Cats and Birds information on net.

Ringworm is a common skin disease in cats and dogs. Unlike its name, it is not caused by any worm (though it used to be thought so) but by fungi called Dermatophytes that thrive on dead tissues present in skin surface and follow circular a path to spread them.

In cats, specific fungi called Microsporum Canis (M Canis) results in 90 percent of the ringworm cases. Cats usually pick up the disease from contaminated objects such as clippers or bedding or by coming in direct contact with other animals infected with this disease. Young cats under a year old are more susceptible to ringworm, so, it’s wise to take extra precautions if you have a kitten in your house.

Some of the common ringworm symptoms among cats are rough and broken hairs, hair loss especially on head, or paws. You can also identify ringworm disease by a scaly patch of skin that looks inflamed and itchy with broken hairs around it.

If your cat reveals any of these symptoms, consult with your veterinarian. If diagnosed, he may advise tablets or ointments depending on the intensity of the diseases. The tablets can be fed to the cat with meals, and the ointment can be spread topically into the cat's fur. These treatments and cures must be continued daily. In most cases, it takes around six weeks to recover.

It’s a good idea to take precautions due to ringworm’s infectious nature. Keep kids away from the pet; and adults should use gloves when handling the cat. Although ringworm is a mild disorder, it causes problems due to its infectious nature and slow recovery time.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:19 AM  0 Comments

With their spunky independence and willful indifference to practically anything they do, cats make an admirable pet. What else can interact with you on a daily basis and yet spurn you regularly - and make them love you while you do it? The first thing that comes to my mind are my kids. With such similarities, I wonder how a comparison of the two stands up.

1. A cat's purr soothes most people. A child crying only makes them stare disapprovingly.

2. You can leave a cat alone for a week and slip food and water through the cat door, and they'll be fine. Don't even try that with kids (though you may occasionally be tempted).

3. Cats have nine lives, and we like that. Teenagers take nine years - we don't like that.

4. A cat is nice and warm. Kids are gooey and sticky.

5. If you have a bad day, you can yell at your cat (or in its general direction) and it will look at you like you are stupid. Yelling at your kids because of your boss scars them for life (sort of like leaving them alone for a week).

6. If a cat disappears for a few hours, the odds are good it will be fine. If your kids disappear, call 911.

7. Cats are allowed to lick your face. Kids are not.

8. When your cat falls out of a tree, it will land on its feet with no problems. When your kid falls out of a tree, they will land on their feet (or legs, or arm, or wrist) and break them.

9. Your cat thinks he's your boss, and is probably right. Your teenager thinks he's your boss - that needs to be fixed.

10. A cat will bathe regularly without being reminded. Kids don't do that until they turn twelve or so.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:19 AM  0 Comments

Pet owners always wish that their cats and dogs had that perfect sheen on their coats. And for many years, pet owners have given fatty acids to their dogs and cats to change a dull, dry coat into a more glossy one. Recent research has shown that fatty acids play important roles in other areas of skin and coat health.

The diet of cats and dogs differ in many respects. While dogs like us are omnivorous, cats are carnivorous. In spite of the difference in diets, it is a known fact that one of the necessary elements of a health promoting diet for us humans, for dogs, and for cats is fats. Fatty Acids are important for a wide array of cell structure components and for many chemical reactions in the body. They play a vital role in establishing a healthy lipid barrier in the skin which blocks irritants and infections. The bottom line is that without Fatty Acids in proper ratios, your pets are in trouble!

Cats and dogs can produce some of the fatty acids they need, but not all of them. The liver and other tissues can make many fatty acids that are required for the body’s chemical reactions to go on. In dogs, though, there is one that they cannot make themselves: Linoleic Acid (also called Omega6 Fatty Acid). In cats there are two essential fatty acids: Linoleic and Arachidonic Acids. The fatty acids that they cannot produce themselves must be obtained through their diet or supplements and are called essential fatty acids.

Proper diet can be a source of essential fatty acids but the fatty acids in foods are subject to degradation. These fatty acids are vulnerable to heat and overcooking can destroy them. Heat, either by processing or cooking, destroys Essential Fatty Acids creating free radicals as a result. Also, improper storage or a sub optimal amount of antioxidants in dry food may result in rancidity and a subsequent deficiency in fatty acids.

