other insects play a role in the transmission of this disease, but the virus is mainly spread through exhaling or ingesting of infected matter by another animal. The sick cat can carry the virus in its body for several months, infecting felines around it.

Cat owners are very aware of the heartbreaking reality of this disease. The virus attacks the cells of the feline’s digestive system, bone marrow, and nervous system. Feline distemper remains alive at room temperatures, sometimes surviving for years. It is resistant to most household disinfectants, but bleach can diminish its strength.

Recognize cat distemper symptoms

The early symptoms of feline panleukopenia usually occur without warning. The cat will have a high fever and refuse to eat. Often vets will misdiagnosis feline panleukopenia, assuming the cat was poisoned. A few days later the cat begins to vomit becoming dehydrated, but yet refusing to drink water. Bloody diarrhea usually occurs after this. The cat becomes weak and unresponsive. Because the cat’s immune system is depressed it is susceptible to a bacterial infection in addition to the viral infection. If the cat survives the virus for at least four or five days, it will recover.

Pregnant cats who become infected with panleukopenia usually abort their kittens or the kittens will be born with abnormalities of the nervous system. These kittens may seem normal, but as they get older the symptoms will appear.

Treating feline panleukopenia

At present there is no medication to cure feline panleukopenia. The best treatment for a cat that has contracted feline panliukopenia is to maintain the fluids to stave off dehydration and give the cat medications to stop the continuous vomiting and diarrhea. Antibiotics are often given to protect the sick cat from a bacterial infection. Some vets also prescribe vitamin B shots to help boost the cat’s immune system.

Preventing feline panleukopenia

The best precaution for preventing this disease is to give a series of vaccinations to cats and kittens. Kittens can be vaccinated as early as four weeks old. Cats that haven’t received the vaccine can also be vaccinated later. Pet owners should take pecial precautions should be taken to clean the cat’s areas. Clean floors, beds, cages, and toys with a household bleach to disinfect.

Feline distemper is a leading killer of cats and kittens. Cat owners can help thier pets stay healthy by first, making sure their pet receives its vaccination. Secondly, careful attention to cleanliness is essential. Also, limit the pet’s contact with other cats too minimize the risk of disease.

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Iams cat food has received several awards including the “Veterinarian Recommended” stamp of approval and the “Good Housekeeping” award these two are just a few awards received by the pet food makers known as Iams.

Iams is more than just a company that makes pet food and supplies the company takes an active role in the welfare of both cats, dogs, with their “Friend for Life” program, that helps homeless, abused cats, and dogs find new homes. As part of this noble role, they also supply hundreds of animal shelters with free or very low discounted food and items for the animals in shelters. They also offer breeders and the general public an extraordinary database of knowledge on all topics of pet care. Which is why Iams is one of the leading names in pet supplies industry.

While every coin has two sides to it, Iams is also accused of trying their “food” out on actual cats and dogs. Unless they are intentionally trying to cause harm to the animals I think this debate is pretty much a mute point so let’s get on with the cat food reviews.

Iams offers cat food in three stages Kitten, Adult and Mature/Senior. They offer both dry and wet (canned) cat food. As well as veterinarian formulas.

In the dry food category they have 16 types of food including Iams Healthy Naturals brand in Atlantic salmon, ocean fish and rice and lamb and rice and chicken flavored for adult and mature cats.

Kittens have chicken, tuna and chicken in salmon flavored food. Then some of the special brands include hairball control and weight control, digestive care formulas.

Canned cat food flavors include pate as a base for most of the brands. Fillet, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb and ocean fish. All canned food comes in a three ounce can or five and a half ounce can which is the recommended amount for each feeding. The canned cat food is recommended for cats a year old and older.

The veterinarian special formulas include renal health, digestive health, skin and coat health, mobility, stress and GI health are all among the special formulas for cats.They offer a flavor for every felines taste buds and numerous special diet formals to keep cats healthy!

While Iams cat food is a bit more expensive than several other brands they come with a money back guarantee. If you visit their website you can also print off coupons some up to as much $3.00 off you will also be able to see all the cat foods and cat supplies they offer. www.iams.com

Monday morning, the fourth week of September, and my youngest cat toddles from his breakfast bowl to the living room, suddenly joggled by the convulsions of a hairball.

