Cats and Birds information on net.

In case you like birds you must know that there is nothing more welcoming to the feathered creatures than a bird bath. That nice installation filled with clean, fresh water will be like an oasis for the neighborhood birds. And if you decide to make one, your kindness will be fully repaid by the daily visits of our entertaining and delightful flying friends. Just watching a bird bathing is quite a pleasurable and repaying experience itself.

Of course people may decide to build such a place for people too, but in fact a nice bird bath can simultaneously be the perfect garden accessory and service a good purpose. And if you manage to choose the right style to design it in, you’ll definitely improve your garden setting. In the end you’ll have something for all to enjoy – both birds and people.

A bird bath is the perfect device for bird watchers to use for attracting birds. Taking the time to create such bath is always rewarded by the view it offers afterwards. It gives the birdwatchers the possibility for a close proximity watching, and most of them guarantee that you can in fact attract more birds with a bird bath than with seeds.

This is absolutely true, because bird feeders, wonderful in my opinion, still do attract only seed-eaters and that’s why the species that gather around them are much more limited. From time to time you can spot a finch or a bright red cardinal, but you are more likely to find around always the same visitors – mostly blue jays and sparrows is what you you’ll see hovering near the feeders.

There are lots of birds that prefer fruits and insects to the seeds. Although species like waxwings, wrens and catbirds won’t offer a great variety to your garden, they can not be found anywhere around the seed feeders. That is the main difference between the two, and areas with bird baths are much more abundant in species than the seed feeders as not all birds do eat seeds, but all birds drink water.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:07 AM  0 Comments

Caring for wild birds has come a long way in the past 40 years. Tossing out bread crumbs and maybe some cracked corn onto the snow covered ground. Maybe a simple feeder or two. That was good enough for most of us. Today we have a plethora of feeders and gadgets to chose from and we are creating backyard habitats.

40 years ago, as an 11 year old boy I was grinding Indian corn with my mom's hand crank meat grinder. I placed the cracked corn on a crude platform feeder I had made from a piece of plywood and some old floor molding. Feeding birds seemed to be a winter only thing. Now I care for birds year round. I have several feeders, squirrel baffles, water sources and my own little backyard habitat.

Much of the credit goes to the father of modern day ornithology, the late Roger Tory Peterson. Peterson brought birding to the fore front with his life long studies, his books and art work. Today, others like Donald and Lillian Stokes and George Harrison continue to bring us the joys and education on wild birds.

Basics:

There are four basics to attracting birds to your yard. A food source, fresh water, protection and a place to build a nest.

1. Food sources can be as simple as a feeder pr two. Black oil sunflower seed will attract the greatest variety of desirable birds to your yard.

2. Fresh water will attract some birds quicker then a feeder might. A birdbath, old pie pan or saucer to a flower pot will work.

3. Protection is a necessity if you want birds to feed and bathe in your yard. Birds need to feel safe from predators. It is important to place food and water in the open, yet close to trees and shrubs for that quick get away when needed.

4. Nesting sites can be a simple nest box properly located, to several trees and shrubs birds find to their liking.

Beyond:

1. Feeders are now designed for specific birds and to keep squirrels and larger birds at bay. There are finch feeders, woodpecker feeders, nectar feeders and suet feeders. Feeders can be tubes, platforms or hoppers. Feed is custom blended to help attract certain species of birds in your area. Plant native flowers, shrubs and trees that offer seed, nuts, berries nectar.

2. Fresh water is important, especially in the winter months when open water is hard to find. There are heaters and heated birdbaths, eating snow is not a good option as it lowers the birds body temperature wasting needed energy. Moving water attracts birds quicker and might surprise you with a rare sight of a migrator that may not have stopped otherwise. Consider a dripper, mister, or a bird creek for birds to drink and bathe in.

3. Help protect you feathered friends by placing food and water sources 10 to 20 feet from shrubs and trees. Make sure there is no undergrowth for cats to hide. Birds need to bathe and preen. A wet bird is a slow bird. A tree branch to hop on or shrub to hide in is the safety they need.

