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Cat

Poisoning

The liver of a cat is less effective at detoxification than those of other animals, including humans and dogs; therefore exposure to many common substances considered safe for households may be dangerous to them [24][25]. In general, the cat's environment should be examined for the presence of such toxins and the problem corrected or alleviated as much as possible; in addition, where sudden or prolonged serious illness without obvious cause is observed, the possibility of toxicity must be considered, and the veterinarian informed of any such substances to which the cat may have had access.

For instance, the common painkiller paracetamol or acetominophen, sold under brand names such as Tylenol and Panadol, is extremely toxic to cats; because they naturally lack enzymes needed to digest it, even minute portions of doses safe for humans can be fatal[26][25] and any suspected ingestion warrants immediate veterinary attention.[27] Even aspirin, which is sometimes used to treat arthritis in cats, is much more toxic to them than to humans and must be administered cautiously[25]. Similarly, application of minoxidil (Rogaine) to the skin of cats, either accidental or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur, has sometimes proved fatal [28][29].

In addition to such obvious dangers as insecticides and weed killers, other common household substances that should be used with caution in areas where cats may be exposed to them include mothballs and other naphthalene products [25], as well as phenol based products often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats' feeding areas or litter boxes, such as Pine-Sol, Dettol (Lysol), hexachlorophene, etc. [25] which, although they are widely used without problem, have been sometimes seen to be fatal[30].

Many human foods are somewhat toxic to cats; theobromine in chocolate can cause theobromine poisoning, for instance, although few cats will eat chocolate. Toxicity in cats ingesting relatively large amounts of onions or garlic has also been reported [25]. Even such seemingly safe items as cat food packaged in pull tab tin cans have been statistically linked to hyperthyroidism; although the connection is far from proved, suspicion has fallen on the use of bisphenol A, another phenol based product as discussed above, to seal such cans [25].

As is well known, many houseplants are at least somewhat toxic to many species, cats included [24] and the consumption of such plants by cats is to be avoided.

Hygiene

A tabby cat grooming itself

A tabby cat grooming itself

Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. They groom themselves by licking their fur, employing their hooked pappilae and saliva. Their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent, but it can provoke allergic reactions in humans. Some people who are allergic to cats—typically manifested by hay fever, asthma or a skin rash —quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general.[citation needed] Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats. Some cats occasionally regurgitate hair balls of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Longhair cats are more prone to this than shorthairs. Hairballs can be prevented with certain cat foods and remedies that ease elimination of the hair and regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush. Cats expend nearly as much fluid grooming as they do urinating.

Indoor cats are usually provided with a litter box containing litter, typically bentonite, but sometimes other absorbent material such as shredded paper or wood chips, or sometimes sand or similar material. This arrangement serves the same purpose as a toilet for humans. It should be cleaned daily and changed often, depending on the number of cats in a household and the type of litter; if it is not kept clean, a cat may be fastidious enough to find other locations in the house for urination or defecation. This may also happen for other reasons; for instance, if a cat becomes constipated and defecation is uncomfortable, it may associate the discomfort with the litter box and avoid it in favor of another location. A litterbox is recommended for indoor-outdoor cats as well. Daily attention to the litter box also serves as a monitor of the cat's health. Numerous variations on litter and litter box design exist, including some which automatically sift the litter after each use. Bentonite or clumping litter is a variation which absorbs urine into clumps which can be sifted out along with feces, and thus stays cleaner longer with regular sifting, but has sometimes been reported to cause health problems in some cats.[31]

Toilet-trained cat

Toilet-trained cat

Litterboxes may pose a risk of toxoplasmosis transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals, although this risk is greatly decreased in indoor-only cats which would not normally be exposed to the disease. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning by someone other than the susceptible individual.

