Cats & Cat Health

Ever struggled to give your cat his/her medication? Cats are pretty good at spitting it right back out again aren’t they? Well I have found a site that will show you exactly how to tackle this. They also have heaps of other advice and help for cat owners. The video is from The Battersea Rescue Centre in London.

Video on giving pills or liquid medication to your cat:

How To Give Your Cat Medication

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Do you keep your cat indoors? I know that this is a controversial topic, especially in the USA. I just found out why cats are kept inside here and it all seems to spring from a very successful campaign waged by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) in 1997.

ABC said that“free-roaming cats are exposed to injury, disease, parasites and collisions with cars, and can get lost, stolen or poisoned. Cats can also transmit diseases and parasites such as rabies, cat-scratch fever and toxoplasmosis to other cats, wildlife or people. “

But you know I can’t help thinking that taking advice about cats from a bird fancier may be a little unsafe.

As well as killing birds cats keep down the population of small animals that also damage bird life, like rats and mice which take bird’s eggs. Ok I am not saying that this equals out because I have not seen any research on it so far.

But I do know that you can get cat collars that warn a bird when the cat pounces. These collars emit a sound and flash a light so the bird is warned and can take off in time. We are using this type of collar which I bought from my vet, and it seems to work.

Liberator collars consist of a battery , a small microchip printed circuit and an audio-visual alarm triggered by the cat launching itself at a bird.

The collars are fitted with a timer to cut short audio output on such occasions as when a cat is scratching around its collar, triggering the alarm.

You can get them here:

Liberator Collar Australia

Liberator Collar UK

I can’t find a supplier in the USA probably because so few cats are allowed out that demand is low.

I know that there are places where a cat might be in danger from roads. I still think the cat would prefer to live a shorter but happier life.Being in prison only able to watch the world from a window in not kind to cats.

Maybe just don’t have a cat if it is unsafe where you live. Maybe get a dog, a rabbit, a pet mouse or some other type of pet. Don’t mean to offend you but I think we should not deny a cat the freedom to live a happy and natural life. Would you want to be kept in prison?

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Just been reading an interesting article about feeding cats fish. Seems the story about fish being a cat’s delight are illinformed. The cat nutrition site lists 8 reasons why fish are bad for your cat. These are the reasons gi

• Destroys Thiamin , which is a B vitamin
• Calcium levels are too low
• Can cause urinary tract problems
• Cats adore it and get addicted
• Heavy metals in fish
• Linked to hyperthyroidism
• Can cause vitamin E depletion leading to a painful disease called steatitis
• Fish can cause allergies

Strange that cats love the stuff when it is so harmful to them. Also what about those Egyptian ( I think) fishing cats that dive and swim to catch fish. Are they getting sick? To read the details go to the cat nutrition site.

Talking of cat food, I am on my second month of feeding my cat Alfie a raw food diet. Well I have always added raw to his diet bu this was supplmented by kibbled Nutra cat food. That way I didn’t worry about him missing some vital component of his diet. But since a couple of months ago I have been doing the complete raw diet. Big responibility

It is going well. I use chicken with bones minced finely, add some venison which the pet butcher sells minced and add some hearts and liver and some egg yolks and vitamin and mineral supplements. Basically it is the recipe that I have given here beforeb but I make changes to the muscle meat component depending on what the butcher has. I make up 2 weeks supply, divide into 6oz portions and freeze it.

He is very healthy on it and his coat is even more shiny and beautiful than it was before, plus he loves it. It is so little trouble that I can’t even say I am slaving away like a neurotic old cat lover!

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Did you know that lilies and their pollen are toxic for cats? Even licking the pollen from their fur can kill a cat quite fast and very painfully.

Symptoms of Lillie Poisoning
The first symptoms likely to occur after ingesting lilies are depression, lack of appetite and sometimes vomiting. If left untreated the symptoms will worsen and include dehydration, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and bad breath - it is likely that the cat will eventually suffer from acute renal failure. If medical treatment isn’t sought within hours the cat will probably die.

