Feline Pine Forums

handcreams and anti-bacterial stuff

2010-01-16T20:08:50Z

Hi!!, I´ve a question that has been bother me since a while. In my home, all my family use all the time a anti-bacterial soap with a anti-bacterial gel, and my mother and I use a lot of handcream, so my kitty smell good all the time, because we can´t avoid touch him when he is close to us. This is bad for my cat? the chemicals from de handcream and ati-bacterial gel could damage the skin from my cat?

thanks,
lcnavac

To declaw or not??

2008-03-07T15:07:48Z

Hello everyone.

This is a very touchy subject for most cat people, but, without giving my thoughts, what do you all think?? You all have cats or know people that have cats and I would like a wide range of answers. In a week or so I´ll post my thoughts unless there´s a lot coming in.

Thanks.

Panting Cat

2009-06-20T21:54:01Z

I think my 14 month old cat pants too easily. He pants within a few minutes after playing. This afternoon, I was doing laundry, which is in a seperate building about 20 feet away from my patio door. I walked to the laundry room to switch loads and as usual, Courage started to howl on the top of his lungs like he always does when I leave the house. I switched loads (took less than five minutes) and walked back home. Courage wasn’t howling when I left the building. Anyway, when I walked in the door, he was sitting their panting. He pants after I throw his ball down the hallway a couple times (not a very long hallway either) then sits down and pants for a couple seconds with his mouth open. My husband has been a smoker since he was a teenager - he is now 53 years old. Sometimes Courage will pant before Terry becomes winded when they are chasing each other up and down the hallway. The only time he pants is when we are playing or he is upset over something, like me leaving the house without him.

I brought this up to our vet who said he doesn’t think I have anything to worry about because his heart sounded normal when he was there for a complete physical. Nothing out of the ordinary was found in his blood and urine analysis other than his BUN level was 35. That was more than likely from the fact that he had the complete checkup before he was due to be neutered. He hadn’t eaten since the day before plus he was stressed over being at the clinic, having strangers handle him. They checked the gravity for his urine which was fine. Liver enzymes were normal.

I don’t know much about his background because we found him abandoned at a wayside rest area, crying his head off. I do not think he was born feral because he wasn’t that hard to catch, when I did catch him, he didn’t try to fight me, and he had no problems eating from a dish and drinking from a bowl. His eyes were in the process of changing from their baby blue color to his green with a gold band. After we got home with him, someone mentioned he looked like a Norwegian Forest Cat, so I did a google search for catteries in the state we found him in and sure enough, there was a NFC cattery about 10-15 miles from the wayside rest area we found him at. When I checked out their website, they have a picture of a stud cat that was born there in 2004. If you hold a picture of that cat up and a picture of Courage, they literally look like the same cat. The website said all their kittens tested negative for HCM.

So I started thinking about why Courage was left there. First case senerio: The website said they are willing to drive to the borders of the state to meet potential buyers. My first guess is that they had a few kittens with them for a buyer to look at and Courage got loose and ran to hide in the thorny patch I found him in. They either didn’t want to wade through the thorns to grab him or ran out of time chasing him. They sell their kittens $600 for a pet or $800 for a show cat with breeding rights. Even if they see cats as property, I wouldn’t think they would just leave him there. Then I had a horrible thought that maybe Courage did test positive for HCM and rather than say anything about it, they dumped him at the wayside rest area, pacifying themselves with the thought that he is so cute, someone will take him or he will do his part for the local eco system and become coyote lunch.

He isn’t lethargic or anything like that although he does sleep alot. Courage’s sleep schedule is he is usually up by 5am, takes a nap from 9am - 12pm then takes another nap from 3pm - 6pm, then goes to bed with us at midnight. I think he is there the entire night because when I get up in the middle of the night, he is always in bed sleeping.

If he had HCM or any other kind of heart problem, would there be more signs other than panting for a few minutes after a a couple runs up and down the hallway?

Trying to Find Kitten Food

2008-11-17T13:50:56Z

I am so frustrated with trying to find a decent canned kitten food…apparently nobody in this town cares what their kitten eats because the best kitten food I can find is Science Diet…which has a lot of fillers. We have four different store chains and they all carry the same garbage. What is the point of having four stores if the inventory is all the same??? Anyway, I ordered Felidae canned cat food online…bought half a case to start with. I was wondering if anybody here feeds it to their kitten/cat and if their cats like it?

