Keeping cats indoors is becoming more common and acceptable over the years. Indoor cats are protected from dangers, such as poisons, cars, dog attacks, and viral infections from other stray or outdoor cats. However, they also have a tendency for behavioral issues and/or obesity. Most indoor cats lack physical activities and environmental interactions --- whether it is with their surrounding or with people or other animals. Simply put, the safe sedentary lifestyle of indoor cats is often boring.
But it does not have to be that way. With minor adjustments to your home or routine, you can provide your indoor cats with a safe but interesting life.
1) For some cats, plants are a triple sensory stimulation powerhouse --- touch, taste, and smell. Add some cat-friendly greens to your home. You can try catnip, grass shoots ("cat grass"), or rosemary. Most cats enjoy rubbing their face against the plants or nibbling on the leaves. Check with the Animal Poison Control Center to know which poisonous plants to avoid. If your cat vomits after eating the plants, remove the plants and call your family veterinarian for advice.
2) Visual stimulation can be achieved with viewing windows. However, you may need to keep stray or outdoor cats from view in case they trigger unwanted behavior and redirected aggression from your cats. If a window seat is not possible, you may try a DVD for cats.
3) Physical activities. Cat trees provide excellent avenues for cats to climb and view the world from above. Staged treat hunts engage cats mentally and physically. Interactive toys such as the feather wands and laser pointers (follow the warnings and precaution) are also great ways for you to spend time with your cats.
eBay has a list of 10 simple toys for your cats. Remember to always supervise your pets whenever you introduce a new toy. And be especially careful with the twine and string suggestion.
You are doing one of the best preventative health measures for your cats by keeping them indoors. Your cats' basic needs --- food and shelter (safety) --- are already met. You can up it a notch and enrich their lives with one of the above addition. Start with an easy one. Try a cat teaser (feather wand) or a laser pointer. It may bring the spark back into your older cats' eyes and entertain your younger cats (and you) for hours.
Here's Woodpecker and the laser pointer.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Treat Hunt
We all know exercise and physical activities are important parts of any weight loss program. But try and tell that to our cats! We know a handful of clients who leash-trained their cats and actually take their cats out for walks. The rest of us have to be creative and think of ways to get our cats up and moving.
Instead of filling one food bowl, we can split the meal into two or three smaller bowls and place them in different areas. We don't have to place them all over the house or in different rooms. The bowls can be in the kitchen (if that's where we usually feed the cats) but in different corners. Be creative. The idea is to get the cats to move around instead of flopping down in front of the food bowl and stuffing their faces.
Similar techniques are used with treats. Instead of placing the treats in front of the cats, place them on the cat tree, chair, or on the other side of the room. Get the cats to go to the treats; don't bring the treats to them. Of course, this only works if the cats are treat-motivated. If they are not used to treats, place the treats in front of them and get them to eat that first before using the treats as incentives for exercise.
This Easter Sunday, we made an effort to hide some of the treats. We placed treats all over the cat area --- on the jungle cat tree, in the treat balls, on their hammocks --- and let them all "hunt" for a while. They had their own little Easter treat hunt.
We all give treats to our cats. Make a game of it. It's a great way to interact with our cats and get them moving. And it's plain fun to watch them!
This is Xander in his Easter treat hunt.
Instead of filling one food bowl, we can split the meal into two or three smaller bowls and place them in different areas. We don't have to place them all over the house or in different rooms. The bowls can be in the kitchen (if that's where we usually feed the cats) but in different corners. Be creative. The idea is to get the cats to move around instead of flopping down in front of the food bowl and stuffing their faces.
Similar techniques are used with treats. Instead of placing the treats in front of the cats, place them on the cat tree, chair, or on the other side of the room. Get the cats to go to the treats; don't bring the treats to them. Of course, this only works if the cats are treat-motivated. If they are not used to treats, place the treats in front of them and get them to eat that first before using the treats as incentives for exercise.
This Easter Sunday, we made an effort to hide some of the treats. We placed treats all over the cat area --- on the jungle cat tree, in the treat balls, on their hammocks --- and let them all "hunt" for a while. They had their own little Easter treat hunt.
We all give treats to our cats. Make a game of it. It's a great way to interact with our cats and get them moving. And it's plain fun to watch them!
This is Xander in his Easter treat hunt.
