Healthy Skin & Coat for Cats

A Dull Coat Needs Attention from Humans

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Hey! We cats always think we are the best looking animal around. Sometimes we need humans to notice when things aren't quite right.  Like a dull coat.

Often, a dull coat is a result of the food we eat. We need lots of protein. (More than--OK, I'm going to say it--dogs.)

We don't have the same nutritional needs as humans either, so a "low-fat" food may really be harming our body. We need fat. Fat "lubricates" our coat and gives it tone, plus it keeps our skin supple without dry flakes. I think you humans call it dandruff. If your cat is a bit plump, try cutting back on carbohydrates rather than fat.

Here are some other signs of dry coat:

• Too many baths! Baths strip the skin of important oils. Unlike dogs (there, I said it again) cats don't need a bath unless something really sticky, or smelly is beyond our ability to clean by ourselves.
• Overweight kitty. A very plump kitty may not be able to reach all the parts of his body. This can lead to an unkempt coat, and in super fluffy cats, snarls and tangles.
• Getting older. Yep, it happens to cats, too. When we become less flexible it can limit movement and our ability to groom.
• Medical conditions. You really, really need the vet for these. Kidney problems, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and other illnesses. Your vet is your cat's friend.
• Parasites. They are more than annoying. Fleas, ticks and worms can affect the skin and coat. 

If a little change in your cat care and feeding doesn't help. Be sure to consult your veterinarian for possible causes.

The Brush

Brushing your cat on a regular basis helps to stimulate the follicles. Plus, brushing helps distribute the natural oils along the entire hair. 

So aside from getting rid of surface dust and dirt, those regular brushings help keep our coats glossy. Plus, we love the attention.

Your cat will look as awesome as she feels.

If you like cats, be sure to come to our Book Party this Saturday, August 22. Join in the fun. My co-author, Tim Hammill, will read from my stories.

Max

Dental Care for Cats

Pink and White

Pink and white are the colors you want to see when you look inside your cat's mouth. No brown tartar on the teeth. Healthy pink, not red, gums.

I am a cat, not a veterinarian, so make sure your check with your vet about dental care for your cat.

How To Keep Those Dental Colors

A little training and daily attention go a long way to keeping your cat's teeth healthy. Good, old-fashioned brushing is the best way to keep maintain your cat's dental health.

What you need:

• cotton swab
• feline toothpaste
• feline tooth brush

Do not use human toothpaste! It makes us very, very sick.

Here's what the ASPCA recommends.

Brush your cat’s teeth at home by following these simple steps:

• First get your cat used to the idea of having her teeth brushed. Start by gently massaging her gums with your fingers or touching a cotton swab to them.
• After a few sessions, put a little bit of cat-formulated toothpaste on her lips to get her used to the taste.
• Next, introduce a toothbrush designed especially for cats—it will be smaller than human toothbrushes and have softer bristles. Toothbrushes that you can wear over your finger are also available and allow you to give a nice massage to your cat’s gums.
• Finally, apply the toothpaste to her teeth for a gentle brushing.
• A veterinary exam beforehand may be helpful to find out if your cat’s gums are inflamed. Many cats have mild gingivitis and brushing too hard can hurt their gums.

When to see The Vet

If your cat has brown patches at the base of her teeth, it's time to get a professional cleaning from the vet. Healthy teeth lead to a long and healthy life. 

If your kitty's gums are red, he may have a gum inflammation. Usually this is from irritation from tartar collection. 

The ASPCA has some guidelines for mouth problems in cats. Here's their list of when to see the veterinarian.

If your cat suffers from any of the symptoms mentioned below, please see the vet right away:

• Gingivitis: This inflammation of the gums is mainly seen in older cats. It may start as a dark red line bordering on the teeth. If left untreated, gums may become sore and ulceration may occur. May be a sign of FIV or other infection.
• Periodontitis: If gingivitis invades the tooth socket, the tooth may become loose and an abscess may form.
• Stomatitis: This inflammation of the mouth lining may result from a foreign body in the mouth, a viral disease or dental problems. The cat will have difficulty eating and the inside of the mouth will appear red.
• Rodent Ulcer: A slowly enlarging sore or swelling on the upper lip.
• Salivary Cyst: If salivary glands or ducts that carry saliva to the mouth become blocked, a cyst may form under the tongue.
• Mouth Ulcers: Ulcers on a cat’s tongue and gums are sometimes caused by feline respiratory or kidney disease.

Here's to happy cats with healthy gums and teeth.

Max

Healthy Food, Healthy Cat

We Are What We Eat

Water and Nutrition

Cats are hunters. All those crazy kitten moves are training for capturing prey. And, as cartoons and cats show, mice are their natural prey. Mice contain about 70% water. That water keeps everything flowing inside.

Cats with water-based food lead a more natural life with fewer health complications. So, give us wet food!

Meat is our nutritional mainstay. Cat foods with grain by-products just don't imitate the live prey we catch. Knowing this is important for human parents of indoor cats. They need water. Wet food is the best way to keep your cat hydrated. 

If you feed dry food, make certain your cats get enough water. Some cats drink more water when it is running. You can turn on the faucet for them several times a day or get a fountain with running water. Make certain you keep the fountain clean. Clean the fountain and change the water frequently. We don't like stagnant water. So, even if the water is there, we won't drink it.

