cat litter
We use natural cat litter not clay. Clay is overmined & the dust is toxic not only to the pets but to us humans as well. That cloud that you get every time you scoop is not healthy. Plus when the cat uses the box, he them licks himself. You know how clay gets. Clumpy. Imagine that in their stomach!
We use the Arm & Hammer High Performance natural one tho they don’t list all their ingredients so I had to call them. They still didn’t give me much info. Ironically tho too, Arm & Hammer tests on animals. Sometimes you have to weigh pros & cons to things.
We tried regular dirt, cracked corn, shredded newspaper for homemade versions but the cats didn’t go for it. WBCL (World’s best cat litter) worked quite well but we have 5 cats & it is expensive but hard to find. The A&H is available at Wal-mart. I find it controls odors quite well, is clumpable.
fleas & ticks
I use the Flee Flea www.dancingpaws.com brand that contains EO’s. It’s 50/50 w/ how EO’s are harmful for cats. My 5 cats & 1 dog haven’t gotten bit & I check them often. The EO’s also repel mosquitoes.
I don’t give them the Frontline, etc. It’s funny. Says to wash your hands after you apply & harmful to humans yet we willingly put this on our pets. THEN we go & cuddle, pet our pets. We are supposed to wash our hands but that stuff is meant to stay on our beloved creatures.
Next year I will experiment using Neem. I still had Flee Flea left, good for this year, so I didn’t bother looking up recipes for Neem.
Neem
www.naturmix.com/pages/products/neem.html for pets
water
Dogs need to drink a little more than 1 oz of water per # of body weight daily. When out hiking, be sure to carry enough clean water for both of you.
weight, cats
We laugh about our fat cats, but it’s no joke that 45 percent of cats in the US are overweight or obese, and that the incidence of feline diabetes has increased fivefold in the last 30 years. Like their tubby human counterparts, cats gain weight because of lack of exercise and a poor diet, and those extra pounds can lead to diabetes, liver disease, heart and renal failure, and arthritis. Help your flabby feline lose weight and keep it off with this diet plan from Regina Schwabe, DVM, of Pamplin Animal Wellness Services in Pamplin, Virginia.
1. Before putting your puss on a diet, have your vet test his kidney, liver, and thyroid functions.
2. Ditch the dry food, which is too high in carbs for cats, and think the “Catkins” diet: 40 percent to 45 percent protein, 40 percent to 45 percent fat, and only 3 percent to 5 percent carbs. A high-quality canned or raw food is best, but make the change slowly because if Garfield goes on a hunger strike, he can quickly develop feline fatty-liver syndrome, which can be deadly.
3. Feed him about 2 percent of his body weight in three to four small daily meals, and provide plenty of fresh water.
4. Get him off his rump as much as possible. “One strategy,” says Schwabe, “is to place the food in several small dishes scattered about the house to encourage searching behavior.”
Did you know... that your cat is good for your health? Risk of death from heart attack is 40% higher if you've never owned a cat- Univ of Minnesota study
Links:
bravenet.com