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Toilet training your cat can be very rewarding and most that are litter box trained are able to learn this. They learned to use the litter box so they can learn to use a toilet. If your cat can use the toilet like a human does, there will be no more smelly, dusty litter box to clean!

A cat’s instinct is to bury their waste under dirt or sand but also likes to please its owner and can learn new ways if taught correctly. Wait until your cat is six months old because younger kittens might lack the ability to balance properly.

The most important thing to bear in mind is that you have to teach the cat in a serious of logical steps, drawing his focus gradually from the litter box to the toilet.

Move the litter box next to the toilet to get him accustomed to associating the bathroom with doing his business. Put some thick books or phone directories under it, to get him used to having to jump up. Make sure the box is stable because if the cat jumps up and it spills, he isn’t going to want to jump up again. This process can take days or weeks, depending whether your cat seems happy about it.

When your cat can do this, you can place the litter tray directly on the toilet. Alternative find an aluminum mixing bowl which fits snugly into the toilet bowl. Don’t use a plastic bowl. It might not be sturdy enough and a bowl tipping over, spilling litter all over the place will scare your cat! Make sure you use flushable litter because some will have to go down the toilet.

Gradually reduce the amount of litter in the bowl and make a small hole in it. Increase the hole slightly every couple of days and reduce the amount of litter in there. After a while you will have a bowl with a large hole in it and no litter.

After a couple of weeks, remove the tray. The cat should now be able to use the toilet.

A few points to remember:

” You cannot rush this - depending on the cat, it might take weeks or months to get them comfortable with using the toilet.
” Remember to leave the toilet lid up and the seat down!
” If you have two toilets in your house, try to have one for the cat and one for the humans.
” While your cat is learning to use the toilet, give him cat treats when he does it right, so he knows you are pleased.

If all this is done correctly, the smell of cat litter will be a thing of the past and your cat will be fully toilet trained for years to come.
To learn more about cat toilet training please visit: http://www.cattrainingtips.net/cat-toilet-training.html

A pets well-being manifests the type of nurturing afforded to it. While a number of pet owners have become quite adept in the ways of rearing healthy cats, wrongful notions often mislead many over feline nutrition to compromise cat health in the process. What seems to be a typical cat owner flaw in the context of nutrition is the tendency to match the food intake of felines with the diet of either canines or humans. Pet owners should keep in mind that cats are obligate carnivores; therefore they have nutritional needs that are dissimilar from that of their owners and even from dogs.

An ideal approach to animal health care would require the willful adherence to holistic methods of cat health care and nutrition that will most likely produce healthy and disease-free felines. Moreover, the holistic approach would involve application of alternative treatments such as a pet herbal supplement formula whenever pet diseases come about. So whether it is a sprightly kitten or a cat in her prime that you are rearing, there are a handful of holistic cat healthcare methods and pet herbal supplement products that will not only serve to extend the life of your pet, but guarantee its sustained vigor even beyond the geriatric stage.

Nutrition

Animal-based proteins contain critical amino acids that are essential to sustained cat health. Thus, it is necessary for pet owners to feed cats with sizable proportions of whole meat products instead of meat by-products and fillings, to ensure that the feline meets its daily nutritional needs. Cats easily succumb to chronic dehydration, and feeding should likewise be adequately supplemented with water to prevent this condition, as well as the onset of kidney and bladder troubles borne of a sustenance based on dry food. More importantly, grains should only make a minute proportion of the feed considering that carbohydrates is not essential to cat health and could only disrupt the felines metabolic functions to cause diabetes, obesity, and irritable bowel disease.

