Hairballs are a common thing for almost all cat owners. Though they may be disgusting to humans, a hairball is a normal and natural way for cats to rid their system of unwanted hair. Hairballs are also a way to get rid of irritating hair that gathers in the cat’s intestinal tract.

As we all know, cats clean themselves by licking their hair. Some cats can be compulsive groomers and every time they lick their fur to groom themselves, loose hair is picked up on the tongue, swallowed, and makes it way down to the stomach. Some cats are especially prone to producing more hairballs or hairballs on a more regular basis. This includes cats that are heavy shedders or ones the groom excessively. While a hairball is a normal thing, it is still uncomfortable for the cat. When a hairball is not eliminated they can cause a blockage in the intestinal track which requires immediate and often costly medical attention.

There are many ways to reduce hairballs which will make your life and the life of your cat easier and more fun. Not every option may be viable for every person and cat, so make sure to try as many as you can.

Cat Brushes

The best thing you can do to reduce hairballs is to give your cat a good daily groom. There really is no substitute for a good brushing. A good brushing will remove loose hair and keeps the cat’s coat clean and shiny. All the hair that ends up in the brush is hair that does not end up in the cat’s stomach. A good cat brush is one item that should be bought when buying all other essential cat supplies. Another benefit of brushing your cat is that it is a great bonding time.

Lubricants

Lubricants are another option to help move excess hair through your cat’s system. Petroleum-based lubricants are used. As many cat owners know, cats can be very picky about they eat. The good thing is that most of these lubricants are an oral paste and are available in many different flavors such as chicken and beef. Sometimes they are even combined with catnip to make them more appealing to cats. Another way to get your cat to digest these lubricants is to put them on the cat’s paw or nose which will your cat will then lick off and it forces the cat to ingest the lubricant.

Specialty Diets

Most specialty diets for hairball reduction are highly effective and quite popular. They are available at many of your local pet food stores. These diets are high in fiber and low in calories. They have been researched and scientifically formulated to provide the best nutrition possible for your cat. When your cat receives great nutrition it improves their skin and coat condition, which in turn reduces the shedding your cat does. In addition, the higher fiber content helps move the hair through the intestinal tract and eliminate potential blockages would could be deadly.

Food Supplements

Besides lubricants and specialty diets, food supplements can be used to help reduce shedding and improve the coat condition. Fish oils, B-vitamins, pumpkin, and brewer’s yeast help with a healthy skin and shiny coat. This in turn will help control the formation of hairballs. Additional omega-3 and -6 fatty acids which are generally found in a liquid form can also help with shed control and a shiny coat. Lastly, there are cat treats that are given as an additive for improving skin and coat conditions. Many of these treats have the fish oils included in them.

Grooming Products

Besides brushing your cat, there are other grooming products that will help reduce your cat’s hairballs. Shampoo and conditioners that are specially formulated to control excessive shedding are a good place to start. There are also shampoos and conditioners that are fortified with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to moisturize the coat and leave it shiny and healthy. This option works great for those people that already give their cat a bath.

Toys

Lastly, toys and cat scratching posts are often not talked about when it comes to reducing hairballs. Cat Toys increase activity which aids in getting a cat’s system moving, this helps eliminate excessive hair build-up in the intestines.

Hairball Remedies for Cats is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

Stray Cats – Rock This Town 83′ – Live! is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

Cat litter is used as a filling material for cat litter boxes where house cats defecate or urinate. The cat litter is supposed to absorb the moisture and reduce the bad smell coming from urine and feces, making the litter box more bearable at home. Pine cat litter fulfills these roles remarkably well, making it one of the best choices as a litter box filler.

There are different kinds of cat litter available in the market, allowing cat owners to choose from the wide variety according to their tastes and purposes. Some cat lovers choose cat litter for their odor control and absorbing power. Others choose cat litter that cannot easily be scattered all over the house. Some buy cat litter because they are biodegradable and environment friendly. Pine cat litter apparently can fulfill these considerations as it quite absorbent, track-resistant, and easy to dispose of.

Pine cat litter is a very much recommended type of cat litter for all cat lovers everywhere. A lot of people who have tried other kinds of cat litter such as clay, silica, sand, have ended up using pine cat litter because of its many advantages. There were people who first doubted using pine cat litter, but eventually they realized that it probably is the best kind of cat litter available commercially.

