If you have a cat, you should be prepared to deal with vomiting and diarrhea; it is an unfortunate aspect of pet ownership. Felines are extremely likely to get stomach illnesses; these conditions often cause cats to suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.

In felines, the upset stomach is a frequently occurring medical illness. It can arise from many things such as food allergens, the consumption of food too rapidly, eating spoiled and inappropriate foodstuffs, the presence of worms in the intestines, toxins, and hairballs.

Sometimes, cats will occasionally vomit as a normal reaction. In this case, there is no reason for worry. Nevertheless, pet owners can take several actions to make sure their cats have speedy recoveries after suffering from upset stomachs.

You should take your cat to the vet if it suffers from vomiting and diarrhea for more than a couple of days. The visit is necessary to eliminate more severe conditions such as organ problems like hyperthyroidism and kidney failure, parasites such as clostridium overgrowth and Giardia, and various diseases like feline panleukopenia.

When you are treating a cat with an upset stomach, these supplies can come in handy: chicken (boiled), rice, and clean water. As a general rule, the care steps below should be followed to treat a cat with an upset stomach.

Step #1 – If your pet is repeatedly experiencing diarrhea or has been vomiting for an extended period of time or has an abdomen that is swollen, then a trip to the vet is in order. Your vet may ask for a sample of your cat’s vomit so that it can be analyzed for treatment. If the vomiting and diarrhea occurs only once, then you should not go to the doctor but instead, follow the instructions below.

Step #2 – For twenty-four hours, only give your cat clean water to drink; no food. Going without food for this period of time will allow the stomach to rest and recover. This step is not suitable for kittens though because they should be fed six times a day, evenly spread throughout a twenty-four hour period.

Step #3 – After your cat has gone an entire day without food it can be fed a tiny amount of the boiled chicken with a bit of rice.

Step #4 – If after a few hours have passed, your cat has responded favorably to the rice and chicken, you can give it more of the same. Then over time, you can slowly begin to give your cat its regular food again.

Step #5 – Visit a vet if the cat does not seem to be better after one day.

Steps to Take if Your Cat Has a Seizure

It is very scary to see a seizure. You have to stay calm. Focus on timing the length of the seizure while you keep your distance from your pet. This is for your own safety. If your animal is having a seizure, he or she may bite without knowing it.

Attempting to hold your cat down could do more harm than good. Putting your finger near the cat’s mouth is also a bad idea. You also need to make sure there are no objects near your pet that could possibly hurt it.

If your pet is having several seizures at once, this is called a severe cluster seizure. If the seizures are continuous, this is referred to as Status Epilepticus, and this is a real medical emergency.

After the seizure (if it does not stop, you should call your vet immediately), call your vet to schedule an appointment ASAP. Your cat will have a full physical exam and blood work while being monitored.

Your veterinarian will not prescribe anti-seizure medication right away. He or she will wait until the results of the test come back to address the conditions that may be causing the seizures.

The Appearance of a Cat Who is Having Seizures

In cats, it is very easy to recognize the symptoms of focal seizures; the same can be said of generalized seizures. In dogs, this differs because most of their seizures are generalized.

The symptoms of focal seizures are different from those of generalized seizures. Focal seizures may cause your cat to cry out loudly as though it is in pain. Your cat may also act aggressive even if it is usually not aggressive. The cat may also salivate or drool excessively.

Generalized seizures may result in your cat becoming unconscious. The cat probably will fall onto its side, and its muscles will twitch constantly. Typically, the cat’s legs will either move in a paddling fashion or become rigid.

Potential causes of cat aggression include:

Rough playing

Biting and scratching are instinctive to cats. Your kitty doesn’t need to defend herself like she would in the wild, but she still feels the natural urge to pursue and pounce on her prey—even if she’s playing. If you want your cat to behave around other people, don’t encourage or ignore this behavior. Clap your hands or rattle a coin-filled bottle in front of her when you notice her stalking you. Then redirect her attention with an interactive cat toy. If she manages to scratch or bite, grasp the scruff of her neck—like mother cats do with their kittens—and firmly push her downward while saying no.

Fear

If your cat wasn’t properly socialized as a kitten, she may be fearful around other animals and people. You can’t miss the standard scaredy-cat stance: crouched with her ears laid back, her tail curled inward, and her body leaned away from the potential threat. Her hair may even stand on end. Teach your cat to be less skittish around strangers by having a friend hold her favorite treat in front of her when she’s hungry. Make your cat come to your friend, not vice versa. This way, she learns to trust the people you bring into your home. If she won’t come, have someone she trusts hold the treat while your friend stands by. Do this repeatedly, moving your friend closer each time.