If you think your cat has eaten any part of a lily you should get it to a vet as quickly as possible. The cat may have to go on dialysis to improve its kidney function.

Beware also of diffenbachia (dumb cane or leopard lily), hemerocallis (day lily), cyclamen, poinsettia and amaryllis.

Why isn’t there any warning on these plants and flowers when we buy them? I have often had lilies in the house and never realized that they could hurt my cat. I often put them in a vase on the hearth in summertime, where Alfie could easily get the pollen on his fur and ingest it when he groomed himself. Apparently this is enough to cause a painful death within a few hours.

What a narrow escape! But thankfully now I know I will take the stamens off lilies so that the pollen is not able to be transferred. Lillie pollen is a devil to get off your your clothes too. Some florists take the stamens off for you, but if they don’t you should do it yourself.

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Should You Vaccinate Your Cat Annually?

There is a lot of contoversy about the annual vaccination for cats. I have read enough about it to convince me that it is not necccessary. This is what Canadian vetinarian Dr. Andrew Jones wites about the annual vaccine for cats and dogs:

Pet Vaccination Recommendations

Puppies and kittens ONLY need a series of 2 vaccine boosters, one at 8 weeks then repeated at 12 weeks. I find the most critical time to prevent infectious disease is at this young age. In small kittens and puppies, I prefer to wait until 12 weeks. The traditional” 3rd booster in puppies is not necessary. If possible, delay giving the Rabies vaccine until 6 months.

Puppies should only be vaccinated for Parvovirus and Distemper. Give Bordetella if going to a kennel or puppy class. Give Rabies vaccine at 6 months.

Kittens should be vaccinated for the respiratory viruses and Panleukopenia (FVRCP). Feline Leukemia vaccine should only be given to “high risk” cats - those in multi-cat households or outdoor cats surrounded by a large cat population. Give Rabies vaccine at 6 months. ENSURE that the vaccines are given in the subcutaneous tissue on the lateral sides of the right and left legs.

Common sense should to keep your companion safe by avoiding exposure to public areas such as parks and pet stores. Keep them close to home and only expose them to animals you know are healthy.

I do not recommend vaccinations for Corona virus, Leptospirosis or Lyme vaccines for dogs. The currently licensed leptospira bacterins do not contain the serovars causing the majority of clinical leptospirosis today, so it is generally not a useful vaccine.

I do not advise vaccinations for FIP, Feline Bordetella, FIV and limited use of Feline Leukemia vaccine in Cats.

My current advice is to give Booster vaccines at 1 year, then EVERY 3 years until the age of 10. As new research progresses, this may even become more infrequent. We are now just learning about the duration of immunity for some vaccines, and they may well be longer than 3 years. The most IMPORTANT time for vaccines are the 2 boosters for puppies and kittens and the 1 year booster.
Your pet should still see your veterinarian yearly for their annual wellness exam.

Never vaccinate a sick or weakened animal. If your puppy or kitten is showing signs of allergies or skin problems, WAIT. Vaccinating an already compromised immune system is almost sure to compound the problem!

Learn as much as possible about vaccines and diseases in your area. Your veterinarian cannot make this decision for you, nor should they. It is your responsibility to make this decision for your pet. The best road to good health is feeding a diet rich in fresh foods, raw meats for the carnivores, fatty acid supplements, adequate exercise, lots of positive human interaction and avoiding disease.

Dr. Jones has written an ebook about pet health: Dr. Andrew Jones Vet Secrets Revealed

Last week I took my cat to have his annual vaccination. Why did I do this when I know he doesn’t really need it? I had to. We were going on vacation and he had to go into a cattery. The catteries will not take unvaccinated cats. So against my better judgement I had to have it done.

While there I asked my vet if he thought this annual vaccination was really needed and if it could be harmful. He said it wasn’t necessary and that there were some issues. He has started to put the vaccine in a different place, rather than in the scruff of the neck, for this reason.

