Healthy Cat Blog

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Cat Names: How to Choose the Best One

With so many cat names to choose from, where do you start? Here are some ideas to consider when making this important decision.

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Healthy Cat Pregnancy Symptoms

List of cat pregnancy symptoms to determine if your cat is pregnant. Cat pregnancy signs include changes to nipples, increased appetite, growing belly, and changes in cat behavior.

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Natural Flea Control Methods

Natural flea control is a safer alternative to get rid of fleas. Make your own flea home remedy. Info on natural flea control products and ingredients.

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Flea Control Methods

Flea control is critical for your cat's health. Conventional and natural methods. Outdoor flea control. Common flea insecticides. Flea combing. Flea collars. Recommendations for flea medicine.

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Is Your Cat Grooming Itself Properly?

Your cat grooming itself is a natural part of your cat's health. They spend a large majority of their waking hours taking care of this task and they have the best cat grooming tools available.

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Choosing the Best Cat Food

Premium cat food nutrition is essential for your cat's good health. What to look for on cat food labels...how much to serve...dry food or wet food...treats for your cat. Info on pet food recall.

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New Cat and Dog Introductions

Your cat and dog can get along if you make the proper introductions. Always have a safe place for your cat to escape to, watch out for aggressive behavior. The first visits must be supervised.

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Plants Poisonous to Cats

Plants poisonous to cats can be fatal and should be kept out of your home. Choose safe and non-toxic plants. Protect your plants and give your cat her own safe plants to chew.

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High Protein Cat Food for Your Healthy Cat

Serving your cat high protein cat food based on animal sources is one of the best ways to ensure proper nutrition for your feline friend. Healthy diets help prevent obesity, allergies, and more.

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Common Cat Health Problems

Common cat health problems can afflict any cat or kitten. Problems include hairballs, tapeworm, fleas. Symptoms include vomiting, drinking lots of water, elimination problems, hacking and lethargy.

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Choosing the Best Cat Furniture

Cat furniture ideas for your healthy cat. What does your cat really need? Save money and make your own cat furniture.

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Kitten Growth and Development

Kitten growth and development from birth to eight weeks. Weaning kittens. Kittens eyes open at five to ten days.

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Cat Grooming Techniques and Tips

Cat grooming techniques and tips for your healthy cat. How to brush your cat, bathe a cat, trim your cat's claws. Benefits of grooming your cat, when to groom your cat, the bonding experience.

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Pet Insurance for Cats

Do you need pet insurance? Pet insurance can be a blessing or a waste of money. Factors to help you decide if you need insurance. What to look for. Financial and emotional issues.

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Frontline Plus for Cats

Frontline Plus interrupts the flea life cycle and kills adult fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae. A very effective flea control medicine when your cat needs immediate relief from fleas.

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Flea Combing Your Cat

Flea combing is a safe and natural way to get rid of fleas. How to safely comb your cat for fleas. How often to comb your cat. A regular habit of flea combing helps prevent severe flea infestations.

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Declawing Alternatives

Declawing is surgery to amputate part of your cat's toes. Complications can arise from surgery. Safe alternatives to declawing. How to keep your cat healthy and protect your furniture.

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What are Cat Hairballs

Cat hairballs are a normal and natural cat health issue. In most cases, your cat can take care of the problem herself, but sometimes your cat or kitten will need some help.

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Worms in Cats

Overview of types of worms in cats, including ringworm, roundworms, tapeworm, hookworms, and lungworms

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Catnip Toys

Catnip toys can provide your cat with tons of fun. Choose a catnip toy or make your own.

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Combination Cat Carrier-Cat Bed

I've just come across a great product that cats love and that makes trips to the veterinarian so much easier for stressed cats.

It's called a Sleepypod Mobile Pet and you can see it on my Cat Carrier page.

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Choosing Safe Cat Collars

Proper fitting cat collars with current ID tags protect your cat. Choose safe collars that fit your cat the right way. Types of safe cat collars. Even indoor cats need collars and pet ID tags.

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My Healthy Cat Privacy Policy

Updated Privacy Policy for MyHealthyCat.com.

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The Multi-Cat Household

The multi-cat household can be glorious! But first, you need to make the proper introductions. This could take from a week to several months. Be patient. Let your cats set the pace.

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Pet ID Tag Information

A pet ID tag helps your lost cat get home. Without current identification, your lost cat has very little chance of being returned to you. Protect your cat with a safety collar and ID tag.

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Happy New Year to All Cat Lovers

and to our feline friends (and even our canine friends and dog lovers).

Last year, California had a great victory. Animals that are to be consumed as food are now supposed to be treated more humanely.

Let's hope that the new year brings even more compassion for others.