4. Build a backyard habitat. Offer nesting sites and materials by adding shrubs, small trees, flowers and grasses to your yard. Be sure to have a combination of evergreens and deciduous plantings. Provide nest boxes with proper dimensions and locations for the birds in you want to attract that live in your area. Keep an eye on squatters like European starlings and English house sparrows.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:07 AM  0 Comments

Having a cat allergy came as something of a surprise to me. Growing up, I had many pets - cats, dogs and birds. My family were animal lovers and pets abounded, so being in contact with animals was a daily occurance. No one ever seemed to suffer from a cat allergy or any kind of animal allergy for that matter.

After my teens and my last pet had died, I wasn't in a position to take on another pet for many years. Then, eleven years ago, a friend of a cousin was looking for a home for their last remaining kitten. And so it was that Kira came into my life. This was a cat with attitude (and still is!) and we bonded pretty much immediately. While she was still a kitten, I'd put her in the kitchen overnight with a little cat bed to sleep in and the litter box close by.

As she grew older, I started letting her sleep in the bedroom. It's surprising how relaxing a cat's purring can be in wee small hours.

A little over a year later, when down with the vet getting some supplies, I heard that there was a kitten that needed a home or it would have to be put to sleep. And so, Fritz came home with me that day.

Unfortuately, Kira was less than impressed with this interloper and I had to keep the two separated for several days before an uneasy truce ensued.

They're an odd pair - Kira has attitude, Fritz is much more companionable; what you'd call a "gentle soul". She's still the Queen around the house and occasionally puts Fritz in his place with a right-hook to the face when she feels the need to assert her authority.

As Fritz matured, he also was allowed into the bedroom. Both he and Kira would sleep there during the day and night, as was their want.

We all know that cats are the greatest creature-comfort-seeking animals on the planet and a comfy place to catnap is one of their major concerns. But the place your cat chooses to snooze may not be your first choice. While I didn't mind the cats sleeping on the bed, I did take exception to Fritz's tendency to charge in from the garden and sleep in a basket of warm, freshly dried laundry straight from the dryer.

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a poll of pet-owners on the sleeping habits of their pets and found that 60% of them sleep in bed with one of the family. Where cats are concerned, there are two potential problems here: one is that, somehow, they manage to take up 90% of the bed and the other has to do with allergies.

I found I had a mild cat allergy when I started producing weird wheezing noises any time I was doing something strenuous. Coughing eased it for a few minutes but it would always return. I figured I’d developed a mild form of asthma, probably due to bad air quality and pollution, so I went to the doctor to have it checked out. After listening to my lungs he asked me one question: "Do you have a cat?"

Well, yes, I did. Two in fact.

"You’re allergic to your cats", he intoned.

Then he asked if the cats slept in the bedroom. Of course they did.

"There’s your real problem", he said. "What you’re allergic to is the dander produced by your cats. When a cat sleeps on your bed, the dander ends up in the sheets and the duvet and you breathe it in deeply at night when you’re asleep. Not good. That’s what causes your wheeziness. Stop the cats sleeping in your bedroom for two or three weeks and see if that eases your symptoms. If not, you’ll probably need to use an inhaler for the rest of your life."

Ok, that last sentence kinda hit me between the eyes. Much as I love my two furballs, I didn’t want to suffer a long-lasting health problem that could possibly be avoided.

So why is dander such a problem? It's the layer of dead skin that's rich in animal protein, which is continuously shed by animals. Sebaceous (oil producing) glands in the skin also produce these protein allergens. Male cats have, on average, greater amounts of sebaceous secretions and therefore are more allergenic than female or neutered male cats. This is a result of testosterone hormone effects on sebaceous glands.

So, with that information and the prospect of an enduring health problem, I banned my cats from the bedroom, threw out the duvet (on the advice of the doctor), bought a new one and changed everything on the bed (including getting new pillows). I didn’t get too much sleep the first few nights with the cats meowing and scratching on the door to get in but they got used to the idea, finally. After three weeks in a cat free bedroom, my wheeziness had all but disappeared. The cats haven’t been allowed back in since.

Should you find yourself with a similar cat allergy problem, banning the cat from your bedroom is one possible course of action. Alternatively, you can get your cat his own cat bed and put that somewhere out of harm's way (yours and the cat's).

Since finding out I was mildly allergic to my cats, I've spoken to other cat owners about it and quite a number also suffer some mild form of allergic reaction - sneezing, wheezing, watering eyes, blocked sinuses and so on. Owners appear to become at least somewhat immune to their own cats insofar as the symptoms are not as pronounced as they become when they're around other people's cats.