A healthy cat is a happy cat. Hmmmm. I wonder how much water bugs contain.

Here’s a tasty tip to help encourage your cat to drink more, offered inThe Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats:

• Locate a couple leaves of fresh catnip

• Fill a bowl with water and crush the leaves under the water

• Sit back and watch susceptible kitties ‘go wild’

Head bumps!

Max

#cats
#catsofgoogleplus
#catnutrition

ZZZZs

Nap like a Pro

Catching the ZZZZs happens a lot in Tails from the Park. But, really, that's because I'm a cat. Makes sense doesn't it?

On average, cats sleep about two thirds of every day. If you do the math, it means your 9-year-old kitty has slept away about six years of life.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/photos/10-fascinating-facts-about-cats/felines-sleep-two-thirds-of-the-day#ixzz3e79oWMAx

That's a lot of sleeping! 

Next time you see your kitty napping just realize he is conserving energy for the next great hunt. In my case, that would be an adventure.

#cats

#catnaps

#tailsfromthepark

Tuna No!

Tuna and Cats

Cats who eat too much tuna can become addicted, which can actually cause a Vitamin E deficiency. 

If you include tuna in your cat's diet, do it in a controlled way.

Tuna has a strong taste and smell so many cats can become addicted to it. As a treat now and then it is harmless but a steady diet can lead to malnutrition. Without enough vitamin E cats may develop a condition called steatitus (also known as yellow fat disease).

Eating tuna regularly can become a big problem if your cat refuses to eat anything else.

Tuna may also be a source of heavy metal poisoning, especially mercury, if eaten as a steady diet.

If trouble finds your cat the way it does me, the lure tuna can lead your cat off to places he wouldn't normally go.

I share my tuna trail story in Monday, Monday in Tails from the Park.

Join the Max Gang to get all the update publishing news.

Head bumps!

 

Play!

Hunting Practice

Nothing beats a good paw swipe. 

I was with my original cat mom long enough to learn about hunting. Chase, capture, kill. That's what we do.

When I'm not out searching for birds or bugs I love to chase string. It moves!

Some people think that cats love to play, and we do. But, we play to hone our hunting skills. Just like humans practice a musical instrument or give speeches in front of a mirror, cats play because the hunting instinct is in us.

A playful, hunting cat is a happy cat. 

Join the Max Gang for more play and special exclusive publication notices.

#cats
#catplay

The Importance of Cat Whiskers

Whiskers!

Each side of a cat's face has about 12 whiskers.
I don't talk much about whiskers in my stories but whiskers are very important cat assets.

Whiskers help us see in the dark and stay clear of predators because they are a well-honed sensory tool.

We don't just have them on our face but in other places, too, like ears, jaw and forelegs.

Whiskers are very fancy sensory organs with extremely sensitive sensors at the tips. I think whiskers are why some people think cat's have ESP (extrasensory perception). Ha! We are gifted with whiskers.

Here's what Pet MD says:

Whiskers, unlike human hair, are actually touch receptors. These longer, stiffer hairs -- also called vibrissae -- are embedded more deeply in the cat’s body than the shorter top-fur coat. The vibrissae are connected securely to the sensitive muscular and nervous systems, sending information about the surroundings directly to the cat’s sensory nerves, giving it a heightened sense of feeling and helping the cat to detect and respond to changes in its surroundings - sort of like kitty radar.

A cat’s tactile hairs may be the most prominent on either side of its nose and upper facial lip. You may be also able to see shorter whiskers above each of the eyes (kind of like eyebrows). But did you know that cats also have whiskers on their jaw line and on the back of their front legs?

Cats use their whiskers in the same way that we use the touch receptors in our finger tips to feel our way around in the darkness, and to alert us to potentially painful situations.

Cats have a sensory organ at the end of their whiskers called a proprioceptor, which sends tactile signals to the brain and nervous system. The proprioceptor is related to the position of the body and limbs, an important part of knowing where every part of the body is so that decisions can be made for the next immediate movement. This organ makes the cat’s whiskers very sensitive to even the smallest change in the cat’s environment. A cat’s whiskers not only help it to gauge whether it can fit into a tight space (without even being able to see it), they can even respond to vibrations in the air, such as when the cat is chasing prey.

Whiskers also serve as a way for cats to visually measure distance, which is why they are able to leap so quickly and gracefully onto a narrow ledge or out of harm’s way.

#cats
#catwhiskers

Kitty Chocolate Poisoning

Chocolate Poisoning!

I ate chocolate and lived to tell you. You can read about my extraordinary chocolate experience in a later book in the Tails from the Park book series.  For now, just make sure you don't feed chocolate to your cat, not even a tiny bite.

Here's what Web MD for Cats has to say. 

ChocolateChocolate can be lethal for cats. Although most cats won't eat it on their own, they can be coaxed to eat it by owners and others who think they are giving the cat a treat. The toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine. It's in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous kinds, though, are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate can cause abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death.

I'm a cheerful happy fellow, but this stuff is really powerfully bad for cats. Just because I ate chocolate...once...don't let your kitty follow my example.

Hey, trouble finds me. Don't let it find your cat.

#cat chocolate poisoning #cat health