SMELLY? COSTLY? INCONVIENIENT? DO YOU STILL WANT ONE? (Animal Welfare in general)

Member Name: indigojade

Product:	Animal Welfare in general
Date:	06/09/01 (441 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: friendly, cuddly, affectionate animals

Disadvantages: costly, smelly, can tie you down

Cats – lovely cute fluffy things that purr and rub up against you with obvious affection? Or nasty smelly, flea ridden noisy murders who only want you around when they want something? Your views on cats may well fall under both these at some time or other – as the owner of 3 cats I know my opinion does!

For as long as I can remember there have always been cats in my home and if I have my way there always will. I heard a story the other day about a woman, who had 2 kittens for 2 weeks, then left them outside an RSPCA shop in a box as she couldn’t cope! I managed (just about) to keep a civil tongue in my head whilst telling her just how irresponsible she had been.

There are no two ways about it, cats do create work – certainly kittens do as with any ‘baby’ if you are not prepared to take that on, then please get a cyber pet or a pet rock!


 Fleas

Cats will have fleas at some time in their lives; there is no shortage of products on the market to combat fleas on your cats. I would recommend the monthly ‘drops’ on the back of the neck formulation. They are very simple to give, and are very effective against fleas. The only drawback being you have to remember to treat on a regular basis, otherwise you are in for a long job. If you cat does get fleas then not only do you have to treat your cat, but also your home – everything in every room!

 Worms
As with fleas cats will be infested with worms at some point in their lives. The 2 most common are the round worm and the tapeworm. Cats are infected in a variety of ways, kittens can be infected by their mother, fleas can infect cats as can shrews, mice and their ilk. Roundworms can cause diarrhoea, weight loss and poor condition and sometimes bad breath. Tapeworms can be more noticeable in that white flat segments can be seen on the fur around the anus after defaecation.

To de worm you can either b
uy off the shelf medications or from the vet. This is my preferred method as the medication from the vet is specifically for my cats weight and therefore guaranteed to work. From 12 weeks onwards it is recommended you de worm your cat every 3 months.


 Scratching
Cats scratch. You cannot stop a cat from scratching, but you can deter them away from your furniture. We have a scratching post, specially designed for them to sharpen their claws on. This is basically a column of wood, with rope wrapped around it very tightly, very cheap to make, or you can buy them from your pet supplier. The reasons cats scratch things are to keep their claws in shape, they cast their claws, or rather a shell regularly (these can be seen around the scratching post so don’t panic) and to leave a scent to mark their territory, as they have scent gland between the pads.

Cats do sometimes suffer from over grown claws; these need to be clipped regularly to prevent them becoming ingrown. I used to take my three to the vets to have this done, but at £5 per cat it was expensive. I asked the Vet to show me how to do it, and he obliged! I now always clip my cats claws when they require it and it is very simple and easy to do, definitely less traumatic for the cat, as they do not have to be handled by a stranger or take a trip in a box in the car.

I have heard of people having their cats claws removed, this is a very cruel and I am glad to say uncommon practice. If you don’t want your cats to scratch your furniture buy a scratching post or use one of the many products on the market to deter such behavior. If you don’t want your cats to scratch you – don’t torment them, or treat them roughly. Cats NEED their claws, their very lives may depend on them – how would your beloved cat manage to scramble up a tree/fence when being chased by a dog or fox? It wouldn’t – dog food!

 Grooming
Cats sp
end a vast amount of time grooming themselves; it feels like a miniature earthquake on the bed when Murphy decides its cleaning time! Regardless of their own grooming, you should be prepared to spend at least some time every day (with longer haired cats) or every week to groom your cat. You will need a brush or a comb designed for the purpose, or one of the grooming mitts, basically a glove with small rubber nodules on it to ‘catch’ fur. The purpose of grooming is prevent your cat from getting ‘fur balls’ which can clog up the digestive system, making your cat very ill. Also grooming can bring to light any signs of flea or tick infestation, although with fleas I am sure you would notice before that! Cats do like grooming, but only when they are in the mood for it! I usually groom when they are sitting on my knee, and stop when the claws come out, or they jump off! Don’t force your cat into anything grooming wise, to have a cat sitting on your knee growling and spitting whilst you tease knots out of their fur is unpleasant for both the animal and the owner – especially when said owner loses an arm!