Over-attention

Your cat might enjoy being pet for a while and then all of a sudden attack. In this case, you should look for signs that she’s reached her limit. Those signs include: tail twitching, flattened ears, and head movement toward your hand. Once you notice the signs, stand up and remove her from your lap. Many experts recommend using desensitation to treat petting-induced aggression. Ignore her for several days, then if she initiates affection, pet her for a few minutes, give her a treat, and then back away. Gradually extend the time so she learns to increase her affection threshold.

Dominance

Your cat may treat you and guests in your home like other cats, attempting to dominate you to show where she stands in the hierarchy. She might growl or hiss when you approach, or stand in your way when you try to enter another room. You need to teach her she’s not the leader when it comes to people. The best way to do this is to leave the room she’s in, and withhold attention, affection, and treats until she relaxes. Reward good behaviors with treats to show her people are in control of rewards, and that she’ll only get them by behaving.

Maternal Aggression

If your cat just had kittens she will likely be very protective. Your best bet is to disturb her as little as possible when the kittens are young—especially while they’re nursing. With the right rewards and desensitation, she may allow you to handle the kittens, but this will likely be a challenge.

Medical Problems

If you have no idea why your cat is displaying aggression, you should book an appointment with your vet as there may be a medical problem. Possibilities include distress from mites or fleas, a hormonal imbalance, arthritis of the spine or limbs, dental disease, or a neurological condition. This would cause your cat to growl or hiss when handled.

As with any training technique, consistency is crucial. It may take a while to change your cat’s aggressive behavior, but you can do it if you stick to your guns!

There are a lot of brands and varieties out there. While the higher-quality ones are more expensive, they provide more nutrition per serving—meaning your cat won’t need to eat as much. Since every cat has unique needs, you should ask your veterinarian for food recommendations during your cat’s last checkup before adulthood.

Some cat food basics to keep in mind:

• Although you can feed your adult cat once a day, leaving him dry food to “free feed” on after that, it may be better to give him two daily servings to prevent overeating.
• Consider a combination diet of moist and dry food. Wet food provides a good water-to-protein balance, while dry food helps keep your cat’s teeth clean.
• Cats need taurine—an essential amino acid found only in animal-based protein. A vegetable-based diet is inadvisable.
• Consider rotating your cat’s moist food selection so that he doesn’t get bored.
• Clean your cat’s water bowl daily, and make sure it is always full.

If your cat isn’t getting the nutrition he needs, you very well may see changes in his coat—matted and faded hair, for example. Consult your veterinarian before supplementing his diet to ensure you don’t do any further harm.

10. Eosinophilic ulcer: a lesion that can occur near the upper lip. Diagnosis requires a skin sample or biopsy to rule out cancer. Small lesions may heal themselves; if they’re more extensive, your vet may prescribe antibiotics, steroids, or antihistamines.

9. Eosinphilic granuloma: raised red circular plaque on the abdomen or inner thighs. Causes include hypersensitivity to flea bites, reaction to food, and environmental allergens. Diagnosis and treatment are the same as above.

8. Feline acne: much like human acne, it’s caused by stress, poor grooming habits, and overactive sebaceous glands. For mild cases, treatment involves cleaning and topical vitamins; more severe cases require antibiotics.

7. Feline cowpox virus infection: an uncommon skin condition that affects cats that hunt small rodents. It enters the skin through a bite wound from the rodent, and shows a few days later as an ulceration. The lesions usually heal within weeks of appearing; but a secondary infection will require antibacterial therapy.

5. Harvest Mites: a larvae that feeds on cats’ skin, most commonly on the ear flaps or on the area between the toes. Your vet may need to perform a microscopic exam of a superficial skin scraping to identify them. Insecticides are a highly effective treatment.

4. Impetigo: an inflammatory skin condition that causes pus-filled blisters on the abdomen and hairless areas. These blisters break easily, causing the disease to spread. To treat, dust the area with an antiseptic powder. If the impetigo persists, contact your vet.

3. Ringworm: a highly contagious fungal infection that can affect the hair, skin, or nails, creating scaly lesions. It’s transmitted by direct contact with fungal spores on an infected animal, or an area where the animal’s visited. Treatment usually involves topical creams; but you may need to shave your cat for it to be effective.