What Makes Pine Cat Litter So Good

Pine cat litter is a very good choice among other kinds of cat litter. First of all, it is organic - a gift of Mother Nature. It comes from recycled materials and it is in itself recyclable. Pine cat litter comes from biodegradable pine sawdust, it can easily be flushed down your toilet in small amounts. It can also be mixed into your garden soil to be used as compost fertilizer, saving you the need to buy synthetic or commercial plant food.

Pine cat litter also does not contain silica dust, unlike other types of cat litter like clay. Silica dust can be hazardous to health, and it would not be advisable to have them in products like cat litter. The dust particles can go airborne and be inhaled not only by your cat but other members of the family as well and this can cause a lot of problems in the lungs. When inhaled, silica dust can induce bronchitis or even lung cancer. It is not worth the risk to get these diseases just for a cheaper brand of cat litter. Pine cat litter would probably be a better choice for you and your cat in terms of health concerns.

Some cat owners get worried that their cats would not welcome the switch from their old cat litter to pine cat litter. Pine cat litter may have a very different texture from other kinds of cat litter. It usually comes in pellet form unlike the softer texture of other types, which seems to be more comfortable for cats. However, cats are actually tougher than most people think and they can definitely withstand the rougher texture of pine cat litter. Some cats may even like the tough consistency better than the sandy and smooth grain of other cat litter types.

Pine cat litter can be the best choice for you and your cat. It does most, if not everything that you would expect from an excellent cat litter. It is a good absorbent and deodorizer. It is easy to clean up and can even have other uses after consumption. It is safe for your health and that of your cat's. Most of all, it is environment friendly, so you do not have to worry about contributing to the deterioration of the planet.

The next time you buy cat litter for your feline friend, consider getting pine cat litter. It is good for you cat, good for you, and good for the planet. What more can you ask for?

Keeping Your Feline Friend Fresh With Pine Cat Litter is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

One of the worse offenses that a cat can commit at home is to urinate outside of the litter box. Nobody will be happy with this kind of behavior especially if the culprit chose to pee on the carpet or bed, much worst on top of your kitchen dishes.

How to prevent your cat from urinating in other places of the house is one of the commonly shared concerns of cat owners.

Before you get mad, read these non-fatal and non guilt-inducing tips to stop your cat peeing anywhere in the house.

Why does your cat do not use the litter box?

First the cat will not pee outside the litter box without any reason.

Noise, light and vibrations can be disturbing and may scare your cats from going to their litter boxes, subsequently leading to eliminating in other inappropriate locations.

Check the location of the litter box; your cat needs easily accessible private place (don’t you?).

Don’t locate the box in a high traffic area or your cat may feel vulnerable and be disturbed by the lack of privacy.

Cats don't want to sleep or eat near where they go to the bathroom, so locate the litter box in a reasonable place away from water and food.

Using a confined space like the closet or basement and leaving the door open is a good idea. But if you do this be sure to keep the box clean to reduce odors.

One possible location for the litter box is under a table. This is recommended if your home is not carpeted rather it is tiled or cemented and it’s a lot easier to clean.

Some other things to consider when locating a litter box:

•Avoid putting the litter box on carpet. The feel of the carpet is more attractive to your cats than litter box and may promote eliminating on carpets.

•Put the litter box in an area that is convenient for you to check on and keep clean.

•If there are dogs in the home, locate the litter box where the cat can eliminate without being bothered by them.

Keep Litter Boxes Clean

A dirty litter box is the number one reason a cat will stop using it and will look for other places to eliminate.

Clean all traces of pee and feces. Thoroughly refresh and wash out litter boxes with warm, soapy water or a mild commercial cleaner once a month. Use your regular cleaners, which may have ammonia. It attracts cats to pee.

If you have money to pay for self-cleaning litter boxes, purchase one for your pet to avoid being bothered when you are away or out of the house. These are fully automated to rake away waste and lock in odor by depositing the waste into disposable containers.

Other reasons why your cat do not use its litter box

Keep trying to figure out all the possible reasons why your cat is doing this obnoxious thing. Sometimes,

•Cats don't like the smell imbedded in the scratched plastic of old litter boxes.

