Cat urinary problems can be frustrating to deal with.  If recurring FLUTD is a problem for your kitty, maybe stress has something to do with it, especially if your vet can’t find any reason for the repeated feline urinary problems.  If your kitty has been diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis, read on for answers.

What Is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Your furry friend has all the symptoms of feline cystitis.  He strains to urinate, but doesn’t pass much urine.  His urine may be bloody.  He’s obviously in pain when he’s using the litter box.  And he may be urinating in places other than his litter box. 

But when your vet examines him and runs a urinalysis and a urine culture, there’s no sign of a feline bladder infection.  There’s no bacteria in his urine, and bladder stones, tumors, and even an anatomical defect have all been ruled out. 

Feline idiopathic cystitis is the diagnosis when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for feline urinary problems.  It’s very difficult to watch your cat suffer with FLUTD symptoms when there doesn’t appear to be any reason for these cat urinary problems.Vets are commonly seeing this condition more as time goes on.

Is A Stressed Out Cat Related To Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Research is showing that this condition in cats is very similar to interstitial cystitis in people.  In both cats and people, some sort of stressful event often happens just before the cat or person suffers another bout of cystitis.

We don’t always realize what stresses our cats have in their lives.  It may be hard to believe, but being an indoor cat is stressful for felines.  We keep them inside for their own safety, but this is an unnatural environment for felines.  They do like to prowl around, especially at night.They get lots of exercise while hunting for food that helps to keep them in shape. 

We also feed them the wrong type of diet, which is another stressor.  Most dry cat foods are made mostly from corn, which is very high in carbohydrates.  Too much of the wrong type of food leads to obesity, feline diabetes, and other health issues. 

Many cat owners don’t think about the low moisture level in dry food.  Cats are meant to get most of their water from their diet, which should be mostly meat-based.  A cat who is always fed dry food is more than likely chronically dehydrated.  Even if a cat who is fed dry food does drink water, it’s hard for him to drink enough.

The problem with a dehydrated cat is that water doesn’t pass through his body often enough to flush out toxins.  His urine is also concentrated.  Urine is caustic, and if it’s too concentrated, it can irritate the bladder, which often leads to FLUTD.A cat with concentrated urine is more prone to cat bladder stones and urinary blockage in cats because of the high mineral levels in his urine.

This type of stress is low-level, but it can lead to problems over time. 

Your cat may be facing other types of stress.  Cats are very set in their ways, and any kind of change can be upsetting for them.A move, a new person or pet in the home, remodeling, or even a change in the weather can be stressful for your cat.  Your cat may be having problems with another cat in the home, too, especially if the other pet is more aggressive and seems to bother him a lot.

Helping Your Stressed Out Cat

It’s been shown that reducing stress in cats does reduce the frequency of FLUTD.  It’s also important to feed your cat a diet more naturally suited for felines to reduce stress on his body.

If your kitty is plagued with recurring feline urinary problems, natural remedies for cats may help.  Just click on any link in this article to learn more.

Cat urine problems are probably one of the top feline behavior problems for cat owners.  This is a messy, smelly, frustrating problem, and it’s probably the number one reason why a cat owner would take their pet to the animal shelter, or even have it put down.

If your pet stops using the cat litter pan, don’t get the idea that she’s punishing you for some slight.  We all love our kitties, but let’s be honest.  Cat just aren’t capable of that kind of reasoning.

Sometimes a veterinary problem, like a cat bladder infection, is causing the kitty to avoid the cat litter pan.  Maybe your kitty is older and has developed arthritis, which makes it hard to enter and leave her pan.  Taking her to the vet for a check-up is always recommended.

Don’t be afraid this is the end of the line for your kitty.This behavior can become a hard-to-break habit very quickly, so take steps to solve the problem of a cat who doesn’t use her cat litter pan right away.  If you’re tired of finding cat urine on carpet, here are three tips that may help.

