Specialist diets for puppies and kittens
Whether your dog or cat has recently given birth or you have bought a new puppy or kitten, it’s important to understand that food intake and nutritional requirements can vary greatly between young and older pets. The right nutritional balance for a puppy or kitten is vital for their healthy development. Careful attention should be paid to ensure the smooth transition from infant to adult diets and from liquids to tinned or dry food.
The growth rate for a puppy or kitten varies enormously from that of a larger or older pet. From the first few hours of birth they must consume a large amount of liquids from the mother to ensure survival and healthy growth. During the weaning stage, a specially tailored diet must be put in place to aid the animal’s physical development, as well as taking care to avoid over-stretching of the stomach.
The early years
There are a wide range of specialist diets for puppies and kittens that contain nutritional ingredients excellent for growth and performance. Smaller cuts of meat, poultry and fish ensure that the food is digested properly. Arden Grange and Royal Canin offers both puppy and kitten specialist diets, whereas Barking Heads caters for the growing puppy.
Bringing a puppy or kitten into the home is an exciting time for all the family. But it is also a big responsibility and it’s crucial to ensure that the right foods are available for your pet, along with plenty of liquids such as water and lactose free milk. With the right nutritional intake during those important early years your pet will grow into a fit and healthy adult.
Kitten Vaccinations: Types of Vaccinations
In recent years, the vaccination of cats has become more popular. The three most common vaccines give protection against feline infectious enteritis (FIE), feline influenza (cat flu) and feline leukaemia (FeLV). An initial course of two injections, the first at nine weeks are usually given, and yearly boosters are recommended thereafter.
FIE causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and the cat develops a very high tenperature. Before the vaccine was introduced, it killed a great many cats by dehydration due to the bowel symptoms. Cat flu is caused by two viruses: the feline rhinotracheitis (FCV). FVR is the more severe of the two, causing coughing, sneezing, and nasal and eye discharges.
FVC has milder discharges but more gum inflammation and mouth ulcers. Neither FCV nor FVR is usually deadly but the infection can linger on in the form of snuffles, and some cats become symptomless carriers of the disease. When stressed, these cats develop mild symptoms and spread the virus.
FeLV suppresses the activity of the cat’s immune system, allowing a wide range of symptoms to develop. It often results in the death of the cat after several months of illness. The virus is spread mainly in the cat’s saliva. It is a disease of cats that fight a lot, and of cats in large colonies, who share the same food and water bowls. It should not be a threat in a well-run boarding cattery, where the feeding and grooming utensils are properly cleaned, and the cats do not mix with each other.
A vaccine exists against the chlamydial organism, which can cause not only mild eye and nasal symptoms, but more importantly, infertility and abortion. This vacine is used mainly in breeding colonies to protect against infertility.
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Cats And Pills – Tablets.
Nearly everything alive becomes ill at some stage in its life, and pets are no exception. I have been very fortunate in that my two cats have been very healthy for most of their lives. Recently the oldest cat become ill and had to go to the vet. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with a form of cancer. The treatment options were pills or radiation ‘therapy’. The radiation therapy was very expensive so that left the pills. Pills are fine for humans, but if you have ever tried to administer pills to your cat then you would know some of the problems I have had.
I usually feed my cats on a dry ‘all in one’ biscuit diet. This diet and a supplement of fresh food has kept them very healthy for over 14years. But now I need to add pills to her diet every twelve hours. So what do I feed her that will hide the pill well enough for her to eat it without complaining? Well after some experimentation I came to the conclusion that hiding a whole pill was not the answer. Not the answer at all. Whole pills are located and removed from the food with amazing accuracy. The simple answer is to crush the pills before adding them to the food.
( Note : The pill should be added to a small quantity of food – half a normal serve or less, and that small quantity should be given to your pet BEFORE the rest of the meal. This helps to ensure your cat is hungry enough to eat the entire pill. Once the pill food is eaten you can give them the rest of the meal.)
Pills are usually quite easy to crush into powder, I use two spoons, one small teaspoon as the crusher, and a larger desert spoon to hold the pill. Place the pill into the larger spoon and using the edge of the small spoon as a blunt knife, carefully break the pill into smaller chunks. Now use the small teaspoon to gently crush the chunks into powder. In less than two minutes you should be ready to sprinkle the powdered pill onto a small serve of food. Crushing the pill gets much easier once you have done two or three.