Oozy eye

2008-03-08T15:25:13Z

My 5 year old Tohuw has an oozy eye. It’s been like that since they day we found him on the middle of the highway. Vets have never been able to tell me what is causing it, they just say that as long as he is able to take care of it by cleaning and it doesn’t affect his vision that I shouldn’t worry about it. It’s basically eye boogers except they’re dark brown. He is fairly healthy so I don’t think it’s indicative of anything, I was just curious if anyone else had experienced this. I have lots of friends with cats and none of them have.
Thanks for any info you might have

What You Should Know about Flea and Tick Products

2008-03-11T01:40:09Z

Protecting your pet from fleas and ticks is an important part of caring for your pet responsibly. Although there are many brands of over-the-counter flea and tick products available at supermarkets and pet supply stores, it is critical to read their labels, and consult with your veterinarian, before using them on your companion. These products may contain ingredients that could harm pets and children.

In November 2000, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report called Poisons on Pets: Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products. The report demonstrated a link between chemicals commonly used in flea and tick products and serious health problems.

The Chemicals

The ingredients to be wary of are organophosphate insecticides (OPs) and carbamates, both of which are found in various flea and tick products. A product contains an OP if the ingredient list contains chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon, or malathion. If the ingredient list includes carbaryl or propoxur, the product contains a carbamate. According to the NRDC, the potential dangers posed by these products are greatest for children and pets. There is reason to be concerned about long-term, cumulative exposures as well as combined exposures from the use of other products containing OPs and carbamates.

The Products

The NRDC’s report lists flea- and tick-control products marketed under the following major brand names that have been found to contain OPs: Alco, Americare, Beaphar, Double Duty, Ford’s Freedom Five, Happy Jack, Hartz, Hopkins, Kill-Ko, Protection, Rabon, Riverdale, Sergeant’s, Unicorn, Vet-Kem, Victory, and Zema. To protect their pets and children, consumers should consult with a veterinarian before purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) products.

The Effects

According to the NRDC, there are studies that show OPs and carbamates can harm the nervous system. Children can be especially vulnerable because their nervous systems are still developing. For pets, the data is limited, but according to NRDC, many companion animals appear to have been injured or killed through exposure to pet products containing OPs. Cats are particularly vulnerable, since they often lack enzymes for metabolizing or detoxifying OPs and can ingest OPs by licking their fur.

What about the EPA?

Each year, millions of Americans purchase over-the-counter flea and tick products believing that they couldn’t be sold unless they were proven safe. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not begin to review pet products for safety until 1996. There is a substantial backlog of products waiting to be tested, so many pet products containing potentially harmful pesticides still make their way onto store shelves.

Last year, after reaching an agreement with manufacturers, the EPA announced that the OP chlorpyrifos—also known as Dursban—would be on a fast track for a phase-out. A second OP, diazinon, is also on the way out. An agreement between the EPA and manufacturers set the phase out at December 2002 for indoor-use products (including flea and tick products) and December 2003 for all lawn, garden, and turf products.

Reducing the Risks

The HSUS recommends the following precautions be taken to reduce the risks to pets and humans during the flea season:

Use alternatives to pesticides to control fleas and ticks: Comb your pet regularly with a flea comb, vacuum frequently and dispose of the bags immediately after use, mow areas of the lawn where your dog spends time, wash pet bedding weekly, and wash your pet with a pesticide-free pet shampoo. In addition, to protect cats from fleas and ticks, as well as a host of other outdoor hazards, cats should be kept indoors at all times.

Always consult a veterinarian before buying or using any flea or tick control product on your pet.

Never use flea and tick products designed for dogs on your cat, or vice versa.

Remember never to apply pesticides to very young, elderly, pregnant, or sick animals unless directed to do so by a veterinarian.

Always read the ingredients, instructions, and warnings on the package thoroughly.

Avoid OP-based products by looking for any of these active ingredients: chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon and malathion. Avoid products with carbamates by looking for the chemical names carbaryl and propoxur on the label.