 Insurance

Pets can be expensive things, especially when they become ill or have an accident, one of my cats Guinness had an accident 3 years ago, when she slipped on my neighbours conservatory roof and sliced her paw open! It was the worst time of my life -–it was 6am I was getting ready for work and the kitchen looked like a blood bath. I telephoned the vet and was informed that there was £60 call out fee, to call the vet out to the surgery – not to my home, if I could wait until after 8am this was reduced to £40, after 9am and there was no call out charge! Needless to say I took Guinness up to the surgery there and then! It cost me a grand total of £256 to have 5 stitches put in the leg and paw and for all her medications.

There are a variety of ‘pet insurance’ companies arou
nd now, and it costs around £1-2 per animal per week, depending on the breed/ size etc. Definitely worth checking into, but please do read the conditions of acceptance and making claims!


 Neutering

If you have no plans to breed your cat sensibly, then please please have your cat neutered. Neutering is NOT cruel; it is far crueler to own a cat that has kittens every year, with no homes for those kittens to go too. People with tom cats are exempt from this, have your tom neutered, it will stop him wandering, spraying and prevent unwanted pregnancies in cats. Be a responsible owner. Kittens should be neutered when they are around 6 months old, it is a myth that it is best for a female cat to have at least one litter, have them done! The RSPCA and the Cats Protection League insist on their adopted animals being neutered either before they leave their shelters, or as soon as is possible, they WILL check up on you!

Speying (female neutering) is performed under general anaesthetic, you will be asked before hand, if the cat is pregnant do you want them to continue and abort the foetuses, this is your choice – think realistically though, can you cope with a litter of kittens? Your cat will be kept in overnight and a return visit a week later will be required to remove the stitches in the wound. Having gone through this process with 3 cats I can say from experience there was little apparent distress suffered by the cats. They did not worry to wound site at all and had no complications. I had to keep each of them in for a week, until the stitches were removed, and wait for the patch of fur to grow back on their sides where the incisions were made.

Castration (male neutering) a smaller amount of anaesthetic is administered and the cat is often allowed home the same day

 Medication

At some point or other your cats will need some form of medication. The most common forms are tablets, liquids, and eye
/ear drops/ointments.

I regularly use worming tablets for my cats, this doesn’t mean they are used to taking them, oh no, they still like to attempt to remove some appendage from my body on each attempt. I use a different approach with each cat, with all I make sure all the windows and doors are close. I try and catch Mindy when she is curled up nice and quietly, taking the tablet (coated in marmite) firmly between thumb and forefinger, I gently take her by the scruff of the next and tilt her head back, dropping the tablet far into her mouth, release her scruff and stroke her under the chin gently. This does usually work, as she is too sleepy to realise what is going on, by the time she has,she can taste the marmite – tablet swallowed. Murphy is a between the knees job, kneel on the floor ensuring your ankles are crossed, place cat between your knees, with head end facing away from you (your not giving suppositories!) take hold firmly of the top jaw at the corners, tilt head back and drop in marmite covered tablet. You may need to repeat the process a few times before the cat actually swallows the tablet – after 4 attempts give up, as the tablet has probably disintegrated by this time! Guinness? Well it takes 2 of us, and has on occasion taken three. We now usually administer in the bathroom, where little damage can be done both to us, her and the room! Wrap cat firmly in a big thick towel, ensuring all legs are covered, try to open the mouth, drop tablet as far in as possible and try to hold mouth shut, until swallowed. If you can do it first time, well done! As soon as tablet has been swallowed, place cat (still in towel) quickly on the floor and retreat from the room. The cat soon finds its way out of the towel and wrecks havoc on the room. Trust me cat saliva is easier to clean from ceramic than from furnishings!

 Vaccines
You have your children vaccinated don’t you or you have vaccinations before taking a h
oliday? SO why should you neglect your animals, cats should be vaccinated to prevent diseases, not only from other cats, but from their prey as well. Any decent boarding kennel will insist on a valid certificate of vaccination, if they don’t, then you are placing your animal in the wrong place!
The most common vaccinations against diseases are:
 feline panleucopenia
 cat flu
 feline leukaemia
 rabies – only in places where there is rabies

The first vaccination for your kitten will be at 9 weeks old, with the second at 12 weeks and a booster injection at 15 months, then a booster annually. The injections really are important, although they cannot totally prevent your cat from becoming ill, they can reduce the seriousness of the illness. Guinness, one of my cats always has her annual booster which includes cat flu; she ‘caught’ cat flu from a stray cat 3 years ago and very nearly died. I was informed by the vet, that had she not had the booster, she very likely would have died.


