How do cats get attention from their owner?   We have three cats-each with their own oddity to get love and attention from their owners.    Some of those traits are normaland some are very strange.    I have been around cats all my life and believe me when I say some of the traits cats have are strange.

We were giving a male striped cat whose owner decide to move out for greener pastures and left his two cats behind.  One is really lovable and does strange things to get our attention.   

I was snuggled deep in my covers on a Saturday morning and sleeping in late is one of the things I allow myself on that day.    Monday through Friday I have to set my alarm to get up early for work and on Sunday I have to set my alarm early to go to church.

On this Saturday morning was the first day the late owner was gone.   Feeling Lucky jump on the bed I thought he was going to curl up and go to sleep.  Wrong!

I could feel him creeping up slowly toward my face and then he stopped within inches of my face.  Thinking he had curled up close to me-I shifted slightly to make more room for him.   When all of a sudden I felt his fur brush past my chin and a slight bite on my nose.

Thinking I had imagined the whole thing I choose to ignore it.   I should have at least open my eyes or said his name cause the next bite was a bit harder to get my attention.    This time I did both-open my eyes and said his name in a stern voice.   He sat there looking at me like here I am ready for your loving attention.

I have grown to love this cat with all my heart and honestly wouldn’t trade him for anything.   I know he got his name cause of his nose biting and he was lucky someone didn’t bite him back cause of it.

I dashed home from work, and hurried into the house.  My little girl cats did their usual furry dance under my feet, till I scooped up Zoombini and tucked her into a carrier.

Next, I scooped up Blaze, who let out a mountain-lion caterwaul of outrage and anger when I attempted to stuff her into a carrier.  It took two tries to get her in and the door closed.

Geisha is always such a sweetie.  I decided to get her next, since she is usually tractable and gentle.  Apparently her sister’s outraged cries sent her into a frenzy of panic.  I had planned to put her into the same carrier with her sister, but it was clear that there would be blood and fur flying if I tried that, so I tucked Geisha in with Zoomie.

Toes took to the heights in terror.  She danced along the tops of the books shelves, just out of reach.  When at last she was captured and tucked into the third carrier, she glared at the world with savage green eyes.

All the way to the vet’s office my ladies set up a pitiful wailing.  Their sweet little voices were like the uncomprehending crying of babies.

Once there, the assistant got them weighed in, collars with their names and particulars on them, and settled into cages for the night.  Toes, who had put up such a fight against going into the carrier curled herself into fetal position as the nurse took her out of the carrier to be weighed.

In the meantime, I was kept busy answering general questions about their health, habits, and last meal.  The staff assured me that they had good equipment, the latest techniques and would take good care of my babies.  I still felt a bit sad and worried as I drove home–even though I knew that on Saturday morning I would be retrieving my newly spaed darlings.

At home, Tuxedo cried under the door, his piteous wails matching those of the ladies as the went away to the vet.  We will both be glad when the ladies come home again.

What is this magical creature you ask?

TONKINESE

These cats are the ultimate blend of a cat and a dog, they are loving, loyal and great fun!

Tonkinese have all the qualities people love about cats and dogs, they can be quiet and gentle or loud and boisterous, they are easy to train – can’t say that about your average cat – and will follow you around like a puppy. Tonkinese love nothing more than to be with you, talk to you and play with you, then at the end of a long day of fun, curl up with you and give you a little bit of grooming, including the occasional Tonkinese love bite!

About the Breed

Tonkinese grow to approximately 2 kilograms, they are small and sleek, reaching about 20Cm’s high and 40Cm’s long, and like all cats they are fastidious about cleanliness.

Helpful hints

Tonkinese are very active, they love to play and don’t like to be alone, to keep your new friend out of trouble, and believe me they can get into some! make sure he or she has a friend. the best option is to have 2 of these special creatures, however they will befriend just about anything…other cats, dogs, even birds!

Average Life span is about 10 years, and they are not cheap to purchase $700-$1500 with papers. They come in several colors and it depends where you come from as to what you call the colors, but generally there are – Seal Point (pictured), Blue Point, Silver Point, Gold Point – Point meaning extremities including the face, fade to a darker version of the body colour, they do shed a fair bit so daily grooming is recommended.

