Comforting a Cat in Heat

Although most non-breeding female cats (queens) are spayed before their first heat (estrus), an adopted stray or a cat you’re cat sitting might surprise you by going into heat. A cat in heat yowls, rolls on the floor and continually tries to get outside. It’s annoying to people and not particularly comfortable for the cat. While estrus lasts only 4 to 10 days, taking steps to comfort the queen in heat will make the time less stressful for you and your cat.

Show your cat extra physical affection. Most cats in heat strongly desire affection. Put your cat on your lap and pet her. Groom her several times a day with a soft-bristled brush, rubber curry brush or grooming glove. These brushes are safe to use frequently without harming the cat’s fur or skin.

Distract your cat with play or cat exercise. During estrus, many cats have extra energy, most of which they use to try to get outside. Regular play sessions will use up some of her energy and keep her mind off her desires. Interactive play, such with a cat fishing pole, is ideal. If you have limited time to play, provide bird catcher cat toys.

Consult a veterinarian about prescription feline contraception. Cat birth control comes in pill and injection form. Both stop your cat from having a heat cycle. Because long-term use has side effects such as increased risk of uterine infections and diabetes, your vet should help you decide whether this option is appropriate.

Place the cat in a cool, dimly lit room for several days to simulate autumnal conditions. Queens go out of cycle when the days are cooler and shorter. Spending time in similar conditions may bring your cat out of heat. Continue providing affection and frequent play sessions to prevent boredom.

Enlist the services of a teaser tom cat. A teaser tom is a male cat that has been sterilized by vasectomy. Such a cat retains the physical ability to mate. Mating your female cat with a teaser tom will bring her out of heat with no risk of pregnancy. Contact a breeder to find a teaser tom for rent.

Getting Motor Oil off Your Feline

Surprisingly, motor oil in kitty fur is a relatively common problem that pet owners must deal with. After all, motor oil can be transferred to your cat's fur from the ground, from walking under a car or even from rubbing against an oily surface. Cleaning the oil off can be a little tricky, especially since most cats prefer to clean themselves and dread water. However, it's important that you clean the oil off your cat before she licks it off on her own.

Fill a sink with warm water. You can substitute a bathtub or a bucket, but a sink is probably the best place for you to work, since you'll be able to stand and maneuver easily.

Set up the soap, towel and treats around the sink. It's important to have everything ready before you begin to minimize the time you have to confine your feline (who will likely become nervous or frightened).

Place the cat in the sink slowly. She will likely fight you, so provide a treat or food to distract her. You may also want to play with her first to calm her down. You may want to do this with the use of durable cat toys, such as a feline flyer, or other inanimate object rather than his fellow feline housemate. A good product is the bird catcher pro. It is a cat toy wand that your cat will surely enjoy especially after behaving properly. You also may benefit by having another person to help you. Speak softly to the cat to calm her down.

Scoop water up with your hands and release it onto the cat. Make sure your cat's entire body is wet.

Squirt a few drops of dish soap in your palm and work up a lather. Gently massage the soap into your cat's fur. If necessary, use more soap.

Rinse your cat with water and dry her off with a towel. If you still notice motor oil on her fur, repeat the process once again.

Clip the hair on your cat if the oil still remains after washing. You can also take her to the groomer and request a full-body shave.

Dog training for a Cat?!

Think you can't train a cat like a dog? Think again! Unlike dogs, cats will not do anything they don't want to do. With a little patience, food, some best cat toys and a little plastic and metal clicker, soon you will have your cat sitting, staying and coming when called.

Study your cat's behavior to see what it does naturally, then reinforce that behavior with praise. Whenever action you'd like your cat to repeat, such as fetching, or coming to its name, praise it by saying, "Good!" and pet it at the same time. It will quickly learn to associate the praise by performing this act.

Use food and a plastic and metal clicker as training tools. To get the cat to associate food with the clicker, give her a treat, then use the clicker. Do this every time you feed her a treat or her regular meal or play with her favorite da bird cat catcher. To make sure she's made the connection between the clicker and food, use the clicker to see if she runs to where you would normally feed her.

Be consistent with the commands you use. Do not use "come" and then "here." It will only confuse the cat.