I dash in and whisk him across the dining room’s carpeted sea to the vinyl shores of the kitchen. Almost there, I trip over the lace edge of my nightgown and land on my hip, the cat still in my hands, suspended above me like a football plucked from midair as I roll to the goal line, and the hairball plops out on the vinyl floor.

My husband slumps in his reclining chair, reading the paper, and then leaps toward the kitchen when he sees me fall with the cat. But I laugh, unharmed and happy to deliver the carpet from the hairball’s messy threat.

When we had been married for six months, my husband found a feral kitten behind the trashcan at our apartment building and brought it to me. I adopted it and have rescued feral cats ever since. Sometimes only one cat appears. Other times I care for colonies of feral cats, doctoring their wounds and illnesses, practicing the catch/fix/release method until I can find good homes for them.

My latest feral colony lives in the forest behind my house and peaked at twenty-one cats and kittens last year. After spending four months catching, fixing, and releasing them, I began seeking good homes for them, and at the moment only nine are left, basking on my back porch in the sun and frolicking in the forest at night.

After twenty-seven years of cat rescue I’ve developed a few tricks for taming and socializing feral strays. Or maybe it’s just that my unconventional methods work particularly well. While most allow a feral cat plenty of space the first few weeks, I stalk a stray persistently, drawing it closer and closer, using soft words and food to calm the cat’s fears. Because I’m also a Wiccan Witch, I often use a Goddess chant, invoking the forest faeries to help me in this quest as I sing to the stray I’m stalking:

“Great Lady Bast, Ancient Goddess of Cats,

grace my voice with your sacred dance.

Faeries of the air, stream, flame, and tree,

lead this precious cat-child of yours to me.”

For a day or so I back away from the food I leave, allowing the starving cat to eat in peace. But after that, I stand a few feet from the food bowl, inching closer each time, forcing the cat to tolerate my presence. This gentle but aggressive strategy maintains my edge, slowly pushing the cat beyond its comfort zone, using food as my primary tool. Soon I stand next to the bowl, singing or talking softly to the cat so it might associate my voice with safety and tasty food. That’s when I touch the cat for the first time, its back turned while eating. Often this is a feral cat’s first experience with human touch, and it will bolt, running away in terror. But it always returns for food the next day, and I continue to touch, my hand remaining on its coat a little longer each time, building trust, until my fingers travel up and down the cat’s back, its tail shoots up, and soon it runs to me when I call, as anxious to be petted as fed.

Now, seated before the sliding glass door, I laugh as each of my indoor cats competes for my lap. It’s hard to believe these four were once skittish ferals I claimed from the wild with soft words and faerie spells.

* * * * *

During book signings at bookstores and cat shows, someone will always ask what I think about the ups and downs in a feral cat’s life. I tell them I believe cats to be faeries who have taken animal form to bless us with opportunities to love and give.

Lately I’ve been thinking about Petunia, one of my feral cats a little over a year old, who died in June from heart failure. A sweet, shy cat adored by all because she loved to groom the others in the colony. A unique spirit, who truly blessed my life with enormous amounts of love, then shed her feline body and flew to Summerland for a time before returning to the faerie mound. Witches believe Summerland to be the place all human and animal spirits go when they pass over to the other side. Christians call this place Heaven.

I miss her terribly, but cherish each day blessed by her presence, which began hours after Petunia’s birth, when I found her nestled in pine straw with her sister beside the storage shed in the back yard, a discovery heralding another year bewitched with the magick of feral cats and kittens.

* * * * *

When readers of my cat poetry books and novels learn of my devotion to feral cat rescue, they often inquire how I manage to feed so many cats economically. I tell them I not only feed my colonies dry cat food but also make an inexpensive meat gruel packed with herbs and vitamins, which strengthens their immune systems and encourages shiny coats.

In a large vitamin bottle I drop one tablet of garlic and then five tablets of vitamin C, cat vitamins, and L-lysine. To this I add three squirts of colloidal silver, fill the bottle with water, and store it in the refrigerator. Within an hour the tablets melt, producing a handy liquid supplement.

I make my special gruel in a small mixing bowl, combining one cup of dry rice baby cereal flakes with one three-ounce can of cat food and half a carton of cat milk. To this mixture I empty two capsules of echinacea herb, a splash of my homemade liquid supplement, and a cup of dry cat food. I fill the bowl with three cups of water and mix thoroughly, creating a nutritious, meaty gruel, which will easily feed up to fourteen cats.