These wonderful animals are great for kids and will tolerate almost anything (mine liked to be carried around hanging upside down – go figure?)

Training Tonkinese is easy, they will as with all domestic animals be trained in two ways, with food or with love – usually the former! It doe take some effort, but the novelty of walking your Tonkinese down the street on a leash and then having him jump through hoops for you is well worth the effort!

Do yourself a favour and if you can afford a couple of these little beauty’s, give them a home with lots of room to run (inside of course), lots of things to play with and lots of time with you, whom they will worship like a god! and tell you that loud and clear very often!

Enjoy

The first cat I can remember was named Gadget. I was the one who named him and I named him that after my favorite tv show (a cartoon… I was just a kid at the time), and that show was “Inspector Gadget.”

Gadget (the cat) was a Maine Coon Cat and he had silver and black stripes. He was quite the good hunter, and he lived to be about 20 years old.

When I was about 10 years old my parents got two kittens named Casper and Jasmine. Gadget really didn’t get along with them well, but he especially didn’t get along with Jasmine. Jasmine was an attention stealer and Gadget liked being the center of attention so he didn’t get along well with Jasmine.

As Gadget got older he really didn’t care about getting attention, he just wanted to do what he wanted to do, and he wanted to be fed, and he wanted to be left alone.

I named Jasmine after Princess Jasmine from the movie “Aladdin.”

I named Casper after “Casper the Ghost.” Casper was the quiet type, and she didn’t really get into the battles that Jasmine and Gadget had amongst themselves. She was the friendliest cat I’ve ever known.

I also knew a cat named Shadow, he was one of my grandparents cats, and he had orange stripes and looked like a tiger. Whenever I went to my grandparents house I got to feed him kitty treats and I always thought that was fun for some reason (maybe because kids think anything’s fun).

When Gadget died, Casper and Jasmine started getting into fights.

Than one day we got a new cat, “Little One”, and he looked like Shadow did with his orange stripes.

Little one was a party animal. He loved having fun and that’s all he ever wanted to do.

We only had him for a little while. In the first year we had him we lost both Casper and Jasmine. They went in the woods and never came back.

That meant Jasmine was the last one around. About a year and a half ago my mother got a new cat named “Boomer.” He has grey and white fur, and is very timid. He came from a household where his owners couldn’t care for him properly and it resulted in his “scaredy cat nature.”

He was cooped up indoors for a long time and when that was going on he was very mean, but when he finally got to see the outside world for the first time… he took a turn for the better.

There is one more cat that I know of. I currently am living with my father and his girlfriend who has a cat named “Squirrel.” When you sit at a table to eat, Squirrel will jump right in between you and the back of the chair.

Squirrel looks just like Gadget did.

Sexual Aggression

Male cats, and particularly those who are not neutered, are more apt to bite. It is a behavior that is natural in them as they would fight other males and bite into the females when mating. Neutering a male cat will help. This should be done between 8-10 months of age but each veterinarian may have their own preference of when to do it. It should definitely be done before the cat is one-year-old, but even if done later, neutering can reduce some of the biting behavior, although it will not stop it entirely.

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Early Training

Many people allow kittens, and young cats, to bite their fingers in play. This leads them to thinking that biting is acceptable. In fact some people encourage their kittens, and cats, to play this way. When you teach a kitten that biting is a normal part of play it is a hard thing to unteach. This is a normal step in socialization. When kittens are removed from their mother too young (before 8 weeks), and put with humans who allow biting it will usually stick as a behavior for sometime. Normally mother cats teach kittens not to bite either by getting up and leaving them when they do bite, or by biting them back. In a litter when kittens play too rough with each other they are shunned and the other kittens don’t normally play with them.

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It is not a good idea to punish a biting kitten in the same way the mother cat does, sometimes she has no choice. A human is better off to act like another kitten, and as soon as their kitten starts biting, put it down and leave. Play time has ended. Eventually the kitten will learn that if it bites, the fun is over. This can be done to adult cats as well. Do not even offer toys at this time because you are continuing play. Instead wait a while and then resume play with toys, or resume patting.

