What if All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?

As much as some people might think it would be a good idea to completely eradicate any animal they view as a pest, it's a completely stupid idea. What if someone didn't like bees and found a way to eliminate them? While we may never find out what a world without cats might look like, we may actually get to find out what happens when there are no bees.

According to an article by Dr. Mercola:

"Honeybees are perhaps one of the least recognized workers in the agricultural industry. They contribute $15 billion in annual agriculture revenue to the U.S. economy alone, as a full one-third of the U.S. food supply depends on them pollinating crops.

"Apple orchards, for instance, require one colony of bees per acre in order to be adequately pollinated. So, unless the mysterious disappearance of bees is reversed, major food shortages could result."

Read more: http://bit.ly/qBhgKy

However, ecological changes would be just as drastic with the loss of all cats.

"Cats play a critical role in keeping the rodent population down. If there were no cats, we'd be overrun with rats."

Read more:

• What Would Happen if All of the Cats in the World Suddenly Died? (neatorama.com)

Five Ways to Prevent Cat Health Problems

The following 5 steps will help ensure that your best friend can live as long and healthy as possible under your care.

It's important to do what we can to protect our cats because they are totally at our mercy, living in our homes, where they are exposed to many of the same toxins and hazards that we are. But they are smaller, and not able to make decisions about their environment, so it's up to us to provide optimal conditions that lead to continued health and happiness.

Another significant reason to make the effort to keep them healthy is the reduction in medical problems that can result in costly trips to the veterinarian. To be sure you keep your kitty healthy, focus on these areas:

1. Diet. Always read the ingredient labels on any commercial food you buy. Remember that cats are obligate carnivores and require more protein than most pets, such as dogs. Canned, or wet, food is a good choice over dry kibble because it has a higher water content and can help minimize the risk of kidney disease. Organic pet foods are becoming more popular and are worth your attention, too, because of the higher quality ingredients.

2. Water. Be sure your cat always has fresh, clear water at all times. One way to be sure kitty gets enough to drink is to keep it in a separate location from the food. Cats in nature don't eat and drink at the same meal, and tamed cats don't do it either, unless they have no choice. Also, if the tap water in your area is full of chemicals and you drink filtered water, then by all means, give your cat the same consideration.

3. Nutritional supplements. Do you take your vitamins every day? Cats may need some, too, and there are many on the market now, as more and more people realize the need to provide proper nutrition to their pets. Rather than trying to figure out which vitamins and minerals are needed and then buying them separately, try to find a good all around supplement. A very good formula, along with a free ebook about feline nutrition, can be obtained here: http://bit.ly/9pN3Uj

4. Love and attention. Many people think cats are aloof and have no feelings, but that's completely untrue. Cats are very emotional beings and only appear aloof when people ignore them and they are forced to survive under whatever conditions are present. Scientific studies have proven that love and attention play a major role in the health and well being of people, dogs and other creatures. Why not cats?

5. Minimize toxins at home. Just as you might keep small objects and toxic cleaning supplies out of reach of toddlers, do the same for your cat. They are just as curious as children are and can get into dangerous substances and items that can harm them. Also, if you smoke, your cat is smoking, too. Their lungs are much much smaller and will be affected more severely than yours are. If you must smoke, do so in an area away from your cat, kids, other pets, and anyone who could be sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke.

By just observing these tips, your cat can live a healthy and happy life for as long as possible.

The Most Common Cat Health Problem

Image via WikipediaThe most common reason cats go to the veterinarian seems to be for urinary problems. This may be related to the common complaint many cat owners have that their kitties are eliminating outside of the litter box. Sadly, this behavior often results in them being thrown outside, because some people believe the cat is doing it on purpose, as a sort of revenge for something.

Cats don't have human emotions, so revenge isn't in their repertoire of behaviors. If they are having difficulty urinating, it's usually a medical problem and they should be taken to the vet to have an exam and possibly treatment. The most common urinary ailment is called Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, or, FLUTD. (For a list of common ailments, see my website:

www.theproblemcat.com/articles/cathealth.html)

If they pass their medical exam and it's determined to be a behavior problem, it's only fair to look into the possibilities with that, too. They don't have the problem-solving abilities that we do, nor do they have the authority to change things at the house! Check this list of reasons cats may not like using their litter boxes: www.theproblemcat.com/articles/elimination.html

Often, this problem can be cleared up fairly easily, either with a round of antibiotics if it's physical, or making some changes at home if it's emotional. It can be as simple as placing the litter box in a new location!

Will Getting a Puppy Affect Your Cat's Health?

So, you want to get a dog! Cool! There are so many things to think about, of course, and the resident cat is happy to be your one and only, as cats always are, so a new member of the family is certainly going to affect him. What we don't know yet, is how. Has he ever seen a dog? Has he ever had a buddy of any kind? Another cat even? If not, he could be very upset....or, on the
other hand, if he happens to find the puppy interesting, they could become pals right away. It's rare, but it happens. However, cats are prone to becoming depressed if their lives are turned upside down.