2. Stud Tail: an over secretion of the sebaceous glands near the base of the tale. You’ll notice greasy, matted hair, or worse, hair loss near the infected area. To treat stud tale, you’ll need to apply a tar and sulfa shampoo twice daily. Consult your vet if the hair follicle is infected.

1. Squamous cell carcinoma: a type of cancer that affects the skin, mostly around the facial tissue. Symptoms include patches of missing hair; lesions or sores; vomiting and diarrhea; and bleeding from the ears, nose, and mouth. Although squamous cell carcinoma is incurable, chemotherapy and radiation can help ease the pain.

When it comes to feline skin and hair problems, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If store-bought treatments are ineffective, consult your veterinarian for further direction.

There is a brewing battle between the manufacturers of Natural Balance Pet Food and independent pet supply owners. The main crux of the conflict is all about the implementation of the Minimum Advertised Price or MAP. Admittedly the market leader when it comes to the premium pet food products, the manufacturers of Natural Balance Pet Food would want to streamline the distribution structure by rationalizing the pricing scheme all the way down to the end users. This is probably the main strategy of the company in maintaining a distinctive branding that will distinguish their premium lines from other brands.

Unfortunately, this pricing strategy is perceived to be too rigid by a considerable number of retail pet food chains. Its imposition seems to run counter to the pricing strategies being adopted by these retail outlets. Worse, this high pricing level is construed by the smaller players in the market as tacit accommodation and protection of corporate clients by the company. Rightly or wrongly, the imposition of MAP is turning out to be a flashpoint in the relationship of the company with independent pet food outlets.

Most owners of retail pet food outlets see the 10% upward adjustment in the price of Natural Balance Pet Food as a form of encroachment on their business independence. Definitely, any form of meddling will not sit well to them. The price differential imposed on Natural Balance Pet Food is even considered by many as onerous. While most of these dog and cat food retail outlets agree that Natural Balance Pet Food are a notch above the rest in terms of quality, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they can unilaterally impose high prices for their products.

This pricing scheme is such a sensitive issue for retailers as it is seen as their single most significant differential advantage over corporate distributors and retailers of the premium pet food lines. They are willing to go the extra mile to protect their business interests.

Other common poisonous plants include:

1. Marijuana
2. Sago Palm
3. Tulip/Narcissus bulbs
4. Azalea/Rhododendron
5. Oleander
6. Castor Bean
7. Cyclamen
8. Kalanchoe
9. Yew
10. Amaryllis
11. Autumn Crocus
12. Chrysanthemum
13. English Ivy
14. Peace Lily (AKA Mauna Loa Peace Lily)
15. Pothos
16. Schefflera

It’s important to know the signs of poisoning so you can take action right away. If your cat starts vomiting, drooling excessively, staggering, struggling with breathing, or losing consciousness, call your veterinarian. He’ll want a thorough description of what your cat ate as well as what symptoms you noticed. If you can’t get in touch with your vet, call the National Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll have to pay $60 on your credit card as a consultation fee. Be prepared to share the species, breed, age, sex, weight, symptoms, and information about the poison ingested.

To be safe you should have a first-aid kit handy:

• A bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent USP to induce vomiting

• Turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe to administer peroxide

• Saline eye solution

• Artificial tear gel to lubricate eyes after flushing

• Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid for bathing an animal after skin contamination

In case you’re unfamiliar, here’s how ticks operate: these parasites stick their heads into skin and feed on the blood, growing larger with every drop. When the tick reaches a certain size, it uses the fur or hair to lay eggs in. Both people and pets can get Lyme disease so it’s crucial to prevent ticks from multiplying.

1. After you find a tick on your pet, pull it out carefully by the head with fine-pointed tweezers (while wearing latex gloves).

Be careful not to squeeze the tick’s body, as this can inject more potential pathogens into you or your pet.

2. The next step is to thoroughly clean every area your dog or cat’s laid.

Use your vacuum’s crevice tool to get in the corners and cracks of furniture. You may even want to use a specialized chemical cleaner to be sure all the eggs are gone. Many pet stores sell medicated sprays and shampoos you can apply to kill eggs on your pet. If you have an outdoor cat or dog, you should also trim the grass to get rid of any ticks out there.

Your best bet is to be far more thorough than you deem necessary when you removing ticks from your home. Only then can you be certain your family and pets will stay healthy.

