Happy Pets

The Nest Box

The nest box should be wooden and have a partition in the middle to keep the eggs from rolling too much. It should be large; this is stressed for two reasons :

1. Both birds incubate the eggs and spend hours together in the box. They need room to move freely and turn the eggs.
2. The nest box will act as “nursery” for the chicks until they are old enough to leave it.

The box should have a 32 inch hole in the center and a perch outside to make access easier. In fact, everything should be done to make the nest box convenient and easily accessible. The female is especially cautious at this time. (more…)

Caspar and Mechior

Despite the devoted attention that they pay to ear-washing, sadly neither of our two cats seem to possess the power — or, perhaps, the inclination — to save us the bother of watering the garden on a sultry summer’s night. Caspar and Melchior will be putting in an occasional appearance to illustrate some of the choices and problems — as well as the pleasures — that all cat-owners inevitably face. I hope that sharing our experience of their habits and idiosyncrasies, as well as of the ailments that have afflicted them during the past twelve years and the care strategies that we have used (some successful, others less so), will prove useful to you. (more…)

Most births go smoothly, with mother and kittens knowing exactly what to do. There are a few possible problems, however, and you should know how to spot them.

Placental retention

Occasionally a placenta may be retained within the mother, rather than expelled after the kitten. Unless it is removed, it may decay and infect the uterus. An affected cat will show signs of discomfort, though with all the demands made uponher by the kittens it may not be easy to recognize any change in her behaviour. Her abdomen will clearly be painful if you handle her, however, and lactation will be impaired. She will probably have a fever and you may notice a brown, viscous discharge from her vagina (although a slight discharge of clean blood from the vagina even for a week or two after kittening is nothing to worry about). (more…)