Cat on treadmill - I'm too sexy for my cat on the catwalk

Protecting Your Cat Against the Sun

This Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer, unofficially. Thus, it's time to remind all cat owners of the dangers the sun poses to your cat.

Many cats are at risk of developing sunburns, even those who remain strictly indoors. White cats and cats who have thin fur are especially at risk for developing sunburns. However, certain parts on every feline's body where the skin is thinner can easily be burned. These areas include a cat's ears, tummies, and noses, especially pink noses.

If your cat spends time outside during the summer, he or she needs to have access to shade at all times. In addition, you should apply sunscreen to your cat's entire body if he or she is light-pigmented and to thin-skinned areas if your cat is not.

Even cats who spend time indoors sunbathing or looking outside the window can get sunburned. Similar to cats who spend time outside during the summer months, you should apply sunscreen to your feline's entire body if he or she is light in color and to thin-skinned areas if he or she is not light colored.

Dr. Alison Diesel, who is a lecturer of small animal dermatology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences asserts that sunscreens with SPFs of 50+ and that are safe to use on infants are also safe to use on felines. However, it is always best to ask your veterinarian for his or her suggestions about what is safe to use on your cat. Though they are hard to find, there are sunscreens on the market made specifically for cats.

Similar to humans, you will need to reapply sunscreen to your cat every two hours, regardless of whether he or she is spending time outside in the sun or inside sunbathing or spending time perched in the windowsill.

Darker colored cats are also prone to the dangers of the sun. These felines are more prone to heat stress because their coats do not reflect as much light as lighter coated felines do. Thus, darker coated cats may be more prone to developing heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

Keeping your cat out of the sun at the sun's peak hours will also help you protect your feline from developing sunburns, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. The sun's peak hours typically span from early afternoon to evening.

Source: CatChannel: Sun Danger for Cats

Orange Kitty Song

Helping an Arthritic Cat be More Comfortable at Home

Arthritis makes your kitty’s joints painful. In addition to treating your cat medically, there are things you can do at home to make your furry friend’s life more comfortable.

Beds: Arthritic cats may find it painful to lay on bare surfaces, so it’s important to provide him or her with soft, comfortable places to lay. Be sure your cat can easily access his or her resting areas. For instance, if you live in a two-story house, put bed on the ground floor so your feline won’t have to climb the stairs to find a comfortable resting place.

You could buy soft, cushy beds for your kitty at pet stores like PetSmart or department stores like Wal-Mart. Alternatively, you could lay soft blankets on the floor for your kitty. Carmine enjoys laying on my bed or in one of his soft kitty beds.

Litterboxes: It is also important to have a litterbox your arthritic cat can utilize easily. If your cat is having difficulty getting in and out of the litterbox, consider getting a pan with shallow sides. Additionally, the litterbox should be easily accessible. If you live in a multiple-story house, put at least one litterbox on each level to prevent your kitty from needing to run up or down the stairs to use the bathroom. If you have a large home, you may want to consider putting more than one litterbox on each floor so that your kitty doesn’t need to travel as far to use the bathroom as well.

Perches: Cats love vertical space; they feel safe and secure on perches at or above eye-level. However, it is often painful and difficult for a cat suffering with arthritis to reach high places. You can help your kitty access his or her favorite high spots by utilizing ramps. You could also use a series of smaller jumps to help your pet reach high spots. For instance, Carmine can easily access one of his favorite windows by jumping up onto my bed, then jumping into the window sill from there. He can manage these smaller jumps very easily. J

Food and Water: As with beds and the litterbox, your kitty needs to be able to easily access his or her food and water dishes. It is essential for arthritic cats to maintain a healthy diet and continue drinking water. Put your cat’s food and water dishes in a room where he or she spends most of his or her time. You may also want to consider slightly elevating your cat’s dishes so that he or she doesn’t have to bend down as far to eat and drink.

Along with medical treatment, making these simple changes at home can help your cat live a more comfortable, less painful, and happier life.

If you have other tips to share, please do so in the comments section. I would love to hear your experiences.

Symptoms and Treatment Approaches to Feline Arthritis

As I discussed in my last post, arthritis is a progressive condition in which a cat’s cartilage breaks down and his or her joints become inflamed and painful.

If your kitty has arthritis, he or she may exhibit some of these symptoms:

• Decreased flexibility.
• Crying or other displays of discomfort when you hold or pet your cat in a certin way.
• Lethargy or inactivity.
• Stiffness.
• Swollen joints.
• Inconsistently using or no longer using the litterbox due to pain when climbing in and out of it.
• Hesitating to do certain activities, such as: jumping, climbing stairs, and running.

Because the symptoms of feline arthritis may be due to another condition, it is important for you to take your cat to the veterinarian to get a proper diagnosis before beginning any treatment.

Your cat's veterinarian will perform a physical exam, take blood, and take x-rays to determine if your kitty is suffering from arthritis. If your vet determines your pet's symptoms are due to arthritis, he or she will recommend the best treatment for your furry friend's specific circumstances.

Treatments for feline arthritis include:

• Nutritional supplements - Glucosamine and Chondroitin are known to help painful, inflamed joints. You can often find these two supplements in products for cat arthritis together, like in Cosequin.
  
• Anti-inflammatory medication - There are not many anti-inflammatory drugs for cats and they can have side-effects. Thus, vets will typically recommend a nutritional approach to treating arthritis and use anti-inflammatory medication as a last resort.
  