Essential Fatty Acids supplement for dogs and cats replenishes the essential fatty acids that are easily destroyed by normal processing of commercial pet food. Hair coats, which are dull, brittle, and dry, respond favorably to supplementation with essential fatty acids. Supplementing your pet's diet with essential fatty acids will produce the following visible results in just a few weeks:

• Glossy and softer coat
• Reduced fleas
• Improved tolerance to fleabites and other allergens
• Less hair shedding
• Healthier and smooth skin

Give your pet, the glossy coat that it deserves and you only dreamt of by supplementing its diet with Essential Fatty Acids. Your pet deserves the best!

# posted by Medical Information : 2:18 AM  0 Comments

Cats are not native to North America. From their humble beginnings into domestication in Egypt around or about 5000BC, cats have slowly moved from continent to continent. In Europe, they were not very well accepted and often caught a killed until the plagues in the Dark Ages. With their superb hunting skills, they were very helpful lowering the rodent population and therefore gained acceptance.

From Europe, the cats came with the new settlers. Often, cats were carried on the ships to combat the rodent problem and they would often escape when the ship was docked. In North America, it is estimated that the cat population is over 65 million.

Cats tend to have a free ranging spirit often traveling a few square miles as their home territory from their home. These domestic cats that are free roaming are not native to the North American ecosystem. On quite the occasion, some of these cats will not return home or would be abandoned and become feral cats.

Between the feral cats and the free roaming cats, they have an impact on the ecosystem where they live. Often, this becomes a problem for the wildlife that live in the region. The cats' prey may already be under stress or their numbers may be low. If there is an overabundance of feral cats in the region, there can be devastating effects.

In some areas, the Galapagos Islands for example, wildlife managers have had to utilize an extermination program to return certain islands to the natural ecosystem. This is an area that not only were the cats not native to the area but there was no significant human population for the cats to have just wandered away from. The occurrence of these cats becoming feral cats came about from cats that were traveling on merchant ships escaping while the ship was at the island resupplying food or water resources.

In North America, the situation is often not that severe. If you talk to people that live in rural areas that have a lot of cats, they would fill you with stories of how this cat or that cat showed up at their door as a newly born kitten in the middle of the night. Often, the comment goes back to city-folk dropping off their kittens that momma cat had and they didn't want. They just think that the cat belongs in the country and if they drop it off near the farmhouse, the farmer will take it in and it can hunt mice and rats thereby earning its keep.

This adds an additional expense to the farmer and more often than not, these cats will not receive medical care and worse, they will mate and reproduce until there are too many to care for. Let me paint a vivid picture from a farmer I knew. He commented: "when the number of cats and kittens gets to be too many, I would just gather up some of the extra kittens, put them in a burlap sack, tie it shut and throw it in the lake. After they are dead, I would pull the bag out of the water and bury it in the ground".

There are alternatives. If you took the cats to the veterinarian, you could have them spayed or neutered. There is an expense involved with this and unfortunately has been a problem with the rural landowner in this forced adoption situation. As we are becoming more aware, there are more spay and neuter clinics coming to assistance and some of these programs are conducting catch and release programs.

Although cats are not native to North America, they are natural in our homes and they are here to stay. The problem is when the cats leave our homes and become feral cats. We don't fully understand the impact that they have on the ecosystem and there are advocacy groups to protect them from "Wildlife Management operations". There are obvious answers and not so obvious answers. The solution will never be cut and dry here in North America.

# posted by Medical Information : 1:45 AM  0 Comments

Yes! Believe it or not you can train your pet cat to do almost anything a cat is physically capable of doing using humane positive reinforcement techniques using a process called Clicker Training.

Clicker Training is a method of training using the scientific principles of Operant Conditioning. Simpler than it sounds, clicker trainers use a plastic box noise maker called a "clicker" to mark the behaviour they want and follow up with a reward, usually a food treat.

By a process known as "shaping", clicker trainers mould their cat's behaviour into the behaviour they want.

Clicker Training can also be used to solve common cat problems such as spraying, scratching, clawing, climbing on kitchen benches and difficulties in administering medication. Clicker Training is a no-force method of training which is ideal for sensitive or no-nonsense animals such as cats.

Some of us, when learning to clicker train, decided to try it on our cats first, so we didn't make any mistakes with our competition dogs. We soon learned that it was impossible to make mistakes that couldn't be easily fixed using this method, unlike with traditional training methods where little mistakes tended to snowball into bigger ones or crop up when we least expected them. What's more, our dogs were having more fun, so were our cats, and so were we!

