Considering that cats do a pretty fine job of keeping themselves well-groomed, is there any reason why you need to help with feline primping?
Although it may surprise a few cat lovers, the answer is yes. Grooming your cat on a regular basis will reduce the amount of hair that ends up on your clothes and throughout the house, both as shed hair and hair balls. It'll also help allergy sufferers to better tolerate sharing their lives with cats, especially if you add a weekly bath to your cat's regular routine. And if you make nail clipping part of the grooming regimen, you'll see less destructive clawing around the house.
Your cat will benefit too. Keeping your cat well-groomed will help you spot health problems before they become serious. Is your cat's coat thinning? Is his weight where it should be? Are there wounds, lumps or bumps? You'll find the answers to all these questions when you groom your cat. When done gently and with a positive approach, grooming will also help strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Not to mention: Some cats learn to absolutely love being brushed!
The amount of time you'll spend grooming your cat depends on a couple of factors, primarily the kind of coat your cat has. With their long, silky coats, Persians and Himalayans need daily brushing, combing, detangling, frequent baths and even professional grooming on occasion.
Cats with medium or short coats are fine with weekly brushing and a bath now and then -- more frequently if you have allergy sufferers in the home or if you're especially sensitive to finding hair everywhere.
Although it's easiest to teach a cat to tolerate grooming when you start with a kitten, even an adult cat can learn to appreciate -- or at least tolerate -- the attention. Here are some tips to get you started:
-- Give yourself a fresh start. If you have a longhaired cat or kitten who's badly matted, arrange to have him shaved down by a groomer so you don't torture the poor thing by trying to comb out the clumps.
-- Go slowly. Introduce new routines a little bit at a time and it will build your cat's tolerance.
-- Reward your cat. Use treats, praise and gentle petting to let your pet know that you approve of his behavior. You can't make a cat do anything he doesn't want to, so praise is the only way to go.
-- Know when to call it a day. You'll do better if you stop before your cat becomes impatient, annoyed or afraid. But if you miss the signs or feel yourself becoming cross, stop what you're doing and end the session on notes of praise and petting.
Above all, stay positive! If you look on grooming your cat as a special time for you both to share, your pet will pick up on your attitude and come to share it. The payoff in terms of a happy, healthier and, yes, prettier cat is well worth the time you'll invest.
PETS ON THE WEB
The last time I looked at clicker-training pioneer Karen Pryor's Clickertraining.com, it seemed long on promotion and short on information. Not anymore! While you'll still find more than a few glowing testimonials and lots of opportunities to buy books, videos and training supplies, you'll also find plenty of information on why clicker training –- a method based on classic operant conditioning -- is such a wonderful way to train a pet.
Want to try it? The site offers articles how to get started, whether you're training a dog, a cat, a bird or even a horse. (Dig a litter deeper, and you'll even find some information on getting good behavior from your child -- or spouse!)
If you've wondered what clicker training is all about, or if you're looking for a way to train the animals in your life in a positive way that's fun and offers fast results, then you need to explore this helpful Web site.
THE SCOOP
Avian veterinarians say parrots do best on a diet of high-quality pellets, combined with a daily helping of healthy people-food such as fresh vegetables and fruits. That's easy to do in the summer when produce is plentiful, but what about winter? No problem!
You can provide your pet with the good food he needs year-round by using frozen mixed vegetables, such as those sold for stir-fry dishes. Bags of vegetable mixes are easy to find and easy to store, and it only takes a short spell in the microwave to bring them up to room temperature. (Check them after heating to be sure you don't have pockets that are hot enough to hurt your bird.) Little shopping, no chopping and no rotting veggies in the refrigerator -- what could be better?
QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK
Q: I am considering selling my home and moving into an upstairs apartment. My dog is old and blind, but has good hearing and a good nose. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get her down the stairs and outside for "her business"? Will dogs use litter boxes? I really haven't a clue about how to manage a dog in this situation. She's a Maltese-poodle mix, weighs 15 pounds and seems to understand a lot. -- B.F., via e-mail
A: You've hit on what may well be a good solution for you and your dog: a litter box. In the last few years a handful of manufacturers have come up with indoor relief stations designed for dogs. The best known of these has the might of Purina thrown behind it: The Secondnature canine litter box system. For more information on where to buy it and how to train your dog to use it, visit www.doglitter.com or call the Purina information line at (800) 778-7462.
If you don't go the litter-box route, you'll probably need to carry your old girl up and down the stairs (or hold her in the elevator) when you take her outside. (Not a practical solution for a Great Dane, but acceptable with a 15-pound dog!)
Choose an area outside or use the one the apartment complex has designated for this use and give her a "cue" word or phrase to let her know why she's there, such as "go potty" or "hurry up." After she has done her business, praise her so she knows she has done the right thing and then clean up the mess before heading back inside.
With a little patience on your part, you should both manage the transition without too much difficulty.
Q: I am sick of hair balls! Is there a way to keep my cat from throwing them up? And why do cats always throw up where we're sure to step in it? Or where it isn't easy to clean up, such as on tile? -- H.D., via the Internet
A: Veterinarians call them "trichobezoars," but cat lovers call them "hair balls," or, more commonly, "gross." Whatever you call them, hair balls -- hair ingested as a cat grooms himself and is then vomited back up in clumps -- are a normal part of living with a cat and are usually not indicative of a health problem. If coughing up a hair ball is an intermittent event -- a couple of times a month or up to once a week -- and your cat appears otherwise normal, there's likely no reason for concern.
Your veterinarian may suggest the use of a mild laxative mineral-oil preparation or an increase in fiber in their diet to help the hair balls pass through into your cat's litter box. Canned pumpkin is a great way to increase your cat's dietary fiber. One or two teaspoonfuls mixed daily with canned food or with the water from a can of tuna will keep things moving nicely. You can also ask your veterinarian about some new high-fiber foods that are designed to help keep hair balls to a minimum. Another strategy to reduce hair balls: combing your cat frequently to remove loose fur before your cat ingests it.
Don't let your cat become a mineral-oil junkie, however, as daily use of some medications may tie up and decrease the absorption of important fat-soluble vitamins. These products should not be used more than twice weekly except on advice of your veterinarian.
If your cat's pattern of coughing up the occasional hair ball changes, make an appointment with your veterinarian to find out why.
As for why they throw up where they do, I have no answer for you except his one: because they're cats.
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.
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