What Is Whisker Fatigue And Is It Real
You may have heard either from your veterinarian, news reports, or pet product manufacturers about something called whisker fatigue.
Theres actually a lot we still dont fully understand about cats whiskers .
While the thought of tired whiskers sounds kinda silly, it is something that maybe you should put a little thought into if you have a feline that tends to be very sensitive. Why? Because it is a problem that can potentially make your cat act completely different.
Some of the issues it can cause are poor appetite, mood changes, and changes in behavior. All of these things cause additional stress to your cat.
Generally, people think of whiskers as a physical trait of cats. We often relate to it as we do facial hair or beards. But they are so much more complex than a beard!
Whiskers, or vibrissae, are specialized touch organs that help mammals in a number of ways. Cats, for example, have 100200 nerve cells per whisker. As the whisker comes into contact with an object, the cat translates that sensory information to help build a description of their environment, like whether a space is too narrow for them to safely pass through.
Simply put, whisker fatigue occurs when these highly sensitive vibrissae are repeatedly over-stimulated. This can happen with repeated hits to the sides of a food or water bowl, causing discomfort, desensitization, and stress.
Over enough time, this can cause the following:
Can Cats Eat Eggs
As part of a balanced diet, cats can eat a small portion of cooked egg: scrambled or boiled. Eggs contain nutrient-rich amino acids and protein which can be fed to cats as part of a nutritious treat. If cats eat raw eggs, similar to humans, they are also at risk of contracting bacteria like salmonella, which can make them unwell.
Vegetables That Are Actually Fruits
When reading a guide on cats and vegetables, you might wonder where have tomatoes, cucumbers, and pumpkin disappeared. In reality, all those so-called “veggies” and many more are actually fruits.
For your comfort, a hand-picked list of fruits you always thought are vegetables is here. Find out which of them are entirely safe for cats and which ones offer no good.
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Do Cats Actually Eat Mice Or Just Kill Them
There will be some cat owners with no experience of their cats eating mice at all. Instead, they will just find the dead bodies by the bed in the morning. This would suggest that the cat has no interest in the mouse as food, that it was merely a toy and now a gift for you. But, some owners find half-eaten remains and you also dont know if they ate another mouse before killing this one.
Most cats wont eat mice unless they are hungry. Instead, the mouse is more of a toy in their games. In many cases, the cats wont even kill the mice they find, preferring to toy with them for as long as possible. A dead mouse may have died by accident or because the cat was bored of the game and ended it. But, there is the chance that your cat will eat their prize.
Caffeine: Can Cats Have Coffee
Considering emptying some light tanned espresso into your cats bowl?
Stop not too far off!
Caffeine is extremely terrible for cats. While a lick or two of espresso will not be hazardous for your cat, taking a couple of tastes could be deadly, prompting the improvement of serious signs like hyperactivity, anxiety, retching, dashing pulse, raised circulatory strain, and seizures, and so fort.
The topic of difference of cat food and human food:
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Important Considerations For Your Bengal Cat
Regardless of what you choose to feed your Bengal Cat, there are certain dietary requirements that need to be met. One of these is the essential amino acid taurine, which generally needs to be supplemented into a food to reach high enough amounts. Without this essential nutrient, cats are prone to developing health issues such as heart disease.
If you decide to feed your cat a homecooked or raw diet, you need to make sure that it is completely balanced, which often means that the diet is exactly the same day after day, after a nutritionist has given you a recipe that your cat needs to eat.
What Do Cats Eat
Cats are obligate carnivores which means they must have meat in their diet to survive. Their primary ancestors lived on a diet of small rodents and birds. Cats require a high protein diet with a variety of different nutrients such astaurine, arginine, calcium, niacin , pyridoxine and thiamine , to name a few. Many of these nutrients are found in animals only, making a vegetarian diet impossible for cats.
Dietary requirements will change during the different life stages.
- Young kittens require milk for the first three weeks of life, before slowly beginning to eat solid food, around six to ten weeks of age they will begin to wean.
- Pregnant or lactating females have higher nutritional requirements and your veterinarian may recommend feeding her a kitten diet.
- Adult cats require a maintenance diet.
- Senior cats also have unique dietary requirements and should be fed a diet specifically for older cats and/or a special prescription diet to address any underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.
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Can Cats Eat Oatmeal
Cats can eat oatmeal. Like some other foods on this list, it is an ingredient in many commercial cat foods. While your cat can eat oatmeal, the question may be will he want to eat oatmeal. Unlike tuna, which most cats will happily devour, oatmeal is more of an acquired taste. Start small to see if your cat is interested before adding oatmeal as part of your pets regular diet.