Three Reasons For Cat Urine Problems

• Your kitty doesn’t like her cat litter pan
• She doesn’t like the cat litter you’re using
• The pan is located someplace she doesn’t like

The Cat Litter Pan Is All Wrong

The cat won’t use the pan if she doesn’t like it.  A cat with a feline bladder infection may have learned to associate pain with the litter pan, so she goes elsewhere.A bigger pan may be needed for a heavy kitty.  An elderly cat, or a young kitten, may have trouble getting into and out of the box.

Covered cat litter pans are favored by humans, but kitties don’t like them, because they trap odors.Clean the pan regularly because your pet doesn’t like a dirty bathroom any more than you do.

When the cat is using the pan, it’s a good idea not to let another pet, or a small child, bother her?The result is that she’ll be more likely to find a quieter place for her potty activities.

She Hates The Cat Litter You’re Using

Cats especially dislike scented litter.  Keep the pan clean to avoid odors, instead of covering them up with scent.

Don’t change the type of cat litter suddenly.  Cats don’t like change.It’s recommended to keep using the same kind of cat litter she’s used to.  If you really must change brands, do it gradually, over a period of time.

Location, Location, Location

Just like people, cats like a private bathroom area.  A bathroom closet is usually a good spot.  Just put a block in the door so it can’t be closed accidentally.

Avoid putting the pan in the basement.  Most cats don’t care for dark places that come complete with loud, scary things like furnaces and clothes washers that come to life unexpectedly.

Stop spending your precious free time on cat urine cleaning.  If you’re dealing with cat urine problems, just click on any link in this article to find the solution.

Feline diabetes is becoming more and more common.  Unfortunately, there are several myths circulating about diabetes in cats.  If you have a diabetic cat, you need to know the facts about how you can help your diabetic pet. 

Myth #1. The Only Treatment For A Feline Diabetic Is To Put Him To Sleep

This isn’t necessarily true.Unless your pet is elderly or has other problems like kidney failure, it’s possible to manage this disease quite successfully. 

However, it’s important for you to realize that it does take time, especially at first, to learn how to check your diabetic cat’s blood sugar and then give him an insulin injection, if he needs one. 

Myth #2. Feline Diabetes Cannot Be Prevented

Quite a few pet experts believe that this disease is a man-made condition that can be prevented by feeding your kitty a high-quality canned food, not dry cat food.

Why is feeding your kitty dry food a problem?This food is composed mostly of grains, which contain too many carbs for kitties.  Cats have evolved to eat meat, not grains.  Free-feeding dry cat food will more than likely lead to a fat cat, and overweight kitties are predisposed to many health problems, including diabetes in cats.   

Myth #3.  It’s Too Hard To Check Your Kitty’s Blood Glucose Levels At Home

It can be challenging at first, but anyone who lives with a feline diabetic should learn how to check their cat’s blood sugar levels.  You should never give your kitty an insulin injection if you don’t know how high or low his blood sugar is.  Plus, it’s much less expensive for you, and less stressful for your cat, if your vet teaches you how to do this simple test at home.

Myth #4. Your Kitty Will Need Insulin Injections For The Rest Of His Life

Don’t believe it.Sometimes it’s possible to reverse feline diabetes simply by switching your kitty from dry food to canned food.  Losing weight can help, too.It’s advised to talk to the vet before putting your fat feline on a diet, as a too-rapid weight loss can cause serious health problems for him.

Mild exercise is a natural way to manage blood sugar.Start slowly to get your cat into shape.  Gradually work up to two or three ten-minute exercise sessions every day.

Myth #5. Don’t Waste Your Time With Natural Remedies For Cats

On the contrary, researchers have found that the mineral chromium, along with certain herbs, including goat’s rue, astragalus, and fenugreek, are all very effective in helping to control blood sugar levels in human diabetics.  These remedies are also effective for kitties, as well.  Many cat owners have found that a combination of dietary changes, daily exercise, and natural remedies for cats has made it possible to discontinue insulin injections for their pets.

Don’t believe any of these myths about feline diabetes.  Click on any link in this article to find out how natural remedies for cats can help keep your favorite kitty healthy.

