When my kids came home begging me to get them a cat, I had no idea what to expect or how to care for a cat. Before I relented, I did some research and found out that there are some cat care basics with which I needed to be familiar before we would bring a cat into the home. We had to make decisions about food, litter, cat furniture, toys, fleas, grooming, and vet care. It was not a decision to be taken lightly, but it was one we decided to take on.

Here is some of the information I uncovered doing my research before we brought our new cat, Tommy, into our home.

Cats need a specific diet. Not all cat foods are good at meeting the natural dietary needs of cats. You would think that if a manufacturer says a food is good for cats, it has to be good for cats. But determining whether or not a food fits the dietary needs of your cat is up to you. The manufacturer is trying to sell his product, so do your homework.

Dry foods have different health benefits and drawbacks than canned foods. I didn't know that! Cats don't need a lot of vegetable fillers in their diet. I didn't know that either! Cats need a high-protein, high-animal fat diet. That sounded a bit off until I thought about it. Cats are carnivores in the truest sense of the word. They eat only other animals when they are in their natural habitat. Now I understand why I need to read labels and choose the diet that is best suited to Tommy's natural needs.

Another area I looked into was what toys are best for a cat. I saw a lot of really cool, colorful, texture-rich toys in the pet store. They would be great! Any cat would have so much fun with such a toy. Not so. Cats are not completely color blind, but they do not make much distinction in colors. A colorful toy has little influence on its attractiveness to a cat.

I also thought a big ball of yarn would be fun until I found out that cats can ingest yarn and it embeds in the lining of their stomachs. That is not a scenario I wanted to know about personally! The cool crinkly toys I saw have had problems with the crinkly part coming out when the cat plays with it. Again, ingestion of the material can cause serious health risks. I had a lot of things to consider if I was going to have a cat and provide safe, fun toys for him to play with.

Do you know how many kinds of cat litter are on the market? Did you know some cats won't use certain types of litter? Some of them are very expensive, and others have a more reasonable price tag, but while some cats enjoy the more expensive, others will only use the cheapest kind of litter. I was getting quite tired just thinking about how many experiments we might have to do if we brought a cat home. How much clean up was I willing to do if the cat didn't like the litter I bought?

Cat furniture is another issue I researched. I know cats scratch, and I had heard that declawing is an unpleasant and unnecessary procedure. I wanted to know what my options were and how effective I could be in preserving my furniture and carpets. There is a large variety of options for furniture. There are textures cats prefer, along with structures that they enjoy. I learned that most important was to provide variety in any furniture I chose. I also learned that it is significantly cheaper (though requires an investment of time) to build my own.

Finally, I turned my thoughts to the physical health of a cat. I know worms can be a problem for a lot of cats. What I didn't know was how easy they are to treat if you are diligent about keeping up with the general health of the cat. I also learned that there are things you can do to make your cat's habitat less conducive to picking up worms. Cleanliness is important in the house as well as the yard!

And what about fleas? While fleas can be a problem, and they can cause some other health issues if they get out of control in a cat, they are also a minor problem if you are taking charge of your cat's overall health. There are many monthly-use products that keep fleas at bay just by being faithful to giving them to your cat.

Ultimately, I learned a lot about taking care of a cat. My kids were asking me almost daily until I gave in and we brought Tommy home. I have been diligent about providing for his needs. He sees the vet on schedule. He has a healthy, protein-rich diet, he has toys that cannot hurt him, and we did finally find a litter he will use! He has quit scratching the furniture, and we are all enjoying having him in our home.

Be diligent in your research about cat care basics. If you will pay attention to your cat's needs, you will be able to avoid illness, injury, and outrageous vet bills!

Our cats become a part of the family over time. But unlike humans, who are considered elderly at 60 or 65, cats are considered "senior citizens" at the ripe old age of 10. It is important to understand the proper care of cats at all stages of life. A kitten cannot be fed, groomed, medicated, and treated the same way as an elderly cat. Here is a guide to proper Elderly Cat Care.

Feeding Time

Most pet supply stores sell specially formulated cat foods that are designed to provide proper health and nutrition to elderly cats. Some formulas assist with proper digestion, since this can often be a problem with older cats. Senior cats cannot assimilate their food in their digestive tracts in the same way that they did when they were youngsters.

Older cats can also have problems with their teeth that cause them to eat less. This is why it is important to maintain good dental hygiene in cats at a young age by either brushing, taking them to the veterinarian for a cleaning, or feeding them snacks that clean their teeth. If your elderly cat eats less, it may be due to a toothache, thus it is sometimes ideal to feed them softer foods, mostly wet, canned foods, so that chewing their dinner won't be as much of an obstacle.