Now, the other thing to think about is your own experience with dogs. Are you prepared for the intensity of life with a new pup? And I do mean intense.

You'll probably want to be prepared for potential problems. If they do not get along...and that will be up to the cat, as it usually is...do you have a way to keep them apart?

The overriding concern will be for the cat's well being, mostly emotional, though he could be physically at risk if the dog happens to have a high prey drive. (Never ever leave them alone together unsupervised.)

It can be complicated, but it could also go well. You won't know until you try. But, you might consider making it possible to change plans somehow...like, not buying from a breeder (yet), where your action is more likely to be permanent and you can't go back. And you wouldn't want to.

Can you try fostering a dog first? This would give you an idea of how it could go, and what the cat's reaction will be. Most shelters are extremely grateful for temporary foster homes, and that would relieve you of taking a permanent action you couldn't easily reverse.

Also, if you foster several during the course of a few months, or even a year, it would give the cat a chance to get used to a dog, and allow him time to accept that it will be OK when you go for the
permanent one.

Or, if he declines in health or emotional status, you'd know if a dog was a good idea or not to bring into his life.

If you do decide to foster a dog first, I would recommend fostering an older dog. First, because no one wants them anyway, and shelters end up euthanizing millions of them every year. So it would give an old guy a little extra time for love in this world. Second, because an older dog who has been around cats would help ease the transition for the cat! He could teach him that dogs can be good pals.

And, third, the shelter would be more than grateful (if they care...some don't), to have an unwanted dog find a home, even if for a little while. Just be sure to let them know this isn't permanent, so they won't be surprised if you need to bring him back later.

Give yourself some time to think about this and do some research...perhaps just do some dog walking at a shelter if you haven't been around dogs very much. Or visit friends or family if they have a dog and ask questions. Have a friend bring a dog to your place for a visit to see what the cat thinks!

In any case, don't expect immediate results. Everyone needs time to settle in and get used to each other.

Cat Health Problems Paranoia

Image by Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi via FlickrThanks to misinformation and scare tactics, many people are afraid of their cats, or even the prospect of owning one in the first place. Sometimes people surrender or abandon a cherished pet because they believe something terrible is happening or is about to happen. Pity the poor feline who has come to trust and love his humans, only to be suddenly cast out with no place to go, or finds him- or herself at a shelter in unfamiliar and frightening surroundings.

The paranoia must end. Many thousands of cats die yearly for no good reason. They've done nothing wrong. They deserve protection, respect and understanding. We can do that by becoming educated.

People must stop attributing ultimate authority to others, even when it's someone they trust. There are many sources for information, but there is no one single source that has all the answers. Therefore, we owe it to our pets, ourselves and our families to look in many places and make comparisons to "see how much mud sticks to the wall." Good research doesn't rest on one source.

If you suspect your cat may have a health issue, visit your veterinarian...not the pound, not the shelter, and definitely not a remote dump site.

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• Why Every Family Should Have a Cat (therealowner.com)
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How to Add a Kitten to Your Home When You Already Have Cats

When adopting a new kitten, it's essential to consider not only its health needs, but those of any other pets in the home. Even if the older cats in the home are up to date on their vaccinations and in good health, it's wise to protect them with a few precautions. After all, every cat is different and can respond to vaccines differently, meaning they can't be guaranteed to always have 100% immunity.

The first thing to do with the new arrival is to isolate her, not only for health reasons, but as part of the natural introductory process. Cats, in particular, do not generally accept new members into their family easily. With cats, the gradual approach is called for, with plenty of patience on the part of the owners.

It could be part of the way Nature intended things to be, in order to enhance the prospects for survival in any animal group. Allowing new ones into the group readily could be risky, so it's wise to hold back and get to know them first, as well as to weed out health problems before the entire group would be infected.

We should follow suit and take the same precautions. However, we do have some advantages, such as veterinary care as a way to introduce preventive care into the mix.

So when the new kitten comes along, get her to your vet as soon as possible for an examination, testing for common infections, such as leukemia, FIV, and parasites, and then administering the first set of vaccinations.

The most common malady brought in by a new cat or kitten is upper respiratory infection. Watch for watery or oozing eyes and a runny nose.

Keep the new kitten in its own area for at least two weeks, with its own food, water and litter box. Never let the other cats use common items until you're sure everyone is healthy and ready to share. Gradually introduce everyone with supervised together time and be sure they're getting along before you leave them alone.

How to Get Toxoplasmosis From Your Cat

To become infected with toxoplasmosis, there are several conditions that must be met. Of course, no one wants to become infected, but I present it this way to demonstrate how much effort is needed to do it.

