Happy Pets

Collars and leads

Even if you have no plans to take your cat out for walks a collar and lead will be useful as a means of control and restraint when you have to take it to the vet or on a journey. The collar must have an elastic section, so that if the cat gets caught on a nail or twig it can free itself without risk of choking. The collar should also carry an identity disc with the address and/or telephone number of its owner, or a cylinder that holds a roll of paper on which they can be written. The cylinder type is useful if you move around a lot and have to keep on changing your address, but the disc will be more easily noticed and read. (more…)

The first rule is variety. Muscle meat or boned fish lack calcium and vitamin A. An excess of oily fish leads to loss of vitamin E, and a great deal of horsemeat will have the same effect. Too much liver produces an excess of vitamin A, which builds up until it poisons the system.

Milk will supply calcium (about a teacupful each day contains sufficient) and is a natural food for all young mammals. However, many adult cats cannot digest it and it produces diarrhoea and flatulence. They can be given a calcium supplement instead. Yeast tablets, which all cats will benefit from, provide vitamin B, and multi-vitamin and mineral supplements are also available. (more…)

Stings

Some cats seem immune to wasp and bee stings, but stings on the lips or chin when trying to catch an insect may swell up and hamper breathing. Try to find the sting and remove it with tweezers or by pressing it out with your fingernails (mind the cat does not bite you). Antihistamine ointment may help. If a sting is near the eye leave it to the vet.

Poisons

Cats seldom eat poisons accidentally, but they can easily get poisonous substances on their coats and ingest them accidentally when washing. Keep household poisons out of their way. If you know that rodent poisons are used frequently inyour neighbourhood, find out the antidote and keep some to hand, just in case. (more…)