Pouncerstone

General Cat Care Tips

Here's Pouncerstone's list of tips and suggestions on a variety of cat care topics!

1. Work On Finding A Good Vet - We learned the hard way that it's not best to choose a vet because they have an office in the neighborhood or they seem like a "nice guy". And frankly we've learned that some vets are good at taking care of healthy pets (giving shots and a "quick exam") but lack competence in diagnosing and treating sick pets. But how does a doctor know a pet is healthy without approching things thoroughly? We've been sorely disappointed by such vets when our pets developed symptoms or conditions that require thoroughness, hard work and up-to-date education on veterinary medicine topics. We ended up finding good doctors and a good hospital the hard way and fortunately it was not at the expense of our cats' lives. We cannot stress how important it is for people to find a knowledgeable and experienced vet for their cat now.

   Work on finding a good vet and building a relationship with them. Recently a friend told me "I take my pets to a good hospital, but we end up seeing a different doctor every time". Well, what this comes down to is that neither he nor his pets have a relationship with a vet they can count on. Some people aren't aware that you can make an appointment to see a specific vet, they just see "whoever is available". But if you want someone who knows more about your pet than what some other doctor scribbled in their file, you need to find a good vet and stick with them. The more the doctor knows about the pet and what you do to take care of your pet at home, the better he or she can help. And the more comfortable you will be calling him or her with questions and the better he or she can give you appropriate, patient-specific answers. Consider referrals from friends, neighbors and co-workers. Approach finding a good doctor for your pet just like you would your own health care. Do you want "just any doctor" seeing you or do you want someone with expertise whom you can trust and develop a relationship with for your pet? Often I hear people say that they don't want to drive more than a few minutes to see a vet. But, if you're willing to travel half an hour or so to see a good human doctor for yourself, shouldn't you consider doing the same for your pets?

2. Letting Those Kittens Loose - If your cat has a litter of kittens or if you're adopting a kitten from a litter that is still with its mother, it's important that the kittens have sufficient time with mama before they're given up for adoption. Our understanding from professionals is that kittens need to stay with mom until they are twelve weeks old so they learn appropriate social-type skills from her. If you've ever adopted a kitten who plays too rough with others or is very unruly, for example, this may be due to his having left the nest too early, so to speak. And unfortunately if the kitten is adopted into a family who perceives that "he doesn't fit in well", he may end up being abandoned by the new owner, put in a shelter or mistreated in an unhappy home.

3. Bringing A New Cat Home - If you're taking in that neighborhood stray or adopting a new cat from a shelter or other source, it is important to quarantine the new cat until she's seen your veterinarian who thoroughly checks her out and all of her necessary test results come back with good news. A cat from a shelter has most likely been seen by a volunteer veterinarian at the shelter, but you should take the newly adopted cat to your own vet, too and ASAP. The adopted cat could have been exposed to a virus or picked up an illness after she saw the vet at the shelter and you don't want that to go undetected or risk it spreading to others in your household.

4. Never Waste Time With Eye Problems- Eye problems, whether or not they are related to kidney disease, can often be very serious. Do not waste time if your cat has any unusual discharge from the eye, squinting, excessive rubbing, cloudiness in the eye, etc. to name just a few symptoms that can be indicative of eye problems. And, it is probably a good idea to see a veterinary opthalmalogist for any eye problems that are not easily and confidently diagnosed and promptly treated by your regular vet. Eye problems and diagnosing them is complicated business. You can't waste time with them because in the interim permanent damage may be done to the eye.

   When there are kidney problems, and since the kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure, if blood pressure gets too high and is undetected and not treated, there is risk of detachment of the retina. This is something that must be treated quickly for there to be a chance of the retina reattaching and for vision impairment to be minimal. This is why that if you have an older cat or a cat with significant kidney problems, it is important to check the blood pressure. You've probably heard it said, in referring to adults, that high blood pressure is "the silent killer". This means there are often no visible symptoms of high blood pressure alone. That's why taking the initiative to check it is good.

   Some vet hospitals do not have any equipment to measure blood pressure. This is important to know before you need it done. If the hospital you take your pet(s) to doesn't do it, find out where the nearest one is that does, so you know before you ever have a real emergency to deal with on this topic. Veterinary opthalmologists should have such equipment, but our experience has been that not all do. Ask questions to avoid learning the hard way.