Techniques for Brushing Your Cat

Brushing your cat has many benefits for your cat. It keeps your cat healthy, prevents fur balls, and helps you to bond with your cat. Shorthaired cats, as well as longhaired cats need to be brushed.

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Bringing Home a New Cat or Kitten

A new cat is a joy! Help to ease your new cat's transition to her new home and other pets. Set up a safe place for your cat until she gets used to her new home. Be patient! This can be stressful.

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Pet Health Alert: Protect Fido and Fluffy from Fleas

The following article is from the ASPCA News Alert dated August 15, 2008. The story is called, "It's Flea Season—Do You Know Where Your Pets Are?"

"As the festive days of summer wane in many parts of the country, one little parasite keeps the party hopping in warm, humid areas where he reigns. With nearly 2,000 species and subspecies, the flea thrives at temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees and feeds on the blood of the unsuspecting—especially cats and dogs.

Fleas are hearty and nimble pests, and when searching for a host, they can jump up to two feet, 10,000 times in a row—that adds up to the length of three football fields! They can also cause troublesome health problems in companion animals, such as anemia, skin allergies and tapeworms. These legendary leapers are tough to fight, but the ASPCA offers tips that will rub your pets the right way:

• Know your enemy: Confirm your pet has fleas by identifying signs such as droppings or 'flea dirt' in your pet's coat, excessive scratching and scabs.

• What goes around comes around: Treat all of your pets, not just those who show outward signs of infestation.

• Shine on, pet parent: Thoroughly clean your house, including rugs, bedding and upholstery, and discard any used vacuum bags.

• Honor—and trim—nature's gifts: Since fleas love long grass and shady outdoor spots, remember to treat and maintain your yard as carefully as your house.

• Doctor knows best: Talk to your vet about choosing the right, species-specific treatment for your pet, such as a topical, liquid insecticide applied to the back of the neck. Never use products for dogs on cats, and vice versa. Also ask your vet to recommend products for treating your yard.'Cats especially are extremely sensitive to insecticides, and pets can die from improper use of flea control products,' says Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist & ASPCA Senior Vice President. 'Just a few drops of concentrated permethrin, present in many spot-on treatments for dogs, can be lethal to cats.'"

Click on the permalink for information about natural flea control methods.

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Pet Sites that Spam

For the last week, I've been receiving spam emails every day from a company that sells "PediPaws," a pet nail trimmer. It is not email I asked for and I had never visited their site.

In fact, I received three (!) emails from these people today.

I really dislike spam (I could even use the word "hate," which I normally don't like to use). When a company employs this method of unsolicited advertising, I will never use their product, even if it might be a good one. I won't consider it.

Petsmart Coupon for August

You can save $5 on orders over $30 at this popular pet supply store. Click on the permalink for the coupon.

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Stable Home for You and Your Pet

Please don't adopt a cat or kitten or other pet if you aren't sure of your living situation. If you think you may need to move soon, please wait until after you've moved and are in a stable living environment to adopt a pet.

While it may seem to be a good idea to give a pet a home as soon as possible, if you're in an unstable living situation and you take in the orphan cat, kitten, puppy, or dog, it's not a good idea.

If you find you have to give up your pet, then the fact that the pet is older because it lived with you for a while is just going to make it that much more difficult to find another home. People generally prefer kittens and puppies, not older pets.

Petsmart Coupon for July

Petsmart is one of the online pet supplies stores I recommend for cat supplies at a decent price. (For a healthy cat food store, see my Cat Food page.)

Petsmart is offering 15% off purchases totaling over $65 for the month of July. Click on the permalink for the "coupon."

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Flea Life Cycle

Flea treatment efforts must consider all parts of the flea life cycle. The cycle can be as short as 20 days, or as long as one year. 95% of all flea populations are not adult fleas.

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Vegetarian Cats

Vegetarian cats are missing essential amino acids in their diets. Cats need taurine in their diets to be healthy.

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Care for a Pregnant Cat

How to care for a pregnant cat during the early and later stages of feline pregnancy.

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FDA Seizes Pet Food from PETCO

Seems that the United States Food and Drug Administration has seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center. Read the full FDA news release.

For info about safe and healthy cat food, click the "permalink."

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Treatment for Cat Hairballs

Remedies and treatment for cat hairballs are only necessary when your cat or kitten cannot get rid of the hairball by himself. Cats usually vomit out hairballs or pass them in their stool.

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Choosing the Right Cat Carrier

Do you need a cat carrier? Here's info on different types of cat carriers, choosing a carrier to fit your cat, and how to introduce your cat to the carrier.

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Best Cat Feeding Schedule

The right cat feeding schedule will help you and your cat. Is your cat a grazer or set mealtime cat?

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