Remember kittens do need a certain amount of play, be sure to provide a variety of toys and rotate them often. This means hide some in the cupboard and switch them every few weeks to encourage interest. Cats like toys they think are new.

Incorrect Handling

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Some people, particularly children, do not handle their cats, or kittens, correctly. Naturally the animals response is to bite. Children should learn to carry their pets by supporting them from underneath. They should be told that if it squirms it needs to be put down (not dropped). In this way the cat is not pushed to the point it bites to be set free. Children should be taught that when the cat is sleeping it should be left alone. This will help them avoid getting bitten by a startled cat.

Declawing

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Finally it must be noted that a common side effect from declawing is that the cat becomes a nervous biter. This is considered a reaction due to the fact that these cats often develop a heightened “Flight or Fight” response. It is actually a survival response. Animals in weakened condition often put on shows of strength to avoid being targeted. Cats are no different. They either run, to avoid being attacked, or put on displays of aggression to demonstrate that they are not weak or defenseless. In declawed cats this means they are more apt to bite.

Declawed cats will seem to overreact and will bite at the slightest provocation.

Related Links

Declawing Cats

To Neuter or Not to Neuter Cats

Naughty Kittens

Rabies:  What Happens if you are Bit

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 Male                                          Female

1.Max                                         Sassy

2.Sam                                        Misty

3.Tigger                                     Missy

4.Tiger                                       Princess

5.Sooty                                      Samatha

6.Smokey                                   Kitty

7.Lucky                                      Puss

8.Patch                                      Fluffy

9.Simba                                     Molly

10.Smudge                               Daisy

11.Oreo                                    Ginger

12.Milo                                      Midnight

13.Oscar                                   Precious

14.Oliver                                   Maggie

15.Buddy                                  Lucy

16.Boots                                   Cleo

17.Harley                                  Whiskers

18.Gizmo                                  Chloe

19.Charlie                                Sophie

20.Toby                                    Lily

These are the most popular cat names in America.My favorite male cat name is Boots, the name just sounds cool for a cat.My favorite female cat name is Misty, the rest are nice, but Misty sounds more like a cat name.Some people still get surprise that Max is number one for males, I guess the majority of the people dont know that Max is not only a dog name, but also a cat name.It’s more often to see a guy with a dog rather than a cat, and it’s more often to see a girl with a cat rather than a dog.It’s funny how we humans have our favorite domestic animals.Please feel free to leave a comment on this article, you can put the name of your cat just to see how many cat names we get on this article.Cats have way more patience than dogs, dogs are always unpatient.Cats are more smarter and quiet than dogs, they think before making a move.I love how a cat always pees and poops at the same spot, a dog doesn’t do that.Cats have more swagger than dogs, they always keep their cool, the majority of dogs are always hyper.Cats are born self discipline, and you have to train a dog to become discipline.Sometimes I guess I wish I had a cat, because they’re so peaceful.A dog is very loyal but sometimes he gets too crazy where I can’t control him any more.It would be amazing if there’s a cat the size of a dog, I would definitely buy one.I love both domestic pets I just love them differently.Like I said before, please to all my readers please leave a comment don’t be scared, please feel free.The last thing I’m going to say about cats is that their very intelligent pets, their skull is little but their brains is big, it’s amazing the patience they have for hunting, I’ve seen how they wait for hours, very cool.Thank you for checking out this article, like always it’s your friend Spectacular from Triond.com, peace.

Too, Too Much

Your kitty ate too much. Or perhaps your kitty ate too fast. We humans do this to ourselves, too (often at Thanksgiving). Sometimes your cat may just get a bit greedy at the food bowl. A possible solution to resolve this problem is to try sticking to a regular schedule of 3-5 feedings of small meals daily.

Hairball

If you were covered with fur and you cleaned yourself with your own tongue, it would be understandable for you to get hairballs, too. Possible solution: shave your cat. Okay, maybe not. But it wouldn’t hurt to regularly brush your cat to help rid him of some of that fur.

Image by Wm Jas via Flickr

What Are You Feeding Him?