But, having said that, none of us would ever part with our feline companions and would exhort others to adopt a cat as a pet, as the benefits far outweigh any minor inconveniences.

Animal dander allergy can significantly contribute to respiratory problems involving the sinuses, nasal passages, and eyes, as well as causing upper respiratory tract problems that can result in asthma (as in my case). These problems can significantly diminish your quality of life despite various medical treatments. For some people, it can be even more serious, leading to recurrent acute asthmatic attacks that can be life threatening, requiring emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The good news is that most people who are allergic to their pets can keep their symptoms under control if they know the facts.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:05 AM  1 Comments

Many human populations are very worried about a human strain of Bird Flu emerging and killing millions of people and indeed this is a significant fear. However in the over all scheme of things even if we lost 100 or 200 million humans that would not significantly impact the species as there are now over 6.6 Billion of them on the Planet.

Sure that may not be very Politically Correct to say yet it is fact. Now then, what about other species; as some endangered species could be wiped out. Take the large African Cats who might eat the sick birds who are unable to escape due to their catching the bird flu?

This could upset the food chain in many regions, but if you consider the migratory bird species it could be a complete disaster for them. We will need to assist these other species in rebuilding if this does occur you see? But how can we assist the birds after the bird flu has come and gone? They will need to strengthen their numbers to survive and since they are very much part of our eco-system and each species exists in the niche of their own food chain we will need to be thinking here of course.

Some things we can do include spiking their food with amino acids and potential vitamins or building more sanctuaries with fewer predators to increase their breeding and numbers. We need to be thinking about this in advance of the situation and potential eventuality you see?

# posted by Medical Information : 3:05 AM  0 Comments

Man’s destruction of bird habitats has greatly reduced the nesting areas of various birds. To compensate for this loss, birdhouses are built for birds to live in.

People who enjoy the companionship of birds find birdhouses inexpensive and fun to build. All well-built birdhouses should be durable, cool, rainproof and readily accessible for cleaning. The best material for birdhouses is metal. Metals other than aluminum must be avoided as they tend to become extremely hot when exposed to the sun. The roof should be constructed with sufficient pitch to shed water and should have at least three inches of overhang to protect the entrance from driving rain. As some water may seep into the house, a few small holes should be drilled in the floor to allow drainage, and to facilitate ventilation in hot weather, holes should be planned near the top of the box. It is also preferable for the house to be constructed with screws for easy disassembly for cleaning. To assist the young birds in climbing to the opening of the birdhouse, it is better to have the interior walls roughened or grooved.

Make it a point to place the birdhouse in a location that is inaccessible to enemies. It is better to have iron poles placed as mounts for the birdhouse to protect the birds from cats and squirrels climbing to the birdhouse. As birds insist on territorial rights, it is better not to place birdhouses too close together as conflicts may arise in empty birdhouses. Once it is certain that pests can be eliminated and that the birdhouse is satisfactory for the birds, the only thing remaining is the cleaning of the interior of the house periodically. So go ahead and search for the ideal birdhouse!

# posted by Medical Information : 3:12 AM  0 Comments

Like many Americans, you may find bird watching to be a fascinating hobby. At the same time, perhaps you wonder how you can attract regular visitors to your yard without busting the bank by purchasing expensive foliage, feeders, and food. Here are some tips toward helping you establish a backyard paradise that is certain to welcome birds without draining your wallet.

1. Purchase a Birdbath. Prices for birdbaths can run anywhere from 10 dollars for the plastic model to well into the hundreds of dollars for the sculpted concrete model with lights and a waterfall. Birds are attracted to water, the glitter of sunlight will catch their eyes and bring them flying in. So, the plastic one works as well as the expensive one. If you must have a better model, check out the yard sales in your neighborhood for a good used birdbath. Amount budgeted: $10.

2. Invest in a Squirrel Proof Birdfeeder. For approximately 25 to 30 dollars you can get a birdfeeder that is squirrel resistant. Squirrels put their little paws on the doors to the feeder and it closes shut without hurting the squirrels. Because birds are so lightweight, they will be able to freely access the feeder and dine sumptiously. The added cost of the more expensive feeder will be offset by the savings in food that will no longer be consumed and wasted by ravenous squirrels. Amount budgeted: $30.

