How your cat can join in the festive food feast!

If you want to involve your furry friend in the festivities this Christmas but are at a loss as to how to spread the love, remember that the way to your cat’s heart is through her stomach! Here is a recipe for some Christmas-themed kitty treats that will have her attention firmly under the tree this year – and not on the decorations that she’ll attempt to destroy!

Ingredients

1 cup minced leftover turkey (no bones)

1 cup mashed pumpkin

1 tbsp Canola oil

1 tbsp kelp

Preparation

Simply mix together and roll into balls! Refrigerate until firm, then freeze excess balls. If you really want to give your kitty an extra-special Yuletide treat, use string to hang these little treats from an outside bush or mini-Christmas tree – she’ll have so much fun trying to get at them!

Recipe sourced from: Brighthub

Image Sourced from: Kitten Care Guide

Of course we all like spoiling our furry friends, and spoil them we should. But it’s also important to have a proper understanding of nutrition and what is potentially a health risk for your companion.

Pet obesity is a growing epidemic in Australia and the sole reason for this is what we feed our animals. Obesity in pets is just as risky as obesity in humans, and can lead to joint problems, heart and respiratory problems and diabetes, not to mention impairing your animal’s quality of life.

In addition to fatty foods, there are certain foods that are just downright dangerous for domestic pets, and could inadvertently be given to them off the dinner plate. According to Manchester Unity, a leading provider of pet health insurance, these foods include grape seeds, onions and garlic, sultanas, nuts and fruit stones, and of course, chocolate.

To keep your pet healthy and satisfied, Dr. Mark Lawrie, President of the Australian Veterinary Association insists pet-owners must resist the urge to give in to begging: “Pets are very good at training us to give them treats, with the ‘hungry dog’ looks and cats rubbing against your legs” he says.

According to the RSPCA, pets need a mixture of high-quality commercial food, mixed with natural foods like raw meats and some vegetables. Chicken necks and chicken wings are excellent treats that promote feline dental care, but cooked bones should always be avoided as they are brittle and can lead to choking or splinters of the throat…ouch!

Images: wheany and Yukari*

Crispy Liver Morsels
•    1/2 cup cooked chicken livers
•    1/4 cup water
•    1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
•    1/4 cup cooked carrot, mashed
•    1 tablespoon soft margarine

Preheat the oven to 165C. Place well-done livers in a blender with 1/4 cup water. In a bowl, combine flour and margarine. Add liver mixture and carrots and knead dough into a ball. Roll dough to ½-centimetre thick and cut into 2.5-centimetre sized pieces. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet and bake at 165C for 10 minutes. Makes 12 biscuit treats.

Ham-It-Up Kitty Treats
•    1 jar (about 70g) strained ham baby food
•    2/3 cup wheat germ
•    2/3 cup skim milk powder
•    1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 175C. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Mix baby food, wheat germ, milk powder, and egg in medium bowl. Place 1/2 tsp-size balls of mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Store baked treats in airtight container or plastic bag and place in refrigerator or freezer. Makes about 3 dozen.

NOTE: Beef or chicken baby food may be substituted for ham baby food.

Tuna Treats for Cats
•    225g can tuna in oil
•    2 cups cornmeal
•    2 cups flour
•    3/4 cup water
•    2/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 175C and grease a baking sheet. Mix ingredients until just combined and, on a floured surface, roll dough to ½ centimetre thickness. Cut dough into small squares, place squares on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Trust us… your cat will love you for the extra love and care you put into making his or her treats!

Images 1 and 2 by meantux

When cats are exposed to the leaves or stem of a catnip plant, they react in a way that has been described by cat owners as ‘crazy’, ‘loopy’, ‘childlike’ and even ‘high’. A quick browse through YouTube and the multitudes of ‘my cat on catnip’ videos should give you a fairly good idea of the kind of behaviour it induces. But why?

Catnip, a member of the mint family of herbs, contains an organic compound called nepetalactone, which attracts cats. It is believed to replicate the feline sex pheromones, and most cats respond by licking, sniffing and scratching the herb and displaying unusual behaviour for around three to five minutes after
contact with the plant, which affects them through their sense of smell.

Try before you buy
Surprisingly, perhaps, given its name, not every cat is susceptible to the plant. Only 75 per cent of cats are prone to the reaction described above, with genetics believed to be behind the reason for this. Although catnip is safe for cats, some may actually respond in a negative way to the scent, so it is best to test how your cat will react before buying toys containing traces of the herb.

Many cat owners use catnip to improve their cat’s behaviour, such as rubbing catnip on a scratching post (to encourage your furry friend to use it and not the dining room table leg) or to motivate a lazy cat into action! It should be noted that while catnip is a stimulant when sniffed, it is a sedative when ingested, and some owners have reported that catnip can also be mixed with food to subdue an over-excited kitty.