Is cat urine odor a problem in your home?  If your kitty is urinating in different places all over your home, you have a problem that can’t be overlooked.  Often a stressed out cat is at the root of the problem.

Cat urine problems are sometimes caused by a health issue, including feline diabetes, or a feline urinary tract infection, so your first response should be to take the kitty to the vet for a check-up.  If she receives a clean bill of health, feline stress may be the problem.

Cat Litter Pan Problems Due To Stress Are More Common Than You Think

What could be better than being a cat?  All you have to do is just lay around and sleep all day, right?  Well, life for your kitty may not as rosy as you believe it is.A stressed out cat is more common than most people realize.

Stress often results if the kitty doesn’t have much to do, except for sleeping and eating.  Cats get bored, just like we do.  Set aside time to play with your kitty several times a day.  She needs the exercise, and enjoys interacting with you.

If you only have one cat, and she spends most of the day by herself, consider getting her a feline companion.  Or buy a cat video that features birds and other creatures that she can watch on TV while you’re gone. 

Sometimes the problem is caused by another pet, or even a child.  If a dominant cat, a dog, or a small child is bothering Kitty while she’s in the litter box, she just may find another, more private place to do her business. 

Your feline may not like where her cat litter pan is located.  If you keep it in the basement, she may be scared of the furnace, or the washing machine, since they come to life when she least expects it, and make lots of noise.  Look at the situation from your cat’s point of view.Kitties have a different way of looking at the world than people do.

If her pan is in a busy, noisy place, she may be unhappy with it, too.  Just like people, cats prefer privacy for their bathroom activities.

Tips For Solving Your Cat Urine Problems

If you have more than one cat, you should have one box for each feline, plus an extra one.Place the litter pans in different rooms around your home.This can forestall one kitty claiming the litter pan for herself.  Be sure there’s an extra escape route available at each litter pan, so one cat can’t trap another one in there.

Try putting the cat litter pan in the location where the cat has been urinating.Encouraging her to use the pan is the idea.Once she begins using her litter pan, you can move it an inch or so a day until it’s where you want it.

Feeding the cat where she’s been urinating is suggested, because kitties prefer not to eat where they potty.If you cover the area with a plastic sheet, or aluminum foil, it will be less appealing to Kitty.  Be sure to use a pet deodorizer to neutralize cat urine odor, so she won’t be drawn back to use the same place again.

Cleaning cat urine on carpet is a messy job that nobody wants.  Learn how you can end your cat urine problems once and for all by clicking on any link in this article.

Is feline incontinence becoming a problem for your cat? You need to realize that incontinence in cats, or dribbling and leaking of urine, and inappropriate urination are two different things.

Often an incontinent pet is unaware that she has a problem. Inappropriate urination, on the other hand, is when a cat is purposely urinating in places other than her litter box. This may be a behavior issue, but it can also be cause by feline lower urinary tract disease.

It’s important to know the difference between the two because incontinence in cats can be a sign of serious health issues for your feline friend.

Ten Reasons For Feline Incontinence

1. Usually the simplest reason is feline lower urinary tract disease. One of the symptoms of a feline bladder infection is needing to urinate often. If your cat can’t make it to the litter box in time, she’ll have an accident.

2. Repeated feline urinary problems often cause scarring in your cat’s bladder. This prevents her bladder from expanding to hold urine, so she may not be able to hold it.

3. Cat bladder stones can cause a partial blockage of your cat’s urethra, making it impossible for her to empty her bladder completely. As her bladder fills with urine, the pressure can force some urine around the blockage. If you suspect a blocked cat, get her to the vet as soon as possible, as this can be fatal within a day or two.

4. A weak urinary sphincter is often the reason for an incontinent cat. This is more common in older spayed female dogs, but it does occasionally happen in spayed cats, too, especially if they’re heavy. This type of incontinence, called hormone-responsive incontinence, can develop years after she’s been spayed.

5. Feline diabetes can cause an incontinent cat. A diabetic cat is drinking lots more water than normal because the disease makes her very thirsty in an effort to flush the excess sugar out of her body. This leads her to need to urinate more, too. She may have trouble making it to her litter box before she has an accident.