If your cat’s allergic to her food, the signs will be pretty clear. You’ll notice any or all of the following:

• Scabs around her face and neck
• Flaky or dry skin
• Excessive scratching
• Chewing on her limbs
• Hair loss (oozing bald patches)
• Changed toilet habits

One way to determine if food allergies are to blame is to switch her to a hypoallergenic diet—incorporating proteins and carbohydrates that are new to her—for twelve weeks to see if the symptoms clear up. Avoid dairy, fish, and beef, as they account for 80 percent of all food allergies—and be sure not to feed her anything from the table. After that, go back to the old food for a week or two. If they come back, you’ll know for sure that her diet is the problem. If you’re in doubt, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. He may perform tests to be sure there isn’t another problem, like Sarcoptic mange and inhalant allergy, also known as atopy.

Treatment for food allergies is quite straight-forward: avoid the offending agent, and stick to a diet that’s balanced with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

If you suspect your cat has asthma, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian. He will perform a chest X-ray to see if her lungs are over-inflated and a brochoscopy to rule out other respiratory problems; and then prescribe oral or inhalant medication to treat the symptoms. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do at home to keep cat asthma at bay:

• Keep your cat indoors when outdoor hay fever alerts are high.
• Use a humidifier to keep moisture in the air. Dry air can exacerbate asthma symptoms.
• If you smoke cigarettes, take the habit outside.
• Maintain a consistent cleaning schedule to keep dust mites out of your home.
• Stop using any new products—laundry detergent of cleaners—that may have caused the asthma symptoms.
• Switch to dust-free litter.

Even though these changes will help prevent attacks, it’s crucial to properly diagnose and treat feline asthma to prevent long-term damage to your cat’s airways. If you don’t yet have pet insurance, this will be seen as a pre-existing condition and therefore will not be covered—so you may want to purchase a policy before you visit your veterinarian.

Dr. Bain says most people don’t train their cats because they don’t go out in public like dogs, meaning there’s no threat of them attacking a stranger. Still cats can be aggressive toward their owners, and that’s the number one reason people bring them to shelters. She recommends reinforcing good behavior using a clicker—a little plastic gadget that makes a noise when you press it. Basically whenever you see a positive behavior you click and hand over a treat. Your cat will then associate the preceding action with reward. This also enriches your relationship with kitty because it encourages more interaction and communication.

Cat training is so big there’s even a huge annual event dedicated to the cause. The weekend of October 18^th 41 breeds of cats competed in the sixth annual CFA-IAMS Cat Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Karen Thomas, head trainer with IAMS, explains that training can help with daily tasks, like brushing teeth and trimming toe nails. Of course the championship featured more than just sitting and rolling over. Events included basketball and tightrope walking.

You likely don’t need to teach Fluffy human sports, but maybe you could benefit from picking up a clicker.

The ideal time to begin socializing your kitten is between 3–9 months. However, there are a few things you should consider even earlier than that.

Between 2–7 weeks, kittens go into a “sensitive period” when they learn what to be afraid of. This is actually a good thing because it teaches her to protect herself against actual danger. For example, loud noises should instill fear—this way, she’ll think twice before running into oncoming traffic. During this time you should offer a warm, nurturing environment, free from hostility.  Provide human contact without negative consequences, like punishment or isolation. Also, introduce her to other cats and animals, making sure she doesn’t have a bad experience with them.

This is just the beginning to creating a confident, friendly, not timid or irritable cat.

The first part of socialization involves teaching her to be touched.

• Play with your kitten for at least two hours a day. Hold and pet her, showing her how to be gentle.
• If she plays nicely, praise her and give her a treat. If she scratches or bites, say “no”, hand her a toy, and stop playing.
• In time, take it to the next level—pet her paws, tail, and ears. This way, she’ll learn to tolerate touching in those places, where groomers and vets will need to handle her (and children may, as well).
• When you touch her ears, rub the insides and stroke different parts. This will help you later when you want to clean your cat’s ears!

Next, train her to deal with strangers. When people come over:

• Let her come out when she’s ready.
• If it takes a while, offer a treat to entice her.
• Once she comes out, encourage your guests to play with her gently. If your kitten plays nicely or seems to be enjoying herself give her a treat, like a small amount of catnip.

Lastly, expose her to new situations and things.