Use the cat's name with each command, and praise her with petting and saying, "Good Tigger" (or whatever your cat's name is). Positive reinforcement goes a long way.

To get a cat to sit on command, hold the food reward over her head. Speak her name, say, "sit," then move the food back over the cat's head. This will make her sit down, as her head naturally follows the food. The second she sits, use the clicker, say "sit" again, then give her the food reward. It won't take long for her to associate the food reward with the command, and the clicker will become a thing of the past.

After teaching your cat to sit, it will be easier to teach her to come. Once she's gotten to the point of coming to the food station at the sound of the clicker, say, "come" and then use the clicker. When she arrives, give her some food, play around with go cat toys and praise her, as with every training command. Try this at different locations around your house. Eventually she will come to you without having to use the clicker.

Getting your cat to stay is one of the harder training sessions you might have. Take the food, put it about ten feet away from the cat. As she walks toward the food, put out your hand and say, "stay." If she stops moving, use the clicker, and give her the food reward. If she keeps moving, keep repeating the command, "stay" until she stops. Only reward her if she stops. Repeat this until she understands that "stay" means "stop where you are."

Dealing with Cat Constipation

If you find hard stool with flecks of blood when you're cleaning out the litter box, your cat may have constipation. Some cats whine when straining to pass stool or have stool dangling under their tails as they emerge from the litter box. Chronic constipation can signify a more serious underlying health problem and should be brought to your veterinarian's attention.

Keep Him Hydrated
Your vet may recommend something as simple as increasing your pet's hydration by setting out more water or giving veterinary electrolyte formula. If your cat eats dry food, he's more prone to constipation than a cat who eats wet food due to the decreased moisture content. Your vet will do a simple test to determine your cat's hydration level by pinching a fold of skin on his shoulders and pulling up. If it snaps back into place when released, he's well hydrated. The slower it returns to place, the more dehydrated he is.

Food for Thought

Your vet will ask you if your cat's diet consists solely of cat food or if he eats animals he hunts. Cats who catch birds, lizards or other wild creatures around the yard sometimes get constipated from digesting feathers, scales, bones and other items unusual to their diet. In addition, hairballs swallowed when your cat grooms himself with his tongue cause similar problems. Your vet may recommend adding olive oil to your cat's food to move things along gently, or he may prescribe a strong stool softener or laxative to stimulate the process.

Bulking Up
Should your veterinarian feel your cat's constipation is due to a diet lacking in fiber, he'll recommend adding it to your cat's diet to bulk up his stool and make it easier to pass. He may recommend adding a dietary fiber supplement into wet cat food each day to increase fiber intake, or introducing foods with high fiber content such as canned pumpkin or bran cereal. If your cat enjoys variety in his diet, ask your vet about adding additional fiber with shredded carrots or apples.

More Than Plugged Up
Sometimes constipation is the result of underlying health conditions such as an enlarged prostate gland, an intestinal obstruction or a cancerous growth. If your cat hasn't passed excrement in four days, your vet will take more drastic measures such as giving him a feline enema or a manual bowel evacuation. X-rays, ultrasounds and an internal examination with an endoscope help your vet diagnose the cause of the problem. In some situations, surgery is the only remedy to remove foreign objects or other obstructions preventing your cat from passing his feces.
After his treatment and when when he is well again, give your cat teaser cat toys to play with. Play with him using feather cat toys on strings, like jackson galaxy air, that you can wave in front of him or battery-powered toys that move automatically. These pro plan cat treats distract your cat and encourage him to exercise, improving his outlook and alleviating possible depression from getting constipated.

Cat Tricks: How to Play Dead

Cats are just as smart as dogs, and can learn to play dead if they have a good relationship with their owners. Patiently and kindly approach the cat when it is in a good mood to teach this trick. Then, placing one hand on the cat's back and the other pointed at its head like a gun, you can give the command and teach the cat to flop over and play dead.


Call your cat's name. Grab your cat's favorite treats and urge him to come to you. This is a positive way to start the training.

Place a treat where your cat can enjoy it. Give this treat and pet her when she arrives, saying her name and using soothing tones. Check to see if she is relaxed and focused on you.