6. Cats with feline leukemia sometimes become incontinent, too. This can happen in both males and females.

7. As a cat ages, the urinary sphincter can weaken. Your cat may develop other problems as she gets older, such as diabetes, which cause her body to produce more urine than normal. Combine a very full bladder with a weak urinary sphincter, and it’s easy to see why urinary incontinence in cats is the result.

8. Due to a neurological problem with the nerves in her bladder, she may be unable to hold her urine.

9. Bladder tumors can be another factor.

10. Sometimes an older cat starts getting forgetful, or is in the early stages of senility, which can lead to litter box problems.

Natural Feline Urinary Support

If your furball is having cat urinary problems, it’s important to take her to the vet for a check-up to rule out anything serious. Most cases of inappropriate urination are due to feline lower urinary tract disease, which can be a frustrating condition to deal with.

The most important thing you can do is to feed your cat a high-quality canned food. Cats are meant to get most of their water from their food, so feeding a cat dry food all the time is an invitation to disaster in the form of cat urinary problems.

You may want to consider giving your kitty one of the many natural remedies for cats that are available for feline urinary support. Herbs and homeopathic remedies have a long history of success in humans, and they’re very effective for urinary problems in pets, too.  Just click on any link to learn more.

Did you know that up to 1.5 percent of all cats in the US are plagued with feline urinary problems? That’s a lot of cats.

These problems can range from an uncomfortable cat bladder infection to a life-threatening cat urinary blockage. An an informed cat owner, you should always be on the lookout for cat urinary problems.

What’s The Difference Between FLUTD And FUS?

Many cat owners are confused, and rightfully so, over the terms used to describe cat urinary problems. FLUTD is an acronym that stands for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. FLUTD used to be known as FUS, or Feline Urologic Syndrome. Feline Urologic Syndrome has been renamed as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease to reflect that most of the urinary problems in cats happen in the lower urinary tract, which includes the bladder and urethra.

Overview Of Feline Urinary Disease

There are many different aspects to feline urinary problems. Here’s a quick overview of a few different conditions that can affect your cat’s urinary tract.

• Cystitis is an inflammation of your cat’s bladder.
• If your cat’s urethra is inflamed, he has urethritis.
• Idiopathic cystitis means that the cause of the bladder inflammation is not known.
• Bladder stones in cats often occur as a result of feline urinary crystals.
• A tumor in your cat’s bladder may cause problems, too.

You can see that it’s important to pinpoint what’s causing your cat’s urinary tract problems in order to treat his condition successfully.

Symptoms of Cat Urinary Problems

No matter what’s causing the feline urinary tract problems, your cat will show these symptoms:

• Bloody urine
• Urinating in places other than his litter box
• Urinating often, but passing only small amounts of urine
• Straining to urinate, or not being able to pass urine at all
• Crying out in pain in the litter box

Any of these symptoms should be enough for you to take your cat to the vet for a check-up.

What Your Vet Will Do

Your vet will examine your cat and feel his bladder to see how full it is. The vet will also want to do a urinalysis to check for infection or feline urinary crystals, and may want to do a cat urine culture to see if bacteria are present. A distended bladder indicates that your kitty may have a cat urinary blockage, and your vet may want to take x-rays or do an ultrasound to look for stones in your cat’s bladder.

Steps You Can Take To Prevent Feline Urinary Disease?

There are many steps cat owners can take to prevent their cats from developing feline urinary tract problems. The most important thing you can do is to feed a high-quality canned food.

Because cats are supposed to get most of their water from their food, a kitty who eats only dry food is usually chronically dehydrated, which leads to his urine becoming concentrated. And concentrated urine can lead to cat bladder stones, and a whole host of problems that goes along with them.

Be sure your cat always has access to plenty of clean, fresh water, too.

Consider treating your feline friend with natural remedies for cats that support bladder health in cats. This remedy should contain herbal extracts of barberry and uva ursi, along with the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagria. These natural treatments have been used for many years to treat bladder infections in humans, and they work just as well in cats.