Your cat may have a food intolerance. Have you changed his diet recently or fed him some “human food”? It’s very possible your cat ate something that he is having a hard time digesting. For example, did you know onions are a big no-no? Here’s a list of 7 foods you should never feed your kitty. Solution: Change back to their regular cat chow and stop feeding him table scraps. 

Pot Head

Is your cat getting his paws on grass? On some weed? I’m talking about your lawn. Cats that are let outside often enjoy nibbling on a little grass now and then. Even indoor cats may find your lovely houseplants a delicious afternoon snack. Cats will eat grass either because they find it tasty or because they are actually trying to induce vomiting. They may want to throw up to help them deal with fur before it turns into a fur ball or to rid themselves of bones and other bits of a mouse they had for a nighttime snack. Solution: Don’t worry about it. As long as this isn’t all that common, your cat is probably vomiting for “good” reasons.

Not the Gummy Kind

Unfortunately cats get worms. Parasites. These little buggers can cause your cat to vomit. Just take a little look into that little mess he’s made. If you see any little white squirmy things, than your cat probably has intestinal parasites. Solution: Get your cat some worming medicine.

The truth is, cats vomit. And for the most part there’s not much you can do or need to do. Just make sure you’ve got a good spot remover for carpets. Just be thankful you didn’t get a dog that needs to be let out every morning at dawn to do his business. Cat owners need to take the good with the bad.

*This article should be considered a basic overview of common causes, but if your cat is vomiting often and over a long period of time, or if you notice other health issues, you should seek veterinary care.

There are many behaviors that your cat does not understand and think he’s crazy, this is because we see the cats from a human standpoint, but for them proves to be a perfectly normal behavior.

Behaviors your kitten

Sure you can name at least a few behaviors you have your kitten may seem somewhat strange or even crazy. Maybe your cat runs around the house late at night, trying to catch rays of light, shadows attacking or chasing its tail. Maybe your cat likes to hit you in the head from the top of a bookcase or stalk your ankles from under furniture or perhaps gets very anxious without reason. Your kitten has become completely mad?

Probably not, says Sarah Wilson, animal behavior consultant and co-author of Good Owners, Good Cats. “Most of the time when owning a cat think it is going crazy, is that they are looking at the cat from a human perspective,” he says. “But from the viewpoint of a cat, these behaviors are completely normal.”

The Dr. John C. Wright, animal behavior specialist and author of: This crazy your cat?, Says that often when cats act weird, it’s because they are reacting to stimuli that humans can not hear or see or smell. “The senses of a cat let you experience things that we do not experience and so can see things as dust particles, we can not see, and when they hit with their paws in the air trying to reach them, we think they are hallucinating” .

Although cats can not tell us they do what they do, the reason may be quite clear to specialists. But sometimes the experts can only guess based on research by a cat does what he does.

“Sometimes the behavior specialists can infer why cats do certain things from the knowledge of normal behavior in a natural setting. And whether biological or social sense in terms of who can adapt, then we can say that That is the reason that, “says Wright. It adds that for every behavior can be multiple explanations for a cat does what it does depending on the personality of the animal and the context or situation where you are.

If you own a kitten, understand that your cat is behaving the way they do in various situations will help you determine the best way to respond to your cat under the circumstances. It also can help you better understand your cat like creature that is fascinating.

Then list some likely explanations from experts on feline behavior.

For your cat ?…….

1 .- Move your legs against your abdomen and drools.

When a cat gets its paws against its owner’s body, rhythmically pushes or pulls with his claws, it is called “kneading”.

“Cats knead to be comfortable,” says Wilson. The kittens small breasts push against her mother to get milk down, and then salivate when they are feeding. Even after it has already grown, adult cats can do this with a human, as did small with his mother. ” The area where the cat kneads, in most cases the legs of its owner, the cat can remember his mother’s tummy.

2 .- He rubs his head against you.

Your cat has scent glands under their skin on her chin and around his eyes, and when you rub against your face, you are entering with their smell and saying that you are hers. “It is a marking behavior as a sign of great affection,” says Joanne Howl, DVM, author of The Life of your Cat. “When a cat rubs his cheek against you, you is leaving his facial pheromones, which are” hormone of happiness. “Cats do this when they feel happy and at peace.

