Expert Cat Care

19/12/2024

Whether your cat is struggling with constipation or you're just looking to expand your feline knowledge, check out Expert Cat Care's latest article on feline constipation. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover:

💩 The difference between constipation, obstipation, and megacolon
💩 Symptoms associated with constipation
💩 Common causes and risk factors
💩 How veterinarians diagnose constipation
💩 Recommended diagnostic tests and workups
💩 Initial and long-term treatment strategies
💩 How to monitor your cat's progress
💩 What to expect in terms of prognosis

Constipation in cats can be a serious health issue, but we share some effective, cat-friendly solutions for managing this condition with minimal stress. We also explore different diet options for feline constipation, which can often be a difficult or confusing topic.

Check it out!

In this comprehensive guide learn what causes cat constipation, how to recognize the symptoms, and the steps to diagnose and treat it.

29/02/2024

"Why is my cat meowing so much? It's driving me nuts?!" Whether your cat is suddenly meowing more than usual and you're concerned for their well-being, or they are yowling at night and everyone in the household is at their wit's end due to a lack of uninterrupted sleep, understanding the reasons behind your cat's vocalizations is key to helping them and restoring harmony. 😺

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Medical Reasons Cats Vocalize Excessively:

🐾 Pain or Discomfort - cats may meow more due to painful conditions like arthritis, bladder disease, or wounds.

🐾 Polyphagia - excessive hunger caused by health conditions such as diabetes, or drug side effects, such as steroids, may lead to increased vocalization.

🐾 Hyperthyroidism - overactive thyroid glands in older cats cause an increase in metabolic rate, which increases calorie consumption and hunger. Additionally, it heightens their sympathetic tone (fight or flight response), leading to anxiety, restlessness, and more vocalization.

🐾 Hypertension - high blood pressure, often secondary to chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or Conn's Syndrome, adversely affects the brain and can cause neurological symptoms, such as disorientation, restlessness, and pacing, leading to excessive vocalization.

🐾 Blindness or Deafness - cats may vocalize more if they can't see or hear, relying on meowing to communicate and navigate. Some cats are born deaf or blind, while others may lose their senses due to illness or age-related decline.

🐾 Cognitive Dysfunction - also referred to as dementia and similar to Alzheimer's in humans, cognitive dysfunction in older cats can lead to anxiety, disorientation, and increased vocalization.

🐾 Brain Tumors - uncommon but typically seen in older cats and can cause personality changes, disorientation, and excessive vocalization.

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Behavioral Reasons Cats Vocalize Excessively:

🐈 Innate Trait - breeds like Siamese or Bengals are naturally talkative, but any cat can develop a chatty personality.

🐈 Anxiety or Stress - cats may meow excessively when anxious or stressed, for example, when separated from their owner, grieving the loss of a housemate, visiting the vet, or due to changes in their environment or routine.

🐈 Learned / Reinforced Behavior - cats quickly learn that vocalizing gets attention or a desired outcome, such as food or play. When rewarded with what they want, this reinforces the behavior, leading to more vocalization.

🐈 Frustration - caused by an inability to fulfill desires or needs, such as reaching prey or accessing preferred areas, can lead to vocalization.

🐈 Boredom - a lack of mental and physical stimulation can result in boredom, prompting cats to vocalize for attention or activity.

🐈 Mating Behavior - unspayed females may vocalize when in heat, exhibiting behaviors like rolling on the floor and increased affection, signaling receptiveness to mating.

🐈 Territorial Behavior - cats may vocalize due to strangers cats in the garden or conflict with other cats in the same household.

