The great cat controversy: whether to keep you cat indoors or allow it the freedom of the wider world, is one with convincing arguments on both sides. This article does not aim to prove which method of ownership is correct, because I don’t believe there is an easy answer. However, if you do allow your cat to roam the city or countryside, below you will find some tips for responsible cat ownership.

Facts and Figures

The natural instinct of cats is to prey upon smaller animals, which, after all, was man’s reason for domesticating them. Therefore, it is easy to see why many owners, particularly in European countries, believe that it is cruel to keep a cat indoors. However, it is worth bearing in mind that on average a single domesticated cat, one that we can assume is being fed well at home, will kill up to 40 animals each year. Predominantly, theses fatalities are small mammals, such as mice, and birds.

Of course, the only way to eliminate this problem is to keep your cat indoors all of the time. However, this can cause separate issues, such as boredom, weight gain and health complications associated with obesity. Subsequently, keeping a cat indoors is not an entirely satisfactory solution. So, below you will find tips on how to reduce your outdoor cat’s hit count.

Don’t Allow Your Cat Out at Night

Typically, the hunting instinct reaches its peak during the hours of darkness. Therefore, it is wise to keep you cat indoors overnight. If you are worried about restraining the cat’s natural inclination, it is wise to bear in mind that the more infrequently a cat is allowed to hunt, the less inclined it will be to do so.

Moreover, keeping your cat in at night will increase its safety, as cats are more likely to be run over during the hours of darkness. Additionally, feral cats predominantly hunt at night, so keeping your cat indoors will help prevent the likelihood that he, or she, is involved in a fight or a romantic rendezvous.

Raise the Alarm

Many owners feel that it is a good idea to attach a bell to their pet’s collar to announce his, or her, presence. This tends to be more effective with the cat’s mammalian prey and is far less effective with birds. Additionally, cats are very intelligent and will quickly learn to move without sounding the bell.

Therefore, you may find a sonic collar more useful and it is always advisable to purchase a safety collar that will not choke the cat should it become caught on a branch.

Turn Your Garden into a Haven for Birds

You may be thinking, “How will having more birds for my cat to kill help?”. Actually, the more birds that are in your garden the safer they will be. Predominantly, this is due to a bird’s natural instinct to sound an alarm call when danger is present. Subsequently, the more birds you have the more likely they are to sense the threat from your cat.

There are many ways to attract birds to your garden; feeders are a good place to start. In addition, you may wish to purchase a bird table and birdbath.

Ensure that Your Cat is Sterilized

It is advisable to have cat’s neutered at a very young age. This has obvious benefits for you and your cat, but it also has advantages to local wildlife. Firstly, a reduction in hormones will reduce your cat’s desire to hunt, but, more importantly, fewer unwanted pregnancies will result in fewer abandoned cats that are forced to fend for themselves in the wild.

Obviously, a cat will do what it is genetically programmed to do. It is impossible to eradicate the natural instinct of a cat to prey on smaller animals, but in the interests of wildlife conservation, it is wise to do all we can to reduce the number of casualties caused by our feline friends.

Samantha Markham is a professional freelancer. She is currently writing on behalf of Remmeer.com, which is a quality supplier of pet products, including cat & kitten gifts and unique gifts for pet owners, such as cat lover picture frames.

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Raising a kitten correctly ensures that it will grow up to be a strong, healthy, and active cat, who will bring years of joy and affection into your life. The following steps will show you how to take care of a kitten.

By 10-12 weeks kittens should be fully weaned and ready to leave their mother. Remember that this is a very stressful time for your pet. Transport your kitten to its new home using a cat carrier lined with a blanket or towel. If the kitten is especially frightened, try confining it to a single room for the first few days, allowing to get accustomed to its new surroundings and gain in confidence. Introduce your kitten slowly to other family members and pets.

If possible, find out which brand of food the breeder has been feeding the kitten – a sudden change in diet can result in an upset stomach. Changing the variety of food should be done gradually, with a small amount of the new food mixed in with the old. Always use high-quality kitten food. Give your kitten access to both wet and dry food – both types have nutritional benefits. As well as food, a kitten needs constant access to fresh, clean water. Do not give your cat cow’s milk. If you wish to give milk, then use one formulated specially for cats.