3. Purchase Good Seed. Much of the seed out there is simply filler seed especially if it is dirt cheap. Spend a little more and purchase black oil sunflower seed as the variety of birds attracted to this type of seed is wide. Most of the home center stores offer bags as large as 50 lbs. Start with a five pound bag and you will only spend about $6 for the initial supply of seed. Amount budgeted: $6.

4. Hang Suet. Suet can be pricey, but if acquired in bulk it can cost you less than 70 cents per block. A suet holder should only cost you another 2 or 3 dollars. If you can, place the suet a fair distance away from the birdfeeder, but not far enough away where you won't notice the "traffic" flying from the birdfeeder to the suet and over to the birdbath. Amount budgeted: $12.

5. Provide Cover. Unless your yard is a barren landscape, you more than likely already have ample amounts of greenery present. You want to have a place for birds to rest, to check out your yard, and avoid cats. Consider moving shubbery around to provide a safe haven for your feathered friends. Amount budgeted: $0 -- use your own sweat to move shrubbery, if needed!

Total expenditure to get your birding program in place: $68. Keep the remaining funds to replenish your sunflower seeds and suet in the coming months. Check birding books out from the public library if you need reading material.

Once you have everything in place, you should be able to attract birds almost immediately. If you live in an area frequented by chickadees, house finches, cardinals, nuthatches, goldfinches, grosbeaks, bluejays,and titmice they will arrive and eat the sunflower seeds. Wrens, nuthatches and flickers will be common visitors to your suet.

In summation, you can transfer your yard into a backyard paradise filled with the wonders of God's feathered creations and you will be joining in with the majority of Americans who share a love of this common hobby.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:11 AM  0 Comments

Bird Flu is a serious issue indeed and everyone is worried about a human strain, which could kill millions of people, but luckily with 6 Billion People on the Planet this will not mean the end of the human race. But consider the many endangered species which may end up eating birds who have bird flu and are on their last leg and unable to escape their predators? If those predators eat an infected bird then they could die and many predators such as wild cats, canines, etc, which often eat birds are at severe risk you see?

If a million people die of a pandemic of a human strain of bird flu that would truly be frightful for our species but we would survive and move on. But if a species with 2500 or less were to start dying from Bird Flu that could be their final demise and their species would perish from the Earth forever never to return. The endangered species list is rather long and many of them are in fact birds themselves which are very susceptible to bird flu obviously. But also any species, which eats birds could be at risk.

So often human are ego-centric and fail to see the bigger picture when discussing such issues and that is really too bad as this short sidedness is a fatal flaw in thinking, as so much of what humans are about and the way everything relates to everything else can be in jeopardy and in the cross-hairs of unintended consequences. Consider all this in 2006.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:11 AM  0 Comments

Birds are truly beautiful creatures. They are fascinating and all around us, roosting and nesting on our buildings and feeding in our gardens. We can travel to see them in exotic places, or just look out our window ... they are easy to find and fun to observe. Birds are probably the most beloved group of wild animals on the planet. Their ubiquitous presence, colorful form, intelligent actions and cheeky mannerisms endear them to us all. They are easy to love.

There are roughly 300 billion birds of nearly 10,000 species that now inhabit the earth. This only a small fraction of the number of birds that have existed since the Age of Dinosaurs. While new species are occasionally discovered in remote areas, 150,000 species have been identified from fossil remains proving that most bird species are now extinct. Birds can be found on all major land masses from the poles to the tropics, as well as in or over all our seas, oceans and islands.

The most common or populous wild bird in the world is the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) in Africa. The most common bird in the world is the domestic chicken which breeders have developed from the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus). Fear has been expressed that pure Red Jungle Fowl may now be extinct in the wild. The most widespread commonly seen wild bird is probably the European House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) which has been transported all over the world by European settlers. It can now be found on two-thirds of the land masses of the world including Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and India.

