Kitten-Pictures.comKitten Pictures – with Animals | Kitten-Pictures.com

How to Create a Kitten Safe Zone

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:16:28 +0000

Hey, who's the small fry?

There is a definite transition time period when bringing your new little furball home for the first time. It is important to realize that a kitten, like a young child is curious and wants nothing more than to test the boundries of its existence (climbing up the drapes, up your leg, etc.). It’s all about expectation alignment, ultimately – know that this is the way it is. The way that you can save your sanity during this ‘young’ time is to adequately prepare. How? By creating a Kitten Safe Zone – a space, an area where kitty can roam and explore without seriously damaging itself and your stuff.

Here’s a suggestion on how to do this… Find a cardbox of some size – say three feet cubed – very common and easy to find. Now, inside the box, organize it such a way that you have a sleeping area, a paper area for going potty on (or if you can fit in a small litter box – great!), a place for water. Also, don’t forget the fun stuff – the toys, although they can be pretty small. This system is great because it’s a place where you can put kitty and you’ll know it’s safe – peace of mind!

Realize that your little feline is going to get tired of the box eventually and is going to want to bust loose and explore elsewhere. Know that he is going to try to escape any way he can – so make sure that box is made a solid cardboard and be careful about sitting the box on a table surface where he can knock it off if he were to hit side hard enough. Also, you want to make sure that you don’t put the box in direct sunlight – for obvious reasons. You may not be thinking about the sun factor if you leave early in the morning to go to work, not realizing that the noonday sun could be beating down on that box for hours while you are away. Also, you should keep the box away from drapes – the drapes give him a target to jump for – and he may just make it.

On the other side, the box is not meant as permanent storage for your cat – but to a safe haven so that you have some peace of mind that you can leave for a while and know he’s not destroying your home.

The Catnip Buzz (for your Cat)!

admin — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:49:11 +0000

Awww, Man, Doggie Slobber

From: d21c.com

Cats sleep a lot, have you noticed it? It’s a natural part of being a cat, I’m convinced, because it’s a seemingly universal trait. And really, cats kind of move at their own pace, don’t they? However, should you give your sedate kitty a deep whiff of catnip, the party will come alive. Suddenly this sedate, dormant feline will ‘wake up’ and frolic and be as frisky as a kitten again.

Then…

Two to fifteen minutes pass by and your cat comes back down from the moon and returns to the same sedate cat you’ve come to love – the effects of the catnip totally gone.

So yes, the catnip can have an effect, but why do cats react to it that way?

Did you know that not all cats react to catnip? It’s true. About one third to half of all domestic cats are totally unaffected. In fact, the classic catnip ‘fever’ is inherited – a kitten with one parent who reacts and one that doesn’t has a 50 percent chance (one out of two) of reacting themselves. Cats that have both parents that react have a 75 percent chance (three out of four) to react to it themselves. Also, kittens younger than four months usually do not react to catnip – but do that really need it anyway And catnip has a lessened effect on older cats.

So what is the magic ingredient of catnip that drives the kitties wild? It’s a oil called napetalactone. However, researchers still don’t know why it causes cats to go nuts.

Did you know that even big cats – lions, leopards, cheetahs, pumas can also catch the catnip buzz. Interestingly enough, tigers seem to be immuned.

The catnip buzz seems to come more from topical exposure rather than from ingesting it. If you watch, most cats with catnip will sniff at it, rub up against it. Those that eat it can experience the opposite effect, which is act as a sedative instead as a stimulant.

So can this catnip high be dangerous for you feline friend? Catnip is chemically related to cannibis and effects typically last no more than 15 minutes. In fact, after about 15 minutes, most cats loose interest altogether. Interestingly, most cats will not react again for a minimum of an hour. Also, studies have shown that cats do no become dependant on the substance.

Not all cats react the same way to catnip. Typically, the response is increase friskiness and playfulness, but there are some cats that actually become more aggressive with its use.

So, in summary, catnip seems to be a safe, recreational drug for your kitty-cat.

Cat Health
Cat Health

Can you toilet train your cat? (Part 1)

admin — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 14:07:01 +0000

Can you toilet train your cat? (Part 1)

“There’s nothing like snuggling up to a good friend!”
From: d21c.com

Is it possible to toilet train your favorite feline? Maybe yes, maybe no. Much of it depends on temperament and personality of your cat. And much if it depends on your willingness to go through the process.

There are many advantages to toilet training your cat, the largest of which it eliminates the need for a litter box. Cat litter is not cheap and if you change it often enough, it can really add up to big bucks. There are also health reasons to get rid of the litter box, especially for pregnant women (see my article on the Toxoplasma Gondii Parasite). Another benefit is the ease of someone else to watch your cat while your gone – no litter boxes to lug around. Just explain to your friend that they need to leave the bathroom door open so that Kitty can get in and make sure that they flush semi-regularly – that’s it.

There are a couple of disadvantages to training your cat to use the toilet instead of a litter box. Because toilet seats can be somewhat slippery, there is a risk of you cat falling in and injuring himself. In addition, a cat’s urinary pattern can often be monitored for signs of sickness – this becomes harder to do with Kitty using the toilet. Also, when moving to a new house or location, a cat can become disoriented with a new toilet.

Cat Litter Box
Cat Litter Box

How to Give a Cat an Injection

admin — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:52:16 +0000

How to Give a Cat an Injection

“Easy with the tongue, Shep”

From: freewebs.com

Hopefully you won’t have to give your cat or kitten an injection, but, just in case…

Setting the Mood

It is important for your cat to be relaxed up until the time of the injection. My cats respond well to having a favorite treat. Make sure you pet and cuddle with your feline also. Some also recommend that an injection be giving about the same time everyday. Also, make sure you get down on Fluffy’s level – you don’t want to come across as threatening or domineering. Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible. For those of you who are not comfortable on the floor, you can bring your cat up with you a couch in your lap.

Disguise the Needle

You don’t want your cat to make the connection between a syringe in your hand the slight and momentary pain he or she will feel. And really, this is important, usually in the very beginning of a injection routine. You can try to hide the syringe altogether. I like to use the capped syringe as a play-thing – pet your kitty with it, stroke him.

Confidence

If this is your first time doing this, you are apt to be a little nervous. Try to relax. Cats can read your mood and feelings. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed he or she will be. Also, keep your movements fluid and smooth – try to avoid sudden, jerky motions as this signals stress or can over-stimulate your cat.

The Place

The scruff of the neck has long been used as an optimal place for the injection, however, there is research to show that blood supply is lower there than what is optimal to deliver the drug to your cats body. It is much better to use an area on the stomach (avoid the nipples and navel) or an area near his or her hips. Also, it is important to not use the same spot over and over again because this may cause a nodule of tissue to form, called a ‘granuloma’, which has poor blood supply.

The Technique

You want to pinch the skin up, pulling it slightly from the cat’s body. Don’t pinch too hard, just enough to raise the skin. You are going to inject into the pinched skin because the act of pinching it helps to numb the area. You want the need angle to be almost parallel with the cat, but slightly raised. Look at the needle length and then look at the amount of skin you’ve pinched – you want the need to penetrate into the middle of skin mass that you’ve pinched.

Be as quick as possible because you want to puncture through nerve-laden skin as quickly as possible – most of the nerves are at the very surface of the skin. Once the needle is in, you can slow down a bit since the worst is over. Slowly push the syringe plunger down until the contents are in your cat and then quickly remove the needle.

Post Injection

It is important to have some cuddling/play time with your kitty just after an injection, doling out lots of affection. Give lots of verbal praise also. This helps Fluffy associate positive with the experience.

Cat Injection
Cat Injection