Many cat owners find that their cat's coat becomes dull with age. This is due to poor nutrition. Feed your older cat a diet rich in essential fatty acids to fix this problem. When organisms, including cats, get older, they have an increased production of free radicals in the body. Free radicals contribute to the degeneration of cells in the body. Help build up the immune system of your beloved cat by increasing his or her intake of vitamin C and E.

Finally, you want your cat to remain active in old age. The more energetic activities your cat participates in the better health it will remain in. If you allow your cat to become obese it will lay around the house and have reduced quality of life, as well as a decrease in general health. Watch your pet's eating habits and assure that it is not overeating, or eating as a recreation as some cats do.

Grooming Elderly Cats

Another element of proper Elderly Cat Care is grooming. When cats age, they sometimes stop grooming themselves with the same frequency as they did when they were younger. This can create a matted fur coat that is dirty and smells bad. Bad hygiene will eventually lead to bad health. Because of this, it is important that you groom your eldery cat yourself. Purchase a good cat brush that doesn't just brush the outer coat, but one with bristles that reach down to the skin to pull up old hair.

It sometimes helps to give your cat a bath, even though most cats hate them with a passion. The best way to wash a cat is to place them in the tub and gradually introduce water. You certainly don't want to throw them into the tub with hot water running inside! You may get a deep claw mark in the arm that will never heal and remind you to never do that again. If you apply water gradually to the cat's coat until they are completely wet and then work in some shampoo quickly, you should be able to accomplish that goal.

Vet Visits and Medication

When your cat grows into old age, it may have health complications that require regular medication. You should schedule a regular vet appointment for your elderly cat to assure that you are keeping up with all details of its health regimen. In older age, cats may seem fine but still have complications. Ask your veterinarian to give your cat a blood and urine test to find out if there is anything to be concerned about to head off any future problems. Going back to dental care, most older cats develop gum disease which can lead to health problems down the line. Gum disease can be treated by your veterinarian.

Just as with a human who has to take daily medication, if your cat has been prescribed to take medications on a daily basis it is helpful to keep everything in one place as a reminder. You do not want to miss a day of any crucial medication as the system of your older cat is much more delicate than those of younger cats.

Pet Insurance

Insurance companies are coming to recognize the love that people have for their pets. Thus, there are many new pet insurance products popping up on the market. It is best to enroll your pet into an insurance program at a younger age to assure a more reasonable premium, but you may still be able to enroll your elderly cat into an insurance program where his or medical bills will be partly covered in the case of a medical emergency. Some pet insurance companies will charge anywhere from $20-$50 per month per cat, depending on their particular situation.

The costs of pet surgeries and treatments can be way out of the budget of most households, so having a pet insurance plan to back you up can be a great asset. It will also give you peace of mind about your cat as it ages.

Activities of the Elderly Cat

The activity level of elderly cats vary. Some cats become inactive and spend most of their day sleeping or sitting. But other cats can be just as active in old age as they were in their younger days. These cats may still like to play with you, run, and chase the other cats around the house, but you just need to be understanding that they may not be able to participate in these games for as long as they used to. For example, a game cats love to play is "chase their owner." Instead of letting them chase you up and down the stairs as you did when they were young, maybe you could keep the activity to one level of the house. That way you will not overexert your cat and help prolong his time spent active.

Most cat experts agree tht a cat is generally healthy and happy when they are "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." Another indication of a healthy cat is a lustrous, shiny coat, and a tail that sticks straight up in the air when the cat is walking. Proper elderly cat care is dire if you love your senior cat and want to keep it in good physical health.

You've brought your kitten home. You've got her set up with all her needs. Now, you're faced with some of the more puzzling aspects of cat care. You're wondering about declawing. And that's just for starters. Not to worry.

First and foremost, realize that the first step to successful cat ownership is to love your cat. Filling in the blanks on the information you don't know yet will come. And here's some information and knowledge to get you started. Of course homeopathic care for cat is something that is all over the news right now, but there's actually a lot more to know then that.

Yes, cats shed. And the shedding of a long-haired cat is more noticeable than that of a short haired feline. Expect your cat only to shed at the change of the seasons. That's not so. Because of his exposure to a constant temperature and continual artificial light, your indoor cat sheds year round. But it's not nearly as bad as it sounds.

Here's a good piece of important cat care information, cats take care of a lot of their shedding on their own. They are fastidiously clean animals. You'll discover they are constantly cleaning themselves with their rough, sandpaper-like tongues. The very mechanism, though, that helps them to control shedding also contributes to one of their health problems, hairballs. Hairballs are a very real threat to your cat's digestion. They can block the food that's already been digested from traveling through his intestines.