There are three ways of measuring size in birds ... heaviest, tallest and wingspan length. To date the records are held, as follows:

• Heaviest - The extinct Dromornis stirtoni from Australia, also known as the Thunder Bird. This flightless giant lived between 8-6 million years ago and stood nearly 3m/10ft tall, weighing in at a massive 500kg/1100lb. Around same height as the Giant Moa of New Zealand (below), this huge bird weighed about twice as much.
• Tallest - Dinornis, the extinct Moas from the North and South Island of New Zealand were the tallest of the flightless birds in this Genera. Dinornis giganteus lived on the North Island of New Zealand and D. robustis on the South Island. They ranged in height to over 3m/10ft (with some statistics indicating up to 4m/13ft) and weighed about 250kg/550 lbs. By studying the cross-sections of fossils, scientists found that Moas took more than 10 years to reach adult size, in contrast to our modern birds, including ostriches, that tend to reach full size within a year.
• Longest Wingspan - Another extinct bird, this time from South America, has the record for largest flying bird and longest wingspan. The Giant Teratorn (Argentavis magnificens) had a wingspan of at least 6m/19.5ft and could possibly have been as large as 7.5m/25ft.
• Smallest - It is generally agreed that this record is held by the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helanae) from Cuba. This tiny bird is 5.7cm/2.25in and weighs less than 1/10 of an ounce. Shortest wings and body length are not really appropriate measurements because they are disproportionately affected by whether or not the bird is flightless and/or it's beak length. Another major contender for smallest bird is the Little Woodstar from South America. Both these tiny miracles of life fly very competently. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island Rail (Atlantisia rogersi). Reaching a mere 12.5cm/5in in length and weighing 35g/1.45oz. This little beauty can only be found in the southern Atlantic Tristan da Cunha Islands.
• Bird Feathers - It must be a tedious job, but there are people who've taken the time to count the feathers on different species of birds. Who has the fewest feathers? That distinction goes to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) with 940. And the bird with the most ... the Swan with about 20,000.
• How Long Do Birds Live? - Survival is tough business if you are a bird. Life brings many challenges from natural and man-made dangers. Unfortunately, banding studies show that most birds die in their first year of life. But here are some record lifespans: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 23.25 years, Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 23.5 years, Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 18.33 years, Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 15.75 years and Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 15.75 years.

Other bird facts of interest:

• Fastest - This record goes to the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) whose diving speeds have been clocked at 200 mph! This is pretty fast in anyone's book ... but remarkable when compared to the slow speed of a Hummingbird at 27mph. But doesn't that 27mph seem fast as the buzz by you on their way to the next flower or hummingbird feeder?
• Highest Flyer - While most birds fly a few hundred feet off the ground, migrating birds fly much higher to take advantage of favorable winds. While geese will fly over Mt. Everest at 29,000ft and South American condors (Vultur gryphus) range up to 20,000ft, the high flying record must go to the unfortunate vulture that collided with a jetliner over West Africa at a whopping 37,000ft!
• Migration - There is no doubt that birds are the most mobile creatures on earth. Many migrate from the northern to southern hemisphere each year. Most notable are the seabirds that spend long periods of time at sea, perhaps years, without landing and traveling from one side of the world to the other. But the Artic Tern (Sterna paradisea) is a real champ, migrating from far northern regions to the coast of Antartica each year, a 22,000 mile round trip.

If you enjoy birds then it is important to face how birds are threatened. Birds have been on the planet much longer than things man has created that cause their death. Millions of birds die each year from collisions with buildings, windows, radio/television/cell phone towers and lighthouses to name a few.

Man has also created hazards with devastating consequences by introducing animals and insects to different parts of the world. For example, while exact numbers are unknown, experts estimate that each year domestic and feral cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small mammals, such as rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks in North America each year. Land development removes needed habitat such as wetlands, forests, fields, beaches and other areas that birds depend on for food, especially on long migrations. Many species are now extinct and many more are threatened with extinction. We, who care about birds, need to do our part to protect them and preserve their habitats if they are to survive. No one wants to see a bird or other animal suffer bad consequences. What will we receive in return? ... The ability to continue enjoying these fascinating and beautiful creatures.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:24 AM  0 Comments

Cats need only be provided with decent shelter, food and water and they will be quite healthy most of the time. Like any other living thing, however, they can get sick and can come down with anything from a minor cold to a major ailment.

As a responsible pet owner, you want to make sure you feed your cat premium cat food so he can be his healthiest and also watch your cat closely for signs of sickness so that you can get him to a vet right away. Hopefully most ailments will be minor, but in some cases getting your cat expedient veterinary help can be the difference between life and death.

Some things to look for include:

Your cats coat – is it full and shiny or dull and patchy? Is he shedding abnormally? If so get your cat scheduled for a vet visit.

Behavior – is your cat acting sluggish and not eating? Any change in behavior warrants a trip to the vet as it is better to be safe then sorry!

