feline health Archives - Page 5 of 5 - MyThreeCats.com CatBlog

Reward Your Cat and Help a Homeless Cat

Reward your Cat and Give a Homeless Cat a Chance at MyThreeCats.com!

MyThreeCats.com and The Studio of Bernadette Kazmarski have partnered to offer you, our cherished customers and cat lovers, a special event designed to reward you and your cat(s) AND save the lives of homeless cats. Now through May 1, 2010, you will have a one time opportunity to do either (or both) of the following:

#1 Place your bid in an on line auction for a strikingly vibrant and beautiful print of an original portrait “Peaches and Peonies” created by renowned animal artist and publisher Bernadette Kazmarski. Click here to view “Peaches and Peonies” and to register for the auction.

Proceeds from the winning bid will be donated to FosterCat, Inc., a 501 C3 all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in 1999, providing temporary foster homes for cats and kittens until they can be placed for adoption. 2010 marks FosterCat Inc.’s 11th year as they approach their 1,000th cat adoption. Read more about FosterCat, Inc. here.

#2 Place your order now at MyThreeCats.com. For each and every order received through this email promotion now through May 1, 2010, MyThreeCats & Co., Inc. will donate $5.00 to FosterCat, Inc. Once we’ve received your order, you’ll receive an email confirmation of the donation. (Note: Donations from My Three Cats & Co., Inc. for this event will only be generated by receipt of product orders. No minimum is necessary).

Wouldn’t you like to know that you’ve saved lives, while doing your favorite thing – shopping for your favorite feline at MyThreeCats.com, or winning a beautiful cat print! This is a time limited event, expiring May 1, 2010, so we encourage you to act now.

Happy Shopping and Bidding!

Is Your Cat Getting Enough Water?

Pet ownership is full of many responsibilities. Which vet to go to and how to best accommodate your pet while on vacation are just two of many decisions that most pet owners eventually face. Simply giving your pet a name is a huge responsibility. Sadly, one of the most important responsibilities of a pet owner is often times one of the most overlooked: making sure your cat gets enough water.

Cats, like all animals, need water to survive. Water is necessary for the liver to cleanse the blood of toxins and also to make sure that organ tissues are healthy. It aids in the metabolism of nutrients for energy, in body temperature maintenance, and in regulating fluid and electrolyte balancing. In other words, a cat needs water for all the same reasons we do.

But your cat doesn’t know all of these facts. The question then becomes: how do you get your cat to drink enough water?

A good starting point is to know how much your cat needs. An average seven pound cat needs about 6-7 ounces of water per day, but if they’re on a dry food diet, they’re only getting about an ounce of water from their food. Cats on wet food diets get more water from their food, but not enough to sustain bodily functions.

Pet fountains are a great way to ensure that your cat is getting enough water. Running water constantly breaks the surface tension of the water and draws oxygen from the air into the water. This process, known as aeration, makes drinking water more appealing cats. And it’s not hard to understand why – would you rather drink water from a bowl sitting on the ground for hours or from a running tap?

Our Drinkwell™ Pet Fountains ensure that your cat is getting aerated water with little maintenance required from you. Not only is the water aerated, but the charcoal filter removes tastes and odors. A fresh, running stream of water is the best way to make sure that your cat is not only encouraged to drink water, but that it has the highest quality of water to drink.

Even just knowing your cats drinking habits can help point out problems. For instance, if a cat is drinking more water than they normally do, it could be an indication that he or she might have diabetes. ‘Drinking too much’ means different things for different cats, which is why it is important to know the regular amount of water your cat drinks.

So, making sure that your cat gets enough water is not only about keeping them healthy and happy, but understanding their habits and needs. Visit www.mythreecats.com for more products and information to help get your cat the water they need to live happy lives.

Make Sure Your Cat Knows About Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Mimi, Supermom, but now a happy housecat.

Feline breast cancer is the third most common cancer among cats after lymphoma and skin cancer. In a 2005 study done at the University of Pennsylvania, “cats spayed prior to 6 months had a 91% reduction…those spayed prior to one year had an 86% reduction in the risk of mammary carcinoma development compared with intact cats.” While breast cancer in cats is more common than in humans, it is far less common than it is in dogs, but cats have the highest malignancy rate and the lowest survival rate of all three. That myth that “it’s good to let a cat have a litter of kittens” has no basis in fact, and can be a death sentence since spaying your cat before she even goes into heat the first time is the best way to avoid breast cancer, not to mention reducing the risks of injury and disease a cat faces while out carousing…not to mention a cat in heat is really annoying to have around. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, spay your little girl!

The Daily Cat: Playing Kitty Airplane

peaches-with-can A healthy cat will eat what you give her, a kitty who is a little under the weather may need some persuasion; we won’t be talking about those manipulative and overly dramatic “finicky” kitties here. We’re considering cats who are recovering from illness or injury or who are elderly, and for whom even eating is a little bit of a burden. She may seem hungry, even show up for mealtime, but take a sniff or even attempt to eat and walk away. Often illness, surgery, trauma or age reduce a cat’s appetite through weakness, stomach upset, loss of smell or loss of taste, and a cat in a slightly weakened condition may need some inspiration for the taste buds. First, wake her up at least 15 minutes before you want to feed her—a sleepy kitty in a weakened condition isn’t ready to eat as soon as she wakes up, so pet her and give her attention for a while until she seems entirely alert. Always use fresh food, usually canned, so its smell is the strongest, and you don’t need to resort to fish-based foods, often liver-based food is more appealing. Then tease her with the food—play “kitty airplane” the same way you would with a recalcitrant child, show her the can and her dish, open the can and let kitty sniff the food then put it aside, making a big show of getting her dish ready, putting the food in the dish, allowing her to smell it all the while, then finally present it. This little play helps to get her digestive system started and her body gives her the signal to eat, plus, she’s wondering what they heck you’re up to, and curiosity is a big stimulant for a cat. If she’s still reluctant, pick up a little in a spoon and offer it for her to lick off; a little at a time is sometimes just enough. Don’t leave her food out, but put it back in the can and keep it, offering it again a little later. It may mean wasting a few cans, but open a new can with every session. She’ll appreciate your efforts.

The Daily Cat: Celebrate International Spay Day

International Spay Day is February 24, but Romeo is yowling outside your door and Juliet’s not going to make it that long—have her spayed before she goes into her first heat for the season! A female cat in heat can outsmart even the most observant owner, and there are already enough kittens for everyone not to mention the health risks she might face while “catting around”. Spaying is also riskier and more expensive when a cat is in heat, so catch her before it starts. And as a bonus, spaying your little Juliet before age one significantly reduces her lifetime chances of developing breast cancer, the third most common cancer among cats, and spaying before six months reduces it even more. So celebrate International Spay Day with cats all over the world on February 24.