3 .- They take water from a leaky faucet.

Even as much water can you provide your cat on your plate, you may prefer to jump on the toilet and drinking water from a leaky faucet. Andrea Dorn, a researcher at Iowa State University, says there are two possible reasons for this. “First, the tap water is always cooler” and second, “Cats love a challenge, especially cats that are living inside alone while people are working. Therefore take away the boredom.”

4 .- “cover” his food dish.

Your cat could make the move in the air as if plugging their meal with something. “This may be the way your cat is telling you he does not like the food we gave him,” says Wilson.

IRENE NOTE: My cat does this too Pippen, but not only does the movement in the air, but they cover their plates of food with all objects within its reach. But … this just makes when in addition to serving food in croquettes, I serve a little tin, food tin Pippen likes, but can eat much less and more croquettes, so there is always more canned food in plate. My particular view is that you do not like leaving the dish uncovered for canned food smells much stronger and attracts ants, I think this may come from the behavior of wild cats, to leave food uncovered can attract predators or competition for food.

5 .- Play with a dead mouse.

Long after your cat has killed a mouse can continue attacking. “possibly the cat does not want to end the fun,” says Nicholas Dodman, director of Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University. “Even if a cat has killed its prey, you can wave it in the air, jumping over or beat around the house. It’s almost as if the cat wished that the animal still alive so he could to continue the chase.”

6 .- He bites himself.

Some cats will bite and scratch to the point where they cause injury throughout the body. “Cats are biting themselves to relieve the itching,” said Howl, “do not realize that the bite or scratch will give only temporary relief. If your cat is biting or scratching yourself you should take him to a veterinarian to find the cause of itching.

7 .- makes sounds with his teeth while watching the birds.

The cat who sits by the window and looks attentively at the birds or a squirrel outside sounds while ago with his teeth and his tail moves is exhibiting predatory behavior. “Your cat is practicing some bite to the neck designed to kill a rodent or a bird without struggle, and I could be excited or frustrated when he sees prisoners who can not reach out.”

8 .- Take sand from inside your sandbox.

When it comes to using the litter box, cats are very careful and neglected cats. “the most neglected are set to dig,” says Wright. “They can dig in their arenite and if they like, as much digging, pulling arenite the box.”

9 .- Play in the toilet.

There are several theories about why some cats love to play in the toilet. Some speculate that cats seek to go “fishing” because they move their legs making a movement as if to catch a fish. In other cats simply intrigued water. “Some cats are fascinated by how the light reflects off the water and the little whirlpool that forms when you pull the lever on the toilet.”

10 .- cover the area around the litter box instead of inside the sandbox.

Sometimes cats go outside their sandbox after relieving oneself and scratch the floor around the litter box instead of digging in the sandbox. “the cat is telling you he does not like how it feels its arenite, so this going through the motions as if covering something, without having to touch the sand,” said Howl.

11 .- Te lame.

If your cat licks hair, face or fingers, is trying to wash up. “It’sa great compliment,” says Dodman. “means that the cat has a bond with you, because cats only to other cats asean with whom they have ties, like a mother to their children or siblings to their siblings.

12 .- You eat your plants.

Some cats seem irresistible and bite your plants leaves. While this behavior is annoying to the owners, the cat is not chewing on plants to kill them. “Even when cats are carnivores and need meat taurine in order to survive, they need green plants because they help your digestion. The cats eat mostly living plants inside the house as a source of plant material they need. But because many plants are poisonous, you should plant something for them. ” Christine Church says feline behavior specialist.

13 .- It attacks your ankles.

The cat that jumps from behind a door or furniture to scratch and bite the ankles of his owner is developing predatory games. This is especially common in cats who spend all day alone and have no other way to burn off excess energy. “Many cats have strong predatory needs and can not develop inside the house, so I get bored.” Says Wilson. “They start to hide under the chairs and attacking your ankles as you pass.

14 .- Rasguña glass windows with their paws.

Some cats will sit on the window and touch the glass with their paws when they see another cat or birds. “It’s frustration with barriers,” says Dodman. “There is something that prevents them from being out with the animals they would like to achieve, and when scratched the window, are testing how strong is the barrier.”