Kittens can be trained to use a litterbox from as early as 4 weeks. Cats enjoy privacy when using their litterbox, so locate it somewhere quiet, away from high-traffic areas. There are numerous variety of litter types available. If possible, match the kind of litter used by the breeder. This will help the kitten settle in and avoid any unnecessary accidents.

A cat bed is not essential but most kittens will like having a place that they feel is their own. Like all young animals, kittens will sleep for a lot of the time. A great variety of styles of bed are available but it is recommended that the bed be fully washable so that you can keep it clean.

Grooming your kitten with a brush or comb can begin as soon as you bring it home. Regular handling like this will help your kitten get used to human contact.

Visiting the veterinarian is an important part of how to take care of a kitten. An initial exam can be carried out as early as 8 weeks. The veterinarian should vaccinate your kitten against Feline respiratory disease and Feline Infectious Enteritis. A kitten should never be allowed outside until it has received these vaccinations. Prior to reaching sexual maturity, your kitten should be neutered. Beyond this, yearly check-ups are recommended to keep your cat healthy.

Play with your kitten every day. Their are a myriad of toys available, but you’ll soon find out which types your kitten enjoys best. House cats are social animals and daily exercise will help your kitten stay fit and happy.

Proper care of a new kitten is very crucial for a future healthy cat. This article will teach you how to take care of a kitten, how to introduce a new kitten into a home with older cat and other newborn kitten care information. Go to: http://www.takecareofakitten.com

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Can natural remedies for cats help to prevent feline cystitis?  Many cat owners who have had a long and frustrating battle with feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD, wonder if natural remedies, along with holistic cat care, would help.

What Is Holistic Cat Care?

Holistic cat care involves looking at your kitty as a whole, as an alternative to focusing on her kidneys and bladder when she has cat urinary problems.Instead of just treating the symptoms of FLUTD, a holistic practitioner will want to know about your cat’s diet, stress in her life, and any underlying problems.It’s acceptable to use natural remedies for cats, too.

Cat Urinary Problems And Your Kitty’s Diet

Many cat owners don’t realize that there’s a direct link between their cat’s diet and cat cystitis.  Ads on tv and in magazines tell us repeatedly how great dry food is for our cats.  It has all the nutrients your cats needs, yes.  But that’s not the whole truth.

Here’s the problem.Cats in the wild don’t drink much water, for the simple reason that they’ve been designed to get most of their fluid intake from their food.  All people and animals are over 90% water.  A cat who eats mice and other prey animals will almost completely satisfy her water requirements without having to drink any extra water.

It’s a different story for our kitties.  We want to do the best for them, so we feed them what we have been told is the best possible diet.  But dry cat food has a moisture content of less than 10%.  This is good for a long shelf life, but it’s not so good for your cat’s health.  A cat who eats only dry food is probably a chronically dehydrated cat, since it’s hard for her to drink enough water to make up the difference between what’s in her diet, and what her body needs.

Did you know that kidney failure is the leading cause of death in older cats?This is often because of a lifetime of chronic dehydration.

All cat owners should know that increasing the amount of water going through your cat is the best way to prevent FLUTD.  A more than adequate water intake flushes impurities out of your cat’s body and his urinary system.  Be sure your kitty always has access to plenty of clean fresh water.

Cat Stress Is Linked To Feline Cystitis

Most of us would think that our cats lead a charmed life.Just laying around and sleeping all day sounds like a rough life, doesn’t it?

Well, maybe not.  Cats face a lot more stress than most of us realize.  Just being an indoor cat is a stress on an animal that’s meant to be outside hunting, and slinking around in the dark.  Add a lack of exercise, too much of the wrong food, not enough water, annoyances from other cats and pets, and just being cooped up inside, and you can see that maybe life isn’t quite as easy as you thought for your furball.

Feline interstitial cystitis has been linked to cat stress.  If your vet can’t find any reason for your cat’s bladder problems, maybe you should be looking for hidden stress in your cat’s life.