Eight Human Foods That Your Cat Can Safely Eat
Putting together a home-cooked meal is a wonderful way to show someone special that you care, and our pets are no exception. But if you’re considering pulling out those pots and pans to whip up some savory treats for your cat, think again. Dr. Gerald Buchoff, BVScAH, owner of Holistic Pet Care in Little Falls, New Jersey, offers what you should know about the digestive system and dietary needs of your cat, as well as what foods to stay away from and what foods are safe to feed to your pet.
With regards to your cat’s digestive system, Dr. Buchoff reminds us, “Cats are obligate carnivores, and they require meat to meet their energy and protein requirements, and fat requirements. They do not require carbohydrates, but they do need fiber. Out in the wild, when a cat catches prey, they eat the fur with the rest of the animal and the fur is the fiber. Also, there’s some vegetables in the intestine of the prey animala mouse, a bird, or whateverso they’re getting fiber there too, but mostly from the fur.” Dr. Buchoff also points out that when you add vegetables to your cat’s diet, you’re providing them with a healthy helping of phytonutrients, which provide valuable bioflavonoids and phenols that impart extra health benefits and can help fight against cancer, autoimmune disease, and infections.
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Can Cats Eat Vegetables
Most vegetables will not kill your cat.
Plants do not provide amino acids that cats need. But they can provide some vitamins and trace minerals.
The only plant matter wild cats consume is the stomach content of prey. And perhaps light grazing on grass here and there.
This is typically 2% of the entire meal. Kibble, on average, is between 25-50% carbohydrates.
Veggie snacks should make up a very small amount of your cats daily food intake.
Too much can offset the balance of essential nutrients. Aim for 2% of your cats total intake for the day.
Plus, cats are designed to eat meat.
Veggies should be lightly cooked and chopped or pureed.
- Broccoli
- Green beans
- Peas
I dont give veggies to my cat, Jericho. He consumes raw meat, bones, and organs.
But these veggies are generally safe if youre looking to add some fresh food to your cats bowl.
Its better to have some fresh food than none.
What Can Cats Eat Besides Cat Food
Although we recommend sticking to a complete and balanced cat food and occasional treats, cats can eat some human foods. These foods include:
- Cooked eggs
- Melon
Some cats may like foods like berries and melon as a treat, but not because theyre sweet. Cats dont have receptors on their tongues to taste sweetness. Instead, foods like these have a bitter flavor, like amino acids in protein, which cats find tasty.
As with regular cat treats, these foods should not exceed more than 10 percent of your cats daily caloric intake.
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Stealing Food From The Table
Cats can easily jump onto a counter or table and snatch a piece of chicken or lick a stick of butter. Once they get a taste of something good that isn’t in their food dish, it’ll be a bad habit you’ll have a tough time breaking. Cats are just like any other petand many peoplewho can’t resist a tempting treat, so make sure you cover your food if you plan to leave it unattended.
Cats that are especially active and those that are getting inadequate amounts of food during mealtime may be more likely to steal food off the table. Increasing meal rations or feeding a food higher in calories may help keep your cat from counter surfing if this is the case.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
What Do Cats Eat For Breakfast
Breakfast is the main feast of the day and has been known to be the main one.
Cats are not absolved from this undertone as it is strongly suggested that they also ought to eat supplement thick food with their first dinner.Beside a part of healthfully complete cat food.
Here are other hand crafted breakfast dinners that your cat can appreciate toward the start of every day:
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Eggs with curds or plain eggs
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Whole grain like oats
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Cooked fish
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Vegetables
Here are other hand crafted breakfast dinners that your cat can appreciate toward the start of every day:
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Can Cats Eat Bananas
Bananas are a safe and healthy treat for your cat, but they need to be given in small amounts like all the items on this list. Your cat shouldnt eat a bananaor even half a banana. Instead, just give her a small slice from your banana. Dont be surprised if your cat turns her nose up at your offering. Just like people have different tastes, so do cats.
What Can Cats Eat
Unlike people and dogs, cats rely heavily on protein as a source of energy. Cat food is typically higher in protein than dog food, but that doesnt mean cat nutrition doesnt include other foods, or that they dont need them.
The non-protein ingredients included in cat foods are tasty and easily digested to support various aspects of their health.
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What Types Of Corn Products Are Good And Bad For My Cats Health
Corn food products are everywhere. Corn is one of the most common ingredients in snack foods, and its in everything from tortillas to popcorn. So which corn products are safe for cats, and which ones create a toxic effect in my kitty?