• Weight-loss for obese or overweight cats - Weight-loss has been shown to be beneficial for cats who are overweight or obese. Weight-loss can be attained through proper diet and exercise, which should be guided by your veterinarian.
  

In addition to these approaches to treating arthritis in cats, you can also make changes in your home to make your kitty more comfortable. I will discuss environmental changes you can make for an arthritic cat in my next post.

What is Feline Arthritis?

Arthritis in cats often develops as a cat ages in much the same way it does in humans. While the most common cause of arthritis in cats is aging, it can also occur after an injury or infection.

Feline arthritis is inflammation in the joints. As a kitty ages, the typically smooth surface of the cartilage wear thin. The body repairs the cartilage as it erodes. However, the surface of the cartilage may become incomplete or irregular. Changes in the surface of the cartilage cause the bones to rub together, inflammation, and joint pain.

Obese cats are at especially high risk for developing arthritis because excess weight puts more strain on the cat’s joints. For this reason, weight management may be a part of a treatment plan for obese cats suffering with arthritis.

The most commonly affected joints include the hips, shoulders, ankles, and elbows, though any joint in the body can be affected.

Unfortunately, arthritis is a progressive disease and most senior cats will suffer with arthritis to some degree.

Please be sure to check back tomorrow to learn the symptoms and treatments for feline arthritis.

Carmine: Arthritis & Cosequin

Approximately six weeks ago, I took my kitty Carmine to the vet. My kitty had lost 10 ounces over the past year and I was very concerned about him. After doing blood tests, a urinalysis, an x-ray, and getting exams, Carmine's vet decided that his weight loss was due to stress. Thankfully, he has maintained his weight over several weeks and has not lost any more. In fact, I've noticed that he's recently started to eat more kibbles, which is definitely a positive sign! :)

However, Carmine's x-ray revealed that he has mild arthritis in one of his hips, which none of us were expecting seeing as he is only six years old. I had noticed that he was laying around and sleeping more than he used to. I just figured that this was typical because he is middle-aged now.

After discovering the arthritis, Carmine's vet suggested I put him on a joint supplement called Cosequin. It's available in powder form - you get it in capsules, which you can open and sprinkle onto wet or dry food. I give Carmine his Cosequin on his wet food because I have another cat who shares Carmine's dry food bowl.

Within the past few days, I've noticed Carmine runs around - up and down the hall - like he used to do as a kitten! He also jumps more. He's more active, the way I've always known him to be.

I was reminded how much cats truly hide their pain from us. It is a cat's instinct to hide their pain and illnesses from everyone. Even though many cats have loving, safe homes, like my kitties do, cats have learned to appear healthy to keep themselves safe from prey.

That's why it's so important for us, as caregivers of these precious creatures, to pay close attention to our cats' behavior. Knowing your cats' behavior and typical routine will help you spot changes in behavior, which is often a sign that a cat is sick or in pain.

I'm so glad we found out that Carmine has arthritis early. This will give us the chance to make sure he is not suffering in pain and that he can live a comfortable and happy life. The Cosequin has really helped him a lot, and it makes me happy seeing him more active, in less pain, and content. He is my angel. :)

Kitten Dance...?

Help Wee Paws

I think this is a fantastic cause, so I wanted to pass it along to everyone. :)

An auction is currently being held to benefit Wee Paws, a no-kill, cage-free, animal sanctuary that specializes in caring for cats who are considered "unadoptable," those who are elderly, have behavioral problems, are chronically ill, or who are FIV positive. Wee Paws has been rescuing cats since 2004 and currently houses 24 resident cats in a home-like environment.

Unfortunately, the animals at Wee Paws are currently in trouble. The former owner of the home being used as a sanctuary lost the home to foreclosure. While Freddie Mac had agreed to let Wee Paws continue to operate out of the home while paying a monthly rental fee, they have recently recanted the offer, telling the rescue that they must either purchase the home or be evicted from the property.

All of the money raised in this auction will go directly to helping support the sanctuary and the kitties' needs. There are no paid staff members who care for the cats - just kind-hearted cat lovers.

You can bid on 20 different items in the auction through Sunday May 22 at 11:59 Eastern time. Some of the things in the auction include: sports trading cards, PlayStation 3 games, drinking fountains for your pets, Cat-opoly board game, cat grass, the book, "Weep Not for Me, In Memory of A Beloved Cat," the book, "Natural Cat Care," TY beanie babies, pashmina scarves/wraps, and a wireless Bluetooth mini headset. You can check out and bid on all the items in the auction by visiting this link.

You can also learn more about Wee Paws by visiting the rescue's website.

Happy bidding!

The Science Diet Million Pound Pledge

Indoor cats live happy, healthy, and safe lives. Unfortunately, they can also become overweight or obese due to the lack of hunting that's required by cats living outdoors. Being overweight or obese puts cats at-risk for health problems like diabetes.

To help combat feline obesity, Allison Sweeney, host of NBC's, "The Biggest Loser," and Hill's Pet Nutrition have started a new initiative - The Science Diet Million Pound Pledge.

You can begin by going to this website and taking the pledge stating that you will help your cat (or dog) lose weight so that you and your furry friend can share a long, happy, healthy life together. Once you take the pledge, you can print out a rebate form to send in for the purchase of the Science Diet weight-management food of your choice.

Hill's offers over-the-counter weight-loss/weight-management food and prescription weight-loss/weight-management food available through a veterinarian for both cats and dogs.

Remember, it is always best to discuss your pet's diet and nutritional needs with your vet before you begin a weight-loss regimen.