Catnip is completely non-toxic for cats and can be found in certain cat toys or grown at home. And as this cute kitty shows, the ones that like it really like it!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Image by thriftyfun

Charities that take that extra step…

The Animal Welfare League

The AWL sprang up in 1958 and now are the second largest animal welfare charity in Australia with volunteers in every state. They take an active role in governments to push forward animal issues with inspectors investigating claims of abuse. Their objectives are similar to the RSPCA and you can also support them by become a Guardian Angel and sponsoring an animal if you can’t care for one yourself. They support pet owners through adoption, boarding, training, lost and found services, an online shop, school programs and more.

They are also the only charity I’ve found to do pet cremations so far. They involve services such as collection of the deceased and return of the ashes to the owner within 7 days.

The Cat Haven

This is a Licensed Charity that is a branch of the Cat Welfare Society Inc. The Cat Haven has grown a lot since 1961 to provide Western Australian cats with cat refuge, sterilisation, lost and found services, pet accessories, boarding services, a veterinary hospital and an Op Shop to support their charity. They are strongest at providing boarding if you cat can’t come on holiday with you!

RSPCA Australia

The RSPCA is an obvious choice as an award winning charity. They do everything from hands on care, policies, approved farming, animal adoption and shelter to promoting awareness from the streets to in the news. You can support them in several ways by donating, supporting campaigns and events, working and/or volunteering, shopping with the RSPCA online, pet insurance, supporting their partners, joining online twitter, myspace and Facebook and most importantly looking after your own pets!

If you’re looking for a shelter or want to adopt you can find the closest one to you or decide from home on Adopt a Pet which is regularly updated with the animals in the homes.

Most of all, remember this unmissable event! The RSPCA Million Purrs perhaps deserves an article of its own on Cat Diaries. The dogs version attracts around 60,000 people and 25,000 dogs who all walk to fund raise, get exercise and a lot of fun and socialising. You will be able to register on 15th of February 2010.
There are other events to keep an eye out for such as cupcake day. All you have to do is buy and eat cupcakes in aid of the charity. Sounds simple enough!

Images by Binaryape.

It is always important to keep in mind that cats are carnivores by nature. Their bodies require certain nutrients only found in meats to stay healthy. Diets based on unsupplemented vegetarian cat food may cause serious health issues because your cat is not getting the proper amino acids or vitamins they require. Vegetarian and vegan cat food makers do attempt to make up for the lack of nutrients through synthetic supplements in the food.

Be aware of whether or not the food you are buying contains everything your cat will require. Many people believe that a vegetarianism is not healthy for pets. In fact, some cats may eat their vegetarian choice, but still opt to hunt small birds or rodents to fulfil their meat cravings.

The choice is ultimately up to you as the provider, but it is important to understand your cat’s diet and needs before choosing a different lifestyle for them. There are even some recipes out there for do-it-yourself kitty meals to ensure your cat gets all their proper nutrients.

So for every cat lover out there, here is a list of foods that could be harmful to your cat:

• Chocolate contains the chemical therobromine. This chemical will cause a toxic chemical reaction in pets.  Don’t share cakes or sweets with your moggy. They do not need them.

• Onions and Garlic contain chemicals that cause anemia in dogs and cats. Cats are more highly susceptible to this disease than dogs. It is best to keep away any foods that contain these ingredients. Garlic is not as toxic as onion, but it is a real problem for cats, causing busted blood cells and serious health issues.

• Avocado. The toxic ingredient in avocado is called persin. This will affect your cat’s ability to breathe and can cause fluid around the lungs. Your cat could suffocate if it consumes an avocado.

• Grapes can cause irreversible kidney damage. Kidney disease has no cure and could prove fatal depending upon the progression of the disease.

• Pits and seeds that are contained in apples, plums, peaches and related fruits can cause cyanide poisoning if eaten by cats. These foods hinder the cat’s ability to release oxygen into the bloodstream and can be fatal.

• Tomatoes and potatoes have toxic chemicals that cause violent intestine problems. Cats are not generally attracted to these foods but they could be attracted to a meal containing tomatoes or potatoes in it. Generally these foods are ok once cooked, but consult your veterinarian before feeding it to your cat.

• Liver in large amounts can cause Vitamin A toxicity. This affects muscles and bones and can cause abnormal bone growth, and can be noticed in the spine and neck areas.

• Milk.  Although there is a tradition in giving milk to cats, it can be bad for their health, particularly for adult cats. The lactose in cow’s milk can be hard for cats to digest, and thereby cause digestive problems. There are special milk products made for cats. If you can’t find these, it’s better they do not have any milk products at all.

