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Previous Next Itching of Pets Some of the most common health problems in dogs and cats are Itching, and the scratching, biting, and licking. If your cat or dog frequently shakes head, scratch, rubs, chews, or lick some area of skin (including ears) means there’s a problem with itching, which is technically called “pruritis.” If the simple itching is left untreated then itchy skin can be damaged by the pet’s scratching, rubbing, or licking, which may also lead to “hot spots” (areas of oozing, dry or inflamed skin) or worst, it can lead to secondary infections. If you are able to find out what is causing the itch, and resolve that cause, it is very essential to your pet’s quality of life. In very general terms, itchy-skin problems in pets fall into just a few major categories: poor nutrition, infections, parasites, and allergies are the major players; but endocrine diseases, primary skin disorders, neoplasia (cancer), autoimmune, pyschogenic (mental-neurological) causes, and drug reactions may also occur. Sometimes more than one factor may be contributing to the itching all over your pet’s body. Fleas on cats and dogs deserve a special place in the itch-causing chronicles. Bites from fleas are itchy all by themselves, but many pets develop a specific and a different kind of allergy to flea bites. This is most commonly seen as hair loss or rash at the base of the spine and tail, not to mention that the dog or cat will constantly be chewing at the area so if you notice your pet doing it then it’s time for you to take it to your vet. Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is an intensely itchy allergic reaction to flea saliva that can be triggered by just a single flea bite! You may never see a flea or flea dirt on your pet (though daily flea-combing is never a bad idea!), and many people are quite confused as to how their flea-less pet can have such a severe reaction. If you live in an area where fleas are present (which includes most of the U.S. at least part of the year), always keep in mind that just one flea can cause intense itching for your pet that can last for several weeks. There are prescription veterinary flea-prevention products available, but natural flea & tick control products are safer in our opinion, and definitely worth a try before resorting to toxic pesticides. Many animals are allergic to the same things that cause human allergies like dust, grasses, pollen, etc. While humans’ allergies tend to affect the upper respiratory system with sneezing and watery discharges like flu and tears, dogs’ and cats’ responses are more likely to involve dermatitis, or skin inflammation. While this is a major cause of pets’ itching, these allergies are not that easy to diagnose, and other causes usually need to be ruled out first. Blood and skin tests can sometimes be helpful for dogs but not that helpful for cats. Like humans, pets can also be allergic to chemical irritants like pesticide residue and household cleaning products. Allergies can be difficult to control, and almost impossible to eliminate. However, hypoallergenic diets, allergy support products for dogs and cats and some essential fatty acid supplements can be very helpful.

Previous Next How many hours a cat sleep? No one can beat a cat when it comes to sleeping. They are the masters at falling asleep any time, any place and under any circumstances. The google search would show you thousands of photos of sleeping cats in cute and crazy positions. There is no doubt that if sleeping was an Olympic sport than your cat would definitely win the gold medal for it. On overage, the cats sleep for 15 to 18 hours a day and some cats can even sleep for 20 hours in a single day. A cat could act like a retired oldie who is on a well-deserved holiday and will sleep on and off throughout the day. Don’t be worried if your cat makes you the most boring housemate in the world. Peshi-pets would like to tell you that this is nothing personal. They sleep a lot naturally. There are so many factors which influence the cat’s sleep. The first thing is the age of the cat. The kittens will sleep majority of the day but once they turn into adults, theses cats becomes more and more active and change their sleeping patterns by themselves. However, a senior cat would slow down their activity levels and sleep for longer periods than kittens. Cats sleep long hours in order to recharge for their next hunting spree. Although your domesticated cat’s existence couldn’t be more different to the wild cats such as lions, the genetic programming is pretty much the same. Just like its big cat cousins, your cat instinctively conserves energy in case they have to chase down their next meal, which they do despite all the nice dinners they get at home by you, served in a timely fashion every day. Never mind the premium cat food the loving owner puts in front of them all day, their innate instincts can easily take over despite the complete comforts of home life. You might have noticed your cat is fast asleep during the daytime and wide awake at dawn and dusk. This sleeping schedule has helped your cat’s wilder relatives to be such efficient hunters such as tigers. Their prey, usually small mammals and birds, are less likely to take notice of dangers during twilight hours and so become easy targets for the hungry feline. The same hunting instincts are responsible for your cat’s playful behavior just as you get ready for bed. Their crepuscular nature means they’ll be running up and down your room exactly when you’re least likely to play with it: early mornings and late evenings. However, some domesticated cats are nice enough to adjust their sleeping routines to match the waking hours of their owner but this is a rare case. After all, they do need a cooperating human around to give them their share of food, water and play time which they really want. What they eat may contribute to their sleep time, as well. They live on protein, which packs a lot of energy into a relatively small package. They needn’t spend endless hours grazing or foraging the way large herbivores do, they are a different kind. So, just how much sleep does a wild cat get? Anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a day, typically. For very young and very old cats and sometimes for 22 hours, it’s near the upper end of the range, and newborns sleep almost 24/7. While cats do spend at least two-thirds of their lives asleep, they’re not “asleep” in quite the same way humans are. They do experience both non-REM and REM sleep, but for cats, “asleep” is not “off the clock.” Cats are always on the alert, even when they’re dozing off. If a strange noise wakes them up, they’re almost instantly aware and fully operational and they’ll go for immediate defense. It’s an ability that cats (and wild animals in general) depend on to stay safe, and fed, in nature’s existence. House cats, of course, have left “survival of the fittest” behind. They needn’t chase down their dinner. They are, on the contrary, served their meals, sometimes gourmet ones, in a timely fashion which they really love. But the instincts haven’t changed; house cats have the same genetic programming as wild cats. Domesticated cats, like their wild counterparts, sleep about 16 hours a day, on a pretty regular schedule, saving up their energy for the hunt. You never do know when the gourmet food’s going to run out for them.