5. Avoid Unintentional Harm To Your Cat - Never give your cat any over-the-counter or prescription drug unless it has been prescribed by your cat's veterinarian. You could be giving a drug that is not intended for cats (such as antacids, for example), giving it in an incorrect dosage amount for you cat's weight, or giving a drug that could have a negative interaction with something else. There's a reason vets go to school for all those years and have medical licenses, so do not risk your cat's health by "playing doctor".

6. Excessive Licking And Grooming - A cat that does a lot of licking (beyond normal cleaning of the rear area) may have anal glands that are a bit too full. Your vet can express these glands in an office visit to relieve this discomfort. Pouncer seems to need his done every 3-6 months whereas all the other Pouncerstone cats have never needed this done. Licking can be due to numerous causes, including fleas, which are very hard for a human to find since cats are such immaculate groomers. Excessive licking can also be due to allergies, which can develop at any age. If you notice any of this going on, your pet will greatly appreciate some help from his vet on this matter.
7. Missing The Litter Pan - If you find your cat is urinating or defecating outside of the litter pan, it may well be a sign that something is wrong (beyond needing more frequent pan changes or going back to that old brand of litter that kitty liked better).  It could be an infection or if the cat is defecating outside of the pan, the cause could be constipation. The possible causes are numerous, but when a cat starts to associate the litter pan with pain and discomfort, he starts looking for other places to go. One doctor explained summed it up very concisely by offering this from the cat's perspective: "That litter pan hurts me." So if this is occurring in your household, kitty may need to see his doctor as soon as possible to diagnose the problem, as it may be serious.
8. Getting A Urine Sample At Home - Pouncer's doctor suggested the following approach for getting a urine sample at home: when the cat heads over to the litter pan, follow him over there with a small paper cup, lift up his tail a bit so you can sneak your cup in the right spot and get your sample. This works very well for us and kitty does not seem to mind having his tail lifted. You can then transfer the sample into something more appropriate for travel, such as a clean, small glass jar or old prescription bottle. Or, skip a step and catch the sample directly into a sterile urine sample container which you can get from your vet.
9. Avoid Giving Kitty Milk - Cats seem to love milk, but it is hard on their digestive system and can end up causing diarrhea. If kitty is addicted to milk, talk with your vet about possibly switching to a milk substitute product.
10. Don't Give All Canned Food Meals - Cats given only canned food (and not dry) seem more prone to having dental problems. Dry food helps a bit in scraping some plaque, etc. off of the teeth. The Pouncerstone cats get a canned meal for every other dinner. That helps avoid their getting too spoiled from something that doesn't help the teeth much.
11. Speaking Of Teeth - And since someone mentioned dental care, it's time to present Pouncer's chosen approach to dental care, the Rhino by Nylabone!

Cat toothbrushes don't work well with Pouncer because he likes the taste of the special toothpaste a little too much and he doesn't know when to stop chewing on the brush. The use of dental pads with toothpaste on them is well-received by Lucky Larou, but this doesn't work with Pouncer (too much enthusiasm here, too, regarding the toothpaste flavor and this results in his chomping down on human's finger, besides the brush). So we got him a Rhino, which is the hard rubber chew device that you see here. It has numerous nubs on it and we smear some of the special toothpaste around the Rhino, near the top of it.

Pouncer just loves this thing and cannot get enough of it. (Taffy perceives it to be unlady-like to chew on something that resembles a small hand grenade and Lucky doesn't understand what to do with it.) With Pouncer, human holds the Rhino, being careful to keep her fingers away from his choppers, and Pouncer chomps away on it. We alternate sides of Pouncer's mouth while holding onto it for dear life. The plug needs to be pulled on this process, so to speak, after a few minutes because the big guy does not know when to stop (and overdoing it can result in the gums bleeding).  After each use of the Rhino, we give it a cleaning with hot water and a little dishwashing liquid soap.

WARNING - If you try this at home, don't put your fingers too close to where kitty is biting down. Pouncerstone is not responsible for any injuries sustained during this process!

YET ANOTHER WARNING - Be careful of using gauze dental pads, such as Petrodex, in conjunction with something tasty like cat toothpaste on a cat who loves the taste of toothpaste. We made the mistake of doing this with Pouncer and he very eagerly and quickly swallowed the Petrodex pad. We ended up as a hospital emergency and they had to call Poison Control. It was decided to induce vomiting so the pad would not cause problems in Pouncer's system. Fortunately, since we got there very quickly and Pouncer cooperated, this had a happy ending. Pouncer admitted this was a bit embarassing and has promised to stay away from the Petrodex pads.