•You put foil down where your cat is going. They don't like it.

•Your cat may be ill. Go to your vet for more help.

Its time to change the litter box if:

•A new litter being used has too heavy a scent.

•The depth of the litter in the box changed. Some cats like their litter deep, others shallow.

•Your cat has outgrown the box and needs a larger one.

•The box is too hard to enter and exit.

Tips On How To Stop Your Cat From Urinating And Defecating Outside The Litter Box

If your cat has picked out a particular room to soil try closing the door to that room.

Put a bowl of food over the target area, as cats like to keep their eating area away from their “bathroom”.

Take your cat to the Vet on a regular basis.

If you have more than one cat, be sure you have one litter box for each cat and have an extra over and above.

If you recently changed residence, a cat might smell an area where the previous owner’s cat urinated. Remember that cat pee where the scent remains.

Do you know that it takes three to eight weeks for a cat to get adjusted to the new home, environment and people? Patiently train your cat and allow it to be familiar to a new setting.

Cats are very sensitive to change and are affected if the owner has no systematize lifestyle schedule. Handle and program your major lifestyle changes slowly and allow your cat to adjust together with you.

DO NOT PUNISH YOUR CAT.

Urinating and defecating outside of the litter box, also known as “inappropriate elimination,” is one reason why cat owners get mad and furious.

Never rub your cats’ face on the floor, or kick it and bit it. Punishments just do not work and creates stress to your cat, which may develop to behavioral problems. It will worsen the situation.

Have patience. Be prepared for a few setbacks. Being a responsible pet owner involves more than devotion and love. With your patience, praise and helpful cat training techniques, it is possible to keep your cat from engaging in inappropriate litter habits.

For more helpful information please visit www.odrsecrret.com

How to Make your Cat Urinate in the Litter Box is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

Read more on AFL

Two Cats Are Better Than One
People can adopt two cats for the price of one until Sept. 30. Los Angeles - Los Angeles County California - California - United States - Counties

Read more on NBC Los Angeles

Two Cats Are Better Than One is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

The first mistake that most pet owners make when introducing their pet dogs and cats is to allow them to make their own introductions. This is a mistake! As I stated above, these two species are eternal enemies. You can’t just set one down near the other and expect great results. (Ok, I know that can happen and does happen, but my job here is to teach you about dog training. My version of training calls for prevention with dogs and cats rather than creating a problem and then being forced to fix it. As Mom used to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) There is a good deal of prevention that should be used before allowing your dogs and cats to co-exist.

Whether you are introducing a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa I want you to start out the same way. Start out by using your trusty dog crate. Put your dog in the crate and allow the cat to be in the same room. There are several possible outcomes to this action :

1. Your dog shows complete indifference. This is ideal. If your dog behaves like this you will have a quick transition.

2. Your dog shows fear. This is not ideal but it will make the transition easier than some other outcomes.

3. Your dog shows nervousness and anxiety. He whines, he paces in the crate, paws at the door of the crate, etc. This behavior tells you that he wants out. There is something about that cat that is exciting and he wants to know what it is.

4. Your dog shows overt aggression. He barks, claws at the door of the crate, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with that cat. This is going to be the toughest dog to train, but it can be done.

For the first few days don’t let your dogs and cats near each other. Keep the dog in the crate. This doesn’t mean you need to keep him in the crate 24/7. When you want him out of the crate just make sure that your cat is shut off in another bedroom to avoid contact. What you hope to accomplish with this action is to train your dog to be indifferent to the cat. You want your dog to view the cat as ‘background noise’. The cat is inconsequential, the cat doesn’t matter, there is nothing interesting or exciting about the cat. In other words, your dog is safely tucked away in the crate and casually observes the cat move around the house. For categories 1 and 2 this will be simple. It will take no more than a day or two for your dog to think of your cat as just another 'thing' in the house. Categories 3 and 4 will take more training and time.