Anyone interested in caring for a feral colony can use this inexpensive, nutritious recipe to help their fur children grow into healthy felines. The grains in the gruel add an extra layer of fat to the cat’s body, which boosts its resistance to upper respiratory infections during cold winter months. The garlic strengthens its immune system, builds a natural resistance to fleas, enhances the flavor of the food, and promotes a sleek coat.

* * * * *

Last Thursday, on a night torched with moonglow, Petunia appeared. Just like a cat she crept into the middle of a dream, which dissolved immediately, her large eyes verdant pools of compassion pulling me toward her.

Whether I remain conscious or asleep I often see the spirits of people and animals I have loved, who’ve left the Earth and passed over to Summerland, usually a few hours or days afterwards. My housecats and stray cats always come back to visit me, expressing the happiness they feel, dwelling now on the other side.

Petunia carried the same message, but in her case she also came to grant me a glimpse of the cats frolicking in Summerland, each healthy, some grooming one another or romping through fields flush with butterflies. A visual portrait of cat revelry that will surely remain with me for the rest of my life.

Sometimes I wonder how many of my feral cats shall inhabit Summerland when my spirit arrives. Even if only a few, oh, what a magickal cat party we’ll have!

He leaped out of the cage and grabbed me around the shoulders. My shock quickly turned into amazement. He hadn’t sunk his claws into me! My thought was, “This cat definitely knows good manners. Somebody has worked with him.” I looked at the ticket on the cage door. It read, “Morgan, male, age 14.”

Age 14? I hesitated. That was pretty old. I put him back in the cage and walked around the shelter, looking the other cats over. There were many nice ones, as well as a few kittens.

But my mind kept going back to Morgan, and I realized that, in fact, I had bonded with him. Fourteen years notwithstanding, we had become buddies.

THE PLIGHT OF THE SENIOR CAT

One of the saddest things you’ll see in Animal Shelters is the number of older cats waiting for adoption. By and large, people are looking for kittens.

The older cats languish, many from happy homes where they were loved and cared for, but brought into the shelter for some reason known only to the owner and the cat.

Many people, who don’t like older cats, like kittens. Kittens are cute, cuddly, and funny. They make pleasing pets – but lose their “playfulness” when they grow up, and with it the “love” of their owners.

Somebody said that the mark of a true cat lover is to desire to have grown cats over kittens.

A KITTEN ISN’T ALWAYS WHERE IT’S AT

Many people don’t think through the consequences of adopting a kitten, or of taking one or two kittens from the litter a friend is trying to get rid of, or bringing into your home one left on your doorstep.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you adopt a kitten:

1. Taking care of themselves. Kittens are pretty marginal in being able to take care of themselves, especially when it comes to using a litter box. Do you have time to house train your kitten?

2. Young children. Do you have young children in the house? A child of 2 or 3 may inadvertently kill a kitten. Older children need to be taught how to play with them and need to be closely supervised.

3. Other pets. Are you bringing a kitten home to a household with other, older pets? Make certain you have the time to spend introducing and acclimating your pets to the kitten (and vice versa)

4. House dangers. Is there anything dangerous in your house that could harm a kitten? If you are not home during the day, have you made sure your kitten is safe while unsupervised?

5. Adoptions other than from an animal shelter. .If you are adopting a kitten from a friend, or taking one from a mother cat’s litter, are you prepared to neuter or spay the kitten and give her the vaccinations she needs?

6. Vaccinations. A kitten receives all of her vaccinations over a period of time. You should make sure you have the time and interest to get her the full regimen.

ADOPTING THE SENIOR CAT

Somebody said cats are like shoes: one size doesn’t fit all. Still there are some arguably general reasons for adopting a mature cat over a kitten:

1. An older cat is easier to take care of. In fact, to a great extent, an older cat pretty much can take care of itself. Great for the working person who can’t be home during the day.

2. Older cats are generally calmer than younger ones, and adapt more easily to a new environment.

3. Older cats usually come with their vaccinations and spaying or neutering. A kitten, even adopted from a shelter will need a series of vaccinations.