• Bring her on errands.
• Take her for walks on a leash (really!)
• Provide her an ample supply of toys.
• Travel with her in a comfortable crate or carrier. Put bedding in there so it’s more appealing. Her ability to enter a crate on demand will prove critical in a crisis situation, like a fire.
• Allow her to hear every-day noises. Just because she’s a baby that doesn’t mean you can’t listen to music at a regular volume or blow dry your hair.

If you train your kitty to accept touching, relax around others, and handle new situations, you’ll help her develop without forming irrational phobias.  Don’t be afraid to handle her and take her outside. If you don’t have fear she likely won’t either!

Decreased body temperature. Her body temperature will cool as her heart slows its beats. As a result, she may lose feelings in her limbs and have difficulty to moving.

Not moving from one spot. Cats often find one resting area, and wait out their symptoms there. It may take several hours or days for her to pass; she will likely spend most of it drifting in and out of sleep.

Disorientation. You may notice her staring off into the distance, oblivious to what’s going on around her. Some cats don’t even recognize their owners when they’re dying. Be sure to speak slowly and softly as not to startle her.

Labored breathing. Your cat’s breathing may become rapid and shallow, or it will become slow and heavy. Toward the end, you’ll notice greater lapses between breaths—maybe even a minute apart.

Impaired vision. Cats often lose their sight before dying. Rest assured they generally maintain their hearing—your soothing words will be heard.

Reluctance to eat or drink. As your cat’s body starts shutting down, she will gradually stop eating and drinking, meaning she’ll release less urine and feces. Also, the urine will take on a darker color.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to your pet, especially if she dies without warning. Caring for her in her final moments will help ease her transition and hopefully provide some closure for you.

Risks for outdoor cats include parasites, heartworm, leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus (AIDS for cats), skin cancer, hanging or choking, and toxoplasmosis—not to mention the potential for death by car accident.

If your kitty is used to having the lay of the land, you have your work cut out for you, but you can make the transition. Cats are creatures of habit, so don’t expect her to forsake the outdoors cold-turkey. You’ll need to slowly create a new routine by bringing her in for short periods of time.

Offer items to keep her entertained inside—like toys, a cat condo, and a scratching post.

Devote as much time as possible to playing with her.

This will be the main attraction, since she’s likely been isolated in her open-air adventures. If you can get her a feline playmate, that’s even better!

Providing a safe outdoor enclosure will help her during the adjustment period.

This way, she’ll still see the sunlight and feel less confined. You can build your own unit by securing chicken wire to a simple wooden frame. Add shelves, tires, and boxes for climbing and lounging, and make sure to place it in a shaded area to offer respite from the heat. Always supervise your cat when she’s in the enclosure to make sure she doesn’t get out and roam.

If you can’t provide safe outdoor space, you may want to walk her on a leash—really!

It isn’t just for dogs. She probably won’t scamper up to you with the leash lodged between her teeth, but in time she’ll get used to using it. And she’ll grow accustomed to her new lifestyle as it becomes more fun and familiar.

By six months, your kitten will have grown to be three-quarters of his adult size, meaning his major growth spurt is behind him. In the next six months he’ll grow to full size. During this time, continue what you’ve been doing—attending to his nutritional needs, ensuring his social development, and maintaining his overall health. Your cat will go through many changes in the next several months, and his behavior, appearance, and eating habits will all indicate how well he’s growing up.

Here’s what you can expect throughout the rest of the year:

Months 7–9
Your kitten will develop a new coat in his seventh month. Brush him often to get rid of the hair he sheds. This will be both a cornerstone of your grooming routine and a bonding experience for you and your kitty. By the eight month, your cat’s adult teeth will be in place, so you should introduce teeth-cleaning to the routine, as well.

Month 10–11
He’s just a few months shy of adulthood now. At 10 months, you may want to introduce adult food into his diet. You should still feed him primarily kitten food since he needs the nutrients it provides, but it wouldn’t hurt to start weaning him off it. When he approaches his eleventh month, you can increase the percentage of adult food.

Check his vaccination records and make sure they’re up to date. After his first year, he’ll only need to be checked once annually.

Month 12
By his twelfth month, your kitten will have reached his full size. Now he’ll be ready for an all-adult-food diet, with feedings reduced to once a day. You can keep him at two feedings a day if you’d like by splitting the serving in half.

Year One
Congratulations! You’ve done an amazing job raising your kitten to maturity! From here on out be mindful of his health and play with him whenever you can. He may be an adult now but he’ll always be your kitty—and he’ll always want your attention and affection.