I have decided to try and get a house sitter when I go away again. Alfie just hates the cattery anyway and I hate leaving him there.

We need to work on the cattery policies!

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This is a letter from veterinarian Dr. Andrew Jones DVM, in which he explains how he came to practice alternative pet medical care.

I was asked by a reader exactly what is the “big deal” about Veterinary Secrets Revealed? The reader was wondering if most of what I teach is simply a condensed version of Veterinary School for Pet Owners. And my one word answer.. NO

I did learn a lot about animal disease in Veterinary School. I was taught conventional ways to treat disease. was told to Vaccinate yearly. was taught to feed “all in one nutrition” commercial kibble. One of our big sponsors was Hills, and as Veterinary Students, we received discounts on Science Diet food for our own pets. The thought being that if you feed it to your own pets, then you are likely to recommend it to your clients. was taught that Home Diets were BAD.

• I was taught that you would be CRAZY to feed RAW pet food.
• I was told about the science and benefits of a variety of “new” medications..
• Everything we talked about was backed by research.
• I was taught NOTHING about alternative healing, except from professors telling me that it doesn’t work.

Here is what I heard about the various types of alternate options:

• Herbal Medicine..Doesn’t work.
• Homeopathy..NO scientific basis..a waste of time.
• Chiropractic..It won’t help pets and may cause harm.
• Supplements..Most are useless, and only make pet owners feel like they are
• doing something.

So I went into the world of Veterinary Medicine practicing conventionally. Conventional medications..and their side effects. surgery for many things. Talking clients out of any alternate option. Telling them why they should NEVER feed Raw Food. Extolling the benefits of yearly vaccines. In fact it wasn’t until my beloved older dog Hoochie died that I really made
the switch. I truly believe that much of what I did contributed to his death.

Most of you have heard the story before, but the quick summary is that he developed cancer at age 8, and I suspect part of this was due to him having multiple yearly vaccines, being fed ONLY commercial kibble, and being on a pretty potent
anti-inflammatory medication.

It is possible that if I had even given him a common Herb called Milk Thistle in combination with the anti-inflammatory, then his liver may have been OK. But I had never even heard of that, so I did NOTHING alternative.

So what are the “Secrets” of Healing never taught to Vets?

1 That there are many ways to heal, NOT just conventionally, and we must look at all the options, weighing the side effects with the benefits. An example would be using a Herbal combination called Skin Eze vs Steroids. Most of the time the
Steroids are used, but few Pet owners are aware of ALL of the side effects, such as Liver disease and Diabetes.

2. Be open minded. Just because Dr XYZ say that there is NO scientific basis does not mean that it doesn’t work..It could mean that there is NO mon*ey in it for The Drug company, so they won’t fund the study. AN example of this is with
a plant growing in your garden, Dandelion. It is an effective diuretic, and it is a nutrient source, BUT you can bet that 99% of Veterinarians have NEVER prescribed it as it doesn’t come in a pill, from their pharmacy, and it had few SCIENTIFIC
studies.

3. Question what you are told and marketed..Sure that wonder drug looks great, but WHY is that pharmaceutical company spending SO MUCH mon^^ey on advertising?As Veterinarians we get much of our continuing education from Industry Reps.. They are in the business of selling a conventional drug/food/vaccine..QUESTION what they are saying. An example is ALL the big glossy ads selling Rimadyl..How often to you hear about ALL the side effects? And there are MANY.

4. Diet is KEY. And NOT all Nutrition comes in a BAG. Draw the analogy to your own health. Would you be healthier eating all your food that comes in a bag or can OR Fresh fruit and vegetables, organic meat, and without ingredients you can’t even pronounce? The SAME thing applies to your dog or cat..If you want a healthier pet then you’ve got to feed them healthier, including food that you make at home and Raw food.

5. Exercise. Not just a walk to the backyard to go pee. AT MINIMUM 30 minutes of running twice a day. Our pets were designed to MOVE. The benefits of Exercise are immense- from weight loss, to better behavior, to endorphin release, to preventing most of our chronic diseases. If you want to have a HEALTHY pet and AVOID the Vet, then commit to exercising regularly.