4. Older cats are better with small children than a kitten is. Better to get an older animal that can defend itself.

5. Older cats are usually housebroken. You’ll have to train a kitten.

6. Older cats can feed and take care of themselves whereas a kitten may need your help – not good for a busy working person.

7. An older cat can “hold its own” against the other family pets (like the dog) better than a kitten can. Unless you’re there to defend it, certain life situations aren’t good for a new kitten.

8. Older cats can better handle a move if you relocate your household. The only thing you have to make sure of is that your cat recognizes your new location as “its den” and doesn’t try to return to your old place.

9. And finally – older cats catch mice. In these days of smarter mice that avoid all known mousetraps, a mature cat can be invaluable.

THE JOY OF OWNING A SENIOR CAT

Well, his name was “Morgan”, but I renamed him “Tab” because he had the typical marks of a Tabby. Tab and I eventually learned to respect each other, and he – although a tough old alley cat – eventually enjoyed sitting in my lap having his battered ears stroked.

He lived five more years, and died at the ripe age of 19. During that time he was my companion during two years of unemployment, providing plenty of understanding, comfort, and love.

One day he definitely “earned his keep”. I found a dead rat in the living room, its neck bitten almost in half. The rat was almost as big as Tab was, but he’d wrestled it down and killed it.

So much for adopting kittens. I’d rather take a tough old alley cat any day of the week.

Cat food can be classified into dry, moist, and semi-moist foods. Each one has its advantages, and Ragdolls need various kinds of food at different stages. Kittens need on the whole breast milk and moist food, while adults require more protein and dry food. Pregnant Ragdolls have special dietary needs that change all through the pregnancy as well.

A. Feeding Ragdoll Kittens

Introductory food

Ragdoll kittens ought to be only breastfed for the first four to five weeks. Cat milk includes all the nutrients necessary for the kitten’s growth, including antibodies that help prevent disease. Breast milk also passes on other antibodies that the mother produced to fight previous diseases.

More food ought to be supplied after four to five weeks, as the kitten requires more nutrients to support its fast growth. Introductory food ought to be easy to digest. Mix canned food with warm water or kitten replacement milk until it constitutes a loose paste. Do NOT use regular cow’s milk this is too heavy for kittens and could cause in indigestion.

Dry food

After another four to five weeks, your kitten should be ready for dry food. To make the change easier, moisten dry food with a little warm water in the first few feedings. It’s also essential to choose high-quality supplements to dry food and some of the good brands are Iams®, Science Diet®, and Nutro Kitten®. Science Diet Feline Growth® is popular among Ragdoll kittens. Supplements can be provided twice a day with morning and evening feeding. You can switch to adult food after approximately 12 months.

Choosing and preparing kitten food

Ragdoll kittens have fragile stomachs, so take extra care in choosing kitten food. Food should always be warm or slightly above room temperature. Discard all food that has been left out for more than 30 minutes, especially in the summer. Bacteria grows fast in warm, wet foods and may possibly upset your kitten’s stomach, or even lead to food poisoning. To stop wasting food, just observe how much your kitten eats at a time so you know how much to prepare per feeding.

House flies can easily contaminate kitten food, so keep your feeding area as fly-proof as possible. Wash the feeding bowl daily with hot, soapy water and replace water in the drinking bowl several times a day. Wash the drinking bowl at the same time and refill with fresh water.

Table scraps can be given occasionally, but don’t make regular meals out of them. Cooked human foods do not contain the nutrients necessary for your kitten’s growth. Generic cat food from groceries are better, but Stellarhart recommends high-quality foods from specialty pet stores. Also, cats don’t like the smell of plastic and metal containers, so use only glass drinking bowls.

Dry vs wet foods

Dry foods are generally better for your Ragdoll, except in the breastfeeding and introductory stage. They work your kitten’s chewing muscles and help keep the teeth white. Dry food consists in the main of meat and vegetables, and can be moistened or served dry. Serving them dry allows your cat to nibble throughout the day, rather than eating one large meal at a time. Dry food ought to contain about 9 to 10% moisture, 8% fat, and 30% protein.

Moist food contains about 75% moisture and equal amounts of fat and protein. Not all moist foods are the same some are all-meat or all-fish, while others are a mix of meat and vegetables. The former should not be used for regular meals, as your cat can get addicted and refuse to eat other foods. The small treat cans of variety foods are usually all-meat or all-fish. As with kitten food, moist foods ought to be warmed to room temperature before serving.