Consider using a product with insect-growth regulators (IGRs), which are not pesticides. These will prevent the next generation of fleas but will not kill insects already on your pet. Common and effective IGR products include those made with lufenuron (found in Program® and Sentinel® and available by prescription), methoprene (in Precor®), and pyriproxyfen (in Nylar® and EcoKyl®).

You might want to consider several relatively new topical products, available through veterinarians, that are insecticides designed to have fewer toxic effects on the nervous systems of mammals: imidacloprid (found in Advantage®), fipronil (in Frontline® or Top Spot®), and selamectin (in Revolution™).

All information from http://www.hsus.org

Finding a canned food my cats will eat

2008-10-03T23:36:51Z

i have two neutered males, Puck, 12 yo and Hazel, 11mo. Puck used to be an indoor/outdoor cat and Hazel has not been outside since i found him dumped in snowbank at about 4wks old. now both are exclusively indoor cats. After a year of being inside though, Puck has ballooned to 18lbs and i do not want Hazel to go in that direction, too. after research, i switched to Purina Pro Plan weight maintenance kibble (free fed) since it was high in protein and a couple of tablespoons of Purina canned twice a day. i recently started using feline pine litter and after reading the forums and articles on the website, i am changing foods for the guys. however, they HATE both Evo and Wellness canned food that Dr Gaspar suggested. they will eat the Fancy Feast chunky turkey, but are not crazy about it. they will eat the Evo kibble, but again are not crazy over it, either. i have stopped filling the bowl with kibble, attributing the weight gain to boredom eating; i have fed about 1/4 cup in the last 3 or 4 days. also, they always have fresh water.
my vet would like to see Puck lose weight, however he did not seem that concerned over it, since Puck is a naturally large cat. the two of them do play together, so both are getting exercise, although not as much as if they were outside in the woods.
so, a few questions: since i am not sure if they get bored with only one flavor, if the guys will only eat Fancy Feast chunky turkey ( i am unable to find chunky chicken in my area), is it okay that that is all they eat, along with a bit of kibble? is the Purina Pro Plan kibble i was feeding too crummy a diet? i know i cannot starve them into submission, but how long do i hold out before going back to the canned food i know they will eat? how much weight loss is okay over how long of a span of time?
i welcome any suggestions.

Two Special Needs Cats

2008-07-14T09:15:21Z

I have one 13 yr old cat who cannot eat grains. He breaks out around his mouth, under his chin and up the face into the areas of his ears. He had an allergic reaction (vomiting and diarrhea) to a ground corn litter.
But eliminating corn did not completely clear up his face. He is doing well on grain free dry food that is expensive because I have to get it from the internet stores.
The 16 yr old cat is on medication for congestive heart failure and he requires weekly IV infusions for renal failure and of course, he is on the r-d food (also dry and expensive) from the vet.
I have never fed my cats canned food as I thought it would be higher in carbs and bad for their teeth.
I add water to the bowls of the dry foods so that they get adequate intake.
I was feeding them organic foods (also dry) but cannot get organic special foods and I figure they would be astronomical in price.
My question is, can I feed them canned food and meet their special needs?

options for long nails

2008-04-21T18:21:25Z

Anyone have any advise??? My 2 yr old little girl kitty was found when she was about 4 or 5 months old; she obviously didn’t have much time in a litter. She watches my male kitty (also now 2 & both fixed) and has copied much of his habits, HOWEVER.. the little dear doesn’t know how to retract her claws. She doesn’t scratch the furniture, has plenty of toys and stimulation; she doesn’t like to be held let alone get her nails trimmed, I can get them done two at a sitting if I’m lucky. As they are strickly inside pets there’s limited availability to “wear” them down and she will inadvertantly scratch or poke people. any advice out there???

Allergies to Pets

2008-03-11T01:35:09Z

Being a pet owner is never easy. While pets bring us joy and companionship on a daily basis, they also require training, veterinary care, time, love, attention, and even tolerance. Tolerance is especially necessary when a pet owner is allergic to his or her companion animal.
Studies show that approximately 15 percent of the population is allergic to dogs or cats. An estimated one-third of Americans who are allergic to cats (about two million people) live with at least one cat in their household anyway. In a study of 341 adults who were allergic to cats or dogs and had been advised by their physicians to give up their pets, only one out of five did. What’s more, 122 of them obtained another pet after a previous one had died. It’s clear the benefits of pet companionship outweigh the drawbacks of pet allergies for many owners. Living comfortably with a companion animal despite being allergic to him requires a good understanding of the allergic condition and an adherence to a few rules.