This is how I prepare chicken or fish for my cat at pill time :
Chicken : Cooked (cold)
Cooked chicken is a favorite food of my cats so it is a good pill food for them. To make the most reliable pill hiding food from cold chicken is really quite easy. First of all you need to prepare the pill by crushing it into a powder as described above. Then you need a small serve of chicken that you can breakup into smallish pieces – use your fingers, it gives the best results. Once you have broken up the chicken add a small quantity of water to the serving plate and roll the chicken in the water until it is wet all over. Now drain the excess water from the plate – too much water will leave the pill on the plate and not on the food where it needs to be. The next step is optional, but it makes a big difference for my pets. The next step is to place the food in a microwave oven. All you want to do is VERY GENTLY warm up the food, I use about 6 SECONDS on high. What you are looking for is to remove the coldness of the food – which activates the SMELL of the food. Do not make the food hot! ( The heat could damage the pill that you are trying to feed them, and not many cats will eat hot food anyway.) Now that you have a very gently warmed serve of food it is time to add the pill. Just sprinkle the crushed pill over the wet, warm chicken and serve it up!
Note : Always add the Pill LAST!
Fish : Raw
If you want to use raw fish as a pill serving food then it pays to make sure that the cat in question likes the fish that you are going to use. ( Cats are fussy!) I have two cats, one eats fish at every opportunity, and the other will walk right past it and ask for something else..
So get a small piece of fish to test the cat with, and assuming that the fish is accepted it is easy to prepare. I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the fish into small pieces. A sharp knife is ok but the skin on fish is very tough, so for safety and ease of preparation I use scissors. Once you have the fish cut up all you need to do is sprinkle the powdered pill over the fish and serve it up. Raw fish is usually wet and quite smelly, so it doesn’t require water to be added or the microwave to warm it up.
Fish : Cooked (cold)
To prepare a cooked cold fish you basically follow the steps outlined for cooked chicken. Prepare the pill, get a small bit of cooked fish and cut or break it up into small pieces. Make it wet, drain off the excess water and zap it in the microwave for a few seconds – do not make the food hot! Add the crushed pill to the warm wet fish and serve it up.
Note : Always add the Pill LAST!
The purpose of warming up the food is to make it smellier. Most food has a much stronger scent or smell when it is at room temperature than it does straight from the fridge.
If you need a small quantity of fresh raw fish it can usually be purchased from your local take away food shop. If you want to use cooked fish from a take away shop bear in mind that the batter or bread crumbs should be removed before it is served to the cat. (Well, it should be removed if your cat won’t eat the fish with it still on there..) Also remember to cool the fish down to about room temperature before you add the pill – otherwise the heat may damage the pill.
Never microwave any pill – it could damage the active ingredients or even make them toxic to your pet.
For those that are interested, my cats name is “Eff-Gee” ( “F”+”G” ) and she can tell the time as well if not better than I can. Every 12 hours (+ or – 30mins) she is asking me for her pill food 
My other cat – that doesn’t like fish, is called “Sox”. He doesn’t really like chicken either. Actually he prefers the biscuits over most other foods – unless it is meat with chili on it. He is a nice cat
Cat Health and Cat Care
As a cat lover, you would naturally want to know as much as you can about your kitty’s health! Your little bundle of fur can be practically considered as part of the family, so why wouldn’t you make sure that he is happy and healthy?
In this article we will look at a few starting points for your cats health.
Cat health is strongly affected by what kitty eats. Obesity is a major factor in heart disease particularly as your cat gets older. Choose a pet food for your cat that is right for it’s age but feed it regularly. If in doubt get your veternarians advice as your cat can have completely different nurtient needs to what you would expect!
Longhaired cats should be groomed regularly for optimum cat health. Use a pet brush and groom no less than once a week. This is a great way to bond with kitty!
The litter box can be a danger to both cat health and human health if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Change your pet’s litter no less than once every four days or more remembering to clear the tray of faces as since cats are very clean animals and can smell up to 10 times better than humans! Your kitty will just love you for it! Also be careful as some litter can be very dusty, which can irritate kitty’s asthma.