Semi-moist food has about 35% water, 27% protein, and 7% fat. Most of them are nutritionally balanced, very tasty, and can be left out for nibbling, but they spoil quicker than dry food.

Kitten treats

Occasional kitten treats will not harm your kitten, but take care not to fill them up so they can still eat regular meals. Treats ought to not provide any more than 10% of your kitten’s daily caloric intake. Look for hard chew treats to help improve your kitten’s dental health

B. Feeding Ragdoll Adults

Ragdolls are not very active, so they gain weight faster than other cats. Do not let them become obese provide them only 70 calories per kilogram of body weight. A lot of what people believe to be cats’ favourite foods are actually harmful. Here are some of the most common cat food myths:

Fish

Fish may be good for cats, but it can’t cover all their nutritional needs, and too much of the same nutrients can be harmful. Tuna is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which need vitamin E to break them down. too much tuna in your cat’s diet can cause yellow fat disease (steatitis).

Milk

Milk is rich in water and carbohydrates, but many cats are lactose intolerant and get digestive problems a few hours after drinking milk. Regular cow’s milk can cause diarrhoea and loose stools, which can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. If your cat likes milk, use replacement cat milk instead.

Catnip

Cats love the smell of catnip leaves, but it can cause short-term behavioural changes. Catnip is a hallucinogen and may possibly put your cat in a state of near delirium. Some effects include rolling, rubbing, chasing phantom mice, or simply staring into space. Although it’s not addictive, catnip has no place in your cat’s diet.

Dog food

It could be more convenient to feed your cat and dog from the same dish, but it’s not very healthy for either pet. Cats require more protein, taurine, preformed vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, and arachidonic acids, which they can get from a meat-heavy diet. A shortage of these nutrients can make your cat seriously ill, and an overdose can have the same effect in dogs.

Low ash diets

A popular belief among cat owners is that diets low in ash can help discourage urinary tract infection. But that’s only partly true. Ash is not a single nutrient, but is actually a group of minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Lower levels of magnesium keep urine at its normal, slightly acidic state, but reducing other minerals will have no effect.

Other foods to avoid

Alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol can be toxic and cause fatal complications.

Baby food.
Many baby foods contain onion powder, which can be harmful to the blood.

Fish and meat bones.
Small splinters can cut into the digestive tract and lead to bleeding.

Caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate).
Caffeine can affect the cat’s heart and nervous system.

Citrus oil extracts.
This can lead to stomach upsets and vomiting.

Fat.
Animal fats can lead to pancreatitis.
Don’t feed your cat fatty cooked meats, or at least trim the fat off first.

Grapes and raisins.
These contain a toxin that can harm the kidneys.

Human vitamin and iron supplements.
Excessive iron can damage the liver, kidneys, and the lining of the digestive tract.

Liver.
Liver is safe in limited amounts, but an excess can cause vitamin A toxicity.

Macadamia nuts.
Unknown toxins in macadamia can damage the muscles, digestive system, and nervous system.

Marijuana.
Marijuana can lead to vomiting, depression, and irregular heart rate.

Mushrooms.
Some mushrooms contain highly toxic substances that can affect multiple systems and even cause death.

Onion and garlic (powdered, cooked or raw).
These contain disulfides and sulfoxides, which can cause anaemia. They are harmful to both cats and dogs, but cats are more vulnerable.

Persimmons.
Persimmons seeds can obstruct the intestines.

Potato, tomato and rhubarb.
These can be harmful to the nervous, digestive, and urinary systems. The leaves and stems could possibly also be toxic.

Raw eggs.
Raw eggs can damage your cat’s hair and coat.

Salt.
Salt and salty foods can cause electrolyte imbalance, a potentially fatal condition affecting the heart and nervous system.

String.
Strings from beans and other vegetables may possibly not be digested, which can cause blockages.

Sugar.
Sweets are high in empty calories, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and dental problems.

Yeast dough.
Yeast can expand in the stomach during digestion, causing it to rupture.

Once you have educated yourself as to the unique requirements of ragdoll cats you will instinctiveley know what is good or bad for your cat.