All cats and dogs are allergenic (allergy-causing) to people who are allergic to animals. Cats tend to be more allergenic than dogs for allergic people, although some people are more sensitive to dogs than cats. Contrary to popular belief, there are no “non-allergenic” breeds of dogs or cats; even hairless breeds may be highly allergenic.
Dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair—the Poodle or the Bichon Frise, for example—may be less irritating to some individuals, although this may be because they are bathed and groomed more frequently. One dog or cat of a particular breed may be more irritating to an individual allergy sufferer than another animal of that same breed.

The source of irritation to pet-allergic humans? Glands in the animal’s skin secrete tiny allergy-triggering proteins, called allergens, that linger in the animal’s fur but also float easily in the air. Allergens are present in the animal’s saliva and urine, too, and may become airborne when saliva dries on the fur. The severity of reaction to these allergens varies from one person to the next, ranging from mild sniffling and sneezing to life-threatening asthma, and can be complicated by simultaneous allergies to other irritants in the environment.

If your or a family member’s allergies are simply miserable, but not life-threatening, take these steps to reduce the symptoms:

Create an “allergy free” zone in the home—preferably the bedroom—and strictly prohibit the pet’s access to it. Use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner (available at almost any home and garden store or discount department store) in the bedroom. Consider using impermeable covers for the mattress and pillows because allergen particles brought into the room on clothes and other objects can accumulate in them.

Use HEPA air cleaners throughout the rest of the home, and avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains and blinds and carpeted floors. Clean frequently and thoroughly to remove dust and dander, washing articles such as couch covers and pillows, curtains, and pet beds. Use a “microfilter” bag in the vacuum cleaner to effectively catch all the allergens.

Bathing your pet on a weekly basis can reduce the level of allergens on fur by as much as 84 percent. Although products are available that claim to reduce pet allergens when sprayed on the animal’s fur, studies show they are less effective than a weekly bath. Even cats can become accustomed to being bathed; check with your veterinarian’s staff or a good book on pet care for directions about how to do this properly, and use whatever shampoo your veterinarian recommends.

Don’t be quick to blame the family pet for allergies. Ask your allergist to specifically test for allergies to pet dander, rather than making an assumption. And understand that allergies are cumulative. Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to more than one allergen. So if you’re allergic to dust, insecticides, pollen, cigarette smoke, and cat dander, you’ll need to reduce the overall allergen level in your environment by concentrating on all of the causes, not just the pet allergy. For example, you may need to step up measures to remove cat dander from your home and carefully avoid cigarette smoke during spring, when it is difficult to avoid exposure to pollen.

Immunotherapy (allergy shots) can improve symptoms but cannot eliminate them entirely. They work by gradually desensitizing a person’s immune system to the pet allergens. Allergy-causing proteins are injected under the person’s skin, triggering the body to produce antibodies (protective proteins) which block the pet allergen from causing a reaction. Patients are usually given one dose per week for a few weeks to months (depending on the severity of the allergy) and then can often manage with one injection per month.

Additional treatments for allergies to pets are symptomatic, including steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills. For asthma, there are multiple medications, sprays, and inhalers available. It is important to find an allergist who understands your commitment to living with your pet. A combination of approaches—medical control of symptoms, good housecleaning methods, and immunotherapy—is most likely to succeed in allowing an allergic person to live with pets.

Of course, if you do not currently have a pet and are considering one, and know you are pet-allergic, be sure to consider carefully whether you can live with the allergy before you bring a new pet home. Except in the case of children, who sometimes outgrow allergies, few allergy sufferers become accustomed to pets to whom they are allergic. Too many allergic owners obtain pets without thinking through the difficulties of living with them. And too often, they end up relinquishing pets, a decision that is difficult for the owner and can be life-threatening for the pet.

All information from http://www.hsus.org