• Tuna can be given to cats on occasion as a welcomed treat. However, cats cannot eat too much tuna that is packaged for human consumption. (Tuna in cat food is processed to not contain things harmful for the cat).  Too much of tuna can cause Yellow Fat Disease(YFD) in cats. Tuna when digested depletes the vitamin D causing YFD in cats and although tuna contains a small amount of this chemical it should only be a rare treat for your pet.

• Alcohol, tobacco, drugs. I know no cat lover would give their cat these on purpose. But just make sure that kitty cannot get anywhere medicines or these things are kept. Childproof locks work wonders for the curious cat.

With all of these foods in our daily lives, it is a good idea to kitty- or cat-proof your home.

Don’t let your cat dig in the rubbish bins and keep bins in a place the kitty cannot get to. Cabinet locks work wonders for cabinets and pantries where curious cats could find themselves in heaps of trouble.

What cats do need in a diet is high protein. Cat food is the safest bet when choosing what to feed your kitty. Your veterinarian can develop a diet that is right for your cat, one that will keep them happy and healthy.

If you think your cat could be experiencing symptoms from eating any of these foods, take them to the veterinarian straight away. Waiting could result in a severe illness for your cat.

So, why is it that cats do this strange activity? No matter how much you try and stop them, they will keep going to the grass, but not because they enjoy making themselves sick. It is true that cats will usually regurgitate the contents of their stomach and the grass shortly after consuming the green laxative, but there are other nutritional values as well.

Grass does in fact serve as a natural laxative for cats. If a cat is struggling to pass a hairball, eating grass will help dislodge it. Grass also helps soothe a sick stomach, relieve aches, and relieve inflammation in their throats. Aside from these healing qualities, a cat may also eat grass for a healthy and balanced diet by adding the roughage.

Cats have an inability to separate meat from the fur, bone and feathers of their prey. When they consume their meal, they digest what they can and then usually chomp on some greenery to regurgitate what they are unable to digest. This is especially true with outdoor cats, or indoor cats who hunt regularly as a means of food.

You may notice your indoor cat, who does not have unlimited access to grass, always eager to consume grass once they’ve reached the great outdoors. This usually is a result of your cat being deficient in the folic acid that grass provides for them. Without proper amounts of folic acid in your cat’s diet, they may have stunted growth and anaemia.

Grass in small amounts is perfectly healthy for your cat. However if you notice your cat binge grass-eating, or over-eating grass constantly, take them to your vet for a check-up. Cats go to grass to solve feeling sick, but if they are constantly eating it they may need more help than grass can provide for them.

Indoor cats may seek out your house plants if they don’t have access to grass. This can potentially be hazardous to your moggy, especially if the plant is poisonous to them. By planting a little patch of grass for your cat to enjoy inside, they should stay off your plants. After all, cat pruning doesn’t exactly leave the plants looking better.

For Further Information:
The Cat Grass Is Always Greener
Why Do Cats Eat Grass?

So here is the scoop.  The boxes use disposable litter tray cartridges filled with crystal litter which stops odours better than clay litter.  Once the cartridge is in place, you plug in the box and let the cleaning begin.  After your cat leaves the unit, sensors are triggered to start the timer for the cleaning cycle, which never starts while your cat is in the middle of their business.   Usually about 10 minutes after your cat leaves, the machine automatically rakes waste into a covered trap.  All you do is replace the cartridge every 20 to 30 days (or more often if you have multiple cats) and toss it.

I think the best thing about this machine is that it is quiet, reduces maintenance, and keeps your house smelling fresh and clean.  You can even put a hood on the box to keep things private for your cats.

If you are curious about these boxes there are heaps of reviews online, so check them out.

Has anyone tried one of these?   Did it really keep your house smelling great?  Let us know what you thought!

I will give you a little background behind the practice of acupuncture to assuage any concerns you may have.  When we are healthy, the Chinese medicine belief is that we have balanced circulation of life force, called qi (pronounced chee).  When this flow is blocked, disease occurs, and therefore acupuncture is needed in order to manipulate the flow by stimulating pressure points along our body’s meridians, or channels.  Traditionally this stimulation is done with thin needles but has now expanded to the use of lasers and sterile solution injections.  Take a look at this video to see for yourself…

Cat Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be used for physical disorders and also skin diseases, bowel problems, asthma, liver/kidney problems, arthritis, allergies, poisoning, and the list goes on.  If your cat has one or more of these problems and you would prefer a less invasive method for treatment, acupuncture sounds like a perfect alternative.  Maybe you can get a little treatment at the same time!