Disease Treatment and Prevention

Cat urinary tract infection and ear mites are just a few of the many pet diseases that materialize as a consequence of improper pet feeding practices. Know that too much vaccination and prolonged use of antibiotics can disrupt your pets healthy gut flora and impair the immune system as well, which would not do well in the fight against systemic pathogens so that simple infections could severely debilitate cat health eventually. A more holistic approach would be the administration of pet herbal supplement formulas; a combination of potent herbal remedies available in therapeutic doses that work to soothe the symptoms while treating the underlying causes of the disease. Moreover, a pet herbal supplement formula operates as a tonic to revive the functioning of a diseased organ and restore the well being of your pet. To top it all, a bottle of pet herbal supplement will not bring about the side effects typical with veterinary medicine. Adopt the holistic methods to pet health care today and nurture your pets well-being the right way.
Bruce Maul is a partner in Goldf Flax Seed, Inc. which provides only top quality Flax Seed, Herbal Remedies and other health related products. Learn more about Herbal Remedies by visiting myherbalremedystore.com

As a frequent visitor to pet forums, a topic that comes up way too regularly is that of cat dandruff. It’s a problem that affects most of us cat owners, and if you own a cat, it’s a matter of time before you have to deal with it. If you own a black cat, you have my utmost sympathies…

But fear not, there is a home remedy for cat dandruff that you can try without spending an expensive trip to the vet, just by observing the symptoms and environment and taking action based on these symptoms.

Most cat dandruff issues are invariably linked to 3 factors:

An aged or overweight cat with dandruff on her rump or tail

If you have a cat that is overweight or a cat with sudden weight gain and dandruff on her rump and tail, it’s a sure sign that she’s unable to reach these areas to clean herself. This is also a problem for aged cats that lack the mobility to groom themselves.

A good brushing would help in this case and it might be a good idea to groom your cat every couple of months. If you are able to bathe your cat without getting yourself scratched too badly in the process, then it would an excellent idea to do this every couple of months. But if you do so, avoid using human shampoos as that might dry her skin further and exacerbate the condition. If you must, use a cat shampoo and remember to wash thoroughly as excess shampoo stuck on her undercoat will only make matters worse.

It’s winter If your cat only experiences dandruff issues in winter, then it could be the result of the cold and dry weather. Worse of all, most cats like to laze about in the warm comforts of the fireplace, which rapidly dries her skin causing it to flake.

Simply move her away from the fireplace every once in a while and observe if the problem persists. Getting a good humidifier would be an excellent idea, both for your feline friend and also yourself (humans get dry skin too…)

My cat is neither fat nor old, and neither is it winter now! Help! Relax…if none of the above apply, just think, have you bought any new furniture lately? A new carpet perhaps? Check if there are any changes to her environment that she might be sensitive to and try to make the necessary adjustments.

If this doesn’t help, then it’s most likely a diet issue. You see, cats hate water and most wouldn’t go near it even when they’re thirsty. The only way our feline friends get their water requirement is through the moisture content of their cat food. Problem is, most of us go for cheap dry cat food that do not contain enough moisture content, hence causing her skin to dry and flake.

Make a change to high quality canned food and add some fish oil to her diet and you’ll see results in no time!
Darren Chan’s research has made him an expert in cat related issues. He is the webmaster of Cat Dandruff Away - A Step by Step Guide to Cure Cat Dandruff as well as a contributor to Catzine - The Best Cat Articles and Resources Online

No matter how much love and attention you give, felines experience cat illnesses. Recognizing cat health symptoms is challenging because, unlike their human caregiver, cats are rather stoic soldiers. They don’t go around grumping when they have a belly ache.

Here are 5 Hot Cat Health Conditions that should alert you that your feline is fighting off sickness or injury.

#1– A Loss of Appetite

Train yourself to be a responsive and observant caregiver. Take notice when a cat has stopped eating or skipped a meal. If your cat experiences trouble eating, drinking or swallowing, then there is a cause for concern. It is a big RED, FLASHING LIGHT that something is wrong.

A change or lack of appetite can happen slowly or suddenly. Recognizing a change in appetite can be complicated if food is left out for cats to share in a multi-cat household. Her appetite may be off because she is struggling with a hairball or she ate a bad mouse. Far worse, she consumed a poisoned mouse and she is now poisoned, or she is in the early stages of a serious illness like kidney disease or fatty liver syndrome.