 Litter
Warning this is probably the worst thing about keeping cats! Cat litter and litter trays are probably the most revolting things imaginable, but they are also essential when moving house or when buying a kitten. Cats are notoriously clean animals; they will when able go out into the garden, dig a hole and do their business in it and then bury it! My cats are exceptional in this case, preferring to ‘go’ in someone else’s garden rather than their own! We are providing a litter tray at the moment as one of our cats is a little confused about where she lives! The litter we are using is a fullers earth based one, highly absorbent and easy to clean up. I have found this to be the best and the cheapest cat litter on the market.

The tray should be easily washable with as high sides as possible (they make a terrible mess, when digging their ‘hole̵
7;). Pour in the litter and leave in a place with good ventilation – especially if you have a kitten – they smell dreadful! The litter should be regularly inspected for tell tale clumps and these clumps removed and disposed of safely. The litter tray itself should be washed thoroughly at least once a week, more often if possible. I used carex antibacterial hand wash to clean my litter tray, then blast it off with the hosepipe for a good five minutes to ensure all traces have been removed, remember some detergents are toxic to cats. Ensure children are kept away from the litter tray and are taught it is dirty.

Do make sure that the litter tray is deep enough, the ones that are generally on sale in pet stores really are not adequate, we have been using cardboard boxes since we have an abundance. The sides are high enough to contain MOST, not all but most of the litter, and due to the nature of the litter the box doesn’t become wet at all. It certainly saves on washing them out!!

Some cats can be taught the use the toilet – yes I kid you not, I have never mastered this yet, and doubt I ever will. In desperation one of my cats has used the bath, only when she has been shut in during the day without me knowing about it though!

 Food

Remember that cats are meat eaters and need a high protein diet, not to mention a constant supply of fresh water. No matter how many times I refresh my cats water bowl they will NOT drink from it, preferring instead dirty puddles and water from the bath!
Please remember to wash their food bowls before putting down fresh food, we humans always wash dishes after a meal so why shouldn’t we extend the same courtesy to our feline friends. At best you will end up throwing food away as cats are fussy eaters and will turn their nose up at food if it does not meet their expectations and at worst your cat may become ill due to infection from flies and so on.

Types o
f food are wide ranging in both content and price, from premium diets available from your vet to tinned foods and dry foods and semi dried foods – these are more widely available and certainly cheaper in price. There are benefits to each different type of food, I prefer to feed a mix, dried food for ‘breakfast’ this can be left all day, as I work and the cats can nibble whilst I am out. It also has the benefit of keeping their teeth clean and healthy (dealt with later on). I feed the cats tinned food as their evening meal, this I feel is a very balanced diet, and have certainly no complaints from either my cats or my vet. My only complaint with tinned food is the smell and the mess. I now NEVER feed my cats food with gravy in; Mindy tends to flick the gravy up the walls and over the others with her whiskers, making it a disgusting process of cleaning up. My cats prefer the chunks in jelly food, rather than the mishmash of ‘supermeat’ varieties.

 Playing

Like children cats/kittens love to play. As kittens they are practising/learning and teaching their hunting and killing skills and as adults they are keeping themselves entertained and fit for the chase! Observe how your cat plays and join in! Wiggle a piece if string in front of them and watch them pounce, make sure it is a long piece of string though, as they are very fast – how do you think they catch mice?? A favorite game in our household is to open a kit kat ‘silently’, all our cats love the sounds and texture of foil – so opening a kitkat is a perilous task! Covering a joint on a Sunday is a nightmare, as you find yourself surrounded by 6 glinting feline eyes, believe it or not, its NOT the meat they are after!

There are an enormous amount of cat ‘toys’ on the market these days, some costing a small fortune. If you don’t have £200 to spend on a cat gym, don’t worry! You are not an unworthy owner at
all. I have found the best toys are home made ones. In fact the best toys ever are BOXES! Having just moved, we have a huge assortment of boxes, there is nothing my lot love better than hiding in them and ambushing us and the other cats! Not so funny at 3 in the morning, but amusing to watch non the less!

When buying toys for your cats, make sure they are well made, children’s soft toys are not a good idea, ensure that there are no loose bits, such as eyes that will come off and choke your cat, remember they have sharp teeth and claws, and will soon shred flimsy fabrics.