First, you must own or obtain a cat that is infected with the organism, Toxoplasma gondii. It's not a bacterium, it's not a fungus, and it's not a virus. It's what is known as a protozoan, a tiny, one-celled parasite... kind of like an amoeba, but crescent-shaped, if you have a microscope and want to look at one.

To find out if your cat has it, have a veterinarian test for it. However, this involves doing a blood test called an "antibody titer," but it's not diagnostic unless a series of tests can be performed over time. If the titer is positive, it means the cat is pretty much immune, as antibodies are present to fight off current and future infections. This is true of humans as well. Therefore, a pre-pregnancy antibody test that yields a positive result means mom is immune, too.

However, if you're not immune, the next thing to do to become infected is to make contact with the parasite's eggs. But not just a touch... you have to eat them. Ugh. How does that happen? During the only two weeks in the cat's life when the parasite is shedding its eggs into the host cat's feces, a human must touch them, then somehow get the infectious material into their own mouth. But not right away. If you do it too soon, the eggs won't mature and you won't be infected. You must wait 1 - 4 days, when the feces are dried enough for the eggs to be "potent." Scientifically, it's called "sporulated."

Consequently, if you are cleaning the litter box every day, this can't even happen.

But there's more. Other conditions must be met at the same time.

"Ideally," this must be your first cat, preferably a kitten, since they haven't had a chance to develop immunity from several exposures yet. If you've ever owned cats before, or have one now that's been in the family a long time, the chances of infection are actually negligible. Why?

Because you will be immune by now... and so will the cat. Since exposure is rather common, both you and your cat will have had time to develop some immunity to it.

Also, this infection is a one-time thing, so no treatment has been invented, except for humans. Once the parasite has run through its life cycle, it's over. The cat must become infected again to be infectious again. But the cat's own immune system will be stronger, and spreading the condition to others is even less likely. In fact, repeated infection, as by cats who hunt and eat infected mice (the most prevalent host), leads to a form of "natural vaccination," eventually rendering the cat non-infectious. However, this doesn't mean it's OK to let the cat keep getting infected. They could actually become sick from the disease state of Toxoplasmosis and die.

Now, if you really want to scare yourself and take a chance that the infection will harm your fetus, you must become infected during your second or third trimester of pregnancy. This is the time when you might have some transplacental transmission of the parasite into the baby's bloodstream, and on to the small intestine, where the "oocysts" (the parasite's eggs) can hatch and grow. However, even with such infection, the odds are still greatest that the baby will be born normally and totally healthy.

Just when you thought you were through, there is yet another condition to be met. It's called immunity. Just in case you have a very poor immune system, the chance of infection, though small, is still there.

However, while the incidence of toxoplasmosis is extremely low among healthy humans, it actually is quite high among AIDS victims, who have little or no immune strength left at all. Those who have pet cats and come into close contact with them are more than likely to become infected. But pregnancy has nothing to do with it. Companionship is more important at such times, and so it's best to leave these happy relationships alone, offering support by relieving them of those cleanup chores that present the most risk.

But there is yet ONE MORE condition to consider, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with a cat! Just eating undercooked meat can do it, too.

The main thing you don't have to do is get rid of your cat.

Sources: The Cornell Book of Cats, Cornell University; The Merck Veterinary Manual, Merck & Co.

Feel free to download a brochure on this subject at my website: The Problem Cat

Look through the center column of Free Reports. In fact, download anything there that looks interesting to you.

The Biggest Cat Health Problem of All

What is the biggest health problem of all for a cat? It's not what you might think. It's not a germ or a virus, and it's not an injury.

It's being forced to live in a hostile environment, such as when they are abandoned in cities, or dumped out in the country, presumably to cavort in the meadows chasing mice. Such myths lead only to the tragic deaths of many cats who are unable to survive in unfamiliar surroundings.

Or, they could be swept up by animal control and taken to the pound, where they may live only a short time. The somewhat luckier ones may end up in shelters, where an effort is made to find them new homes.

However, much depends on the shelter, as many try very hard to find new homes while getting veterinary care if the cat is sick or injured. The truly lucky ones then get adopted.

However, many shelters' resources are stretched beyond their capabilities and this can mean disposing of "excess" cats to make room for new ones.

The reality, of course, is that most shelters simply do not have the room, the money or the time to care for an infinite number of cats coming in. Sadly, millions of cats are euthanized every year.

It's even worse at a pound, where animals are rarely treated for any health problems and are expected to be quickly claimed by an owner or purchased by someone looking for a pet. Those situations almost never include screening to assure the cat goes to a good home. If not picked up within a few days, often the next step is to kill it. In some cities, cats come in the front door alive and frightened and go out the back door in a bag.