If your cat likes to chew on things, the Rhino may be helpful in keeping his teeth a little cleaner. This human quickly learned Pouncer loves to chew after he chewed through the hose that drains the dehumidifer in the basement (which was later replaced and Pouncer-proofed with foam pipe insulation). He also chewed through the water supply line to a bathroom toilet, causing the "Not So Great Flood Of '95".

12. Avoid Mineral Oil - Avoid giving your cat mineral oil, even though now and then one may read that it's suggested for treating constipation. If it gets into the lungs, it may have serious and/or fatal consequences.
13. Poisons And Toxins - Certain houseplants can be toxic to cats. You can search on the internet for listings and/or talk with your veterinarian to identify which ones should be out of kitty's reach. Many over-the-counter human medications, such as Tylenol and Pepto-Bismol can results in a cat's death, if they are given by a well-meaning human. Never give any medications of any kind to your cat without prior consent from your veterinarian. Also, do not wash out kitty's bowl with anti-bacterial soap. These soaps contain ingredients that can be very harmful to your cat. Use regular dishwashing liquid only.
14. Anemia, Onion And Garlic - Consumption of onions and plants of related families (including garlic) by animals affects an enzyme that may result in oxidation of hemoglobin. This can result in Heinz-body hemolytic anemia, where the red blood cells lose their much needed flexibility. Below we present three links to other web resources that discuss this more comprehensively and are very helpful in understanding the dangers of these plants to animals:

Anemia Caused By Onions - An article written by Margaret Wissman, D.V.M. provides an easy-to-understand explanation on anemia caused by consumption of onions by animals.

Veggies To Feed/Onions - Heinz Body Anemia - Here you'll find a posting written by a veterinary medical student who explains and expands the discussion of onion-poisoning and Heinz Body Anemia to include chives and garlic.

Garlic And Caution - Debra Moore, a Doctor of Naturology, in the last note on the page, writes about the dangers of garlic (as a plant in the Allium family related to onions) and warns that those with low blood pressure or gastritis should not use garlic extracts at all. (Gastritis is inflammation of the mucous lining of the stomach.)

Pouncerstone's advice is to stay far away from giving any amount of garlic or onion products to animals.

15. Check For Warts And Lumps - Warts, bumps and lumps may sometimes be cancer in pets. It seems this is the case more often for cats than dogs. Give your pet a frisking now and then (this is done periodically with Pouncer since he's a long-hair and sometimes old pills are found stuck in his coat!) and if you detect anything unusual, call your vet. It may be time for an office visit. Pouncer had a couple of warts removed early in '99 and all was well.
16. Exercise Your Pet - Make time on a regular basis to play with your pet. Get some ping pong balls and toss them around to initiate some running. Get some boxes and places for kitty to hide while you get him to hunt for toys being tossed. Put out a little catnip now and then, this usually helps inspire a playful mood. Proper exercise is as necessary to animals as it is to us humans.

Here you see a photo of Sweet William Pouncer doing his leglifts, as Coach Lucky Larou looks on. This photo was taken a few months after Pouncer's exploratory surgery and thus you may notice a partially bald belly, which he doesn't hesitate to share with his adoring public.

17. Emergencies And First Aid - Medical emergencies can happen at any time without expectation. And there are those times when we're not sure if what we're seeing is an indicator that something is wrong. You should never hesitate to call your vet about your cat and having a good first aid book nearby is essential in being prepared. An excellent first aid book is First Aid For Cats: What To Do When Emergencies Happen by Bruce Fogle, D.V.M. which can be found on our Suggested Reading page.
18. Lead In Drinking Water - We've all heard about how the intake of lead that may be found in our drinking water can be harmful to the body. Pouncerstone headquarters was built in 1938 and has a lead water inlet line, which is common in older structures. To help ensure that all of us have a safe water supply, we purchased a water filter to reduce the amount of lead.

Water filters come in various formats (under the sink, faucet mount, carafe, etc.). Filters vary with respect to their capabilities for reducing elements that impact smell, taste and organic compounds in the water. If lead is a problem, buy a filter that meets NSF International Standard 53 for lead. Standard 42 addresses the elements that relate to smell, taste and appearance. Use the amazon.com search box located at the bottom of our Suggested Reading page if you'd like to search their Home Improvements area for a water filter.

19. Food And Water Bowls - One thing that makes cats more comfortable is to raise their bowls off the ground a few inches. This way they are more comfortable when eating and drinking. Especially helpful for the older cats.  