Cats catch birds, mice, rabbits, shrews the list is endless. If you are squeamish about dead bodies on the doorstep, then perhaps a cat is not the pet for you. We are greeted daily by ‘catch of the night’, we used to be woken at stupid o’clock by Guinness sitting on the bedroom window, with ‘livestock’ in her mouth – usually still alive, just another reason we no longer have a cat flap! One way of trying to prevent this happening is to attach bells to a collar on the cat. It rarely works! We at one time had 4 bells on Guinness’s collar – bloody annoying when they are in at night! It didn’t work and they were quickly removed. I am afraid this is one aspect of cats ‘play’ you will have to bear should you wish to become an owner, if anyone has any tips they would be gratefully received! Some people say it is a cats method of giving something back to you, when they bring you a ‘catch’ I am more inclined to think it is a show of their obvious skill and cunning and they are merely showing off!


 Cats Humans and their diseases.

Although the majority of cat diseases cannot be transferred to humans, such as Feline Aids, some of them CAN be. However do not let this put you off buying or adopting a cat, with a sensible hygiene routine and preventative medication in the case of fle
as and worms any risk will be dramatically reduced, if not eliminated.

1. rabies and cow pox - through biting and direct contact from an infected cat
2. ringworm a fungus infection - direct contact and spores from the infected cat
3. pasteurella and tetanus - through cat bites
4. campylobacter enteritis, a disease of the small intestine - contact with contaminated cat faeces
5. cat scratch fever, bacterial agent -through cat scratches
6. conjunctivitis, eye infection - through contact with eye discharges infected by feline chlamydiosis
7. salmonella, can cause intestinal disease - can be transferred through saliva, discharge from eyes and faeces
8. toxoplasmosis - through contact with faeces from an infected cat (more likely for humans to catch this disease from undercooked meat)
9. parasites like hookworms, fleas, round and tapeworms - through contaminated faeces




 Dental

I am sure you are well aware that your cat has teeth! They are very sharp indeed and as with human teeth require attention on a regular basis. There are a couple of ways to deal with feline teeth; your cat will soon let you know their preferred method! You are able to buy from the vets, beef and chicken flavoured toothpaste, yes you are reading that right, and yes in a moment of complete and utter madness I tried it! It is complete and utter cack, but my cats appeared to enjoy licking it off my fingers! I did try the toothbrush method – no I bought one especially for cats, not my own! But after almost losing my arm and half my leg, Mindy decided this method was not for her at all! Another method is to feed your cats dry food; the dry food helps to remove plague and tartar build up from your cats teeth, ensuring fresher breath. As you can probably guess this is my (and the cats) preferred method of teeth cleaning, a lot tastier and a hell of a lot safer too!

 Toxins and cats

Did
you know that many household and garden plants are toxic to cats? No a lot of people aren’t aware. You cannot shadow your cat everywhere they go, but you can at least make your house and garden safe for your cats. Tulips, lily of the valley, daffodil’s and poinsettia are particularly toxic to your cat, so avoid them in your house at all costs, most especially if you have an ‘indoor’ cat. Some outdoor plants and flowers that are toxic to your cat include (this list is NOT exhaustive by any means) aloe vera, arrowhead, asparagus fern, azalea, bird of paradise, caladium, chrysanthemum, hyacinth, iris, sweet pea, clematis, azalea, lupin, christmas rose, rhododendron, oleander delphinium, Christmas cherry. Many cats will not bother once outdoors but it is good to be aware of the possible hazards to cats!

Just as there are naturally occurring substances that can cause harm to our feline friends, there are some man made ones that occur all around the house that can have devastating effects on them, these include alcohol, paracetamol and aspirin, slug, snail and rat poisons not to mention household detergents and cleaning agents. Keep these well out of the reach of cats, not in the sink under the cupboard but in a high cupboard, as many cats like 2 of mine are well able to open cupboards!

If your cat presents with any of the following symptoms take them to the vet immediately as the implications could be fatal. Lack of coordination/staggering around, severe vomiting, apparent coma, severe dribbling, severe diarrhoea, fits, bleeding or blue gums ( a sign of paracetamol ingestion)


You might wonder whether I really am a cat lover, as I seem to have pointed out almost every negative aspect of keeping a cat. Yes I have, but feel that these are essential aspects to consider when thinking about buying/adopting a cat. Although they are very independent creatures, they also depend on you for food, love, health care and to s
ome degree companionship. They are a bundle of fun and energy and I would hate to live in a cat free zone!

To end I would like to leave you with a lovely poem that I feel sums up cats perfectly:

Cats spit, cats purr,
Cats have fine silky fur.
Cats eat fish, cats eat meat,
Cats have paws instead of feet.

My cat has whiskers too,
And a little black nose-
As black as my shoe.
A tail that follows wherever she goes.
But, where she goes……..
Nobody knows

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