Some cats can be toilet trained, eliminating the litterbox and its attendant expense and smell. Training involves two or three weeks of incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litterbox until it is near the toilet. For a short time, an adapter, such as a bowl or small box, may be used to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl; numerous kits and other aids are marketed to help toilet-train cats. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by perching over the bowl.[32] Occasional accidental dunkings, which can traumatize the cat to the point of its avoidance of the toilet, urinating and defecating in undesirable locations around the house, can be avoided by use of a simple insert of one or two crossbars or a widely spaced grid to prevent falling in but allow feces to pass; such safety devices have recently become commercially available. Otherwise, if a cat is not trained to use the toilet, it is wise to keep the lid shut to prevent thirsty or curious cats from falling in.

Scratching

Cat scratching wooden post.

Cat scratching wooden post.

Cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards, in order to clean the claws and remove the worn outer sheath as well as exercise and stretch their muscles. This scratching behavior seems enjoyable to the cat, and even declawed cats will go through elaborate scratching routines with every evidence of great satisfaction, despite the total lack of results. Indoor cats benefit from being provided with a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or furniture which they can easily ruin.[33] Commercial scratching posts typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery, but some authorities advise against this practice, as not making it clear to the cat which surfaces are permissible and which are not; they suggest using a plain wooden surface, or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the rougher texture of the carpet backing is a more attractive alternative to the cat than the floor covering. Some indoor cats, however, especially those that were taken as kittens from feral colonies, may not understand the concept of a scratching post, and as a result will ignore it.

Close-up of a cat's claw, with the quick clearly visible

Close-up of a cat's claw, with the quick clearly visible

Although scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively long, their nails can be trimmed if necessary, with a small nail trimmer designed for humans, a small pair of electrician's diagonal cutting pliers, or a guillotine type cutter specifically designed for animal nail trimming. Care must always be taken to avoid cutting the quick of the claw, analogous to cutting into the tip of a finger and equally painful and bloody. The position of the quick can be easily seen through the translucent nail of a cat with light colored claws but not in cats with dark colored nails, who therefore require carefully trimming of only small amounts from the nails.

Declawing

Main article: Onychectomy

Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, which removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat's forepaws (and rarely the hind paws). The primary reason for declawing cats is to prevent them from damaging furniture; in the United States, some landlords may require that tenants' cats be declawed. Rarely, vicious cats, cats that frequently fight with other pets, or cats that are too efficient at predation of songbirds etc. are declawed.

Many veterinarians are critical of the procedure, and some refuse to perform it because the absence of claws in a cat:

  1. Deprives it of its main defense abilities, both fighting as well as escaping by climbing trees;
  2. Can impair its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy;
  3. Compromises its ability to grip and balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
  4. Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.

For these reasons, all authorities recommend that declawed cats never be allowed to freely roam outdoors. This surgery is generally not recommended for an adult animal, and is rare outside of North America, being considered an act of animal cruelty in many Western countries. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing is forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals.[34] In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless "a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal".[35] In Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized[citation needed]. In 2003, West Hollywood, California became the first U.S. jurisdiction to outlaw declawing by veterinarians or animal groomers practicing in city limits, but the law was overturned.[1].

While some people suggest cats not be declawed until 5-6 months of age, many veterinarians who practice this surgery are of the opinion that it is advantageous to declaw the cat as soon as it is old enough to sustain surgery (around 2-3 months of age, depending on size), reasoning that younger cats are more adaptable to the amputation, and that distal phalanges in the cat at this age are still flexible cartilage rather than bone, making the operation less severe.

Close-up of a declawed paw.

Close-up of a declawed paw.

After a cat has been declawed, it should be allowed to rest, and restrained from jumping (if possible) for a few days. After being declawed, as after any surgery, there may be a period of about a week, sometimes less, when the cat will be uncomfortable being played with or picked up. As with any surgery, there is a slight risk of death, as well as of complications which may leave the cat with an increased risk of infection and/or life-long discomfort in its paws.

An alternative to declawing is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the cat will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.

 

 

 

Wikipedia

 

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