To learn more and reduce excessive vocalization, check out our 10-step plan → https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/why-does-my-cat-meow-and-yowl-so-much-excessive-vocalization

06/11/2023

Check out the latest article from Expert Cat Care and discover everything you need to know about diarrhea in cats, including:

🐾 All the causes of diarrhea in cats
🐾 How to tell if the problem is with the small or large intestine and why that matters
🐾 How to narrow down the likely causes of diarrhea based on how long it lasts (acute vs. chronic), your cat's age (young vs. older), and their overall health (well vs. showing other signs of illness)
🐾 A plan for investigating and treating diarrhea in cats

https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/why-does-my-cat-have-diarrhea-causes-diagnostics-treatment

05/10/2023

Since the majority of cat owners feed a mixture of wet and dry food, we've created the only cat food calculator that estimates how much to feed your cat when combing wet and dry food. The amount can also be adjusted based on your cat's activity level to help maintain a healthy weight. Check it out!

The best cat food calculator - estimate how much wet, dry or a mixture to feed + how much to feed kittens, senior cats, fat cats and underweight cats

20/09/2023

Although the arrival of a new baby into your family is one of life's most joyous moments, it's often underestimated how stressful it can be for a cat.

There are new smells, new sounds (sometimes loud and frightening), a change in their routine, new items and furniture in their territory, less time for affection and play, and they may no longer be allowed in spaces they once used for resting.

A stressed cat can develop behavioral issues, such as urinating outside the litter box, overgrooming, and aggression, or medical conditions, such as cystitis and upper respiratory tract infections, which is not what you want to be dealing with when you have a newborn.

To help ensure a smooth transition and minimize stress, check out our latest article, where we explore the best way to introduce your cat to your baby, including:

🐾 Prioritising safety
🐾 Preparing your cat before your baby's arrival
🐾 Managing your baby and cat's first meeting
🐾 Maintaining harmony in the home after your baby's arrival

Smoothly introduce your cat to your newborn: preparations, first meetings, and post-arrival tips for a harmonious home with both your fur baby and human baby.

13/09/2023

Putting your cat on the scales and checking how much they weigh does not provide a complete picture. The average domestic shorthair cat weighs around 4.5 kg, but an ideal body weight can vary from 2.5-7 kg depending on the breed and individual.

Therefore, you need to perform a hands-on and visual assessment to determine if your cat is their ideal weight. For further information check out our guide on how to body condition score your cat to determine if they are underweight, their ideal weight, or overweight.

https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/how-to-body-condition-score-your-cat-1-9-underweight-ideal-weight-or-overweight

Monitoring your cat's body condition is an excellent way to ensure your cat stays healthy and doesn't put on too much weight, especially around middle age, or start to lose too much weight, especially in their senior years.

In the guide you will learn:
🐾 How to perform a body condition examination
🐾 How to assign your cat a body condition score (1-9)
🐾 How to estimate your cat's ideal weight

21/08/2023

For further information check out our article, Cat Flu Home Care | 10 Ways to Support a Cat's Recovery.

https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/upper-respiratory-tract-infection-how-to-help-your-cat-recover-home-remedies

We explore further:

🐾 How to keep your cat warm and clean
🐾 How to ensure your cat is well-nourished and hydrated
🐾 Nebulization techniques to help clear nasal discharge
🐾 Reducing stress and why it's important
🐾 Medications and supplements

14/08/2023

Having a cat that p*es around the house is one of the most common problems cat owners face. They may do it all the time, intermittently, p*e far away from the litter box, or p*e right next to it.

Typically, the underlying cause is urine marking, a medical condition, or a problem with the litter box.

In our latest article, find out exactly why cats p*e outside the litter box and proven ways to stop them, including:

🐾 How to tell which cat is p*eing outside the box if you have multiple cats
🐾 Why you should not punish your cat
🐾 How to rule out urine spraying (marking), which is possible in male, female, intact, and neutered cats
🐾 Medical reasons cats p*e outside the litter box
🐾 An explanation of all the litter box problems and solutions that can lead to p*eing around the house
🐾 How to remove urine odor so your cat doesn't continue to view the area as a toilet
🐾 General tips for taking care of your cat's well-being

https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/cat-p*eing-everywhere-causes-and-solutions

29/07/2023

Cats have a low thirst drive, most likely because they originated from a desert environment where water was not always available. They adapted by producing small amounts of concentrated urine, and most of their water needs were met by eating birds and mice, which are about 60-70% water. As a result, they're not the best at drinking water to stay hydrated or to replenish fluid losses if they do get dehydrated.