Place your hands into position. Place one hand gently on his back and, with the other, point at his head. The hand pointed at his head will act as the "gun" that will influence your cat to "die."

Say "bang, bang" or "play dead." Gently press down on your cat's back, until she reclines or stretches on the floor.

Release the cat. Praise him and give him a treat. Repeat the process until you no longer need your hand on the cat's back for him to obey the command.

Also, don’t forget to exercise with your cat. This could be an award too. You may want to do this with the use of cat catcher, such as a cat toy interactive, or other inanimate object rather than his fellow feline housemate. A good product is the Bird Catcher Pro. It is the bird cat toy that your cat will surely enjoy especially after behaving properly.

Testing Your Cat's Eyesight

Detecting loss of sight in a cat can be difficult, because cats are so adaptable. If a cat loses sight over a long period of time, he has had time to adjust his behavior. He might even go about his business as usual, utilizing his other senses. If you suspect a change in your cat's vision, testing his eyesight requires a combination of both observation and specific response tests.

Observe the cat to determine if his behavior has changed. He may have vision problems if he is reluctant to jump down from heights, crouches low to the ground when walking or walks with his neck stretched out further than normal, allowing his whiskers to do more work.
Not all indicators of a cat's poor eyesight are as obvious as bumping into objects.

Drop pieces of a torn cotton ball from a height of 4 feet next to the cat's head, to test his "tracking response." Cotton is used because it will not make noise as it falls. If the cat does not turn his head to watch the falling cotton, chances are his sight is weakened.

Shine a flashlight into and then away from the cat's eye. If the cat turns his head away, blinks or squints, this is called the "dazzle reflex" and indicates healthy eyesight. If the cat does not react to the light in any way, his eyesight is compromised.

Move your hand toward the cat's eyes in an abrupt, menacing way, but do not touch them. A cat with normal vision will react to this threat by thinking you are going to touch his eyes and he will blink. A cat with poor vision will not react.
If you have noticed a color change in your cat's eyes, take him to the veterinarian.

Direct the flashlight beam into the cat's eye to see if the pupil constricts (gets smaller). This is called a pupillary light response. If the pupil does not react by narrowing, it doesn't necessarily mean there is problem with the cat's eyesight. However, it is an indicator that the cat might have health issues requiring medical attention.
Don't forget after receiving medical help to get proper cat exercise for him. You may want to do this with the use of bulk cat toys, such as a cat toys fishing pole, or other inanimate objects. A good product is the Bird Catcher Pro. It is a teaser wand that your cat will surely enjoy especially after behaving properly. You also may want to try giving treats and rewards to your cats when they are behaving well or playing well together.

Cat Care After Spaying

Called an ovariohysterectomy in medical terms, a spay surgery makes a cat unable to breed by removing her reproductive organs. Although not considered a risky surgery, many pet parents still feel anxious about the procedure. Your kitty's incision only needs 10 to 14 days to heal. She should feel like her old self after just a day or two of rest. Knowing the proper way to care for your girl after she's spayed should help ease your mind during the healing process, before beginning cat exercise again.

Arriving Home
When you bring your kitty home, she'll likely be feeling some of the effects of the anesthetic. Vets typically apply a protective ointment on a cat's eyes to keep them from drying out, so she might not be able to see well. Because she might be startled easily, place her in a quiet, warm, dark indoor location to recover for at least 24 hours after surgery. Keep kids and other pets away from her during that time. Even the sweetest, most affectionate pet can become aggressive and scratch or bite in self-defense when frightened. Anesthesia hangovers typically go away within 24 hours and your cat's personality should go back to normal. Stay with your pet through the first night to monitor her recovery and activity levels.
Food and Water

Offer your kitty water immediately after you bring her home. Drinking too much might cause her to vomit; keep only a small amount of liquid in the bowl and top it off as needed. You can offer your kitty one-quarter to one-half of a portion of her regular food when she is awake and alert. If she vomits, take away the rest of the food and don't offer it again until the next morning. Give her the regular amount of food and water the day after surgery. The anesthetics make many cats nauseous, so don't panic if she doesn't eat right away. Call your vet if she isn't eating or drinking normally after being home 48 hours.