Previous Next House Cats & the Big Cats The house cats can’t roar and lions can’t purr, but these tiny felines that humans have been living with for thousands of years share a lot with their big, wild cousins of the jungle. If you have a cat in your house as a pet, then you’ve probably noticed some of the behaviors reminiscent of its wildcat ancestors who lived in the deserts and the jungle. Felines may have moved in with us in our houses and become more socially aware creatures as a result, but they still stalk prey and mark their territory just like their wild cousins, the lion, tiger and jaguar. These big cats—lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards are all members of the Pantherinae cat subfamily. This means they diverged from the rest of the cats at least six million years ago. But if you watch these beautiful majestic animals closely, the similarities with your house cats are not hard to spot. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2014, many of the differences between wild cats and domestic cats are in the genes that govern each one of their personality traits, such as aggression and the way they stalk prey. Wild cats are much more aggressive by nature in real life, but house cats are more likely to form memories and learn through reward based stimuli, as well as tolerate and even enjoy human interaction and contact, and living with the family dog. They understand the nature of people better than wild cats. Although they have nearly identical brain in structure, wildcats have slightly larger brains (for their size) than domestic cats. The shape of the pupil, unlike the vertical, slit pupils of our domesticated felines, the large cats have round pupils. According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, this difference is just related to their lifestyle. Domesticated cats always purr but never roar, whereas, lions roar but never purr due the anatomical differences in throat anatomy between the two felines. Other than their differences, it is true that Tigers and housecats share around 95 percent of the same DNA. Tigers are closely related to other big cats, so it goes without saying that there are plenty of ways in which the housecat is similar to its wild cousins. Both wild and domestic cats spend between 14 to 20 hours a day sleeping. They have great senses of smell and both will use their open mouths to smell better. They are both obligatory carnivores, which means they rely, primarily, on a meat diet, being much better able to digest meat proteins over plant material. They both groom themselves a lot, anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of their waking hours. Both felines, will stalk their prey and generally confine their hunting to dusk, nighttime, and dawn. Cats of all shapes and sizes enjoy a good session of laser pointer chase, unraveling a role of string or toilet paper, and even playing in boxes. Or just playing with other cats. Mostly due to the genetics of certain family lines, half of both wild and domesticated cat populations will react strongly to and enjoy catnip. All types of cats use similar methods to mark their own territories, including, spraying, face rubbing to distribute their scent via the glands on their faces, to scratching a tree trunk if you’re a lion, the couch if you’re a cat. Much like the meowing and chirping you hear from your cat, big cats have their own ways of “talking” to one another that can sound similar. Domesticated cats often play with their food or hide it (after catching a mouse).  Wild cats will often hide their kill by moving it somewhere else or burying it, in order to save it for a later meal. No one knows for certain why cats actually knead, perhaps, it’s a carry-over from nursing and a show of contentment, but we do know that wild felines also engage in this endearing behavior.