To encourage your cat to drink more water, whether for a specific medical condition or their general health, try the following:

🐾 Avoid plastic bowls: plastic bowls can give the water a plasticky taste and absorb the odors of soap used for cleaning, which can be off-putting for your cat. Instead, we recommend high-quality, food-safe glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowls.

🐾 Fill water bowls near the brim: cats like a clear view while drinking water as they feel safer, and filling their bowl near the brim allows them to drink water without needing to put their head too deep inside.

🐾 Use wide whisker-friendly dishes: some cats prefer a wide bowl as they don't like their sensitive whiskers touching the side. However, some cats prefer tall tumblers and pint glasses, so experiment with different shapes and sizes of bowls.

🐾 Place multiple bowls throughout the home: the more often your cat sees water, the more likely they are to drink. In addition, if you have a multi-cat home, having bowls in separate locations means one cat is less likely to be prevented from drinking if they tend to be bullied. Place bowls in quiet areas, avoid corners (so they have a clear view while drinking), and try placing them near where they rest and sleep.

🐾 Place water bowls away from litter boxes: in the wild, cats go to the toilet in a separate location from where they drink to avoid contaminating their water source. Therefore, place water bowls in a different room or at least 6 feet from litter boxes. Similarly, some cats prefer their water bowls away from their food bowls, as in the wild, they wouldn't want their food (blood and intestinal contents) contaminating their water supply.

🐾 Provide fresh, clean, filtered water daily: at least once a day, clean the bowls and fill them with fresh water. Using a filter to remove chlorine and other impurities can help improve the taste.

🐾 Provide a water fountain or an AquaPurr: some cats prefer to drink flowing water. Either provide a cat water fountain or install an AquarPurr on your tap.

🐾 Switch completely or partially to wet food: dry food has a water content of approximately 8%, compared to wet food that has a water content of approximately 80%.

🐾 Add water to your cat's food: adding water to your cat's food, starting small and gradually increasing the amount to see how much they'll tolerate, can be a simple way to increase the amount of water they consume. Make sure not to add so much water that they don't finish their food.

🐾 Provide soups, broths, and flavored water: you can purchase soups for cats or easily make flavored water at home. For example, you can poach fish or chicken and give them the water once it's cooled, or add water to a can of tuna (in spring water, never brine or oil), mix, squeeze all the water out for your cat, and keep the tuna for your sandwich. Never give your cat soup or flavored water containing garlic, onion, or high levels of salt.

For an ADDITIONAL 10 TIPS check out, How to Get a Cat to Drink More Water | 20 Cat Drinking Tips ➜ https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/how-to-get-a-cat-to-drink-more-water

27/07/2023

We all know how stressful it can be to take your cat to the vet so thank you Bustle for sharing our recommended carriers for nervous cats to help reduce anxiety and make the experience as relaxed as possible.

The best carriers for nervous cats help enhance feelings of security, and they’re designed with top openings or slide-in baskets that make loading a breeze.

19/07/2023

To learn more about the 6 ways to care for your cat's teeth clean, including the best technique for tooth brushing, read How to Keep Cats Teeth Clean & Healthy ➜ https://www.expertcatcare.com/article/how-to-keep-cats-teeth-clean-healthy-dental-care

16/07/2023

Find out...

🐾 Why it's important to keep your cat's teeth clean
🐾 Why a veterinary visit is essential before starting home dental care
🐾 How to choose teeth cleaning products that are scientifically proven to be effective
🐾 Six ways to care for your cat's teeth and keep them clean

How to keep cats teeth clean, including teeth brushing techniques (with video demonstrations), and cleaning without brushing, such as diets, treats, & additives