For categories 3 and 4 you need to attach a negative association to showing cat aggression. To do this, get a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with either plain water, water mixed with lemon juice, or for very stubborn dogs, water with vinegar. At this point, your dog is still tucked away safely in the crate. The next part of training will be conducted while you are sitting near the crate, ready for action. The instant your dog shows aggression (barks at the cat, claws at the door, whines in frustration, etc.) toward the cat spray him in the face with your spray bottle. Every time he shows aggression spray him with the bottle. When he isn’t showing aggression give him soft praise, “Good boy”.

Make sure that your dog never gets a chance to show aggression toward the cat without having a bad experience. This means that you must always be ready with the spray bottle or make sure the cat isn’t near the dog. If you aren’t vigilant and your dog has the chance to show aggression with no adverse consequence, you are training him to show cat aggression.

If you are consistent with this exercise you will soon notice that your dog will show less and less aggression while in the crate, it just isn’t worth the squirt in the face for him. You are on your way to getting your dogs and cats to co-exist.

When your feel comfortable that your dog is indifferent to the cat move on to the next step. As I said, for categories 1 and 2 this is probably one or two days after beginning the crate training. For categories 3 and 4 get your dog to the point where he is indifferent and maintains that attitude for several days if not a week.

The next step is to get your dog out of the crate and get those dogs and cats together at last! You are going to move slowly, though. Put your dog training collar and leash on your dog and make sure that he is always wearing it around the house. Keep your dog near you and allow your cat to be in the room. If your dog makes any move whatsoever to chase the cat, bark at the cat, or perform any of the stereotypical behaviors that dogs and cats do, give him a very strong correction with the leash. You want this leash correction to be a very memorable one so it must be very strong. You want to form a very negative association toward cat aggression.

Be consistent with this training. If you do this properly you will notice that your dog has less and less of a desire to chase after or bark at the cat. As you notice your dog changing his behavior give him more and more freedom by allowing him to be closer to the cat and further away from you. Eventually you will phase out the use of the dog training collar and leash.

Even if your dog isn’t showing aggressive tendencies, never let him chase after the cat in the house, even playfully.

Even some of the hardest to train dogs will respond to the above method. There exist, however, certain dogs that have such strong prey drive that only drastic measures will cure them of their desire to chase and kill cats. For these dogs I employ an electric dog training collar.

Read the instruction manual on proper fitting for your electric dog training collar. With a stubborn dog that needs an electric collar the method is simple. With the collar on his neck and turned on to a high level of stimulus you are going to correct your dog every time he even looks at the cat. As your dog even sneaks a glance at your cat press the button to deliver the correction. Don’t say ‘no’, don’t react in any way, just correct him for looking at the cat. Do this as many times as it takes. Let’s examine this from your dog’s point of view. He wants to get to the cat, wants to chase, wants to kill. But the very act of looking at the cat causes him pain. You don’t tell him anything so he doesn’t associate the correction with you. He soon will learn to believe that the cat is ‘evil’ and he had better not even look at it because it the act of looking causes pain.

As with all training, you must be very consistent. Your dog must never have a successful chance to even chase or want to chase the cat. Be consistent, though, and soon your dogs and cats will be able to co-exist.

Dogs and Cats, Training Eternal Enemies to Co-exist is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

Read more on The Age

Cats from Gulf coast to arrive for adoption in Norfolk
NORFOLK Thirty cats displaced by the Gulf oil spill will be available for adoption today. The cats are set to arrive at the Norfolk headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, at 501 Front St., around 9 a.m.

Read more on The Virginian-Pilot

Cats from Gulf coast to arrive for adoption in Norfolk is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

And thus a mutually beneficial relationship between smart African cats and strange Egyptian bipeds began! And history was made.

Life in Egypt was good and the African cats enjoyed their newly discovered coexistence with human beings; the Egyptians liked cats, the pharaoh LOVED cats and there was plenty of food around, but still... So after having lived the good life in Egypt for about a thousand years or so, cats - being curious animals! - started wondering: "What is outside this country. Are we missing out on something?!"

One cat thought: "I would like to sit outside a temple with one paw raised, beckoning people to enter that holy place. That would be neat! My skills and talents would totally fit that job description". The cat told this to a Mediterranean merchant, who was in Egypt on a business trip, and the merchant said: "I know of such a place. I'll take you there". And the merchant brought the cat to Japan, where the cat found a nice-looking five stories pagoda temple with a beautiful garden.

