Lessons Learned from a Kitty

I served Mr. Sybils for seven great, cuddly, years. During that time, the poor guy had issues and I learned a great deal about cat health.

Fancy Feast is known as “kitty crack.” Who knew it tasted like Little Debbie Snacks? It seems the high about of “fillers” is the problem. Although whenever I told my vets I fed Fancy Feast food, I never got so much as a groan from them. So the vote is still out. We all know the more expensive cat food is better—but we ask, “Is it necessary?” Hmm... only if you love your cat is the correct answer I guess.

Cats don’t drink enough water and winter months are worse with the dry air. Therefore, we’ve devised sneaky ways to get them to drink more H2O. One is to combine water with their soft food and mash it up. Another sneaky method is use a stainless steel fountain with a bubbler—they love it!

Don’t put their food or water in anything plastic. You won’t wash it enough and it will harbor bacteria, which results in “kitty acne” and a vet visit. Yes, the stainless steel fountain is expensive—it’s actually the same price as a vet visit from what I’ve seen. You choose.

Cats never show when they are in pain—until they are in severe pain. It goes back to their roots of fending for themselves. Think about it—if they showed pain while outside, a predator would surely eat them. So the trick is to REALLY know your cat’s behaviors.

When you cat sprays the wall, he’s not thumbing his nose at you. He’s actually in pain and it could be one of several things from a UTI (urinary tract infection) to crystals (their version of kidney stones) to who knows. Go to the vet immediately. You can buy great products at your local pet store to clean up the smell because once a cat smells where he’s relieved himself he’ll keep going back there. What a cycle!

If your vet diagnoses your kitty with something serious—or suggest serious shots to reduce or solve a problem—don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.

The vets term for a naughty kitty is “fractious cat.”  Cat bites yield serious amounts of bacteria and if not treated immediately, will result in a large red welt around the bite as the infection spreads. After a cat bite, you must show the vet and police proof of rabies. Your cat will them be placed in “quarantine” to ensure he’s not rabid. Just ask me how I know.

To sooth a naughty kitty, try cat pheromones. Supposedly, it mimics the smell a mom cat gives to an offspring when licking them or something like that. You can buy pheromones to plug in the wall, much like a Glade plugin, or a kitty collar. Especially useful for naughty kitties when making a vet visit.

If you have a large cat and the usual kitty litter pans aren’t cutting it, you can create your own with a standard plastic storage bin. Use a hacksaw, or other plastic cutting device that’s not made for this job, to cut a square out of the front. Your choice to leave the lid on or off. You can either shave the rough plastic edges down, or cover the edges with duck tape for a real “redneck kitty” look.

If its 10 p.m. and you aren’t sure of what to do with a sick kitty—I encourage you to seriously consider the Animal Emergency Clinic in Oakdale. Once you walk through those doors, there is an emergency service fee. They will treat your kitty with the upmost care and respect it deserves.

Owning pets is a difficult journey sometimes, but when they purr, or look up at you with their innocent eyes, its all worth it.