Click on any link in this article to learn how natural remedies for cats can help to prevent and treat feline urinary problems.

A diagnosis of feline diabetes comes as a complete shock for many cat owners.  You probably have many questions.  What exactly is cat diabetes?  What options do you have for feline diabetes treatment?  Can natural remedies for cats help in controlling diabetes in cats?

What Is Feline Diabetes?

A kitty with this disease has problems either producing or using insulin, which keeps the levels of glucose in the blood at normal levels.  High blood sugar levels cause liver and kidney problems, gastrointestinal troubles, and an increased risk of infections.  If left untreated, a diabetic cat can go into a coma and die.

Diabetes is much more likely to develop in an older, overweight male cat.

Feline Diabetes Treatment

Treatment for feline diabetes often starts with the cat being hospitalized while his blood sugar levels are stabilized.A long-term treatment plan will be developed by you and your vet before Kitty comes home from the hospital.A good relationship with your vet is essential, since you and the vet will need to work together in controlling your pet’s diabetes.

Be aware that caring for a diabetic cat does take a lot of time, especially at first, when you’re learning how to check your kitty’s blood sugar levels, and how to give him insulin injections.

Many pet owners are quite successful in handling the challenges to managing diabetes in cats.  After a while, blood sugar tests and insulin shots will become routine, both for you and your feline conmpanion.

Are Natural Remedies For Cats Helpful In Controlling Feline Diabetes?

Many human diabetics are using herbal remedies and dietary supplements to help control their blood sugar levels.These remedies have been shown by research to be safe and effective for felines, too.The herbs fenugreek, astragalus, and goat’s rue, along with chromium, should be present in this remedy. 

Always talk with your vet before you start using natural remedies for cats.Most vets are familiar with these remedies, and should be willing to work with you.  Since it may be possible to control diabetes in cats by making dietary changes and using natural remedies, you’ll need to check your kitty’s blood sugar levels often.Your vet may find it necessary to adjust the insulin dosage your kitty is receiving.

Just click any link in this article to learn how diet, exercise and natural remedies for cats can help to control diabetes in cats.

Buying a new cat or a kitten can often be an impulsive action. Once you see a new cat, more especially a kitten, it is hard to resist their charm; this makes it important you answer a few important questions before you finally make your choice.

Just before I continue on my merry way I would like to make it clear that I am not the owner of a pet store and I do not even work with cats. I personally work as a speech coach primarily helping people who have stuttering problems. I also work on a part time basis on projects to do with DVD duplication and offering specialist web promotion advice.

Cat or Kitten?

First establish whether you want a fully grown cat or a kitten. Let’s face it there is nothing more cute and cuddly than a new born kitten. Straight from the moment they are introduced to the world they are just adorable. There are the inevitable down sides as well, as there is with everything of course; a kitten can destroy parts of your house such as furniture and they tend to leave their “business” behind the sofa (or maybe this is just my kitten). For people who do not feel that they could cope with these type of issues then it may well be more sensible to choose an older and more mature cat.

Older cats are invariably already domesticated and will have some established behaviour patterns. Ideally you should try and discuss with the previous owner details about the eating habits, disposition, toilet behaviour and any other habits the new cat may have.

Male or Female?

There is a widespread belief that male cats are usually more independent and females are more friendly and loving towards their owners, however there is little difference in behaviour between the sexes once they have been neutered. Many vetinary professionals apparantly advise people that neutering is suitable for their cats; this is for many reasons including improved behaviour and to stop unwanted pregnancies of course.

Non-Pedigree or Pedigree?

An important advantage of pedigree cats is that you can usually easier to predict the sort of cat you are going to end up with, especially how it will look and to some extent what temperament it may have.

If you intend showing or using your cat for breeding purposes then you should buy a cat that has a proven pedigree.

Their will obviously be more factors you will need to take into consideration and there is a wealth of useful information to help you, this can come from magazines and books, friends and other cat owners, the internet or your local vet.