So how can you tell when your cat is experiencing hairballs? You'll be able to recognize them if he coughs them up - as cats are prone to do. If you find cigar-shaped masses of some indistinguishable matter on the floor or on your furniture, you've discovered a hairball.

Sometimes, though, a cat will expel them along with his feces in the litter box. If you find that your cat's bowel movements have hair on them, that means he's got hairballs. Another symptom your feline may exhibit is dry coughing or a hacking. This will especially occur after he's eaten. In fact, if your cat has a sudden, unexpected loss of appetite, you may suspect a hairball is at the root cause.

So how do you prevent hairballs? Take matters in your own hands, literally! Brush! Brush! Brush! Groom you kitty often. Most cats find it most enjoyable and it builds a marvelous bond between you and your feline.

If you discover that your kitten may need more aid than this, there are many effective hairball remedies on the market today. They come in a variety of forms, from granules you sprinkle inconspicuously on his food to gels.

Thinking about declawing?

If you haven't heard, declawing your cat so he doesn't ruin your furniture or accidentally seriously scratch an individual is controversial. A generation ago, this operation was routine, many times performed at the same time the kitten got spayed or neutered.

The public today, though, is more widely educated on exactly what surgery for declawing entails. It's not just a matter of pulling the claws out of the kitty. To remove a cat's claws, a veterinarian must actually amputate the cat's paws at the first joint. This would be the equivalent you getting your knuckles amputated right below your finger nails. Ouch!

In order to perform the surgery, your veterinarian will anesthetized your cat as well as give him pain medication. He will literally cut the first section of your cat's paw off, since the claws are intricately intertwined in the first "knuckle."

Following the surgery, your cat's paws are carefully bandaged. Your cat will undoubtedly spend the night at the animal hospital. The following day you'll be able to bring her home.

Be prepared! Your cat - understandably - will be distinctly uncomfortable for several days following the surgery. (Actually, she'll probably be in great pain. But felines are wonderful actors. Cats hate to show that they're in any type of pain.)

Considering, though, the extent of the surgery, your cat heals quite quickly. You'll notice that your pet walks around the house rather gingerly. That'll last for about a week. After that she'll back to her old self.

To help prevent infection, you should replace her litter with some shredded paper. This avoids getting granules of litter in his already very tender paws.

Declawing your cat does more than just eliminate the problem of scratching. Her claws -and that portion of the toes that are removed, are valuable to her in another vital way. Removing her claws may throw her entire system of natural balance off.

A cat, you see, is classified as a "digitigrade." It's a strange label, but essentially it means that she walks on her toes. But, a cats toes are used for so much more! Her entire balance and form are based on the length of her digits. Nature, it seems, designed the cat's body - including her back, shoulders, paws, leg joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons and even her nerves! - based on walking on her toes. Because of this, her weight is distributed across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs.

That means a cat's claws are absolutely essential for her balance as well as for her ability to exercise effectively. Not only that, her toes - and especially her claws are vital aspects of her stretching. Notice when your cat scratches at a post (or, yes, your furniture!). We all assume she's just sharpening her claws. Not so! She is really stretching her entire body. When you declaw your kitten, it throws her entire body alignment off.

Hairballs and declawing. Not usually subjects that come up in everyday conversations, now are they? But these are only two of the important bits of information that every cat owner needs to know in order to give Fluffy the best of care. That, and your love, will help your kitten live a long and healthy life.

As your dog gets older, you will witness noticeable differences in him or her physically. Their teeth will begin to wear down and will change color. Their eyes may begin to change color as well and start to appear gray or blue. The tone of their muscle will decrease and they won't be able to get around as fast or as easily as they once could. As your dog ages, they also will begin to experience various illnesses and chronic health problems.

Because dogs are often like part of the family, you will want to be able to care for them as best as you can and in a manner that the dog is still experiencing a good quality of life. You want to make sure that you are very vigilant and that you watch them closely. Study them and see if they begin to act differently, or if they seem to be in pain. It will be more important than ever to get checkup visits on a regular basis so that your vet can pinpoint any serious problems. You may want to do this as often as two times every year. These exams should include a blood workup.

If you are not sure of what warning signs to look for as your dog gets older, consider the following list.

