Are Those Fleas on My Cat?

Are Those Fleas on My Cat?
Have you ever cuddled up with your cat only to find some dark and small stuff crawling in its hair? That can be a scary moment! The smart thing to do is to immediately do a simple test to prevent further infestation. Cat fleas multiply very rapidly if left unchecked and can spread to humans easily as well. A cat flea treatment often isn t enough and you ll have to deep clean your whole home.

Signs that the little insects have invaded your cat are fairly easy to notice. Your cat may be scratching very often and more intensely than normal. You or others staying in your home may have red itchy spots on your ankles or stomach as well.

Comb your cat’s fur near its tail and you will find small bits of dead fur and blackish dirt. That could be the excrement of fleas. Do a quick test: tap the hair and dirt onto a white piece of paper and sprinkle over with water. If the little bits of crumbling, blackish material dissolve into bloody bits, it s time to give your pet a cat flea treatment. The tiny black fleas may be crawling or jumping about. It is critical that you send your cat for a flea treatment immediately, as you need to stop the cat fleas from multiplying as quickly as you can.

Veterinarians these days are offering easy solutions for cat flea treatment. A treatment called “Advantage” will help get rid of the cat flea problem without having to give your cat a bath in insecticidal solutions (also available at your veterinarian). This cat flea treatment is a spot-on treatment. You only need to place a drop of the solution onto your cat’s skin in between its shoulder blades. Reapply at scheduled intervals to make sure that all fleas are killed. That s it! “Frontline” is another popular choice for spot-on treatments.

There are also non-chemical cat flea treatments. However, these are less straightforward than spot-on solutions. Washing your cat with 1 - 2 rounds of soapy water and then combing (once it is dry) with a fine-toothed flea comb can help remove cat flea eggs, larvae and mature insects from your cat’s fur. You ll probably have to comb your cat every night for several to make the cat flea treatment effective. Wiping a lemon-juice repellent on your cat’s fur can help to remove any cat flea hitchhikers on your cat, although you will have to manually remove the eggs and larvae.

Whichever treatment you choose, for an effective cat flea treatment, you ll need to vacuum your home thoroughly and steam-clean your carpets and furniture as well. Wash all bedding, throws, or blankets the cat is in contact with in hot, soapy water. Secure the vacuum bag in a plastic bag before throwing it into the outside garbage bin.

Prevention is definitely better than cure. You can try these natural remedies to get rid of cat flea worries before the pests invade your pet. Add a tiny bit of garlic into your cat’s meal and add a spoonful of apple cider vinegar to its water. If it doesn’t want to drink it, then just use the apple cider vinegar as a spray to deter fleas by misting your pet every now and then.

