A few weeks ago I noticed a bare spot in the middle of Ashes' back. Right along her spine. She had tangled with Casey the day before and my first thought was that Casey had bitten her.
After checking it out I realized this was not a bite, it was a small skin irritation. I checked her all over and there were no other signs of anything so I decided to keep an eye on it and watch the others too.
Within a day or so we noticed the fur all along her spine was thinning and the skin beneath was pink. She was still eating and drinking fine, had tons of energy, and did not seem bothered by this new fur style. I again decided to give it a day or so before making the panic call to the vet. After all no one else was having fur problems.
We had recently changed laundry soap, dish soap, and hand soap (we got them when we bought the new water softener) Even though she does not wear clothes, do the dishes, or wash her paws, I considered for a brief second, an allergic reaction. However,if it was allergies it seemed to me that all her fur should be thinning or her skin would be showing signs of irritation in other places then her spine but she wasn't. She even let me give her a good brushing.
It was a little over a week later that I saw all the cat fur caught on the insulation around the pipes in the basement. A perfect swatch right where her spine would be if she were to walk along the boxes. Sure enough yesterday I caught her sleeping up on the boxes pressed right up against the insulation. She was all snug and warm with the pellet stove right below her. A perfect place for a cat to nap. Except for the insulation that is taking her fur off.
When she got down to eat I barricaded the area. Rearranged the boxes so there is no place to lay down and moved the pellets so she has nothing to climb on. I'm sure she is not happy with me and will probably find some way of getting back at me, but she needs to let the reverse mohawk grow back in and ease the irritation. It's time to order another bottle of Skin and Coat and get her beautiful white fur back in shape.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Cat Litter
Is your cat litter causing your cat to go to the bathroom everywhere but the litter box?
Try sticking your face into an enclosed litter box, stir the litter around, and take a breath. Now multiply that by 14. That's how many times greater a cat's sense of smell is compared to a humans. Makes you wonder why they would want to use a box at all. This may be the reason they are not using the litter box in your home.
One commercial shows cats embarrassed to invite their friends over because of stinky litter box odor. Another has people naming their favorite things then promoting those scents in cat litter. Sorry people, I love the smell of maple syrup but I don't want the litter box to smell like breakfast. This really got me thinking about what we are exposing our furry feline friends to.
How do you think these companies get their products smelling "fresh"? They add chemicals. Chemicals that can irritate the linings of our airways. What is it doing to our cats? They walk through, scratch, and get the chemically treated litter on their paws. Then they ingest these chemicals every time they clean themselves. That can't be good.
Personally I like the scoopable litter vs the clay because with three cats I would constantly be changing the box. However; when my husband was having breathing problems we traced it to the scented litter. I went on the hunt for an alternative. I needed something with no perfumed scent, was easy to keep up with, and the cats would use.
Unscented was very hard to find locally, even Walmart did not carry it. They did carry Feline Pine however so I tried that. Not a huge hit, but they will pee in that litter box. It does smell nice if you like the scent of pine and it is environmentally friendly. Arm & Hammer makes an unscented scoopable which they will use. The only drawback is having to stock up when we get to a Petco or Target.
There are many kinds of litter on the market now. Recycled newspaper, corn, and wheat,just to name a few. You can find reviews at Consumersearch.com
Keep in mind your cat must like the cat litter or they may start having behavior issues with the potty. Finding a happy medium is the key. Keeping your cat safe and healthy and keeping your home odor free and clean.
If you have not changed litter but find your cat urinating outside the box, in strange places such as the bathtub or sink, or crying or straining when urinating it is time for a visit to the vet. Your cat may have an infection, crystals, or stones. Your vet will run tests and diagnose any medical problems. Always check with your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions.
Try sticking your face into an enclosed litter box, stir the litter around, and take a breath. Now multiply that by 14. That's how many times greater a cat's sense of smell is compared to a humans. Makes you wonder why they would want to use a box at all. This may be the reason they are not using the litter box in your home.
One commercial shows cats embarrassed to invite their friends over because of stinky litter box odor. Another has people naming their favorite things then promoting those scents in cat litter. Sorry people, I love the smell of maple syrup but I don't want the litter box to smell like breakfast. This really got me thinking about what we are exposing our furry feline friends to.
How do you think these companies get their products smelling "fresh"? They add chemicals. Chemicals that can irritate the linings of our airways. What is it doing to our cats? They walk through, scratch, and get the chemically treated litter on their paws. Then they ingest these chemicals every time they clean themselves. That can't be good.
Personally I like the scoopable litter vs the clay because with three cats I would constantly be changing the box. However; when my husband was having breathing problems we traced it to the scented litter. I went on the hunt for an alternative. I needed something with no perfumed scent, was easy to keep up with, and the cats would use.
Unscented was very hard to find locally, even Walmart did not carry it. They did carry Feline Pine however so I tried that. Not a huge hit, but they will pee in that litter box. It does smell nice if you like the scent of pine and it is environmentally friendly. Arm & Hammer makes an unscented scoopable which they will use. The only drawback is having to stock up when we get to a Petco or Target.
There are many kinds of litter on the market now. Recycled newspaper, corn, and wheat,just to name a few. You can find reviews at Consumersearch.com
Keep in mind your cat must like the cat litter or they may start having behavior issues with the potty. Finding a happy medium is the key. Keeping your cat safe and healthy and keeping your home odor free and clean.
If you have not changed litter but find your cat urinating outside the box, in strange places such as the bathtub or sink, or crying or straining when urinating it is time for a visit to the vet. Your cat may have an infection, crystals, or stones. Your vet will run tests and diagnose any medical problems. Always check with your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions.
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