If you’re going to be cat-sitting for a neighbour, friend or family member, you’re in for a treat – cats are very easy to look after and do not require that much attention, especially when compared with animals such as a dog. However, they do need some daily care and you should make sure you provide the cat with everything it needs in order to survive – and be happy – until its owners return.

The owner will undoubtedly go through a list of things you’ll need to do to look after little Fluffy while they’re away. This will probably include feeding the cat twice a day, refreshing its water bowl, cleaning out the litter tray if it has one and, something that may not seem all that important but is crucial to the cat’s well-being, spending time with it.

Spending time with cats may seem like it’s an unnecessary task. After all, cats are well-known for being independent and aloof, so why would they care if there was a person around or not? Well, the little-known truth is that cats are actually very social animals. They love being around people and, even if you’re just sitting reading a book or watching television, will usually come and sit on your lap or somewhere in the same room as you just for the company. If the cat you are looking after doesn’t like to be touched or doesn’t seem very affectionate, you could be surprised with how happy it seems to see you every day – and not just because you’re giving it food! So if you can spare the time, spend just half an hour or an hour a day playing with the cat, whether you’ve got a piece of string or a toy mouse to throw for it or you simply watch TV and let the cat soak up some of your company in its own way. This will help stop the cat from getting too lonely while its owner is absent.

Looking after a cat is a fairly easy job and you’ll find that it’s far less effort than watching over a canine chum for a friend or neighbour instead. However, there are still things you need to look out for – such as illness or if anything appears to be wrong with the cat (it’s a good idea to get your neighbour’s cat insurance and vet details – as well as simply making sure it has enough water in its bowl. It’s also a very rewarding task and you can be sure you’ll enjoy every minute of your cat-sitting duties.

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About the Author:
Janine Barclay writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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Cataracts in dogs, particularly in dogs over six years of age is a fairly common symptom of old age. Even more common than aging is cataracts that form as a result of canine diabetes, infection, over-exposure to certain chemicals or gases and pretty much an kind of severe trauma that a dog can have happen over the course of their lifetime.

Proper Diagnosis

Diagnosing cataracts in dogs is something that is best left to a pet care professional, since Nuclear Sclerosis (NS) will often look the same to a layman, but requires no treatment and your pet may not be hampered by NS at all. Nuclear Sclerosis will appear equally on both eyes as a hazed, greyish-looking effect. This is why you need to have a professional opinion, since cataracts are much less common in dogs than humans.

Causes

There are varying conditions that cause cataracts in dogs: senile (old age), inherited (hereditary), developmental (from disease, accidents, or exposure of all kinds) and congenital (birth defect from trauma or oxygen deprivation). Dogs who truly have cataracts at any age will show obvious symptoms including: loss of coordination for no reason (or when moving from lit areas to darker ones), problems seeing objects with their peripheral vision (I.e., they can’t see you or your hands unless you’re right in their front-line of sight). Less obvious symptoms such as depression can also indicate they’re dealing with painful cataract symptoms.  

Treatments

Just as there are different kinds of cataract causes; there are many treatments available including prescription medications and eye drops, over the counter alternatives and laser treatment. Laser treatment has a high success rate with the modern technology available, but can prove too costly for some families to afford. Many dog owners have successfully treated their dog’s cataracts with various non-prescription eye drops that they claim cured their dog completely.

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About the Author:
Find out more on cataracts in dogs and read many interesting articles on pet health care.
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All living things with eyes have the potential to have problems with their eyes.  Cat’s eyes are slightly unique when compared to other animal’s eyes.  Combined with the fact that they rely on their eyesight more than some other pets, it is very important to notice if your pet cat is having problems with those eyes.

You may be able to notice your cat having problems with it’s eyes if they eyes water a lot or if they blink, squint, or try to scratch at their eye often. 

They eyes of cats have and extra eyelid.  This eyelid is very important and if you can see this second eyelid you can assume that your pet is having problems with that eye.

To examine your cat’s eye yourself you will want to try and keep him or her calm and use a somewhat bright light to get a good look into the eye.  Compare the eye in question to the other eye and see if there are differences in the color or size.  You can do a simple vision test by covering one eye and moving your finger towards the other several times.  This should illicit a blink if the eye is working properly.  Be aware of cloudy or hazy eyes.  If you have difficulty holding your cat or if he is frightened you can try getting a pillow case or a small blanket and wrap it firmly around him and pin it around his neck.  Don’t squeeze your cat too hard if he is trying to get away during your examination.  This could make the situation worse.

If the eye is painful to the touch or especially sensitive to light you can stop there and take your friend to a veterinarian.  With further examination you may be able to get some answers with a phone call to your vet depending on your veterinarians approach to phone calls.  Take note of any discharge around the eye including the texture and color.  If the eye looks cloudy it could be an inner eye problem.  Pink eye has symptoms of redness in the eye and a sticky discharge of mucus. 

There is also the possibility that your cat simply has a piece of something or a small object lodged in his eye.  If you can see something you may be able to remove it yourself but take extreme caution in doing so.  If you see something that has pierced the eye or eyelid or has caused severe agitation around it you should probably seek the help of a veterinarian.  The last thing we want to do is make an injury worse by trying to fix it ourselves.

Cats can have eye problems just like we can.  Do a short examination to see if you can locate the problem.  If you are ever in doubt contact your veterinarian for assistance.

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About the Author:
Derrick has an interest in pets of all types. He manages a store that sells pet cages and indoor cat cages and prides himself on quality and customer service.
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Are you tired of religiously discarding and cleaning the litter box of your cat or maybe the awful smell you experience after each ‘poo’ you cat does? Then here is a detailed step by step method of toilet training your cat.

1. Finding a litter bowl
Since Cat’s are used to litter boxes for passing their feces, a transition from a litter box to a litter bowl would be very easy. Some few days before you make this step, take the existing litter box into the bathroom. The first thing you’ll need is a stainless steel bowl which would fit the inside of your Toilet bowl. Make sure the bowl fits the smug. You can find a $6 bowl at a local discount store and pound it with a few pounce hammer and it will work just find (make sure your estimations or calculations are right). Fill the bowl with litter, keep it there for a few days and ensure that it is very clean. Change and discard after use and add new litter as well. Also make sure the toilet lead is never down. If possible, tape the lead to the back of the toilet, this way, it will not crash down on the cat when its using the toilet.

2. The platform
Once your cat has mastered the new litter bowl, you want to begin to introduce the concept of sitting on the seat, instead of down on the sand. Use a plastic tray or a heavy card board and cut it to fit over the steel bowl. Make sure it is steady enough to support the weight of your cat. You’d not want to let it fall in it in this stage of the game. Cut a small how at the center of your platform so it can still get one limb down into the litter to dig.

There is a new trick, Cats like to dig holes in litter, so what it’ll do if you’re lucky is it’ll dig a hole with one limb and turn itself around and do its business right down into the hole. What ever happens, as long as your cat is still using the platform, you are heading in the right direction. If you use one of the plastic trays, it’s easier to rinse off any mistakes. Remember to keep scooping and discarding but don’t worry about adding more litter to the bowl. You want to keep the level going down as you prepare for the next phase.

3. The big switch
Now that your cat is giving up sitting in a litter box and it is reliably using the platform, You are ready for the big switch. Gradually decrease the litter in the bowl until you have just little left. Then, when you are planning on been at home for the weekend (as this is the hardest part of all) fill the bow up with water instead of litter. You’ll hate this as much as the cat will too, but be patient and allow the cat to get it mastered, then you are almost free.

4. The Home stretch
Once your cat is using the toilet from the platform into the bowl of water, you can remove the steel bowl all together, now it would be using the toilet directly with the help of your platform. If this goes well, you can begin to cut a larger hole on the platform, keep it on the toilet for the cat to use. All you need to is to keep flushing a few times a day.

I am Funom Theophilus Makama. I advertise through writing. As a platinum expert Author, I write lots of articles and hence promote interested websites, companies, groups, organizations, and communities through publishing and distributing my articles. For more information on this interesting venture, click on the link below

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About the Author:
I am Funom Theophilus Makama. A medical student, an affiliate marketer and a professional writer. I write articles of most kinds of categories, but the few hundreds of articles I have written are mostly centered on spirituality, sexuality, religion, medicine, nutrition, health issues, women’s issues, men’ s issues, domestic ‘know-hows’ etc.
I advertise products, companies, websites, goods, etc through writing and distribution of articles, thereby spreading it across the internet. More more details, just type my name “Funom Makama” on any search engine or simply click this link to see how the business works
http://funom-makama.blogspot.com/
It is possible to contact me through this link and I hope you will
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All cats like to scratch and dig their claws into things. This is just a natural characteristic of cats. It’s as natural for them as eating and sleeping. The scratching action is good for a cat’s physical and mental health. A good cat owner will provide something for the sole purpose of a cat’s scratching. Without one, your carpet, furniture, and walls will be in danger of being remodeled with claw marks and damage.

There are many different things that your cat may like to scratch. Most things made out of wood or carpet can be appealing for most cats. Scratching posts, scratching trees, and various scratching toys are available in most pet stores and on many websites. A base item for scratching won’t cost you a lot of money and you can always upgrade to a nice scratching tree or post in the future.

If you do purchase (or build) a scratching post or scratching tree, make sure it has a wide and secure base on it. This will ensure that it remains standing while your cat is using it. If it falls while being used, your cat may be tentative to use it in the future and might go back to using your furniture.

Some scratching posts are made to lay down on the floor. The nice thing about these is they are in a natural position for your cat to scratch, plus they won’t fall over.

An alternative to purchasing something to use for scratching is to make one yourself. This can be a lot more simple than it sounds. Gather some branches or tree limbs and screw them together. This would be a very basic scratching tree but will serve the same purpose of store bought ones. If you are a little more creative you can build an actual scratching post and cover it with carpet. Do some research on retail scratching items to figure out the dimensions that you want yours to be. Another option is a simple wooden log on the floor. A wooden log laying down can be heaven for a scratching cat.

Cats may be very common pets but not all owners understand the importance of a designated area or item for cats to scratch on. For the health of your cat and your furniture, either purchase or make a scratching tree, post, or log. It will be an investment well worth it.

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About the Author:
Derrick is an avid pet owner and an expert in indoor cat cages. Visit Derrick’s website to find deals on indoor cat cages for sale.
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