6. Vaccines. As little and as few as needed. I am convinced that I have my own dog far to many vaccines, and this CONSTANT bombardment on his immune system wore him down, ultimately leading to Cancer that ended his life. If I had to do it all again, I would have given him a FRACTION of the vaccines that he had. And vaccine reps are GREAT at informing Veterinarians about the Newest upcoming disease.. BUT if our pets were eating well and not over medicated, then their immune systems would be in better shape to challenge these diseases.

7. Encourage Pet Owners to be INVOLVED. To have a healthy pet, it is imperative that you as pet owners are KEY in keeping your pet healthy. You KNOW your pet BETTER than anyone. You can make decisions about pet food, about exercise, about vaccines, about alternate medical options. An empowered Pet Owner is a Wonderful person..You become further bonded with your pet.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t see your Veterinarian, but that you work in conjunction with them, making suggestions and questioning their advice. Emergencies are always going to happen, there is still a place for conventional Veterinary Medicine, BUT as an EMPOWERED Pet Owner, you can Help prevent disease, and utilize alternate options. This could be something as simple as Massage for your dog’s sore back–This twice daily massage may mean that you could avoid that potentially potent Anti-inflammatory.

To learn more from Dr. Andrew Jones veterinary secrets check out his site: Vetinary Secrets Revealed

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Oh dear, I just got sent a YouTube of a very fat cat. It didn’t make me laugh. No, I thought it cruel and sad. Those poor overweight cats are kept inside all day and they are given too much food and no exercise.

The poor things are not happy cats and will die young. It isn’t amusing to overfeed your cat. Cats are active, sleek and beautiful in the wild and when taken good care of as pets. Letting a cat get so overweight is abusive. I won’t be posting any of those videos here!

Ths blog is very much about cat health and if you do have any cat health issues go to this review of a manual on natural therapies for pets, including cats of course.

Cat Health Information

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This is a brand new blog so its not very populated yet. But I have lots of info to share with you. I also would love to have you share your info here. Just use the comments box below. Anything about cats- doesn’t have to be cat health specifically.

Oh and you can click on the icon on the right to save this to any of your favorite social bookmarking sites. Do you know about It is a way to share your favorite sites with other people. It also allows you to find sites other people are bookmarking on any topic. Such a great idea because it means that robots from Google or Yahoo etc. don’t decide what you want to read. You get to see what human beings think is a useful site or blog. Isn’t that better?

Those robots are programmed using various formulae such as how often the word or phrase you searched appears in the page, how old the page is and how many other important sites link to it. Now that isn’t very helpful for new sites and they just don’t get found. Also spammers can stuff their pages with words and fool the robots. You must have noticed how some searches pull up sites with just nothing but adverts on them. The owners want you to leave asap via their adverts served by Google!
So use the new and find better sites. If you find any about little felines please let us know.

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I know that some folk think we cat lovers are a wee bit dotty, but who cares!

My cat is called Alfie and he is a 6 year old black and white moggie with no pedigree at all. If you find a few typos here its usually because he is lying on my left arm and I am trying to type without disturbing him! That’s him on the right.

Why is this blog here? Well it followed on from my cat health newsletter. The newsletter started because I was looking for info on cat food and the best way to feed a cat. I’d heard that commercial pet foods were not always as good as their sales team would have us believe. I was horrfied by what I learned. Then I kept on finding interesting bits of info on cat care and I wanted to share it. So the next logical thing was to start ablog because then I am not the only one doing the talking- I hope you will join in and write some comments, funny or sad tails, sorry tales, about your cat or anything else you want- but mostly about cats.

Now that we can add podcasts, YouTube and of course pictures to blogs it seemed like it could be a fun thing to get started. Maybe we can have a cat picture gallery. What do you think?

Anyway I look forward to getting to know you and your cats over the next little while.

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