15 .- They run around the house at midnight.

Very late at night when you are trying to sleep, your cat may run through the house, throwing things in its path and making noise. While this behavior seems crazy from the human point of view, “for cats, the night is the time you hunt,” said Howl. If you have a young cat that has been left alone all day, will be more inclined to this type of nocturnal activities, probably because sleep all day while you’re out and decides that the middle of the night is the right time to play.

16 .- Jump on a paper bag and play within it.

Johnson says that cats use paper bags, boxes and closets as places to hide where they can look out and see the situation before you start the hunt. It might be that it’s fun.

17 .- Sitting on your newspaper while you read.

If your cat sits on your newspaper while you’re reading, Dodman said that maybe it’s because he likes the texture of the paper. But it is also possible that trying to change your behavior, so that you pay attention to the newspaper instead.

18 .- Sucks and chew your wool.

Some cats develop a habit of sucking and chewing clothes, blankets, rugs, curtains and other objects. This happens more often in Siamese and other Oriental races. “Very often when weaned too early to kittens and nursing oral compulsion of the mother was not satisfied, then find something to suck, like a wool sweater or other clothing and then progress to chewing. Some cats outgrow this behavior, but in others it becomes a deeply ingrained habit that is difficult to manage. ”

19 .- unroll toilet paper.

Just having fun. It is very rewarding for a cat controlling their environment and way of doing this is to see how this thing goes round and round because of something he is doing, and if the owner heard the commotion and comes running to see what happens, the fun is twofold, because now he has also gotten into the game.

20 .- plunges his toys in his water dish.

Your cat may drop his toy mouse in his water dish because he thinks there will be safe. “In the wild, cats take their prey from their burrows to be safe. For the domestic cat, the plates of food and water are considered safe areas.” Says Johnson.

21 .- Lame or chewing plastic bags.

Some cats enjoy licking or chewing the sandwich bags of bread, vegetables and transparent to the supermarket. Experts think that is a derivation of the wool sucking. They speculate that there is a smell in the bags they like cats, or maybe it’s the texture of the bag that feels good against your little tongue.

22 .- Drag his butt on the floor.

If your cat dragging his butt across the carpet, usually means that you have a problem there. It can be something mild like dried feces stuck to his hair, but may also be some intestinal parasites or anal glands are impacted or full. Check your cat to see if it is dirty in that part and if not, take him to the vet.

23 .- Suddenly you or scratch you when you’re stroking hisses.

This is because as you stroke it for longer than you like. So you can bite, sisearte or rasguñarte to let you know that you want no more caresses.

24 .- Accumulate small objects.

Some cats love to collect jewelry or some other small bright objects belonging to its owner. They have these items somewhere in the house where the collect. Munchkin cats are much given to this. Nobody knows that but speculation is a type of predatory behavior. In nature, cats hunt their food and can lead to somewhere safe to consume. At home, where there is no real prey, cats sometimes small toys or objects together and take them to a special place. This behavior mimics natural predatory behavior and probably meet some other major unmet need.

25 .- Walk and meows.

Your cat can sit in front of an open window or walking to and fro along a corridor meowing. There can be many causes. Some cry when something hurts or are frustrated. If you have an intact cat may need a couple. If you have an intact male may have smelled a cat in heat, or it may be that your cat is smelling or listening to some cat from outside and agitating. The only way to know the cause of the meowing is to see the context in which the cat is behaving well.

I walked into the laundry room and wondered why I had left a mound of blue sheets clumped on top of the washer.  “Ah,” I said aloud when pulled at the fabric. 

There was a body inside that clump of sheets buried deep so that you couldn’t even see his head. This is one of Neal’s favorite things, warm clothes, just out of the dryer.  His very favorite is warm towels probably because towels get hotter than regular clothes.
  
I’ll have to wash the sheets again, but who cares.  A friend of mine said recently that she had seen a sign that said: “This house in maintained for the comfort of the cat.”  Yep, that’s our house.

