Archive for January, 2009

Cat Health - Common Problems

Saturday, January 31st, 2009
Richard G M Taylor asked:


No matter what breed of cat and no matter how well you look after your cat, like us humans, they will suffer from common cat health problems during the course of their life. As a cat owner, you will need to be aware of the most common problems, some of which can be avoided with the right awareness and by taking basic precautions.

The most common cat health problems are colds, bite wounds, digestive problems, urinary problems and diarrhea, and

eye problems.

Cats are sensitive to many respiratory viruses and infections such as the common cold and like humans they can usually rely on their own immune system to deal with it. However, if your cat is off its food and appears listless and in some distress then you should consult your vet for appropriate medication.

Cats, particularly Tom cats do fight a lot. Often with other cats and sometimes with dogs and more dangerously with the dreaded fox. This can lead to various wounds which will need treatment from a vet to avoid infections setting in. Eyes are particularly vulnerable.

Fleas are also a common cat health problem, especially if your cat is outside a lot. Tapeworm and other parasites are common problems cat health problems too and often cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Your vet will have medication to deal with these issues.

Another common cat health problem, mainly associated with Tom cats that have not been neutered, is urinary tract infection. If your cat stops using the litter box, or the urine is particularly strong smelling then these are clear signs and your vet should be consulted without delay.

Although not normally a cat health problem on its own, hairballs or fur balls are very common and can lead to problems under certain circumstances. Cats naturally swallow fur from their constant grooming and although it will normally pass through the cats digestive system, there are times when it gathers into a fur ball and may become lodged in the digestive tract or intestine with serious consequences if not treated quickly. Symptoms are not eating properly, constipation and listlessness. Often a cat will cough up a fur ball if it gets caught in the throat. You can help prevent hairballs or fur balls occurring if you brush your cat regularly.

Feline leukemia used to be a very common cat health problem and was often fatal. These days, however, with modern vaccines available the disease can be prevented. Always have you cat vaccinated if there is a risk of infection because this is a highly contagious disease.

The main message here is to monitor you cat’s health, visit the vet regularly for check ups and take advice from your vet on suitable vaccinations.



Elijah

How do enzyme levels affect a cat’s health? can high enzyme levels keep a cat from getting spayed?

Thursday, January 29th, 2009
cat health
Jai asked:


Please give websites and examples thanks.

Abigail

Can cat poop affect my health?

Monday, January 26th, 2009
cat health
Davey M. asked:


Unfortunately i live in a neighborhood where ALOT of stray cats wander around. And the worse thing is they poop everywhere near my house and my neighbor’s. I do try to chase them away before they can do it but unfortunately i cant keep track of it all the time. Now it reeks every where i go in my side of the neighborhood. Is the smell going to affect my health in any way?

Ivan

Cat Age and Health Problems Help?

Sunday, January 25th, 2009
cat health
SheltieGirl asked:


At what age should i stop breeding my cat roughly?
And also what health problems do British shorthairs and Ragdolls have? Thanks xx

Maxwell

Is having a cat bad for MY health?

Friday, January 23rd, 2009
cat health
Scary_doLL asked:


My mom keeps telling me to get rid of my cat because she says that its bad for my health..I don’t believe her though. Last time I went to the doctor I forgot to ask him about it. Do any of you guys know if this is true?

Adrianna

Cat Health Insurance: Ensure Your Cats of a Perfect Protection

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Robert Scott asked:


Life, whether of a human being or a cat, is precious! Insurance, therefore, assumes importance in case an illness surfaces suddenly and if one is short of required financial resources. If the matter is concerned with taking a proper care of your cat, then the veterinary bills can prove to be nothing more than a burden for a cat owner. Health insurance policies are therefore a boon for the pet owners because of the financial help they render. Cat health insurance is thus a must to cover the expenses for those who truly care for the well-being of their cats. Even during medical emergencies which are sudden in nature, a cat owner can rest assured on this front as well. A wide range of requirements are covered with the help of this policy resulting in an immense relief for the pet owner.

 

The rising costs are a bane for the general populace with inflation breaking its own past records. Paying up the sudden expenses in the form of veterinary bills in case of emergencies have become nothing short of a burden explaining the need of an insurance policy. But, going for a cat health insurance policy might unnerve many in the beginning however, proving later to be immensely beneficial. For those people, who are extra careful in the maintenance of cats, the policy provides a solid financial support especially in the times of emergencies. There are numerous firms providing the cat health insurance policies on reasonable terms and conditions. Make sure you go through them properly with the help of yellow pages or either the internet which are replete with information about insurance agencies.

Similar to human health insurance policy, cat insurance policy come with multiple healthcare benefits. However, paying up the premiums, as many believe, might prove to be burdensome because of the robust health of their cat. But we all know that illnesses and emergencies of other kind have a habit of arriving suddenly and that their pet might not remain in the condition when it was younger. It thus makes better sense to avail of the benefits of insurance policy so that it can cover the medical expenses during the illnesses and injuries. Studying thoroughly the terms and conditions of a pet insurance policy is thus necessary, to get a clear idea about their processing. A cat owner can also make sure whether the insurance policy selected covers the pre-existing or terminal illnesses in a proper manner. This step assumes importance because there are many policies offered by the insurance agencies which might or might not fulfill these conditions quite satisfactorily.

There are various criteria that should be met within a cat health insurance policy. One of them is age, as many policies cover only certain age groups and beyond that your cat might not be eligible for the cover. With the help of these criteria, an insurance company is able to set the premium amounts. If your cat belongs to an older age group, higher premium amount has to be paid by you due to the range of illnesses it might develop. This is a normal outcome of hardening of internal organs thereby resulting in their improper functioning, further weakening the immune system of the creature. Yet, the cat owner has a privilege to choose any policy according to his or her financial capacity. Ensure therefore, a proper regimen for cat care with the help of these policies.