Monday, March 17, 2008
One Year Later .... Pet Food Recall
This past weekend marked the one year anniversary of what turned into the largest consumer recall in history. More than 150 brands of pet food were recalled. Research found two chemicals, melamine and cyanuric acid, were causing kidney failure in tens of thousands of pets. Sadly, it is estimated that thousands of those pets died from what became known as melamine-associated renal failure.
Profit was the motive behind this contamination. Melamine and cyanuric acid were added to plain wheat flour in China to falsely elevate the protein levels so it can be sold as more expensive, higher protein food ingredients.
Two Chinese businesses (Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co.,LTD. and Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts, and Crafts I/E Co., LTD), their owners/presidents, an American company (ChemNutra, Inc.), and its owners were indicted last month for importing the tainted ingredients.
(Update 04/07/2008: Menu Foods announced tentative settlement of lawsuits)
Even though the FDA recently announced plans to discuss changes in regulation of pet food ingredients and labeling with representatives from the industry and veterinary medical associations, we have to accept that nothing has really changed in the past year to prevent a similar pet food recall. Congressional hearings and legislation on food safety were proposed. But ultimately, the pet food industries remain self-regulating.
We all learned how reliant we are on Chinese imports and how pervasive they are in products we use everyday. The consequences were seen in everything from lead in children’s and pet toys to toxin in toothpaste and, currently, contaminated heparin.
The 2007 Pet Food Recall re-introduced us to homemade diets and label-awareness. When faced with the empty shelves at the local pet stores, we realized how we have taken for granted the convenience and often less costly store-bought pet food. We learned the risks and price that come with the convenience and savings.
Our thoughts go out to the affected pets and the families that paid the ultimate price --- the love and companionship of a canine or feline family member.
Profit was the motive behind this contamination. Melamine and cyanuric acid were added to plain wheat flour in China to falsely elevate the protein levels so it can be sold as more expensive, higher protein food ingredients.
Two Chinese businesses (Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co.,LTD. and Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts, and Crafts I/E Co., LTD), their owners/presidents, an American company (ChemNutra, Inc.), and its owners were indicted last month for importing the tainted ingredients.
(Update 04/07/2008: Menu Foods announced tentative settlement of lawsuits)
Even though the FDA recently announced plans to discuss changes in regulation of pet food ingredients and labeling with representatives from the industry and veterinary medical associations, we have to accept that nothing has really changed in the past year to prevent a similar pet food recall. Congressional hearings and legislation on food safety were proposed. But ultimately, the pet food industries remain self-regulating.
We all learned how reliant we are on Chinese imports and how pervasive they are in products we use everyday. The consequences were seen in everything from lead in children’s and pet toys to toxin in toothpaste and, currently, contaminated heparin.
The 2007 Pet Food Recall re-introduced us to homemade diets and label-awareness. When faced with the empty shelves at the local pet stores, we realized how we have taken for granted the convenience and often less costly store-bought pet food. We learned the risks and price that come with the convenience and savings.
Our thoughts go out to the affected pets and the families that paid the ultimate price --- the love and companionship of a canine or feline family member.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Cup Is Not Always A Cup
(part of the Healthy Weight, Healthy Pet series)
There are medical conditions that can lead to weight gain in pets. However, most otherwise healthy pets are overweight due to excessive calories intake and/or lack of exercise and physical activities.
If your pet is eating a well balanced premium pet diet with no other problems (i.e. good healthy coat, no intestinal issues), you don’t necessarily have to switch diets. Before you rush out to buy a weight loss or light diet, take a look at how much your pet is eating. Getting your pet to a better weight may be as simple as cutting back on the meal portions to the recommended daily amounts.
We are so used to large portions in our own diet that many of us don’t recognize what a cup of food looks like.
A cup can mean different things to different people --- from a 4 oz water cooler cup to a 10 oz party cup to a 16 oz mug.
Use a measuring cup to get an idea of how much is in the cup or scoop you are currently using.
Once you figure out how much food is in those cups and scoops, you can continue to use them.
Compare the amount of food your pet is eating to the recommended amount on the food packaging for your pet’s weight. If your pet is obese, not just overweight, check with your family veterinarian for advice. You may need to use your pet’s ideal weight, not the current weight, to determine the recommended allowance.