Living through the financial crisis is difficult enough, but add pets which rely on you for sustenance, protection and medical attention, anything that can be done, helps.
It’s a sad fact that many animals are abandoned or given up every day, as animal owners fight to cope with the current economic climate.
This is exceedingly problematic for animal charities who have look after pets when money is limited, surviving on contributions to keep their animals in good shape.
Here are a few points which could help make looking after a pet on a budget more manageable:
1. Consider every animal cost? Do you need that branded animal food or product? It is always a good idea to raise pets up with variety, both dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Watch out for promotions. You can stock up. Investigate vouchers, search on the net for some good deals. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, principally with special deals, the smaller pack can be cheaper.
2. Is it possible that you can club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.
3. Veterinary bills are unknown but still have to be considered. If cash is a little stretched, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to spread the cost, and reimburse in instalments. If you can, afford it – have or keep pet insurance.
4. Many people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your pet more cheaply, what about yourself!
5. Can you earn some money? Why not offer to walk other peoples pet? Dog Walking as a profession Good companies will require you do it regularly. Another alternative is to become a pet sitter, though good businesses such as London Pet Sitter will also require you be a London dog walker.
6. What about your other animals, you may have put your cats in a cattery, what about using a cat sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.
7. Do use external stabling or boarding? Many horses can live quite happily outside for most of the year, just make sure there’s nourishment, water and protection to harsh elements available. Could this be an option for your horse, it should reduce the cost of stabling considerably.
8. Are you thinking of choosing a pet, certainly consider taking a pet from a charity, they are suffering at the moment.
Enjoy your pet, they are worth the cost.

Do you know how natural feline urinary support can help your kitty avoid frequent cat urinary problems?  If your pet suffers from repeated cat bladder infection, here are three ways you can support his feline urinary health.

Diet And Feline Urinary Support

Your cat’s diet is extremely important in promoting cat urinary health.  Many cat owners are unaware that a one-year study showed that feeding a high-quality canned food reduced feline urinary problems significantly.  Why is this?

It’s been proven that the best way to prevent feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD, is to increase the amount of water that goes through your cat.  The easiest way to do this is to feed him canned cat food, which has a moisture level of around 75%.This is more like a cat’s natural diet.

The problem is that dry cat food, which is what most kitties eat, has a very low moisture level, under ten percent.If your cat eats only dry food, he must drink lots of water to get enough fluid intake to prevent cat urinary problems.  Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to get your cat to drink more water, since he has evolved to get most of his water from his diet.

A cat with a low water intake is more than likely chronically dehydrated.  His urine is very concentrated, which can lead to cat bladder stones.  These stones irritate the bladder wall, and cause feline cystitis, which is a bladder inflammation.  Just feeding your cat moist food can help to prevent this problem.

Another way to get your cat to drink more water is to divide his food into three equal amounts and feed him three times a day.  It’s been shown that feeding your cat two or three times a day as opposed to once a day is associated with an increase in his daily water intake.

Reduce Cat Stress To Reduce Cat Bladder Infection Problems

Cats appear to lead charmed lives, but this isn’t really true.  Our kitties are creatures of habit, and they don’t like changes at all.  Moving to a new home, remodeling, adding a new pet or person to your household, and even changing your feline’s food causes cat stress.  Cats don’t handle stress well.  In fact, stress in cats has been linked to feline idiopathic cystitis, which is a bladder inflammation that doesn’t appear to have any cause.

Be on the lookout for anything that’s stressing your cat.  Reducing or removing the cause of the stress may help to reduce cat urinary problems.

Natural Remedies For Cats Can Support Cat Urinary Health

Humans have been dealing with bladder infections since the beginning of time.Before modern antibiotics were developed, people used herbal remedies to treat bladder problems.  In many parts of the world, people still use these remedies.  Can these natural remedies work on cats too?

The answer is yes.  Uva ursi and barberry are two herbs that have stood the test of time for treating cystitis in people.The homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagris are well known for treating human urinary tract infections successfully.  These four remedies have been specially formulated into a remedy that’s not only safe, but effective, to prevent feline urinary problems.

Click on any link in this article to learn how natural remedies for cats can support cat urinary health.