Cristina

Cat Health Insurance is All That your Cat Needs

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Robert Scott asked:


Since veterinary costs are rising day-by-day, insurance policies have become the biggest necessity of all pet owners. In fact, these policies are helpful in lightening the financial burden of the pet owner; perhaps, this is the reason why most of the pet owners are buying health insurance policies for their pets. Such health insurance can be a topic of debate among pet owners but the fact is that all pet owners, who care for their pet’s requirements and want to provide them with quality medical facilities, buy these policies to secure their pet’s life. People, who are concerned about their pet’s health, know that a health insurance can save their pet’s life during serious illness or injury. These insurance policies cover a wide range of healthcare requirements of a pet, so that the pet owner may get relief from the burdensome medical bills of his or her pet. Owning a cat is the biggest pleasure of the world but one may feel really very bad when he or she is not able to take care of this sweet little creature just because of financial shortage. Cat health insurance is the only one solution that may help a cat owner in providing his or her cat with the best healthcare benefits.

Cat health insurance policies are just like human insurance policies and they also carry equal healthcare benefits. These policies cover all unexpected health expenses of a cat, so that the owner may not face sudden financial burden at the time of her injury or illness. There are people, who believe that paying premiums of their cat’s insurance just increases their financial burden, as their cat hardly requires medical check-ups and treatments. However, life is unpredictable and no cat owner can predict that his or her cat will stay healthy forever; therefore, they should not deny the benefits of a cat health insurance.

However, it is wise to analyze every aspect of cat health insurance polices but it does not mean that these policies are not useful. Analyzing these policies can help a pet owner in getting a clear idea about the processing of these policies. With this, the cat owner can know whether the selected insurance policy covers pre-existing health problems of his or her cat or not. Since there are some policies that do not cover pre-existing conditions, it is always advisable to select a policy that covers unexpected and pre-existing conditions of the insured cat.

There are various factors that determine the benefits of your cat health insurance. Age and physical condition are one of those key factors that decide on the benefit level of a cat insurance policy. These factors also helps the insurance company in setting the premium amount, as older your cat will be the higher premium amount you will have to pay for her policy. However, this premium amount never goes out of the budget of the cat owner, as the cat owner gets the privilege to choose the cat health insurance policy as per his or her capacity.



Kelvin

Is yogurt bad for a cats health?

Saturday, January 17th, 2009
cat health
♥Jonas Brothers Lova!♥ asked:


I have 3 cats. 2 kittens and an adult. One of my kittens hangs out with me all the time. I give her yougurt sometimes, but my brother tells me not to. If i give yogurt to my cat could it effect her health? Or is cats being lactose intolerant a myth?

Gerald

Cat Health Insurance - Should You Get Coverage For Your Felines?

Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Tim Whiston asked:


Cat health insurance is a great way to protect your feline from illness and injury. For literally a few bucks per month you can have peace of mind no matter what comes your way.

Taking good care of your cat requires diligence, awareness, and some monetary investment. As maintenance is the critical factor in preventing serious problems from occurring and minimizing the impact when issues do arise, going to the vet for 1 to 2 checkups per year is an essential minimum.

Many cat health insurance plans will cover routine visits to the vet. These regular office visits should consist of yearly vaccines, fecal and blood samples, and a thorough physical examination.

Without insurance you could expect to spend $75 to $200 per visit, per cat, depending on your exact regimen and the pricing in your region. A good cat insurance provider can save you substantially, even with 50% to 70% coverage.

Aside from your regularly scheduled exams, there is always the chance your cat(s) will need to go to the vet for unexpected reasons. Felines are potentially vulnerable to an entire range of specific ailments and diseases.

Problems like feline leukemia, distemper, and feline dental lesions are all very serious in nature, and likely to require expensive treatment. Cat health insurance will cover medical expenses associated with these and other illnesses.

Aside from pathological setbacks, felines are naturally prone to accident because of their curious and adventurous natures. Cat health insurance will help you pay for such traumas as vehicle accidents, poisoning, bite wounds, and more.

It’s not difficult to find cat insurance that offers coverage of 70%, 90%, and even 100%. And in many cases your deductible will be a very nominal $50 to $100.

In the event you accrue a veterinary bill of $1,000 or more (not uncommon by any means), a cat healthcare plan can make the difference between a major financial setback and a reasonable outlay. You should have no trouble finding numerous testimonials from cat owners who have saved tremendously because of their insurance policy.

Cat health insurance is available in a wide range of policy structures. You can choose a plan that covers only accidents, a program that handles accidents and selected illness, or even a complete system that supports all injury & disease, and includes a wellness plan.

Any good cat insurance company will provide you with a totally free quote. And you can then select your exact level of coverage according to your budget.

For many people, the question arises: What if I pay my cat health insurance for many years and my feline never gets ill or injured?

If this happens, congratulations! Your cat has led an amazingly healthy and fortunate life! And your insurance payments have allowed you to enjoy great peace of mind all the while.

It’s worth pointing out that all insurance, whether automotive, home, or health is largely about the comfort derived from knowing your coverage exists. Even if you never have to use your insurance plan, having it available will reduce your worry significantly.

And you can’t put a price tag on the peace and comfort of knowing you’ll be able to take good care of your feline friends no matter what comes up. These wonderful little creatures provide you with unconditional love and companionship for many years, it stands to reason that you return the favor by keeping them as safe as possible.



Guillermo

Can giving a baby(81mg) asprin to a cat cause health problems?

Sunday, January 11th, 2009
cat health
baldeagle2276 asked:


The cat is 17 lbs. and limping from joint pain.

Liberty