If you have a cat, or a dog, guinea pig, rabbit, goat, ferret, horse or pig, type "clicker training" into any search engine and discover a whole new world of training possibilities!

# posted by Medical Information : 1:45 AM  0 Comments

Have you ever wondered if your pet cat can learn tricks? Sure! Follow these instructions to teach your cat a simple trick which forms the foundation for a whole range of new tricks.

This trick is known as targetting, and it is the same trick we teach dogs, dolphins and exotic zoo animals. It forms the basis for a number of other tricks from competition obedience, to marine mammal shows, to animal acting on TV, to animal husbandry and veterinary handling.

We simply teach our cat to touch the end of a target stick with his nose. The same target stick can be used to teach a cat to go somewhere for a movie scene, or to stay on the vet's exam table, or to run around an obstacle course!

You will need:
A chopstick or knitting needle
A spoon and a can of your cat's favourite food (for most cats we will just use canned food, but some cats go crazy for plain tuna)
A hungry cat, just before dinner time, who hasn't been fed for several hours.
A clicker, which is a little plastic box noise maker sold at pet stores, alternatively you can make a "cluck" noise with your tongue.

Have a small amount of food on your spoon, hold it away from your cat. Present the target stick (chopstick or blunt end of knitting needle) to your cat for three seconds.

If your cat shows any interest in the target stick, click and let your cat have a lick of the food on your spoon.

If he turns his head, reaches forward, or takes a step towards the target stick, click and let your cat have a lick of food (we will call this "click and treat" from now on.)

Now put the target stick behind your back. Wait a second or two, then re-present it. Again, any interest in the stick gets a click and treat.

Keep doing this until your cat reliably shows interest in the target stick whenever you present it. Remember not to present it for any more than three seconds, then put it away. If your cat starts to walk away from the target, don't click. If he completely loses interest, try again some other time, but make sure you click and treat even the slightest interest shown. It can speed things up to rub just a little food on the end of the stick.

If your cat is reliably showing interest in the target stick, then wait until your cat is actually touching the stick before you click and treat. When he is reliably touching the stick each time you present it, try selectively clicking and treating only the times he touches the end of the stick, anywhere on the last 2 inches.

Now, try moving the stick a little, just half an inch. See if puss will follow the target stick with his nose. Click and Treat if he makes any effort to follow the target stick with his nose.

When he is reliably following the target stick just a little way, try moving it a little further, then a little further. This is a process known as "shaping", where we make the criteria a little harder, bit by bit.

There you have it! Puss is now trained to follow a target stick. You could set up a little obstacle course and run him through it just for fun. Remember to "shape", build up each step piece by piece with lots of clicks and treats for each step along the way.

# posted by Medical Information : 1:44 AM  0 Comments

When people hear the phrase “genetically modified organism” (GMO), They picture fruits, veggies or grain that’s been altered in some way to be cheaper or produced more abundantly. Plant GMOs are usually made with the purpose of solving hunger problems around the world by producing enough food to feed humanity’s exploding population. However, now the term GMO can be applied to something many of us hold dear in our lives…our pets. The company Allerca Pet Lifestyles from California announced last month that they will be selling kittens next year that have been genetically modified to be hypoallergenic. Humans have altered animal genomes for thousands of years through artificial selection (breeding), and even though this new form of genetic tinkering needs to be thoroughly tested before it’s put up for sale, demand is bringing it rushing into the market.

It is hard for one to argue completely against humans altering other animals’ genomes, especially since we’ve already been doing it for much of our history. Diverse breeds of dogs and cats have arisen over the millennia through human efforts of artificial selection. Natural selection created the wild wolves and dogs from which our domesticated friends descended. One could argue that since we’ve already changed animal DNA to fit our desires and needs, there is nothing unethical about genetically modifying today’s pets. It just accomplishes in one generation what usually takes several generations of breeding. It also creates phenotypes that we might never see arise naturally.

One thing that many people agree on is the need for extensive testing before this technology goes to market. The PETA has argued that there is no way of knowing the long-term effects of genetic engineering on a cat’s genome, and they’re right. To date, no such study has been done proving that genetic engineering is completely safe for any animal. In this particular case, scientists have silenced a gene is cats that produces their most common allergen. The gene still exists, but it’s not able to produce it’s protein. What needs to be done is extensive research over many years to study not only the genetically modified individuals but also their offspring.