If choosing to declaw your kitty, this can be a major factor in Cat health. If you choose to declaw your pet it is important to remember to keep them inside at all times! Although I would never recommend to declaw kitty as this is taking away what makes him a cat! Also sometimes declawing can be very painfull for your cat and he may become resentful! If you are worried about your furniture, invest in a cat scratcher and rub some cat nip over it, you will be suprised! Another option is only to trim the claws with great care.
Stressful situations like moving, travelling, natural disasters or even changes in the family can affect cat health as cats are very sensitive creatures. To minimize the effects of stress on your pet, ask your vet or pet store what to recommend to slightly sedate kitty. Cat nip is always a good option, when cat eats this plant it acts as a sedative.
Part of managing cat health is making sure dangerous poisons like antifreeze are inaccessible to your pet just as you would with your own toddler. Some household plants are fatal to cats so make sure to raise your plants and lock your toxins! If you have an indoor kitty, invest in a few cat-friendly plants such as Cat nip, Cat grass, Honeysuckle etc with the bonus of giving kitty much needed nutrients and minerals not generally found in manufactured pet food!
Cat’s often have mouth diseases and this can impact cat health. Cat’s are just as prone to gingivitis as humans and cats can also develop. Take kitty to the vet at least once a year to have his teeth regulary checked and cleaned, even switching to a food that prevents tatar buildup is always a bonus.
As always one of the greatest factors in cat health is deciding if your cat goes outdoors. Cars, children, other animals and toxins, ALL are all dangerous and should be avoided by keeping your cat indoors. Sometimes this isn’t the solution for every kitty as you will need to stock up on the cat toys! And can be very hard to stop your kitty if he already has been accustomed to the outdoors!
4 Things to Think About Before Declawing your Cat
Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat’s forepaws. There is a slight chance of death in the surgery, and a declawed cat may have an increased risk of infection and life-long discomfort in its paws. This surgery is not recommended for an adult animal and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some countries (see below).
People generally have cats declawed to prevent them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious cats are declawed. In the United States, some landlords require that tenants’ cats be declawed.
Veterinarians are generally critical of the procedure and some refuse to perform it because the absence of claws in a cat:
1. Deprives it of its main defense abilities, including escaping from predators by climbing trees;
2. Impairs its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy;
3. Compromises its ability to balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
4. Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
This operation is rare outside of North America. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing is forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals.[17] In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless “a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal”. [18] In Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
An alternative to declawing is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the cat will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Cat nutrition is essential for good cat health
Cat health and cat nutrition is important for your cat. To give your cat good cat health from the time you bring your pet cat home as a kitten their cat nutrition should be top priority.
A balanced diet which includes protein and carbohydrates (and is low in fat) – plus added vitamins and minerals- will keep your pet cat happy and active for a long time.
To help cat owners understand more about cat nutrition which provide good cat health we at Hills Pets UK have listed the main ingredients and how essential they are to a cat. This list is not exhaustive, but it is useful:
The first ingredient is protein. There are many different types of protein, each of them contain amino acids which your pet cat needs for growth and essential body tissue. Protein also provides your pet cat with his or her energy. A young kitten will require more protein as they are more active. Cats are able to digest proteins efficiently and will lose only a small amount by waste. If this was not possible they would lose weight and become out of condition quickly. Some of the main protein rich foods are meat, fish, eggs and milk.
Fats provide energy for your cat and the amount they require should be about 9 per cent of your cat’s nutrition. Any excess above that amount would lead to fatty deposits being held under his skin. Essential fatty acids maintain your pet cat’s cell membranes and provide your pet with soluble vitamins.
Cat nutrition may not be thought to include carbohydrates as cats are known to be carnivores, therefore it may be that they can survive without. However, cat nutrition is enhanced by carbohydrates which can provide fibre for a cat who is pregnant or a nursing mother. Remember that carbohydrates are also a source of fibre that can help cat digestion significantly.
Taking Care of Your Cat’s Health
As a cat lover, you would naturally want to know as much as you can about your kitty’s health! Your little bundle of fur can be practically considered as part of the family, so why wouldn’t you make sure that he is happy and healthy?
In this article we will look at a few starting points for your cats health.