When your cat misses a couple of meals it is time for a visit to the vet. Do not wait to see if she is going to suddenly start eating. The sudden drop in food intake causes damage to the liver. This turns into a vicious cycle where the cat won’t eat because her liver is sick and no food intake aggravates the liver damage.

#2 — She Is Lethargic

A noticeable change in your cat’s energy levels is also a good indicator that something is awry. Cats do sleep a lot, as much as 18-20 hours a day. However, if you notice she has zero interest in her beloved toys or catnip, she is quietly telling you something is wrong. She has pain or a fever and feels lousy.

#3 — She’s Losing Weight

She probably isn’t eating well. When cats are sick they stop eating. When you lift your cat does she feel lighter than normal? Weight loss goes hand-in-hand with loss of appetite, but it can also be a sign of kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes and cancer. Weight loss is considered a serious sign of cat illness and should prompt an immediate trip to the veterinarian.

#4 — She’s Drinking A Lot of Water (Urinating A Lot Too!)

Does she fall to sleep while drinking at the water bowl? The good news is that she’s still drinking. A increased need for water leads to an increase in urine. Obviously the two are linked together. After all, if she takes a lot of water in, it has got to go out sometime. Common causes of excessive thirst and urination include kidney disease, diabetes and elevated thyroid levels.

#5 — Urination Is Painful or Interrupted

When a cat strains using the litter box, has accidents outside the box, squats for a long time, cries, or repositions herself over and over, you have spotted a problem indicating one or more cat illnesses. If you could view her urine under a microscope, odds are you would find traces of blood.

Male cats may lick at the tip of the penis or suddenly lose his appetite, vomit or become very vocal during urination. More than likely he is experiencing a complete blockage. A male cat that is straining during urination is having a fire-alarm emergency. Get him to the vet pronto.

When a female cat strains during urination it may not be a complete blockage because her urethra (the tube that drains the bladder to the outside) is wider than a male cat’s and is less likely to clog. However, if she can’t urinate that means she can’t eliminate her body’s liquid waste. A blocked cat becomes ill in 24 hours and can die in 72 hours — don’t wait for the weekend to pass!

Your veterinarian can unblock the urethra by inserting a catheter. This removes the obstruction allowing the urine to drain. It is most easily accomplished with early detection of the problem.

Urinary problems can be caused by a number of things, including bladder stones in the urethra, dietary causes, bacterial infections and the least understood problem, feline lower urinary tract disorder (FLUTD). This illness can be related to stress or a virus similar to a human’s cold sore.

Some cat illness can be handled with gentle care and love at home, but other conditions are potentially life-threatening requiring immediate medical attention. As a feline caregiver, there is a certain amount of on-the-job training, but delaying a trip to the vet or waiting to see if things improve can be expensive or even cost your feline her life.

Your relationship with your cat is what helps you get through your personal trials and rough times. If you lost her because you failed to recognize a life-threatening, but treatable condition would you always regret your ignorance? The answer is obvious isn’t it?

Bottom line: Don’t be shy about calling your vet. Also, find a trusted resource to coach you through cat behavior or cat care questions and your chances for having a delightful, loving and long-lived feline partner become a whole lot better.
About The Author: Kate Rieger has been owned by 15+ cats and is a champion of spay and release for her feral cat neighbors. She is partnered with the Kentucky S.N.I.P clinic and together through adoptions, education programs and spay/neuter efforts, they provide affordable solutions to reducing the pet overpopulation crisis in the Kentuckiana region. While she would like to extend the concept of spay/neuter to some of the human population, she swears she’s only into altering cats. Never one to be short on opinion, she is on good behavior during her speaking engagements at local schools, organizations, Fortune 100 companies, and on local and national radio talk shows.

Drop by and pick up a free copy of her eBook 111 Things You Don’t Know That Could Harm Your Cat, that shows you how to protect your cat from conditions that could harm her. Pick up a free copy and protect your cat today.