In spite of this, there seems to be nothing that can slow the tide of selling GMO pets. Proposed bills that would ban their sale failed in California last year. Though many people protest, GMO pets are coming to market. Hopefully there won’t be too much damage done.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:12 AM  0 Comments

Over the past several years, the wild mother cat who has taken up residence in our barn in rural Wisconsin has given me many opportunities to figure out how to tame wild kittens. The mother cat always hides her kittens very well, and then, when they are big enough to leave the nest and are big enough to eat kitty food, she brings them out and expects me to feed them.

When the wild mother cat brings her kittens out of the nest, it is the first time in their lives they have seen a human being, and they tend to be hissing, spitting bits of fluff that really look as though they mean business. And since they already have teeth and claws, I would rather not push the issue. I also would rather not let them remain wild, living in my barn, having kittens of their own. Six kittens, within a year or two, could turn into 56.

As of early 2005, the wild mother cat has had more than 20 kittens in our barn, and I have managed to tame them and to find homes for most of them (unfortunately, several were lost when the wild momma kitty took them out to teach them how to hunt).

Here are some tips for taming wild kittens:

1. Buy some canned kitty food -- In my experience, kittens are always hungry and are always interested in canned kitty food. I have noticed it doesn't matter what brand, just so long as it has fish in it. The smell of fish seems irresistible to kittens.
2. Let the kittens smell the canned kitty food -- Open the can and then try to get as close to them as possible so they can smell the food. Once they get a whiff of it, and this is especially true of younger kittens that are anywhere from four weeks old to a few months old, they will be so interested in the canned kitty food they will forget (somewhat) that you are right next to them.
3. Use a fork (or spoon) to scoop out some of the food and let the kittens eat off the end of the fork (spoon) -- This is an important step. Do NOT put a forkful of food down and then back off. From the very first, hold the fork toward the kitten and let the kitten eat off the end of the fork. Stick to your guns and do not give up. If the kitten wants canned kitty food, the kitten MUST eat it off the end of the fork or the spoon. This is the first step in getting the kitten used to being close to you and in growing accustomed to your hand coming closer. This will be useful later on when you are trying to pet the kittens. After the kitten has eaten food off the end of the fork/spoon, THEN you can put a little food down for the kitten to eat on its own.
4. Repeat step 3 every time you offer the kittens some canned food -- At first, the kittens are going to be cautious about your hand coming toward them. The fork with the food will help to overcome that resistance. After you have done this a couple of times, the kittens will look forward to eating off the fork and will start to lose their fear of you and your hand.
5. Stay right there while the kittens are eating -- After you have put out some canned food for the kittens, stay there and don't move off. Let them eat with you next to them. This will help teach them to associate human beings with "good things."
6. Carefully start to pet the kittens -- After feeding them a couple of times without trying to pet them, which will begin to teach them that they can trust you, put food out and let the kittens start to eat. Then slowly reach down and pet them a little bit. Continue to sit there while they finish eating.
7. Carefully start to pick up the kittens -- After you can successfully put out food and remain there while the kittens eat and can pet them a little bit, try picking up a kitten. If you can, grasp the kitten by the scruff of the neck. This is how mother cats carry their kittens, and when you do this, the kitten will go limp. Hold the kitten against your shoulder and talk softly to it, but don't say "Hi kitten" or anything starting with an "h" sound. To a kitten, this sounds like a cat hissing, and the kitten will become frightened. Hold the kitten for a minute or so and then, grasping it by the scruff of the neck, set it down. After you have done this several times, the kitten will realize that no harms come to it from being picked up and handled.

Depending upon the age of the kittens and basic personality traits, the whole process, from starting with canned kitty food on the fork to being able to pet them and pick them up, could be accomplished in a few days or it might take a few weeks. Eventually, the kittens will know that people mean good things, and when they see you coming, they will come running to meet you. It has been my experience that cats quickly recognize when a situation is to their advantage, and once the kittens know you are a source of good things to eat and that you mean them no harm, they will want to be friends.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:11 AM  0 Comments

Food

Dry food has been a recommended staple diet for cats by many experts for a number of years. It is an easy option to leave a bowl of dry food out constantly; something that cannot be done with tinned food. Unfortunately though, it’s not a natural food source and has been developed by humans using many additives and un-natural products. Cats, like humans, will eat until they fill themselves up. However, dry food has many more calories and carbohydrates than a natural food source, which leads to the cat taking in far more than necessary just to feel full-up. Many owners assume that their cat is just greedy, but in many cases it is not the quantity of food being eaten, it is the quality.

