|
|
 |
We recommend cats eat a combination of dry and canned foods. In general, dry food should make up about 75% of the daily ration. Dry foods are cheaper than canned foods and promote better oral health. Canned food should make up about 25% of the daily ration. Cats fed canned food have less urinary and behavioral problems and canned food needs to be an available option when we need to medicate a cat. Tartar Control Diet by the Hills Company, simply called T/D, is our preferred dry food for normal adult cats. There is no cat food that is more nutritionally sound and there is no cat food that can help keep their teeth and gums as healthy as T/D. Unfortunately, T/D is not an appropriate growth diet for kittens. For growing kittens, any combination of "nationally advertised" dry and canned kitten foods should be fine. Many cats have health conditions that require special dietary management. Each of these pets needs to be evaluated individually to best match their diet with their needs. Let us know if you have any specific questions regarding your cat’s diet.
There are 2 basic litter types: clumpable and clay. Clay litter is cheaper but needs to be changed more often. Clumpable allows you to remove most of the waste from the box, promoting a more attractive target for your pet. When in doubt, provide several different litters in separate boxes and allow the cats to decide which they prefer. We recommend one litter box per cat. The boxes should be reasonably convenient for the cats, not isolated to some remote corner of the house. It is safer if you locate the boxes so that they are never more than one floor away at any time. The litter boxes should be scooped daily. The litter should be changed weekly. The litter boxes should be replaced every 6 months. You may want to consider building a wooden containment box large enough to hold all of your litter boxes. This box should be large enough to allow for a 6 - 8 inch margin around the litter boxes. The sides of the containment box should extend 6 to 8 inches above the top of the litter boxes. Line the containment box with a single sheet of heavy gauge plastic to include the sides. A layer of paper on the floor of the larger containment box helps with the weekly cleanup. This type of setup helps minimize the potential for damage to the floor and walls adjacent to the litter boxes. Cats do occasionally stand at the litter box edge and do their duty onto the surrounding area. This setup is best suited to utility areas and basements. Covered litter boxes are not always a cat‘s first choice. They can be perceived as being a bit confining and the odors are concentrated by the reduced air exchange. They may be worth a try, but they must be kept especially clean.
Cats are not as naturally inclined to live harmoniously in groups as are dogs. Caution is urged when considering adding to your "pride". Increasing the number of cats in a household increases the risk of behavioral problems such as inter-cat aggression and house soiling. 1 to 3 cats are relatively low risk, 4 to 6 cats are moderately risky, and at 7 or more cats you would expect problems. Smaller living spaces should, logically, support a smaller number of cats. Larger living spaces can support larger groups of cats more comfortably. Adopting litter mates, or multiple kittens of similar young age would be an advantageous way to reduce risk but not eliminate it. When introducing a new cat, first isolate it in a separate room with its own litter box, food, and water dishes. This allows the established cats to become aware of the new arrival in a non-threatening way. During this isolation, the new arrival should be Leukemia Virus and AIDS Virus tested to guard against the introduction of a catastrophic disease. A stool sample should also be evaluated. Remember to repeat these tests 4 months later for maximal security. After about 1 week of separation, have the established cat switch places with the new arrival. This allows the new cat to explore the house privately and it allows the established cats to gain more familiarity with the presence of the new cat. A few days after the switch, consider supervised contact between the pets. If all goes smoothly, you can allow unsupervised mingling. Not all cats become best pals. You should be satisfied if they coexist without frequent, major conflicts. Call if you are having problems.
Hair balls are a nuisance that affects most cats at one time or another but they are not normally major health concerns. They are best managed by daily brushing to remove as much loose fur as possible before the cat ingests it during grooming. Laxatone is our recommended hair ball medication. 1 teaspoon is given 2 to 3 times weekly to help coat and lubricate the smaller clumps of fur, moving them along before they can cause vomiting. Remember that there are many other causes of periodic vomiting, some of which are very serious. Call the office if you have any concerns regarding vomiting problems. |
Send mail to Webmaster@asah.net with questions or comments about this web site. |