Here is an article sent to me by my friend, Paul DeCeglie, an American writer currently based in Thailand. He wrote this specifically for me to share with you:

"The American people are not the only victims of the escalating financial crisis; cats and dogs are suffering as well. As millions of families across the country are forced to adjust their budgets, many face the choice of feeding their kids or feeding their pets. Pets lose. More cats and dogs than ever before are being abandoned, given away, or left with animal shelters.

"But shelters, too, are more strapped for cash. While new arrivals are climbing, donations are declining. Fewer people are adopting pets; numbers and costs are rising. In essence, animal shelters are overburdened and, consequently, are putting more cats and dogs down.

"Please help if you can. Adopt a pet. Or two. Or three. Contribute to local humane societies. If you are unable to donate money, donate food... or even a few hours of your time. Millions of kittens and pups are crying out for your help. They are unable to ask. We don’t know how to ask any more clearly, but we also are crying out for your help. Please. For the sake of humanity."

Summer Cat Health Problems

Dealing with the Diseases of Summer

With warmer weather come warm weather hazards, such as a wide array of bugs and other pests who proliferate in the heat and moisture of summer.

This is the time of year to be extra cautious with your cat and to be sure to watch for and immediately handle the following problems if they arise:

Fleas - Talk to your vet about the safest and most effective ways to eliminate them. Not only are they annoying as they munch on your kitty, they pass along tape worms to your cat. This is done when they lick themselves because they are itchy and uncomfortable, and ingest infected fleas. This can be truly hazardous, as fleas can transmit diseases, too, along with even more tape worms. If the intestines become overrun with these worms, the cat will be always hungry, but losing weight. Eventually, getting no nutrition, the cat will die.

Giardia - More common in the western U.S. than the eastern states, this is a one-celled parasite that can be picked up simply by walking on damp ground or touching the feces of an infected animal. And yes, you can get it, too. Signs include vomiting and diarrhea.

Roundworms - These most often infect your kitty when she eats an infected rodent... a good reason not to let them eat mice. Signs are vomiting and diarrhea and a pot-bellied look. As with the Giardia, this is diagnosed by taking in a stool sample to the vet's office, where it will be identified and the appropriate treatment can be prescribed. Since these can infect humans, too, be sure to wash your hands if you accidentally handle any feces, and don't let children play in areas where feces might occur, such as sandy areas in the yard, etc.

Hookworms - Easily infected by walking on soil... your cat and you are both susceptible to this microscopic monster. It burrows in through the skin and migrates to lungs and intestines. Primary sign is dark stools. Luckily, this is easily diagnosed and treated. Don't go barefoot outdoors.

Ticks - Though more common on dogs, they can affect you and your cat. Ticks are visible so they are easy to find, but not so easy to remove. Getting the head out is crucial, to avoid infection, and possibly even Lyme Disease. If you aren't able to remove the head, take your cat to the vet and watch how it's done.

Heartworms - not just for dogs. Your cat can get them, too. Transmitted by infected mosquitoes, the signs include coughing, vomiting and weight loss. It's critical to get your cat to a vet ASAP to save its life.

Precautions you should take include keeping kitty's litter box clean, washing your hands immediately after cleaning it, not allowing kitty to eat mice, and for optimal health, keep kitty indoors.

Feline Health Problems Can Be Linked to Depression

Is your cat out of sorts lately? Is he less interested in his daily routine? Not eating? Not playing? He could be depressed.

As with humans, emotional state can have a very significant effect on one's health. Happy cats, like happy people, are generally healthy and active and like to play, cuddle, eat great food, and have no trouble sleeping well. Depression, on the other hand, can lead to physical problems that may cause one's health to deteriorate.

At my shelter, we have taken in more cats than dogs when families had to move, as they didn't feel as strong a connection as they did with their dogs. Sadly, since cats can have feelings that run more deeply than a dog's, some of those cats pined away and died, no matter how hard we tried to help them.

Why would a cat become depressed? As with the moving example, cats suffer deeply at the loss of their bonds with others in their lives. They may bond with another pet, or with certain individuals in your family. Since you can't explain these things to them, all they know is that they are in a new place and the people they depend on are not there.

This disorients them and they become emotionally lost. If they refuse to eat (a common reaction to this kind of stress), they not only will quickly lose weight, but the liver will begin to break down, leading to hepatic lipidosis, or, fatty liver. It's fatal if not headed off soon enough.

If your cat is still at home, however, there is something else going on... possibly some disease process, or perhaps some changes in the dynamics of your home that are causing your cat to feel down. This could be the loss of a family member, or the addition of one. Or the addition or loss of another pet.

Try offering him something he likes, such as catnip or his favorite foods; spend more time with him, playing, cuddling or just talking to him. Cats can feel left out and ignored, too. Also try a home health examination to see if you can spot a health problem.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/y98rup to get Dr. Jones' ebook for some guidance.

If these things don't help, it's definitely time for a veterinary health checkup. And don't wait too long.