Diarrhea or vomiting – If your cat is doing either of these for more than a day, I would get him to the vet as soon as you can. Coughing – Some cats routinely cough up hairballs, but if your cat is coughing for no reason then you should have this checked out.

Swelling or lumps – when you pet your cat, take the time to feel around for any unusual lumps or swelling.

To insure that your cat doesn’t fall victim to disease, you should make sure he has all of his vaccinations as recommended by your vetrenarian. The most devastating but easiest to prevent disease that affects cats is infectious enteritis, or feline distemper. This is a virus disease that strikes quickly and leaves little time to enact treatment.

Feline Leukemia or FeLV is another deadly disease that can be prevented through early vaccinations. This disease poses no threat to humans but can be spread between cats. These days, it is treatable and some cats can live a long life with Feline Leukemia although you would want to be very careful to keep them away from other cats so as not to spread the disease.

One health problem in cats, particulary those that go outdoors is worms. A cat with worms usually has a lackluster coat and can either have a large appetite or none at all. There are many kinds of worms, and cats are susceptible to all of them. Cats can get worms from lice or fleas or in the organs of the rodents that the cats eat. Typically the cat ingests the eggs which mature and attach to the intestinal walls. Feeding your cat a bit of garlic every once in a while can protect him against worms.

Keeping your cat happy and healthy is really a simple matter of caring for him properly and making sure he gets the appropriate veterinary care. Make sure your cat gets all the recommended vaccinations and you give him the proper treatments to repel fleas and other pesky pests. These simple steps will keep your cat happy and healthy for a lifetime!

# posted by Medical Information : 3:23 AM  0 Comments

Cat owners will tell you that they are furry, funny, and an emotional treat to have around – so long as you realize that the feline is the boss. Kids can be funny, not quite as furry, and quite a handful. Trying to decide whether to head over to the animal shelter or stop by the fertility doctor? Here are some great things to keep in mind while you make your choice.

1. Cats start out life fiercely independent and won’t acknowledge their reliance on you for food and nourishment. It takes kids a good ten to twelve years to realize they don’t need you, even though they do.

2. Cats need to have their litter box changed daily their entire life. Kids finish with diapers after only two or three years.

3. You may gawk at how long your son’s hair has grown, but at least it stays on his head. Cats prefer to shed all over the furniture.

4. When your kids climb a tree, they can usually manage to come back down. Cats require assistance from the fire department.

5. Kids bring you homemade presents that you can display for years on end. Cats bring you dead birds and mice that you generally want to hide as quickly as possible.

6. Cats realize at birth that they are the center of the universe. Kids don’t come to this conclusion until they are teenagers, at which point the world automatically revolves around them.

7. Kids and cats are both excited by food from a can – either cat food or Chef Boyardee. But the kids don’t cough up hairballs in unexpected places.

8. Kids may decide to get random piercings, but at least they confine the self-mutilation to their own bodies. Cats prefer to sharpen their claws on your favorite couch, with antiques ranking high on the list.

9. When you have to take your child to the doctor, the odds are good that you can catch him or her easily, especially while they are small. Cats, however, are faster than greased lightning and have an instinctual dislike for the vet’s office. Plus, kids don’t scratch you at the doctor’s.

10. When your cat permits you to hug and cuddle with it, it acts as though it is doing you a favor. A child’s hug can be spontaneous and from the heart, and all embracing.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:22 AM  0 Comments

Can you train your cat to take walks with you on a leash outside just like a dog? Yes you can! Training cats, however is a whole different ball game from training dogs. With some Patience and persistence, however, you may have your finicky feline outdoors on a leash in no time.

The best time to start training is when your cat is a kitten, at this stage the cat doesn’t have any programmed behaviors so you can try to mold him to what you want him to do. An older cat may be a bit more set in his ways and might require added patience for leash training.

One thing you will want to do is search out the leash that will be suitable for both you and your cat. There are many different leashes on the market to day. Some are retract able with a setting on the holder to be able to allow just enough leash out for the cat. On the other hand, you can just let the cat have as much as they would like. This is nice for walking and for letting the cat to play, with control that they do not run off or get in to much trouble.