Be aware that some cats may be allergic to plastic bowls. If your cat has signs of allergic reactions which may include baldness around the chin area, for example, it may be due to the plastic. Use stainless steel or ceramic. Plastic bowls can also easily get tiny scratches and cuts in them and this sets a nice environment for bacteria to establish (despite the bacteria not being visible to the human and despite your washing the bowls after each meal).

Washing your cats food and water bowls regularly, is, of course, very important. We change the water 2-3 times daily, washing the bowl during each change, and we wash the food bowls after each meal. Use only diswashing detergent to clean your cats bowls. Use of antibacterial soap in the kitchen is common these days, but do not use it to wash your cats bowls - what's in this soap can kill the "good bacteria" your cat needs in his stomach and his having that "good bacteria" is important.

20. Trips To The Vets - We all know car rides aren't all that popular with most cats. And the arrival at the vet's office means being around a lot of animals and people our cats don't see too often. So things get a little scary for them. Keep kitty as comfortable as possible when taking him out. For example, we often bring Taffy's "magic blanket" when one of the cat's goes to the vet. It keeps them warmer in the carrier and smells like home, which is reassuring.

We've found that even once you bring your cat home from the hospital, he may still be upset for a while about the experience. Last time Pouncer spent the day at the hospital, he was there for a good twelve hours. One would think all would be fine when he got home, but human started to notice something different the next night. For 3-4 weeks after he had his day at the hospital, Pouncer insisted on sleeping on top of human the entire night. And he would not move for nothing. All 15 pounds of him. He usually sleeps close by, but this "I'm staying right here and I'm not moving" was very unusual. All human could figure was that he was a scared from having been away that day and he wanted to stick close and be sure he was safe.

Please be sure your pet is safely in its carrier or on a leash when you go to the vet. We often see people carrying cats in their arms from the parking lot to the vet hospital. If something such as a car, another animal or a noise scares your pet, he could end up injured in an accident or lost.

And one more thing on the topic of pet safety - There was an emergency at our animal hospital where a man ran over his own dog which was riding in the back of his pickup truck and jumped out. The dog had been chained to the truck and could not free himself and suffered very serious injuries. Please do not let humans or animals ride in the back of your vehicles where they have no protection from harm. Don't think that you "know" that your dog won't jump out of the truck or that you "know" that you will not get in an accident. We believe this practice should be outlawed in light of the senseless tragedies that result.

21. Spay Or Neuter Your Pet - The U.S. has one of the highest overpopulation rates for domestic animals in the world. These animals become homeless and often stay that way for however short or long their lives may be. Pouncer, for example, was homeless and living on a golf course for two years in all kinds of weather. When we see a stray, we hear it said all too often that "he must be somebody's cat" or "someone probably feeds him". It's this care-less attitude that had Pouncer sleeping in golf course storm sewers for two Chicago winters before his human met him and brought him home. So please, be responsible and spay or neuter your pet. And help the homeless by taking them to a shelter if you're unable to find them a home.

And if you're thinking of taking a stray in, remember lots of patience and love are required.  When human first brought Pouncer home, she wondered for quite some time if it would work out.  Pouncer would not let anyone touch him for the first month, he was so used to being without people.  He howled in the basement most every night, although he always had access to the entire house.  He was trying to adapt.  And he did, it just took a few months.  Pouncer turned out to be the biggest treasure this human could ever find.  A very sweet and loving cat, who loves his home.  Had he not been given time and patience, another might have said "this isn't going to work out" and given up on him.

22. Collars, I.D. Tags And Tag Connectors - Please make sure your cat has a comfortable collar with a readable I.D. tag on it. There's nothing more frightening than having your cat slip out of the house and staying up half the night looking for him, wondering if he's been hit by a car or been taken by someone. You may think your cat "never goes off the porch" or is strictly an indoor cat, but all it takes is one window that's not closed all the way or one distraction not far from that porch that has kitty out on the loose, exposed to the hazards of cars, disease, fleas and other animals.

    Please be very careful when selecting a connector for fastening tag(s) to the collars. The metal s-connectors frequently distributed can get stuck on certain materials your cat may be lying on or making contact with by rubbing, etc. This can result in a life-threatening situation if your cat gets stuck on something. We strongly urge you not to use s-connectors. Instead, we suggest using the smallest, round keychain type connectors that you can find. All the Pouncerstone cats have been wearing LuckyPet I.D. tags for years. We particularly like their plastic tags. To check out their choice of collars, please see the LuckyPet link on our Meds & Supplies page.