If you are feeding more than recommended, you can gradually cut back. For example, Elaine is overweight at 54 pounds and I am feeding her 2 cups of dry food twice daily. If the recommended amount is 3 cups per day, I can cut her back to 2 cups in the morning and 1+1/2 cup in the evening for several days then go to 1+1/2 cups twice daily thereafter.
If your pet is eating the recommended amount or more but he/she is losing weight, consult with your family veterinarian. There may not be anything serious, but weight loss in face of a good appetite usually requires veterinary attention, not just diet changes.
If your otherwise healthy pet is eating less than the recommended amount but is still overweight, do one or more of the following:
- Gradually switch over to one of the over-the-counter weight loss diet (and stick to the recommended amount).
- Evaluate other sources of calories besides meals i.e. table scraps and treats.
- Look at your pet’s exercise or physical activity level. Can that be improved?
- Consult with your family veterinarian.
Most diets are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pets based on the recommended amounts on the packaging. Feeding your pets less of the same diet may not be the best weight loss plan if that means feeding too far below the recommended amounts. Over time, this practice may lead to nutritional deficiencies. For those pets, your family veterinarian will be able to recommend diets specifically formulated to meet your pet’s weight loss needs.
As with any changes, whether it is diet or medical treatment, monitor your pet’s response. Some pets may need more frequent weight checks but most will be fine with monthly to every 3 months.
Even though the answer to your pet’s excess weight problem may be as simple as feeding the recommended amount or switching to a weight loss diet, you should still discuss the diet with your family veterinarian. The family veterinarian will be able to help you monitor progress as well as detect any problems that may surface as your pet’s weight changes.
There are medical conditions that can lead to weight gain in pets. However, most otherwise healthy pets are overweight due to excessive calories intake and/or lack of exercise and physical activities.
If your pet is eating a well balanced premium pet diet with no other problems (i.e. good healthy coat, no intestinal issues), you don’t necessarily have to switch diets. Before you rush out to buy a weight loss or light diet, take a look at how much your pet is eating. Getting your pet to a better weight may be as simple as cutting back on the meal portions to the recommended daily amounts.
We are so used to large portions in our own diet that many of us don’t recognize what a cup of food looks like.
A cup can mean different things to different people --- from a 4 oz water cooler cup to a 10 oz party cup to a 16 oz mug.
Use a measuring cup to get an idea of how much is in the cup or scoop you are currently using.
Once you figure out how much food is in those cups and scoops, you can continue to use them.
Compare the amount of food your pet is eating to the recommended amount on the food packaging for your pet’s weight. If your pet is obese, not just overweight, check with your family veterinarian for advice. You may need to use your pet’s ideal weight, not the current weight, to determine the recommended allowance.
If you are feeding more than recommended, you can gradually cut back. For example, Elaine is overweight at 54 pounds and I am feeding her 2 cups of dry food twice daily. If the recommended amount is 3 cups per day, I can cut her back to 2 cups in the morning and 1+1/2 cup in the evening for several days then go to 1+1/2 cups twice daily thereafter.
If your pet is eating the recommended amount or more but he/she is losing weight, consult with your family veterinarian. There may not be anything serious, but weight loss in face of a good appetite usually requires veterinary attention, not just diet changes.
If your otherwise healthy pet is eating less than the recommended amount but is still overweight, do one or more of the following:
- Gradually switch over to one of the over-the-counter weight loss diet (and stick to the recommended amount).
- Evaluate other sources of calories besides meals i.e. table scraps and treats.
- Look at your pet’s exercise or physical activity level. Can that be improved?
- Consult with your family veterinarian.
Most diets are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pets based on the recommended amounts on the packaging. Feeding your pets less of the same diet may not be the best weight loss plan if that means feeding too far below the recommended amounts. Over time, this practice may lead to nutritional deficiencies. For those pets, your family veterinarian will be able to recommend diets specifically formulated to meet your pet’s weight loss needs.
As with any changes, whether it is diet or medical treatment, monitor your pet’s response. Some pets may need more frequent weight checks but most will be fine with monthly to every 3 months.
Even though the answer to your pet’s excess weight problem may be as simple as feeding the recommended amount or switching to a weight loss diet, you should still discuss the diet with your family veterinarian. The family veterinarian will be able to help you monitor progress as well as detect any problems that may surface as your pet’s weight changes.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wake Up Cat
A client came in today, mentioned how his cat woke him up, demanding to be fed. Every time I hear this I'm reminded of this video...
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