Using A Cage To Help Diagnose Ailments
Cages can be intensely useful, especially in the muti-cat household, to pinpoint which cat is having a problem. Let’s say one of your cats has diarrhea, but you don’t know which one. By using a cage, you can determine who is having the problem by taking them one at a time and waiting for them to show you what you need.
Other times cages can be useful if you know something is wrong, but you’re not quite sure what . . . These cages can be used to figure everything from common constipation to crystals or blood in the urine, runny or bloody stools, or even internal parasites. Did I mention it makes it very easy for you and your vet? Now you know which cat left which pile of pee or poo and take it in accordingly to be tested properly. This is also great to use with cats who have chronic issues like bladder stones or UTIs to figure out if that is what is currently causing them to show symptoms or if it’s something else.
If you need to collect urine , then you can use a litter box with no litter in it and hope your cat will use it, or you can use the old school method of keeping them in a cage with a grated bottom and waiting for them to pee so that it can be collected by the tray underneath. The first option is less stressful for the cat involved, but some cats are less than cooperative. Make sure they have food and water either way!
The Science Of Dogs Reacting To Cats
In the wild, a cat will see a dog and run. When a dog sees a little furry creature running, they are going to run too. Hence the perception of dogs going after cats. Actually, the dog is just running after a furry creature, same as they would chase a squirrel. This is due to the dog’s innate hunting instincts.;
The question still remains, what is it about the cat that arouses the dog? Is it the movement of the cat only? The smell of the cat? Are dog’s intrigued by the meow of the cat? A research team;headed by Christy Hoffman of the Department of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York,; looked at these very questions.;
They tested 69 dogs of various breeds. The experimenters used the a cat toy, a pillowcase on a rotating arm that moved like a cat, and recorded cat sounds. They exposed the dogs to these conditions with and without the smell of the cat. Surprisingly, the dogs were most aroused by the sound of the cat. The dogs having the most interest in the cat sounds had a history of aggression with cats.;
The second most interesting condition for the dogs involved the cat-like movements. Considering how cats will yell so much when they are in heat, they are probably drawing the attention of the dogs. It would be a mistake to assume the dog’s interest is for mating. They are just checking out the cat, who might be better off getting spayed or just being quiet.
How To Deal With A Female Cat In Heat
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 26 testimonials and 86% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 511,999 times.
An unspayed female cat comes into heat every three to four weeks, and she’s not usually quiet about it! This period, when she’s most receptive to getting pregnant, can last for up to seven days. This means you might have a highly hormonal cat on your hands for one week out of every three. The best solution, if you don’t want her to have kittens, is to get her spayed by a veterinarian. However, if you do want to breed her, you’ll have to deal with the behaviors that go along with being in heat, like loud meowing and flirty antics. You also need to keep her from getting pregnant when you don’t want her to.XResearch sourceReproduction in the Dog and Cat. Christianseen. Publisher: Baillierie-Tindal
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Why Do Cats Carry Their Kittens
A Queen will do this to get her young ones out of trouble, bringing them back to the safety of the nest.
If she is disturbed – by too much noise, too many people, strange smells, etc – a Mom cat may move her kittens to another location, carrying them by the scruff of the neck. In extreme cases of disturbance she may even kill her kittens.
How To Take A Cats Temperature In The Ear
Most cats arent too comfortable with having their temperature taken. Taking their temperature should be a two-person job. One person should hold the cat in their lap. The other should insert the thermometer lightly into the horizontal ear canal. Hold the thermometer at a 90-degree angle with your cats head. If your cats body temperature is high, try to cool them down and reach out to your veterinary provider.
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How To Tell If A Cat Is Dehydrated
Cat dehydration is a major issue, especially if your pet has gotten too hot. Signs of dehydration include loss of energy, lack of appetite and dry gums. One other test for dehydration is skin tenting.
You can check this by gently taking a small portion of skin around your cats shoulders and lifting it up. When you let it go, the ideal result is that it snaps back into place. If the skin falls back into place slowly, that is a sign your cat may be dehydrated. If the tent shape holds, your pet is dealing with severe dehydration.
To prevent dehydration, always have fresh water available. The average cat should consume around 7-9 ounces of water per day.
Caging Cats: When And Why It’s Sometimes Necessary
Theophanes is a New-England-based blogger, traveler, writer, photographer, sculptor, and lover of cats.
I have had cats bless my life almost from the time of my own birth. In those days, I lived in a rural, agricultural community, and cats were often seen as great pest control for barns and were sometimes kept as pets. Even the pets rarely got to see the luxury of living full time in the house, however. Boy, things have changed! In those early years, I would have said the idea of caging a cat was cruel and unnecessary, and pretty much everyone would have agreed with me. The only caged cats I’d ever seen were at shelters or kitten mills.
As I had to deal with more and more cat problems, I learned that temporary caging can be a very effective and useful tool for a variety of reasons and shouldn’t be an idea immediately discarded by caring pet owners. I hope to illuminate some of these uses below.
Caging kittens for the first few weeks of their life is the best way to ensure good litter box habits later on in life.
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What About Dog Heat Cycles
- Proestrus: vaginal discharge, males attracted to females, females unwilling to mate. Length: 4-20 days.Estrus: swollen vulva, yellowish vaginal discharge, mating occurs during this phase. Length: 5-13 days.Metestrus : period after estrus or mating. Length: 60-90 days. If pregnant, pregnancy lasts between 60-64 days in the dog.Anestrus: period of inactivity between estrus phases. Length: 2-3 months.
So you could be facing up to 123 days of a TOTAL heat cycle, which breaks down to about 17.5 weeks!Some general “rules of thumb” for canine estrus:
- The first estrus cycle usually occurs by age 6-12 months; for some small breeds, as early as 5 months, and for some large and giant breeds, the first cycle may not occur until 14 months of age or older.
