cat-E-corner.com

  THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR CAT (Fourth Installment) 

Warm weather poses several hazards for cats. If yours goes outdoors (or if you feed stray cats,) always provide fresh water. 

If you're caring for an outdoor or stray cat, provide a shelter from the heat and rain.

Chemical and natural pesticides can be toxic if ingested. Read labels before applying to your lawn, shrubbery or flowers. Or alert your gardener to the fact that you have a cat (or dog) that goes outside.

Speak with your vet about protecting your cat from ticks, fleas and heartworm with topical and/or oral preventatives. Ticks may carry diseases that can be dangerous to your pet. The most effective way to remove a tick is with tweezers (or your fingers, if that won't gross you out.) Grab the tick as close to your cat's body as you can, being careful not to pinch the skin, and pull. The tick should come out fairly easily. The tick should then be destroyed. Simply removing a tick from your cat's skin will not destroy it; neither will flushing it down the toilet. You can either crush it or place it in a jar of alcohol. This will kill it but will also enable you to have your vet identify it if you cat should develop symptoms of illness. After removing and destroying the tick, dab the puncture site with a topical antiseptic.  

If you'll be traveling with your pet, be sure to protect it on the road. Before you leave, make sure its vaccinations are up-to-date. Place identification tags on your pet, and be sure to keep it contained in either a carrier or specially-designed harness when you are in the car. 

The above precautions apply if you are moving or having work done in your home too. We've heard too many stories of cats that ran away while the movers were loading furniture onto their truck. Lock up your cat to ensure its safety. If you don't an extra room in which to enclose the cat, bring it to a friend, your vet, or put it in its carrier. 

 [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Highlighted Breed ] [ Special Feature ] [ Visitor's Page ] [ Care & Feeding ] [ Kitty Corner ] [ In Memoriam ] [ Past Issues ] [ Shopping ] [ Links ] [ Top ]

Questions or comments? Contact us.