Natural Remedies For Cats With Cat Urinary Problems

You may be interested in one of the many natural remedies for cats available now.  You should look for one that contains the herbs uva ursi and barberry, along with the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagris.  These remedies work together to prevent feline cystitis by keeping your cat’s urinary system working well.

Learn more about natural remedies for cats with feline cystitis, and find the best place to buy them, by clicking on any link in this article.

A diagnosis of feline diabetes comes as a complete shock for many cat owners.  You probably have many questions.  What exactly is cat diabetes?  What options do you have for feline diabetes treatment?  Can natural remedies for cats help in controlling diabetes in cats?

What Is Feline Diabetes?

A kitty with this disease has problems either producing or using insulin, which keeps the levels of glucose in the blood at normal levels.  High blood sugar levels cause liver and kidney problems, gastrointestinal troubles, and an increased risk of infections.  If left untreated, a diabetic cat can go into a coma and die.

Diabetes may be in your kitty’s future, especially if he’s a middle-aged male who is carrying too much weight.

Feline Diabetes Treatment

Treatment for feline diabetes often starts with the cat being hospitalized while his blood sugar levels are stabilized.A long-term treatment plan will be developed by you and your vet before Kitty comes home from the hospital.A good relationship with your vet is essential, since you and the vet will need to work together in controlling your pet’s diabetes.

Be aware that caring for a diabetic cat does take a lot of time, especially at first, when you’re learning how to check your kitty’s blood sugar levels, and how to give him insulin injections.

Many cat owners are able to negotiate the learning curve, and become successful in controlling diabetes in cats.  After a while, blood sugar tests and insulin shots will become routine, both for you and your feline conmpanion.

Are Natural Remedies For Cats Helpful In Controlling Feline Diabetes?

Many human diabetics are using herbal remedies and dietary supplements to help control their blood sugar levels.  Research has shown that these same remedies are safe and effective for cats, too.You’ll want to check to be sure the remedy contains the mineral chromium, along with the herbs goat’s rue, fenugreek, and astragalus. 

Always talk with your vet before you start using natural remedies for cats.With the rising interest in these remedies, most vets are quite willing to work with cat owners who want to use them.  Since it may be possible to control diabetes in cats by making dietary changes and using natural remedies, you’ll need to check your kitty’s blood sugar levels often.Your kitty may need to have the vet make a change made in the amount of insulin he’s receiving.

Just click any link in this article to learn how diet, exercise and natural remedies for cats can help to control diabetes in cats.

Wholesale Cat Food means that the prices of cat food are sold at a reduced price, meaning that you get a discount. You can get wholesale cat food which is sold on discount in many stores. Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Cat and Kitten food is one of them, it is combination of simple ingredient to meet needs and satisfy your cat. This is a real utilization of chicken meat and chicken meal as its core ingredient. The whole brown rice in the formula is a high source of carbohydrates and natural fiber. While sunflower oil provide Omega 3 and Omega 6 which are essential fatty acids for a healthy skin. This wholesale cat food is designed to meet the nutritional values that are set and leaves your cat full. It’s packed on 5lb to 15 lbs and it’s available for shipping when ordered on large quantity this way you save your money.

Herring & Sweet Potato Dry Cat Food is another food that can be found on wholesale cat food kit, this is a unique single source animal protein which is in herring. Sweet potato are good provider of antioxidant such as Beta-Carotene, vitamin A,C, and E, as well as potassium, Iron and other mineral more to this they add a sweet taste to the food. The presence of Oatmeal provides good source of carbohydrate energy. The natural source of this food is maintained by use of natural antioxidant this ensures that the package is fresh and the nutrition is intact and by this your cat gets a shiny coat.

Salmon & Sweet Potato is a combination of fresh wild-catch salmon and mackerel this gives your cat a simple meal. The use of Mackerel provides a high quality protein and it’s a magnificent source of omega 3 fatty acids, which helps in structure of cell membranes. Fatty acids support growth, assist in development of nervous system. This diet is best for cats that do not like grains since it contains no grains.

The author is a professional writer and also fond of diverse writings. Presently writing about wholesale pet food and other pet caring topics.

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