Standard leashes are about 5 or 6 feet which should be fine. You want to get a leash that is lightweight - not one for a dog. Too much weight in the leash will make the cat uncomfortable and he won’t want to go for walks. Another item that you will need to consider is a harness or collar for the cat. A harness is the best for a cat. With purchasing a collar you will want to make it very narrow one and light. When looking for a collar keep in mind that you don’t want it too tight on the cat, but not too loose either as you don’t want him to slip his head out. Cat’s won’t respond well to jerking their collar so a harness is really best and should be loose and comfortable for the cat.

Once you get the leash, collar, or harness, you will want to introduce the cat to the item by playing with him. This allows the cat to get use to it and put its scent on these items. Next you want to try to put the harness or collar on the cat. Put it on as loose as you can get it, just place it him and depending on his reaction you can leave it on for a short time or if the cat does not want anything to do with it, then you might have to revert back to the “playing“ stage. This step is very important, if you force the cat to wear the harness, they are not going to be happy at all with the harness or with you. Take your time with all the steps.

After the cat is wearing the harness loose, then it is the time to tighten the harness up until it is the right fit for the cat. At this point, you will want to give the cat time to wear the harness. Next attach the leash. Remember first to have the cat play with the leash. Put the leash on and get the cat use to having it on. Then you will want to start walking the cat inside, until the cat is doing well. Once the cat is comfortable with the leash then it is time to go outside for a walk.

When walking with the cat make sure there is not too much loose leash or they will be running in all random directions. There are many distractions for a cat outdoors - birds, squirrels and the neighbors pets might cause your cat to want to run around, but you must keep a tight leash so that your cat walks with you and is not dragging you all over the place.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:54 AM  0 Comments

There are a lot of good reasons for *not* letting your new cat become an outside cat and I mention most of them in my new ebook "Your New Cat's First 24 Hours".

But one very important reason that I left out was the fact that cats are death on birds.

Yes, this is a fact that cat owners don't like to face, but a cat is a predator that doesn't distinguish between mice and birds when it comes to her prey.

It's estimated that there are about 40 million cats in the United States free to roam outside, and 20 to 30 percent of the kills they make are birds.

When you figure that a single outdoor cat will kill up to 200 birds and mammals every year, this can add up to over a billion birds killed by outdoor cats!

Many cat owners think that if they keep their cat well fed she won't feel the need to kill, but they are not taking into account that a cat does not kill out of hunger, but because she is an instinctual predator. A well fed cat *will* kill birds.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:54 AM  0 Comments

Cats, tigers, panthers, leopards, lions and cheetahs all communicate in similar ways. When you own a cat it is very important to understand how it communicates. By reading this short article you will learn the basics of cat communication. You will learn how to tell what mood your cat is in and if anything, what it wants. Your cat will communicate differently with you than other cats and animals. They use a range of different ways to communicate including noises, body language etc. If you spend some time observing your cat, sometimes it can be easy to understand what type of mood they are in and other times it can be impossible. This section will give you the right information to understand your cat’s communication.

Noises and sounds

Cats can make a great number of noises and sounds; some scientists think they can produce up to 81 different sounds and pitches. All of these have different meanings. The amount of noise your cat makes depends on its personality; some cats don’t make any noise. The most common out of all the sounds that cats make is ‘meow’; it can mean that your cat is hungry, curious, angry, happy or welcoming you home. The second most common sound is purring, scientists don’t know much about it, most of the time it is a sign of happiness and content but on rare occasions it can mean your cat has a serious illness. Other sounds such as growling and hissing mean that your cat is angry, upset or scared.

Body language

Cats use a variety of body language, some examples are the movement of its tale, the position of its ears and even how it is standing. The most obvious body language your cat uses is the movement of its tale. In general, the higher your cat’s tale, the happier it is. When your cat is in an extremely happy mood it will point its tale directly up and when it is scared and afraid it will tuck it between its legs. When your cat is angry or annoyed it will throw its tale from side to side. Short quick movement’s and twitching indicates restlessness and excitement.

In conclusion, when a cat is happy or excited it raises its tale to a vertical angle and rubs against you and may possibly lick you when you put your hand out, an example of this is when you are about to feed it. On the other hand when your cat is angry it puffs up its hair, its eyes become big, it growls, flattens its ears and spits. When a cat is happy and content, it lies on its stomach with its paws tucked under its body. When your cat wants to play it lies on its side with its paws and feed outstretched.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:53 AM  0 Comments