- On average, dogs have two cycles a year.
- The estrus cycle lasts on average 12-21 days, but maybe be as short as a few days to four weeks. The estrus period length varies widely between breeds and individual dogs.
- The length of a cycle varies widely, even for dogs of the same breed. If in doubt, assume the longer end of the range for the cycle length.
- Bleeding occurs prior to a female being receptive to a male , but male dogs will be very attracted to the female in the proestrus stage.
- Dogs can get pregnant during their first heat cycle, but this is not advisable as a 6-month old dog is not yet fully grown/mature, and complications for the mother and the puppies are more likely.
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What To Do If Your Cat Is Always In Heat
If your cat is in heat consistently, make an appointment with your veterinarian. He will perform a complete examination, including laboratory testing such as urinalysis, blood work, and biochemistry profile. This will give the veterinarian much needed information about the cat’s organ functionality and will check for various conditions.;
Your veterinarian will also ask you questions about your cat’s heat cycle. He will want to know the precise age of the cat, if your cat has given birth to a litter, ad whether ;your cat has had a false pregnancy. The veterinarian will want you to describe in detail your cat’s behaviors when in heat.
Once the laboratory results have come in, your veterinarian will take a close look at what could be going on with your cat. He may want to check for any ovarian abnormalities by performing specific tests such as radiography and an ultrasound. These tests will take a closer look at the ovaries and determine if your cat may possibly have a tumor or a cyst, both of which could cause persistent estrus.
If your cat has a cyst on his ovary or has a tumor, your veterinarian will explain to you in detail the treatment plan. He may also recommend, once treatment is complete, that you spay your cat in order to prevent her going into heat and thus, removing her chances of becoming pregnant.
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Her Tail Tells A Tale
Your cat may stick her buttocks in the air and move her tail to one side, which is the mating position.
A cat in heat will require some extra work and attention from you. Plus, theres always the possibility of a female cat becoming pregnant and having kittens. If you dont want to breed your cat, you should have her spayed by your vet to avoid this cycle and the risk of an unwanted or unexpected litter.
Does Heat Affect Probiotics
We understand why it can be concerning that your probiotics may be sitting on your porch on 100 degree summer days from time to time. Especially considering that youve probably seen refrigerators stocked full of probiotics at Whole Foods and made a mental note that all probiotics have to be refrigerated.;
Were trying to make gut health as convenient as possible, which is why all of our Jetson formulations can be stored anywhere below 77 degrees celsius thanks to our proprietary capsule. But for those of you in hot spots we know youre probably wondering if all probiotics die in heat because 77 degrees sounds like a chilly winter evening and not a summer afternoon, doesnt it?;
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What Is Heat Like For Cats
While it’s logical to assume that a cat in heat will have the same physical symptoms as a woman having her period, the reality is very different. First, cats do not shed the lining of their uterus. So contrary to popular belief, heat should not involve vaginal bleeding. If your female cat is bleeding, contact your vet. Since human females shed the lining of their uterus every month, cramping, bloating, and related symptoms can be present. Cats do not experience cramps or other physical symptoms, despite their howling and need for attention during this time. Instead, a surge of hormones will make your cat extraordinarily eager to mate. She may rub against you, pace back and forth, and assume a mating position if you pet or stroke her. You may notice your cat loses her appetite during this period, as well, or she may lick her genitals often and mark her territory by spraying. She may also attempt to run out the door, escaping to find a mate. This is all normal behavior during heat.;
What Should I Do When She Finishes Delivering Her Kittens
Once delivery is completed, the soiled newspapers should be removed from the queening box. The cleaned box should be lined with soft bedding prior to the kittens’ return. The mother should accept the kittens readily and roll over on her side for nursing.
Your veterinarian should examine the mother and her litter within twenty-four hours after the delivery. This visit is to ensure that there are no undelivered kittens, and to determine if milk production is adequate. The mother may receive an injection of the hormone oxytocin to contract the uterus and stimulate milk production.
The mother will have a bloody vaginal discharge for several days following delivery. If it continues for longer than one week, your veterinarian should examine her, since she might be experiencing postpartum complications such as a retained placenta.
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What Are Potential Queen Problems During The Heat Cycle
Other than displaying bothersome behaviors that may annoy you, it is very rare for a queen to experience any problems during her normal heat cycle.
There is an exception to this.
You may experience complications or challenges if you are actively trying to breed your cat during heat.
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Signs Of Estrus Or Cats In Heat:
Even if youve never been around cats in heat;before, youre very likely to know something is going on with your pet the behaviors she uses to get the attention of a potential mate will no doubt get your attention as well. The signs of cats in heat or cats experiencing estrus can mimic signs of pain or distress in your cat, and include the following:
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Signs That Your Cat Is In Heat
Hormonal changes when your cat goes into heat can have powerful effect in her behavior.
Some cats will show more signs, some less, but every female cat has a couple of signs that shows she is in the heat cycle.
These are the mostnoticeable behavioral signs:
- Your cat will become more affectionate. Shell keep rubbing against you, weave around your ankles and purr very often
- Shell also rub against furniture very often
- She will also seek attention and roll on the floor more than usual, and she will assume mating position by placing her head down and raising her hindquarters and tail
- Some females will start spraying urine, which contains pheromones that act as signals to males. This means she is ready to mate, and she may keep doing it as long as she is in heat,
- The one sign that everyone hears: howling, or caterwauling to let the males know that she is in heat and ready to mate.
- She may also be demanding or pushy, or beg to go outside
There are other signs of cat in heat, but behavioral onesare the easiest to notice.
Here is a video of acat in heat: