domenstic cats – Page 4

02Sep 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Enjoying the Outdoors Safely

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner

Enjoying the Outdoors Safely By C. M. Saracco It’s a dilemma many cat parents face: they want their cats to enjoy the outdoors while remaining safe and protecting wildlife. What if it wasn’t strictly an either/or choice? Leash / Harness Training Training your cat to tolerate a harness and leash can help your cat explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors while remaining safely near you. Combined pricing for both units is affordable, often $15 - $40. For more than a decade, I’ve used this option with my now 19-year-old cat Ezekiel, a rescue who had been accustomed to roaming outdoors and occasionally fought with neighbor cats or dashed across the street. He’s now indoors-only except when we harness him for a backyard sunbathing or garden exploration session. …

26Aug 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Growing Your Own Kitty Treats

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner

Growing Your Own Kitty Treats By C. M. Saracco The sunny days of Spring are a great time to grow cat grass or catnip for your kitties. Both are easy to cultivate in Santa Clara County, in containers or in the ground. And both are reputed to offer mild health benefits – for example, cat grass can aid digestion and help cats eliminate hairballs, while catnip can reduce anxiety and encourage exercise. Most cats like them. Growing these treats for your cat is actually quite easy. You just need a couple of sturdy containers and a sunny spot indoors or outdoors. If you’re impatient or just don’t want to get your hands dirty, many garden shops carry cat grass and catnip plants. But growing your own is fun and inexpensive and…

12Aug 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.1

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles

Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.1 By Cece Gu I adopted two orange tabbies when they were about three months old. In my experience, orange tabbies are generally very friendly cats and are really easy to bond with. While I bonded with one of them within about three days, the other one was extremely shy with me. But our bond started to form about after two weeks as he got more confident in his new environment. Here are some tips for gently and effectively introducing new cats to you and your home. Tip #1: Give them space (don't force anything). Give them personal space once they get home. That means letting them take the lead and not chasing them when they run or when they are trying to hide. Pay attention…

22Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Keeping Cats Cool in Summer

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings

Keeping Cats Cool in Summer As the temperature keeps climbing throughout the summertime, we must remain aware of our cats’ heat exposure and be proactive in providing ways to keep our cats comfortable and cool. While our felines are agile and dexterous enough to survive some environments on their own, as humans we should aspire to do everything we can to keep our cats safe from any sort of harm. In this article, we’ll go over how a cat regulates their own internal heat, common symptoms cats may experience while overheating, and various ways to provide cool areas for our felines to stay safe & cool in this summer. Cats have such beautiful coats. Aside from their coats being visually stunning, a cat's coat plays a large role in protecting…

15Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Summertime Parasites

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Current "Mews", News & Happenings, Vet's Corner

Summertime Parasites As June comes to a blissful end, the summer season begins and the world around us eagerly blossoms with flourishing life, exuberant colors, and pesky parasites. Ear mites, ticks, and fleas are only a sliver of summertime parasites that flourish in the warm and humid weather. While they can survive year-round, the summer weather is their favorite. They linger anywhere in tall grass, wet dirt, bushes, and heavily vegetated areas. It’s very important as pet owners to understand the symptoms of these parasites living in our pets’ fur/skin, as well as proactively working to prevent these creatures from sneaking into your cat's life or worse yet, into your home. Fleas are one of the most well-known parasites that harass cats year-round. However, summertime weather creates the perfect environment…

08Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Toxic Plants for Cats

Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings, Vet's Corner

Toxic Plants for Cats Summer is here! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and the grass couldn’t be greener. Chances are you’re going to end up with fresh flowers of any sort in your home this summer. While plants are often good for the environment and for us humans too, they may harbor poisonous toxins that could harm our beloved cats. The fact is that cats love plants and are naturally very curious creatures which makes keeping harmful plants out of their reach even harder. We’ll discuss the various plants to watch out for this summer, as well as the symptoms our cats may display if they come in contact with or consume these plants. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance either call…