Cat health is strongly affected by what kitty eats. Obesity is a major factor in heart disease particularly as your cat gets older. Choose a pet food for your cat that is right for it’s age but feed it regularly. If in doubt get your veternarians advice as your cat can have completely different nurtient needs to what you would expect!
Longhaired cats should be groomed regularly for optimum cat health. Use a pet brush and groom no less than once a week. This is a great way to bond with kitty!
The litter box can be a danger to both cat health and human health if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Change your pet’s litter no less than once every four days or more remembering to clear the tray of faces as since cats are very clean animals and can smell up to 10 times better than humans! Your kitty will just love you for it! Also be careful as some litter can be very dusty, which can irritate kitty’s asthma.
If choosing to declaw your kitty, this can be a major factor in Cat health. If you choose to declaw your pet it is important to remember to keep them inside at all times! Although I would never recommend to declaw kitty as this is taking away what makes him a cat! Also sometimes declawing can be very painfull for your cat and he may become resentful! If you are worried about your furniture, invest in a cat scratcher and rub some cat nip over it, you will be suprised! Another option is only to trim the claws with great care.
Stressful situations like moving, travelling, natural disasters or even changes in the family can affect cat health as cats are very sensitive creatures. To minimize the effects of stress on your pet, ask your vet or pet store what to recommend to slightly sedate kitty. Cat nip is always a good option, when cat eats this plant it acts as a sedative.
Part of managing cat health is making sure dangerous poisons like antifreeze are inaccessible to your pet just as you would with your own toddler. Some household plants are fatal to cats so make sure to raise your plants and lock your toxins! If you have an indoor kitty, invest in a few cat-friendly plants such as Cat nip, Cat grass, Honeysuckle etc with the bonus of giving kitty much needed nutrients and minerals not generally found in manufactured pet food!
Cat’s often have mouth diseases and this can impact cat health. Cat’s are just as prone to gingivitis as humans and cats can also develop. Take kitty to the vet at least once a year to have his teeth regulary checked and cleaned, even switching to a food that prevents tatar buildup is always a bonus.
As always one of the greatest factors in cat health is deciding if your cat goes outdoors. Cars, children, other animals and toxins, ALL are all dangerous and should be avoided by keeping your cat indoors. Sometimes this isn’t the solution for every kitty as you will need to stock up on the cat toys! And can be very hard to stop your kitty if he already has been accustomed to the outdoors!
Cat Losing Fur?
There are many reasons for a cat losing fur. With cats, the problem can be caused by a number of factors. The number one cause of itching, allergies, a cat losing fur is because the cats is an allergy to flea saliva, while bad odors have numerous causes. Hair loss and bad odor is always a sign of a health problem. A trip to the veterinarian is essential in determining the specific cause. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your cat’s health that you have overlooked. It is always better to contact your vet just to be safe.
Cat losing fur can also come down to something as simple as grooming. Cats keep clean by licking themselves – but not every cat is an expert, particularly overweight cats! Since cats are so clean, they tend to prevent a lot of problems.
Excessive licking, which can lead to acat losing fur, is considered a displacement behavior but can be greatly reduced by calming and comforting your cat. It can sometimes become habitual if the source of the problem is not properly identified and addressed. Have there been any changes in the house recently?
A recent move, the addition or loss of another pet in the home, or even a change of schedule can cause anxiety in the cat. Try to set aside some extra time every day just to play with your cat, pet her and talk to her. That will help reduce her stress and hopefully help to resolve her excessive licking problemas well as the cat losing fur.
If your pet is nervous by nature, she may be chewing herself raw or just losing hair from stress. A flea eating the flesh causes animals to become stressed if they have had problems with them for a little while and have had to handle the itch with constant scratching.
Your cat losing fur in only certain areas could be a symptom that possibly indicates ringworm, but it could also indicate other skin conditions/allergies or health problems. If the lesions are all over her body, the vet is definitely the best one to advise you, make a diagnosis, and prescribe a treatment.
Another cause for a cat losing fur is simply a part of the process of aging.
NOTE: This article is for information only. See your veterinarian for medical advice.
We plan to post articles that are informative and helpful to other cat lovers. Having been “owned” by cats for years, we know they can be demanding, but also be very entertaining and fun.
matters such as joint supplements
with glucosamine for dogs and
your general everyday puppy care
