Cat Litter - Sorting Through Your Options

Cats are one of the best pets to have if the idea of housetraining an animal makes your nervous. They can be house pets, kept inside completely as long as you use a litter box. Once you have decided to get a cat then you will need to decide which cat littler is best for both your cat and your home. Most kittens have been taught by their mother on how to use a littler box, but you need to be sure to show your cat or kitten just where box is. You also need to be sure to keep the litter clean and make sure the cat like it, otherwise your pet may find another place to use as his or her rest room.

There are all sorts of cat litter to choose from, so it will help if you know a bit about the different types before making your choice.

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Clay based litter is perhaps the cheapest available. It was also the first to be used commercially. The biggest disadvantage is that it needs to be cleaned and changed more often than others because clay not only absorbs all the liquid, but it absorbs the odors as well. This may not be a good choice if you have a cat that is prone to allergies as dust can be an issue is the cat scratches around in the litter.

Silica based litter uses water and sand as well as odor controlling crystals. You need to remove the solid waste where as the liquid waste is absorbed by the crystals or granules. This litter has no clumping action and it is also biodegradable. This litter will go back to its sandy type of base when it decomposes.

Clumping litter is perhaps the most popular type of used, as it works with the moisture in the cats waste. It clumps up when the waste is deposited onto it and then you can simply scoop out the cats waste without having to change the entire box each time. You can add new litter to the box to replace what you cleaned out. One of the problems with this type of litter is that if the cat eats it, it can cause problems since it works with moisture and clumps together. You can get clumping litters in a variety of scents to help hide the odor of the cat waste.

Paper litter is made from recycled paper or pellets and is becoming more and more popular. It is highly absorbent as well as being light weight and biodegradable.

Finally, wood cat litter that is made from wood is also biodegradable. It is generally made from recycled wood and pine seems to be the favorite since it has great natural odor absorbency. But almost all softwood litters are extremely absorbent and have natural odor control. This makes it since there is no need to add any chemicals making it a good natural product that can be used.

Once you decide what type of litter you'd like to use, you'll obviously need to consult with your cat. He'll let you know if he likes or dislikes it by whether or not he actually uses it. Some cats for instance, don't like anything silica based because the crystals may hurt their paws. Others won't use pine because they don't like the smell. The good thing about cats is they can easily let you know what they like and dislike without saying a word.

There is an ever increasing number of cat litter options available to pet owners. Before you pick one for you cat, it's good to know a few of the strengths and weaknesses of each type.

Cat Litter - Sorting Through Your Options

For more information on these litter types and others like flushable cat litter visit http://www.catlitterboxesplus.com , a popular website designed to help take the mess out of owning a cat. You'll also find information the the different types of boxes available including the automatic cat litter box

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Cat Bladder Infection - Guide to Symptoms and Treatment Options

Cat bladder infection can form in any part of your cat's urinary tract (UTI). Infection can be caused by bacteria (28%, viruses (.4%) or fungus. Approximately 1% of cats that visit a veterinarian have a urinary tract infection with the most common type of bacteria being E. coli. Other names for the condition depend on the location of the disease including LUTD or lower Urinary Tract Disease or in the upper urinary tract. Once one part becomes infected, usually it spreads to another part. Because of this it is sometimes difficult to diagnose the exact location of the infection.

Cats tend to contract the infection through the urethra, which is the part of the cat that allows urine to leave the body. For example if this opening comes in contact with a dirty litter box, then bacteria can enter the body and spread up the tract, eventually leading to the bladder causing feline bladder infection. Normal urination can usually keep the urinary tract clean since it is an excellent antimicrobial (bacteria killer), however, if your cat is having bladder problems or is urinating less than usual, then the immune system becomes overwhelmed with the bacteria.

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Feline cats that are older than 10 years are at a higher risk to get an infection. It is rare to see the problem in younger cats. Female cats that have been spayed have the highest incidence. Cats that have feline diabetes mellitus are also at risk.

Symptoms of Cat Bladder Infection and UTI

Symptoms of cat urinary infection include blood in the urine (haematuria), excessive frequent urination (pollakiuria), slow and painful urination (stranguria) and urination in inappropriate places such as outside of the litter box (periuria).

Diagnosis of Cat Bladder Infection

The urine will be tested for the presence of an unusual number of white blood cells, the cells which help the body fight infection.

Treatment of Cat Bladder Infection

Antibiotics are used to kill any bacteria associated with the feline bladder infection. The type of antibiotic selected will be based on the specific bacteria causing the infection. Treatment is of a short duration. Some cats may have bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics. In this case different antibiotics and longer term treatment may be required.

The body naturally kills bacteria as urine passes through the urinary tract. Some owners like to supplement the prescription medications with natural remedies which are associated with restoring balance to the entire urinary system and possible a change in diet. Ingredients such as Arctostaphylos uva ursi help maintain the proper PH in the urinary tract so your cat's body can naturally fight infection. Check with your veterinarian on how to combine prescription and natural choices. If your cat eat dry cat food, consider a switch to canned which will provide your cat with more moisture and in turn cleanse the urinary tract due to more frequent urination.

Your cat will be retested several weeks after treatment to ensure that the feline bladder infection is gone.

Prognosis of Cats with Feline Bladder Infection

Treatment in effective in 85% of cats with no additional recurrence. If it is a continuing problem for your cat consider options such as diet and using natural supplements to ensure that your cat's body has the nutrients needed for long term urinary health and the proper PH balance.

Cat Bladder Infection - Guide to Symptoms and Treatment Options

Jeff Grill is an editor of the Cat Health Guide and has written on many feline health problems. See this site for more information on Cat Bladder Infection treatment options.

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Treatment Options for Cat Constipation

I had never heard of cat constipation until one of our cats had problems with it over a year ago. In fact, I took him to the doctor thinking he was having problems urinating because he would go in and out of the litter box all day long without any results. What I learned when I too him to the veterinarian is that cat constipation is not all that rare and that is often "misdiagnosed" by cat owners because it isn't talked about as much as urinary problems.

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While any age cat can have constipation problems, must of the cases reported are for cats that are 8 years old or older (our cat was 10). Cats will typically have one to two bowel movement everyday, although some might have more or less. If a cat goes for three or more days with no bowel movement, it is likely an indication that there is a problem. By not treating cat constipation, you could seriously harm your pet. Cat constipation can be treated both medically and naturally. We chose the natural route, which worked for our cat.

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Fortunately, our cat liked canned pumpkin, which is high in fiber, so we mixed it with his food. We also cut out dry cat food for awhile since wet cat food has more water in it. Water bowls were in every room of our house to encourage him to drink more water and we found that in front of the bay window was his favorite watering hole. We also read up on herbal remedies for cat constipation, but did not have to try them since he got better.

If your pet is experiencing cat constipation, you need to act now to help them get better. Consult with your veterinarian for ideas on how you can help alleviate the constipation. There are plenty of natural remedies for cat constipation that you can try to find the one that works for him.

Treatment Options for Cat Constipation

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