-Your dog suddenly needs a lot more water than normal
-Your dog begins to throw up
-Your dog starts to gain or lose weight.
-Your dog suddenly has a change in their stools
-Your dog may have a harder time urinating
-Your dog’s stools suddenly become very loose or contain blood
-Your dog may begin going to the bathroom in the house
-Your dog may appear weak in the leg area or have a hard time walking, running or sitting down
-Your dog’s coat may begin to look dry, flake or lose fur
-Your dog may begin having a difficult time eating and digesting food.
-Your dog may exhibit behavior changes. They may be more cranky then usual.
-Your dog may begin coughing
-Your dog may begin to have trouble hearing
-Your dog suddenly becomes easily labored

Many dogs, as they get older, begin to suffer from diseases of the heart and kidneys. They will begin to have problems with their teeth and perhaps even their thyroid. If a dog is able to receive lots of good care, they can live for quite awhile even up to 15 years. However, this will differ based on their breed. Dogs that are neutered or spayed generally live longer. Some breeds of dogs such as Poodles, Airedale Terriers and Cocker Spaniels may live up to 20 years or more. Again, It depends on the breed, the individual dog and how well they are taken care of.

It's interesting how many people think that tropical fish care is difficult and so detailed that you need to get everything just right or your fish are going to choke away and die. Yes, you do need to provide fish with a healthy environment and a clean tank as well as the right amount of food and things such as this, but it's really not that difficult to learn about tropical fish care and to have a successful tank. Here are a few quick pointers.

Successful tropical fish care really boils down to understanding what fish need and what their natural environment is like and then providing them with an home tank that is as close to that as possible. As an example, it's very bad tropical fish care to use bleach or other cleansers on your tank because of course bleach doesn't exist in their natural habitat and any residue of this harsh cleaner is going to be very bad for them. Imagine how bad you feel when you swim in a pool that has too much chlorine; your skin gets dry, your eyes get bothered, and so on. It's the same with fish when they're swimming in a tank that has been cleaned with bleach or some other chemical. So when it comes to tank cleaning and tropical fish care, usually damp rags are sufficient.

Feeding is another important area when it comes to tropical fish care. Believe it or not the most common mistake that many fish owners make is to feed their fish too much and too often. Fish don't have that "full" sensation that humans do and can literally eat themselves sick; additionally any leftover flakes that remain in your tank will degrade and upset the chemical balance of the water. A few flakes here and there are not a problem but when you have quite a bit still remaining after feeding your fish this is bad for them. In their natural habitat fish don't eat twice a day and sometimes they don't even eat every single day. Understanding how bad it is to overfeed them is an important part of tropical fish care and can help to avoid many health problems down the road.

It's also important that you don't have too many fish in one tank; all the tropical fish care in the world won't make up for a tank that is overcrowded with too many fish or with fish that are too large for the space. Fish need room to swim around for their physical health but their emotional health as well. When fish are too crowded they have a tendency to act out and nip at other fish in their territory. There's not much you can do by way of tropical fish care when your tank is too crowded. If you can't afford a huge tank be sure you scale back the number of fish and the size of them so that they're all happy and healthy.

Keeping tropical fish is a great pastime that can bring immense happiness. Before doing so, however, there are several key points that you need to be aware of or the whole exercise could end up in great disappointment.

Before you set up a tropical fish tank, there are several guidelines that you should adhere to. If not, you may be endangering your tropical fish without even knowing it.

If you truly care for your fish you must act in their best interests, and no doubt you want to do exactly this. One common error that many people don't really understand is that there are some bacteria that you actually want in your aquarium (as they help balance the delicate biological life cycle). Do you know which bacteria I am talking about? I certainly didn't when I started out.

Katy's Tropical Fish Guide gave me a very good understanding into how to:

1. Set up my new tropical fish tank
2. How to introduce tropical fish to the tank
3. Caring for the fish tank
4. Feeding the tropical fish
5. Maintaining the health of the fish

Before reading it, I really had no idea on what was involved. Sure, the people at the store gave me some advice, but it was never pleasant finding my fish looking unhealthy, let alone, dead!

I wasn't overly impressed with the quality of other tropical fish books that are available on the market. I thought a lot of them were overpriced especially for the information they offered; and they generally didn't focus on telling you how to get the best results using methods that don't require a lot of effort and products that don't cost the earth.

Both of these things I believe take the fun and enjoyment out of keeping fish. After all, something that costs a significant amount of money and requires a lot of work on your behalf can't really be deemed as enjoyable.

Don't waste your time with other expensive books or videos that promise the earth. Katy's Tropical Fish Guide costs a fraction of inferior products on the market, but the advice I received was far, far superior. Without it, I would have spent a lot more money, lost a lot more fish and probably would have given away the idea of looking after a tropical fish tank. Instead, I'm now extremely happy and gain great enjoyment from my tropical fish tank.

Caring for your cat is easy when you try to remember her origins. Being domesticated doesn't mean you should abandon how she would live in the wild. Cats have evolved in the wild over millennia. They have been domesticated for a mere trifle in comparison.