Previous Next Daily Cat Diet Advice Congratulations on becoming a cat parent. But now you have a responsibility for a living being to keep it healthy and happy. However, if it is your very first cat, then the major question you would be asking every other cat owner is how to feed your cat and what you must give it. We’ve got you right, didn’t we? Well, you don’t have to fear because Peshi-Pets have brought to you daily cat diet advice from authentic veterinarians and cat owners. Here we will discuss what nutrients your cat needs, should you feed them commercial cat food or homemade food and some tips on keeping your little kitty at an ideal weight. Cats also need a balanced diet like humans When we talk about a balanced diet, it must include all the nutrients, for example, the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and other essential minerals. Remember, cats are carnivores and they cannot sustain a vegetarian diet. They need foods with high amounts of protein, temperate extents of fat with a minimal amount of carbohydrates. They also need other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, etc. Many cat owners tend to fulfill this need of nutrition through supplements without realizing that this can be very harmful to the health of their tabby. You must only use supplements on veterinarian’s approval. DIY cat food or commercial cat diet? You would have heard that home-cooked food is the healthiest food. But this is only true for humans. Here are some of the reasons why you must avoid giving your cat homemade food. Firstly, it is a big hassle to find the correct recipe. No matter from wherever you do your research, you won’t be able to make a hundred percent nutritious food for your little pet. Secondly, you would never know whether the meal you’ve cooked is best for your cat specie or not and last but not the least, you can’t taste that food because cats don’t eat human food. However, there are a few recipes that are approved by vets for medical purposes. So, until and unless you are advised by your vet, you don’t have to make things difficult for yourself. Instead, many commercial cat foods have perfect amounts of nutrients your cat needs, give that. There are three major types of commercial cat food; dry food, semi-moist and canned. All of them differ in water content, proteins, calories, taste, and edibility. As dry food doesn’t dry, you can preserve it well and it will also cause less strain on your pocket. As far as semi-moist foods are concerned, it is difficult to preserve once the pack is open and is a little expensive. Moreover, the canned food can be said the ideal meal for cats as it has a perfect amount of moisture and is also palatable. An unopened can has the best life but once open then you must preserve it in the refrigerator. However, this can cost you a little bit more. Easy to follow tips to make sure your cat’s health Keep your cat hydrated. If you are unable to provide clean and fresh drinking water then your cat can become seriously ill in no time. Prepare a proper meal for your pet and make sure that you are not overfeeding it. Consult your vet and get a proper meal plan. Avoid giving her your favorite foods as it is not nutritious for them and sometimes human foods can be poisonous. And onion is one of the greatest examples. Be sure to feed your kitten every day and when you decide a meal plan, keep several small meals rather than three times a day rule. Do follow the instructions given on the packet of cat food you buy. Because it will advise you accordingly and will also give you proper instructions and precautions according to your cat’s age, lifestyle, and health. You must know the balance between feeding and underfeeding. If you feed it too much it can cause obesity problems and if you are unable to feed her correct portion of the meal every day, chances are it can get underweight and face many serious health-related issues. Last but not the least, keep the food and water tray away from your cat’s litter pot. They will never eat near that.

Previous Next How to keep your Cat Clean Keeping a cat as a pet is a responsibility. It is not all play and no work that you watch in those cute cat videos on social forums. You have to become a literal parent. If you juggle every day between your other responsibilities and keeping your tabby clean and hygienic, fret not because Peshi-Pets has brought to you some of the very helpful tricks to provide your feline friend a hygienic environment midst your chaotic routine life. Here we will tell you all about how to bathe your cat to what precautions you must take to keep it clean and hygienic. Take up the toughest job to bath your cat One of the major crises most cat owners face is when they have to wash out all the dirt from their little, naughty catty. It is a big challenge to take her to the bathtub. For this, make sure that your kitty is tired. The more tired it is, the easier it is for you to wash her. Even the naughtiest cat will get drained after a nice long playtime. Before you take your cat for a bath, there are some preparations that you will have to make. Firstly, put a rubber mat in the bath-tub or a sink, so that your cat doesn’t slip away. Then fill the tub four to five inches max with lukewarm water. Make sure it is not hot. Once you are done with this, you are ready to bring that little devil. Remember, there are different shampoos for cats, never make a mistake to use the shampoo that you use because it can take away all the natural oils from your cat’s coat leaving it with dry skin. And also never use that shampoo on the face area. If you want to wash the face, then be sure to use the most diluted shampoo and avoid its contact with the nose, eyes, and ears. Once you have successfully bathed your cat, then make sure to dry her. Use a towel and take her to a warm place. If you want you may also use a hairdryer but keep it at the lowest heat level. Regular brushing your cat would save your time Although your cat has natural tools to brush the dirt away with its tongue and teeth, but you must still carry this chore regularly with the brush. This won’t only be helpful to eliminate filth and dead hair of your cat, but this would also stimulate blood flow which will result in healthy skin and get rid of those skin flakes that can ruin your furniture. However, before you start brushing your cat, check the condition of her skin first with your bare hands. If the hair are in good condition and the skin is smooth then know that you are good to go. But if there are bald patches, flakes, ticks wounds or any unusual bumps, then take her to the vet straight away as it can be a sign of any skin problem. If your cat’s coat is healthy then take a brush (with plastic strands is recommended) and brush her skin. Make sure to go in the direction her hair grows. Don’t go on the opposite side as it can damage your cat’s hair badly. If you can, then spray a little bit water through the spray bottle before brushing, it will help in loosening and identifying tangled hairs. Moreover, when you are brushing, brush one side at a time and be gentle. This routine can help you keep your cat’s cleanliness on point and track of its skin health. These two regimens would help you out to make sure that your little miss kitty is clean and dolled up. It would be great if you daily brush your cat but once in two to three days is also acceptable. Moreover, if your cat remains outdoors most of the time then the only bath her once a week otherwise indoor cats can go clean for two weeks if proper brushing regime is conducted regularly. But if you are a hygiene freak then you can also use dry shampoo for your pet cat. But before using that shampoo consult your vet. In fact, before using any product consultation with your vet is a must.