As mentioned, your cat shouldnt be eating corn at all. However, there are those times when feeding them a quick snack for a treat wont do them any harm. So, which corn products are suitable for feeding your kitty?
Human Foods Cats Can Eat
Human foods that cats cat eat include meat.
Chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, quail, and lamb are all great options.
It is not recommended to feed pork to cats. Pork has a higher risk of pathogen contamination.
Meat should be unseasoned and raw.
Grocery store ground hamburger meat is much different than buying raw meat from a pet food supplier.
You must source your ingredients properly. Always practice safe handling to avoid contamination.
Buy your meats from your local farmers market, trusted butcher, or from online raw pet food suppliers.
I buy all of my cats food from Hare Today.
You may also like Raw Paws Pet Food. I received some free samples, and Jericho enjoys them. Use code CATICLES15 for 15% off Raw Paws.
If youre not ready to go full into a BARF diet, you can add lightly cooked meat to your cats current food.
Adding some fresh food is better than none.
However, this shouldnt be more than 10% of the total intake for the day.
Again, adding to your cats food will offset the balance of nutrients.
Adding lightly cooked meat and veggies to your cats current food may help him get used to the idea of eating fresh food.
This may be a good way to transition cat food to better quality.
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Why Do They Do It
Veterinarians have a wide range of guesses as to why cats eat grass, but even the vets who contributed to “The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats” admit no one knows exactly why they do it. Some vets believe that when cats hunted in the wild, they got the benefits of their herbivore prey’s diets, making your cat’s penchant for nibbling on greens his way of supplementing the vegetables his domesticated system doesn’t get. The VetInfo website speculates that when your cat eats grass it cleans out his digestive system. Tommy is probably the only one who knows for sure why he likes to have an occasional salad before dinner.
Corn Interferes With Proper Digestion In Cats
Corn also contains a substance named phytic acid. Phytic acid inhibits the absorption of crucial minerals like zinc and iron, which your cat needs to survive.
Research shows that fermenting or sprouting corn may decrease the quantity of the phytic acid in the corn and its effect on cats digestive systems. However, other evidence suggests that phytic acid may also interfere with the uptake of many other important minerals into the bloodstream.
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Seasonings And Cat Digestive Issues
While corn itself isnt great for cats, the seasonings and additions we make to corn in meals can cause huge problems with your cats digestive and overall health.
Lets say you have that bowl of buttery salted popcorn on your lap, and you start feeding it to your kitty. After ten or fifteen pieces, she decides shes had enough and wanders out of the room to have a drink to wash down the salt.
The salt elevates the sodium levels in the bloodstream, causing the onset of dehydration. The butter also creates problems with digesting the fat, and your cat starts to protest and mew as they experience stomach pains.
This issue will occur regardless of the type of seasoning your cat eats. From salt to coriander, your cat doesnt need any additional flavoring in their food, and youre not doing their stomach any favors by giving it to them.
Can Cats Eat Fruits
An interesting fact is that cats have no sweet taste receptors. That means that your cat is unlikely to be interested in most fruits’ flavor. Also, fruits and berries are not that nutritionally dense compared to vegetables, and most importantly, meat. But they are still full of water, an essential part of a feline’s diet.
Before offering your cat an apple or orange, make sure you understand how fruits impact your kitty’s health. In most cases, the sweetness of fruits and berries comes from sucrose and fructose, two simple sugars that create more work for your kitten’s pancreas. Since felines mostly rely upon lean meats, sugar is usually an unwanted additive, which you should omit whenever possible.
Although fruits and berries are probably not purrfect for day-to-day consumption, some of them are still okay in reasonable amounts. Read on to learn which fruits and berries are safe for felines, which ones are not, and which fruits that you always thought were vegetables are good for kitties.
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Wet Or Dry Food For The Russian Blue Cat
Water is critical for your Russian cats health. However, many cats have water aversions. This issue means that your Russian blue cat might not visit the water bowl as often as it should.
As a result, its easy for some cats to get dehydrated, especially in warm weather. The Russian Blue cat is a cold-adapted animal hailing from northern Russia.
Therefore, it needs more hydration than other cats, especially in warm climates. Feeding your Russian Blue cat a wet food diet helps to get more water into their body. Wet food can be up to 75% water, while dry cat food is only around 6% to 10% water.
Why Do So Many Cats Like To Eat This Summertime Fruit The Answer May Surprise You
Many of our Farmers Almanac readers and fans share stories and photos of their pets with us. And often times they share some of their pets quirky food habits. The single food item that seems to come up often in the bizarre things cats eat category is cantaloupe. But what a strange food for a cat to like!
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