This means that their nutritional and emotional needs remain identical to those of their forebears. In attempting to provide the best cat care means looking at these needs.

Lets look at their nutritional needs first.

Wild cats hunt on their own. They hunt small animals, sometimes up to about their own size, but mostly smaller than themselves. They rarely eat anything other than freshly killed meat.

Contrasting this with a typical domestic cat's diet of dried pellets and you realise how off the mark commercial pet food is. Even if dried pellets were made with the best cuts of meat (which they aren't), the meat is still not fresh or raw.

So, if you're trying to provide the most complete cat care, what should you feed your cat?

In my opinion, the best cat food is raw meat and bones. You can't completely duplicate a wild cat's diet, but you can come so close as to not compromise her health. Cat care starts with food as this is consumed daily. Something done daily has much more impact on our health than say something that only happens once a year.

When a cat eats her prey, she will eat all the meat, including the bones. Bones are the best source of calcium for a cat. And meat can only be properly digested when it is consumed with bones. After all, all carnivores eat meat with bones.

Not only that, crunching up on bones is the best way of keeping her teeth and gums healthy, as long as they're not too big. No dried pellets can do that as well, despite the promises on the label.

Some think that giving a cat raw meat will trigger their hunting instinct. In my experience, it does the exact opposite. Because raw meat is nutrient dense, your cat will be satisfied and won't feel the need to supplement her diet as when fed a nutrient deficient diet.

Natural cat care also means providing your cat with her basic emotional and physical needs. Cats are intelligent and inquisitive. They need visual stimulation. This is best served by being outdoors, where nature provides an abundance of stimulation.

If it's impossible or too dangerous to let your cat outside, do make sure she has access to safe stimulants, perhaps in the form of toys. Make sure you play with her to ensure she gets adequate exercise.

Sun is an important aspect of good cat care. Cats love the sun and it is essential to good health for all of us, not just your cat. Regular outdoor access will allow her to choose for herself. For confined cats, make sure there are times when you can open a window (safely) to allow the sun's rays in, unhindered by glass or plastic.

Easy cat care really means allowing your cat the freedom she desires. Confining cats indoors is going against good animal husbandry,

I am also of the opinion that declawing cats is not only painfully inhumane, it deprives the cat of the natural joy of stretching. If you are considering declawing your cat, maybe you should also consider having a cat is not for you. Cats have already adapted a great deal to live with us. Putting them through an unnecessary, inhumane and painful operation is purely for your benefit, not your cats.

Cats provide us with an abundance affection, love and enjoyment. To provide even adequate cat care, we should at least do the same for them.

About Author
For a free ebook on how to have a healthy cat, starting today, visit http://www.naturallyhealthycats.com or http://www.bestcathealth.blogspot.com

Just like human beings, dogs can suffer from a wide range of diseases. Most of the times dogs encounter problems with their joints, bones, eyes or nervous system. Dogs can also develop health issues that are more difficult.

Hereditary issues like cancer can sometimes happen. The health of your dog should be of concern. But there are some simple steps you can take in order to ensure the health of your dog. There are some breeds that are more predisposed to certain illnesses and you should get to know them. Research the breed that you have and make sure you know everything about it.

The Exercises

Usually all the dogs need to exercise each day. The small breeds have to exercise indoors and also outdoors. It also depends on the breed. Some breeds do not like to do sports and it is easy to ready about that. There are many dogs that like to sit in the room and sleep for many days.

But turning the back yard into a playing ground for your dog will be something he will appreciate. During summer many dogs prefer to sit in the shade and not exercise at all. They like to rest and keep calm. When they are puppies, dogs love to go out and play and you, as its owner, must keep up with that. Dogs especially like to play fetch or Frisbee and they like to feel appreciated and loved. Encouraging the dog to take walks with you is also a great thing.

Diet

The food that the dog eats is very important its quality is highly important and you should avoid wet foods and the ones that are of low quality. Make sure you feed it nutritional food, to keep it out of trouble.

You should avoid giving your dog: chocolate, sweets, sugars, raisins, raw fish, raw pork, poultry bones, coffee, garlic, mushrooms and onions. Also, make sure the dog has plenty of water every day.

Details

You must keep a close eye on your dog and make sure he does not show sings of anxiety or discomfort. Also, if you notice changes in its behavior, you must address the situation.

Vet Visits

The visits to the vet must be regarded as routine. The dog must be kept under surveillance especially if he shows signs of a disease.

Love and Caring

This is an important aspect as dogs love to be loved and they appreciate all the attention they can receive.