We have a kitty climber/platform in our bedroom, (doesn’t everyone?).  It’s just the perfect home decorator touch, all the rage on Home and Garden Television.  It is one of those carpeted affairs.  It has a carpeted square on the floor, two poles sticking up, a carpeted tunnel about a foot off the ground attached to the two poles.  A foot higher is a platform where one or perhaps two (if they got along) cats could lay.  Then another foot and a half higher is the most prized level, a platform for the “High-Kitty.”  Between the top two platforms, there is a rope covered pole and a ball hanging from the highest to the next highest platform.  In short, this is a little piece of kitty heaven.   

Downstairs there are sheets over all the furniture so the cats can snooze anywhere they please.  For the comfort of the cats, we live like we belong in a Gypsy camp. 

Neal has special food for his urinary tract infections.  So, he has his own tray on the bar counter, complete with placemat, dry Eukanuba, wet food (with all the gravy) and fresh, and I mean fresh water.  Neal is a water connoisseur.  If the water is more than a few hours old, he won’t drink it.  If it comes out of the faucet, he won’t drink it.  He has to have water out of the fridge, cold and filtered.  If he doesn’t have this kind of water, he promptly turns over my glass of ice water just to remind me.
 
Even though we have a fairly large house and four screened in porches (screened in I might add because of the cats) they still want to go outside.  Well, actually, it’s that they DEMAND to go outside.  We even went to the expense of having an enormous $5000 cat enclosure built off the back of the house, fifteen feet tall, with no roof so the birds can get in.  Do they use it?  No.  They stand at the front door and look at us like we have lost our minds if we try to get them to go on the back porch and out into the kitty enclosure.  “Kitty enclosures?  What fun is that?  Can’t smell a damn thing in a kitty enclosure.”

Caring For Your Elderly Cat

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats are considered as being old at the age of only seven years. This may seem to you as being only a kitten, but you shouldn’t think of your pet’s age in terms of human years. When your cat is 7, she is actually closer to 45 years old. And, at 15 years, she would be closer to 78. Remember, your cat is totally dependent on you to care for her. With proper care, your cat can lead a long and healthy life.

Special Needs for Older Cats

Older cats can develop many of the same problems that affect older people. These problems include arthritis, kidney and urinary tract disease, diabetes, cancer, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, liver disease, and senility.

Annual exams are important for cats of any age. With older cats, exams every six months can help to catch problems before they become serious. Remember, your cat will age faster than you do, so waiting a full year to have an examination is like waiting four years to your cat!

Proper diet and water are essential for your cat’s health at any age, but even more so as he gets older. It isn’t necessary to feed him a formula designed for older cats, as long as you make sure he is getting the correct proportions. An older cat does not need as much food as a younger one. Supplement his meals with vitamins and nutrients to help maintain optimum health.

Your cat may be older, but that doesn’t mean he no longer requires exercise. It is very important that you keep her active to keep her body in good condition. Indoor cats are especially at risk to becoming overweight. Encourage her to play a little every day, and stop her if you see she is getting tired or irritable. A gentle massage after she plays will help to improve circulation and relax sore muscles and joints.

A healthy diet also helps maintain proper dental health. Many of the commercially-prepared foods for cats contain ingredients that can cause tartar buildup on your cat’s teeth. Consult your veterinarian on what you should, and shouldn’t, feed him. Raw vegetables, such as carrots, are a good choice, as they will help keep his teeth clean.

Your cat may experience some memory loss as she ages. Playing with her will slow the process. She will need a wide assortment of toys, as cats tend to tire of their toys rather quickly. This is even more important if your cat spends a lot of time indoors.

Twice-yearly checkups by your veterinarian are extremely important in older cats. Some problems associated with age, such as cancer, kidney disease, and diabetes may not show symptoms until the disease is too advanced to be successfully treated. Pay attention to any unusual behavior you see in your cat, and let your vet know about them.

Conclusion

Watch for signs of impending problems as your cat ages, such as unusual behavior or lethargy, changes in weight or appetite, or increased urination or thirst. If you have any doubt about your cat’s health, please seek the advice of a veterinarian. Also, give your cat all the love and attention he deserves. It is widely believed that positive emotions have a beneficial effect on physical and mental health.