Pain Medication
Cats frequently experience some soreness and minor discomfort for 24 to 36 hours after surgery. Vets typically give cats an injection of long-acting pain medicine after surgery; most cats won't need any more medication. Never give your cat human pain medication. Many medicines, including those containing ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen, can cause serious complications or even death. Contact your vet if you think your kitty requires pain-relieving medication. Follow your vet's instructions exactly if he prescribes medication.

Incision Care
Inspect the incision site once you bring your cat home. The site normally looks a little red and slightly swollen. Check the incision site once or twice a day for seven days. Call your vet immediately if you spot any bleeding, drainage or discharge, excessive redness or large swelling at the site.

Chewing, licking or scratching the incision can cause the wound to open and become infected. Consider using an Elizabethan collar to keep her from reaching the site. Incisions need to stay dry, so gently pat the site with a soft, clean towel if it becomes wet. Don't try to clean the incision or apply topical lotions or ointments unless instructed by your veterinarian. Doing so can slow the healing process.

Activity Levels
Although your kitty will start acting like her old self within a day or two, she needs to be kept indoors for at least the first seven days after surgery so you can keep an eye on the healing process and her activity levels. Don't allow your cat to jump, run, climb stairs or even play for the first week, because those activities increase the risk that the incision site won't heal properly. Keep your cat in a carrier, crate or small room with no high furniture if she's a rebel who insists on racing around, jumping and rough-housing. Gradually increase the amount of activity you allow your kitty over the second week, but keep a close eye on the surgical site for any problems. By this time you may introducing her to some cat bird toys. A good product is the Bird Catcher Pro. It is a cat charmer that your cat will surely enjoy especially after behaving properly. Cats lose their mind stalking, doing flips, turns, twirls in the air until they run out of breath! You will be in shock if youve never seen your own cat in the hunt before!

Stopping the Cat Fight (The Right Way)

No one enjoys living in a home where one resident, human or feline, frequently behaves in an aggressive manner. Cat fights can cause serious injury to the animals involved, especially if fights become a routine occurrence in your home. If you have a cat who is behaving aggressively towards your other cats, you will need to modify and control his behavior to create a safe home environment for all your cats.

It's not unusual to have conflict when you introduce a new cat to your household. Take your time introducing the animal so that your existing pets do not feel threatened by the newcomer. Note that you may have better luck making successful and peaceful introductions if all parties have been spayed or neutered. Put the new cat in a separate room away from your other pets. Allow the animals to sniff at one another through the door but do not give them access to one another. Exchange each other's bedding materials after a few days so that the animals can get used to one another's smell. Once you have done this, you can allow the cats to become acclimated to one another through a baby gate or other containment device that allows animals to sniff and interact without having full access. If these steps go well, you can begin allowing your cats to interact with one another in the same room under supervision. Gradually reduce supervision as long as everything seems to be going smoothly.

Your cats may be more inclined to behave aggressively towards one another when food, treats, attention or any other desirable experience is up for grabs in your household. Treat each cat equally. If you are petting one cat, make sure to pet the other as well. If you are playing or doing cat exercise with one cat, do it with the other one too. If you are giving treats to one cat, give treats to the other as well. If mealtime is an issue, you may want to separate your cats while they eat to avoid problems. In some situations, you may be able to redirect the attention of an aggressive cat so he focuses on attacking a toy, such as a cat feather teaser, or other inanimate object rather than his fellow feline housemate. A good product is the Bird Catcher Pro. It is a cat toy with feathers that your cat will surely enjoy especially after behaving properly. You also may want to try giving treats and rewards to your cats when they are behaving well or playing well together.

If your cats are behaving aggressively or fighting with one another, you need to intervene before one of your pets is injured. Aggressive behavior consists of growling, hissing, stiff posture, raised hackles, striking, biting, yowling, kicking and otherwise attacking. If you notice one or more of your cats behaving in an aggressive manner, try to distract them by making a loud noise, yelling or blowing a whistle. You also may be able to use a toy or a laser to distract the aggressor into attacking something other than your other cat. Do not attempt to grab fighting cats to separate them. You do not want to be attacked or injured by your cats. If aggressive behavior persists, you may need to separate your cats long term.