Naturally, cats are obligate carnivores; meaning they only feed on other animals. The cats prey however, are generally herbivorous and have various vegetable and plant matter in their guts. All of which, will be consumed by the cat. Domestic cats have been shown to have longer intestines than wild cats; proving they have evolved over hundreds of years to cope with more plant and vegetable matter (carbohydrates). Still, this is no excuse to turn a carnivore into an omnivore. Rather, supplementing the diet with small amounts of carbohydrates is acceptable.

Many consumers believe that dried food is actually better for cats. The manufacturers have implemented the belief that all these additives such as corn and grains are an important part of a cat’s diet, implying ‘the more the better’ approach. Although very small quantities of these may benefit the cat, too much will be detrimental to their health.

Kidney disease is one of, if not the biggest killer in cats. Kidney disease is usually a result of lack of water and unfortunately, cats have a very low thirst drive. Although they may drink when eating dry food, they will generally only take in half of the liquid necessary for their health. A cat’s prey item consists of around 75% water, canned and raw foods have a similar amount. Dry foods on the other hand usually have a maximum of 10% water content. It is obvious therefore, that canned or raw foods are an absolute must to maintain a healthy cat.

Cats need a high level of protein in their diet which must come from animals. Plant protein differs from meat protein, and should not be substituted. When protein is calculated in canned food, the moisture content must be subtracted from 100 and the protein percentage worked out from the result. For instance, a canned food with 8% protein and 75% water means that the true protein value should be worked out like so:

Non-Moisture Content = 25% so: 8 ÷ 25 x 100 = 32
Therefore: True Protein Value = 32% which is ideal.

The amino acid ‘taurine’ is also an essential part of a cat’s diet, and can only be found in meat products. It is recommended that a quantity of 2000mg/kg or 0.2% should be available in canned food. Other vitamins and minerals should also be included. Preservatives, colouring and added flavours are used more for the customers benefit rather than the cats. If it looks and smells nice to a human, there is a higher chance of them buying it.

There are very few foods on the market which actually have an ideal amount of everything included. Many diets have concentrated on having high a protein and moisture diet with low carbohydrates, but lack in having enough taurine or vitamin B. If this is the case, offering other canned foods on occasion that are better in these areas should be considered. This will also help stop the cat becoming addicted to any 1 food type. Inter-changing the various meats such as beef, chicken and fish will also benefit by offering varying amounts of vitamins, minerals and oils.

Buy quality, not quantity. Most cheap cat foods are cheap for a reason. Avoid buying canned foods that say ‘meat’, ‘by-products’, ‘bone meal’ or ‘animal digest’. Chemical preservatives such as ‘BHA’, ‘BHT’, ‘ethoxyquin’ and ‘propyl gallate’ have been seriously questioned as being detrimental to the health of cats, and should also be avoided. Canned foods are a must for adding much needed calcium into the diet, which is essential for building healthy bones and teeth.

High energy food has been designed for cats with high energy levels. This food will not benefit a cat which sits around all day, in fact in will make the situation worse. High energy foods will not make a less active cat become energetic.

There is a common misconception that canned food is bad for your cat’s teeth, and dry food is good. Unfortunately neither statement is completely true. Neither food types are actually good for the health of teeth. Dry food is hard and crunchy, completely the opposite of what a cat’s teeth are designed to do, which is tear away at meat. I recommend you brush and rinse your cat’s teeth on a regular occasion.

There are two methods to feeding a cat. The first is to leave a bowl of food out all the time. This is obviously done with dry food and not meat. Since we recommend feeding a diet of canned or raw meat, this method is not acceptable and you should opt for the second method. This is to have a feeding regime of 2 to 4 times per day. Feeding this way allows a more controlled amount of food being eaten. You need to decide how many times per day you will feed your cat. The more often the better, but if you are an owner which is out during the day several times a week, it may be better to opt for a twice a day routine. Alternatively, cat feeding dishes which are set on a timer can be purchased and are a good option if you only go out on occasions.

The total amount of canned food your cat should is listed below. It is important to divide this total amount of food up equally among all of its feeds. The chart below is appropriate to cats that are getting their appropriate amount of calorie intake per day, which is approximately 25 calories per pound in weight. This chart is for healthy adult cats weighing approximately 8-10lbs. Not overweight or obese cats.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:10 AM  0 Comments