The cat positioned himself outside the temple and raised his paw in a friendly manor to beckon passers-by to enter the temple, for that was now his job! The Japanese people had never seen anything like it, but they liked what they saw and they said: "This little animal has an air of holy mystery about him, this animal will bring us luck! We shall call this animal Maneki Neko and we shall make lots of little porcelain Maneki Neko figurines that we shall sell to tourist and make lots of money! ...in about 4000 years."

A couple of elderly cats were so tired of the never-ending African heat and drought and told another visiting trader (in town to buy small pyramid replicas for his novelty shop in London), that they would like to go to a cooler and wetter climate. The trader, of course, brought them back to England. The English being... well, ENGLISH, said: "I say! What positively lovely little creatures. We shall take them in, feed them and breed them and have magnificent CAT SHOWS!" The whole cat show thing came much later of course (in 1871 to be precise), but, believe me, the idea was born the second the very first Englishman (or it might... it PROBABLY was an EnglishWOMAN) laid eyes on those cats.

But England wasn't the only European country where the Egyptian cats set paw. Around 2000 B.C. the cats of Egypt started a very successful worldwide marketing campaign, promoting their exceptional mouse and rat hunting skills. And it paid off! Soon cats were being invited to every European country, the Middle East and Asia, where they lived well and in harmony with the human bipeds for many, many years. But then something happened:

ENTER THE DARK AGES! ...in the history of cats. Right after the end of the middle ages - beginning around 1550 and lasting about a century - the Christian church decided that cats were the source of all evil. Cats had always been associated with gods; in Egypt it was Bast, goddess of life and family and in the northern part of Europe it was Freya, who was always surrounded by cats. But these were not Christian gods, so cats now became "animala non grata". This was probably when the saying "curiosity killed the cat" entered the English vocabulary; "They wanted to see the world, and look where it got them!" Yes, curiosity did kill a lot of cats during these terrible times. Cats were hunted down, burned, drowned and hanged. And people who had the audacity to so much as look kindly at a cat, were deemed witches. And they were killed as well. This was NOT a good time to be a "crazy cat lady" in Europe!

During this time cats were also being blamed for spreading the plaque, when in fact it was the disease-carrying rats that managed to kill off almost half the European human population by spreading plagues and other epidemics. And as the humans had so efficiently killed off most of their cats, there were practically none left to kill the rats! That'll teach them to treat cats so disrespectfully!!!

But eventually things got better. The Europeans came to their long lost senses and realized that cats were actually good to have around! Less rats, no more plague and soon the former so beautiful and harmonic cat-human relationship made its come-back. And when the first European settlers came to America in 1600-something, they brought cats with them to THE NEW WORLD. Good thinking! Their cats kept their homes, farmhouses, henhouses, outhouses and doghouses rat and mice free. Well, maybe not doghouses!

Yes, the human bipeds truly rediscovered the value of cats. They took cats into their homes again and this time into their hearts as well. The cat became more than a useful little mousetrap, it became a PET.

And so cats - being cats - now started to claim their INDOOR territory; the couch, the best arm chair, the dining table, the bed, the lingerie drawer... in short: THE WHOLE HOUSE. And finally things were as they should be between cat and man.

5000 years ago the Egyptians worshipped cats and showed their admiration and respect by mummifying them after death and depicting them on vases, amulets, rings and inside tombs! Today we pay homage to cats by putting pictures of cats on coffee mugs, napkins, sofa pillows, mousepads, clocks, refrigerator magnets and t-shirts! And in a thousand years from now, I'm sure there will be an enormous image of a cat on our first spaceship to Mars.

From Mummies to T-shirts: the History of Cats is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

Read more on Independent

Fisher Cats run out of gas
B.J. LaMura, pulled after 90 pitches due to fatigue, allowed one run on four hits and struck out six, but the bullpen couldn't duplicate his dominance, allowing eight runs as the Fisher Cats lost yesterday's series finale to the Bowie Baysox, 9-5, at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

Read more on New Hampshire Union Leader

Fisher Cats run out of gas is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets

“NORA: Practice Makes Purr-fect” – Check the sequel too. is a post from: Cats Dogs And Pets