23. Keep Your Cat Indoors - Cats are domestic animals and are best kept indoors where they are safe. Outdoors opens many opportunities for risks of picking up diseases, fleas, getting in fights with other animals, getting lost or injured. Protect your pet by keeping him safe.
24. Let's Talk Hairballs! - Cats ingest a lot of hair from grooming themselves, both long-haired and short-haired ones. They need supplements on a regular basis to help ensure that the hair gets passed out of their system properly. We find hairball remedy to work better than fiber supplements and fiber tablets. Our cats like Femalt hairball remedy the best. Its consistency is a litter looser than the others and it is more easily consumed by the cats than some of the other brands which tend to act like a clump once they are out of the tube. Brushing your cat daily is still very important and it can reduce the amount of hair that your cat ends up ingesting significantly. Also, keep in mind that there are a lot of different grooming tools available and the right choice depends on your cat's coat. Recently, we discovered the "Hairbuster", which is a truly incredible comb that picks up so much more hair than a slicker brush or regular comb.
25. Administering Pills - If your cat has to take medication in the form of pills or a powder that is sprinkled on food, you may want to put the medication (crushed or cut, if pills) in an empty gel cap. Some consumers are able to buy these from local pharmacies or natural food stores. See our Medications And Supplies to contact the supplier of the smallest gel caps we have found. The gel caps are very inexpensive and you may be able to put a couple of small pills in one capsule, thus reducing pill-giving sessions. (Be sure to check with your vet before combining medications, since it may be inappropriate to give some drugs together.)

If you purchase empty gel caps, please note that the higher the size number of the gel cap, the smaller the pill. We use number 3 gel caps. 0s seem too large for cats and with the 3s, human trims them a bit with a pair of clean scissors to shorten them a bit. This makes them appropriate for even the tiny mouth of our little one, Miss Taffy.  If you use gel caps, be sure to store them in a bottle that's clearly labeled (once you've filled the caps) so you're certain as to what was put in them.

Administering pills can be quite a struggle with some cats. Taffy's body turns every which way like that little green guy Gumby's when it comes to taking pills. We humans have to remember that it's probably upsetting for a cat to swallow something against their choosing, even though the pill's purpose is to help them. But they don't realize that, only we do. If we can remember how they must feel when they squirm and pull away, we can better empathize with their fears and have more patience while taking care of them.

Taffy's doctor gave us a pill popper to use for administering pills and we find it works much better than the traditional method. The pill popper is actually more in the shape of an oversized pencil with a plunger on the end. They can also be purchased from on-lines stores such as Valley Vet.

26. Illness And Euthanasia Decisions - Unfortunately sometimes we are faced with making a decision about euthanasia. This is a very difficult decision and often it's hard to know when it's appropriate. Our perspective on this difficult subject is that one has to heavily consider the cat's quality of life - can he still perform many of his regular activities of living, such as being able to get to the litter pan on his own, can he get up to eat, etc. Is he having many more bad days than good ... is he no longer responding to treatment over an extended period of time.

    Sometimes quality of life suffers only temporarily, such as for the first month after Pouncer came home from the hospital. Back then he was weak and he did not want to eat or interact with anyone. But within several weeks he was back to his old self and he is still very healthy and happy, five years later. So sometimes you may just be in a situation where your cat has had a serious illness or injury that requires a somewhat long recovery period or time before the treatment and meds kick in and show some positive results. Here, you need the help of a good vet to help identify the difference between a slow recovery period and a condition involving a significant decline with slim hopes of recovery. But, this can only be done after your pet has been properly diagnosed by a knowledgeable and experienced vet or specialist, if necessary.

It's often said that your pet will let you know when it's time for him to make his transition. The responsibility then falls upon us humans to deal with the emotions involved (which can be extremely difficult, to say the least) and let the doctors help our friend move on to a new life. We'll always have the friend that we lost in our hearts and their spirit will always be close to us. The best we can do is love them dearly and take good care of them while they are with us.  Be sure to give your cat extra hugs every day. If you are looking for resources on Pet Loss and Grief Support, please see our Other Pet Sites page for services provided by University of Illinois' C.A.R.E. Pet Loss Helpline and Cornell University's Pet Loss Support Hotline.

D I S C L A I M E R: This information is offered for informational purposes only. No information or materials posted herein are intended to constitute medical advice. Materials in this WEB site were not developed by a licensed medical professional. This site is not intended to be either: medical advice, medical opinion or a substitute for obtaining professional medical advice from a licensed veterinarian. This site assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of materials found in other WEB sites referenced herein. This site assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein.

Copyright © 1999 - 2003 S.M. Kieta