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The Right Foods to Feed Your Ragdoll Cats & Kittens
Cat food can be divided into dry, moist, and semi-moist foods. Each one has its advantages, and Ragdolls require various kinds of food at different stages. Kittens need mainly breast milk and moist food, while adults require more protein and dry food. Pregnant Ragdolls have special dietary needs that alter during the pregnancy as well. A. Feeding Ragdoll Kittens Introductory food Ragdoll kittens should be exclusively breastfed for the first four to five weeks. Cat milk contains all the nutrients required for the kitten’s growth, including antibodies that help discourage disease. Breast milk also passes on other antibodies that the mother produced to fight previous diseases. Additional food ought to be given after four to five weeks, as the kitten needs more nutrients to support its rapid growth. Introductory food ought to be easy to digest. Mix canned food with warm water or kitten replacement milk until it becomes a loose paste. Do NOT use regular cow’s milk this is too heavy for kittens and could cause in indigestion. Dry food After another four to five weeks, your kitten should be ready for dry food. To make the change easier, moisten dry food with a little warm water in the first few feedings. It’s also important to choose high-quality supplements to dry food and some of the good brands are Iams , Science Diet , and Nutro Kitten . Science Diet Feline Growth is popular among Ragdoll kittens. Supplements can be given twice a day with morning and evening feeding. You can change to adult food after approximately 12 months. Choosing and preparing kitten food Ragdoll kittens have delicate stomachs, so take extra care in choosing kitten food. Food ought to always be warm or slightly above room temperature. Discard all food that has been left out for more than 30 minutes, especially in the summer. Bacteria grows quickly in warm, wet foods and could possibly upset your kitten’s stomach, or even lead to food poisoning. To keep from wasting food, just observe how much your kitten eats at a time so you know how much to prepare per feeding. House flies can easily contaminate kitten food, so keep your feeding area as fly-proof as possible. Wash the feeding bowl daily with hot, soapy water and replace water in the drinking bowl several times a day. Wash the drinking bowl at the same time and refill with fresh water. Table scraps can be provided occasionally, but don’t make regular meals out of them. Cooked human foods lack the nutrients necessary for your kitten’s growth. Generic cat food from groceries are better, but Stellarhart recommends high-quality foods from specialty pet stores. Also, cats don’t like the smell of plastic and metal containers, so use only glass drinking bowls. Dry vs wet foods Dry foods are generally superior for your Ragdoll, except in the breastfeeding and introductory stage. They work your kitten’s chewing muscles and help keep the teeth white. Dry food consists predominantly of meat and vegetables, and can be moistened or served dry. Serving them dry allows your cat to nibble throughout the day, rather than eating one large meal at a time. Dry food should contain about 9 to 10% moisture, 8% fat, and 30% protein. Moist food has about 75% moisture and equal amounts of fat and protein. Not all moist foods are the same some are all-meat or all-fish, while others are a mix of meat and vegetables. The former ought to not be used for regular meals, as your cat can get addicted and refuse to eat other foods. The small treat cans of variety foods are usually all-meat or all-fish. As with kitten food, moist foods ought to be warmed to room temperature before serving. Semi-moist food has about 35% water, 27% protein, and 7% fat. Most of them are nutritionally balanced, very tasty, and can be left out for nibbling, but they spoil more rapidly than dry food. Kitten treats Occasional kitten treats will not harm your kitten, but take care not to fill them up so they can still eat regular meals. Treats ought to not provide any more than 10% of your kitten’s daily caloric intake. Look for hard chew treats to help improve your kitten’s dental health B. Feeding Ragdoll Adults Ragdolls are not very active, so they gain weight more rapidly than other cats. Take care not to let them become obese provide them only 70 calories per kilogram of body weight. A lot of what people believe to be cats favourite foods are actually harmful. Here are some of the most common cat food myths: Fish Fish may be good for cats, but it can t cover all their nutritional needs, and too much of the same nutrients can be harmful. Tuna is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which need vitamin E to break them down. too much tuna in your cat s diet can cause yellow fat disease (steatitis). Milk Milk is rich in water and carbohydrates, but many cats are lactose intolerant and get digestive problems a few hours after drinking milk. Regular cow s milk can lead to diarrhoea and loose stools, which can cause malnutrition and dehydration. If your cat likes milk, use replacement cat milk instead. Catnip Cats love the smell of catnip leaves, but it can cause short-term behavioural changes. Catnip is a hallucinogen and may put your cat in a state of near delirium. Some effects include rolling, rubbing, chasing phantom mice, or simply staring into space. Although it s not addictive, catnip has no place in your cat s diet. Dog food It could be more convenient to feed your cat and dog from the same dish, but it s not very healthy for either pet. Cats require more protein, taurine, preformed vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, and arachidonic acids, which they can get from a meat-heavy diet. A shortage of these nutrients can make your cat seriously ill, and an overdose can have the same effect in dogs. Low ash diets A popular belief among cat owners is that diets low in ash can help deter urinary tract infection. But that s only partly true. Ash is not a single nutrient, but is actually a group of minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Lower levels of magnesium keep urine at its normal, slightly acidic state, but reducing other minerals will have no effect. Other foods to avoid Alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can be toxic and cause fatal complications. Baby food. Many baby foods contain onion powder, which can be harmful to the blood. Fish and meat bones. Small splinters can cut into the digestive tract and cause bleeding. Caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate). Caffeine can affect the cat s heart and nervous system. Citrus oil extracts. This can lead to stomach upsets and vomiting. Fat. Animal fats can cause pancreatitis. Don t feed your cat fatty cooked meats, or at least trim the fat off first. Grapes and raisins. These contain a toxin that can harm the kidneys. Human vitamin and iron supplements. Excessive iron can damage the liver, kidneys, and the lining of the digestive tract. Liver. Liver is safe in small amounts, but an excess can lead to vitamin A toxicity. Macadamia nuts. Unknown toxins in macadamia can damage the muscles, digestive system, and nervous system. Marijuana. Marijuana can lead to vomiting, depression, and irregular heart rate. Mushrooms. Some mushrooms contain highly toxic substances that can affect multiple systems and even cause death. Onion and garlic (powdered, cooked or raw). These contain disulfides and sulfoxides, which can lead to anaemia. They are harmful to both cats and dogs, but cats are more vulnerable. Persimmons. Persimmons seeds can obstruct the intestines. Potato, tomato and rhubarb. These can be harmful to the nervous, digestive, and urinary systems. The leaves and stems could also be toxic. Raw eggs. Raw eggs can damage your cat s hair and coat. Salt. Salt and salty foods can cause electrolyte imbalance, a potentially fatal condition affecting the heart and nervous system. String. Strings from beans and other vegetables could not be digested, which can lead to blockages. Sugar. Sweets are high in empty calories, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and dental problems. Yeast dough. Yeast can expand in the stomach during digestion, causing it to rupture. Just remember that you are not feeding a human but an animal with unique feeding requirements.

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Pet Insurance & Public Liability Are You Safe From A Personal Injury Compensation Claim?
Are you one of the million of Britons famous the world over for being a pet owner and lover? If so, do you have pet insurance? If not, you may well want to read on if you want to save yourself millions of pounds .

Let s look at two, not uncommon, scenarios that may happen to a pet owner in the UK:

Scenario 1:
You own a dog. The dog is out in the garden. The post comes to the house to deliver a letter. In the course of delivering the letter your dog bites the postman.

Scenario 2:
You own a horse. The horse is grazing in the field. The horse is startled, jumps the hedge and crashes into an oncoming car.

Do you know what would happen in both of these scenarios? Well, if you don t already know, as you may recall from the recent famous case involving Princess Anne, in Scenario 1 you could be liable to pay damages under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Less well known, in Scenario 2 you could be liable to pay damages under a recent House of Lords interpretation to the Animal Act 1971. Either way, you re paying.

How can you limit the liability you ll suffer if either of these unfortunate events where to occur? Without some form of pet insurance policy you could not. As such, if you have a pet and want to save yourself from the prospect of having to pay out a potentially large amount of money in compensation damages to a third party now is the time that you should be considering getting pet insurance.

Although pet insurance is unlikely to cover you for the full costs you that you may need to pay to both defend your self against a claim and also pay compensation if you lose, as there is likely to be a minimum excess payment and maximum cap payment, for a reasonable annual premium payment you can arrange to have cover that would pay a large portion of this amount.

At the end of the day, however, having pet insurance is like having any other type if insurance. Would you go out n the roads and drive your car without insuring yourself against an accident? Would you leave all your valuables at home without having any home contents insurance? Do you want to take the chance that you could be used for million in personal injury compensation without having paid a minimal amount in pet insurance?

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