Tuesday 22 March 2011

Cats and tuna


Cats just love their tuna don't they? Well, perhaps not....... It's one of those myths that's developed over the years, much like cats loving their milk. And it's since become so much of a cliche that many people believe it. They might like tuna and milk but their digestive systems often don't!!
Think about it...... cats are originally desert animals; where on earth would they and their digestive systems have learnt to deal with tuna, or any other fish? It certainly appeals to them - their diets tend to be protein rich - but it has to be the right sort of protein.

I even fell into the trap of believing that it would be ok. Bella was never that bothered, but every now and again she'd enjoy a little tuna as a special treat. Then one day she got sick. In fact, 3 days of vomiting and the runs. Poor thing was clearly very distressed, as was I, so I took her to the vet to see if there was anything wrong. They asked me about her diet, and I explained she'd had some tuna over a period of 2-3 days - once I'd opened a tin I'd want to finish it!!

The vet felt that this might be irritating her digestive system - hers is rather sensitive! - and explained to me that the protein in tuna is really the wrong sort of protein for many cats. I cut out all fish products, and also red meat for a few days (also the wrong sort of protein), and pretty much stuck to chicken and bland foods. And very quickly she returned to normal. Since then I've not given her any tuna, and only infrequently give her any cat food that contains fish or red meat products. That was 6 months ago, and the problem hasn't returned.

The other day, I was meeting a new cat and her family for the first time. They explained that she has to have tablets as she's been diagnosed as hyper-thyroid, and to help her, they are giving the tablets wrapped in some tuna. I explained that this tuna might upset her system, and they then said they were wondering why she seemed to have an upset tummy recently. They'd thought it might be the tablets, but are going to try to give the tablets without tuna to see if the problem resolves itself.

I work with so many cats who have very sensitive digestive systems and are on vet diets with bland food. It can seem boring for them, but it means that they are more likely to have happy digestive systems. But there are ways you can make even this diet a little more interesting - so just ask your vet for ideas. We are so used to living with our cats as members of our families that we can sometimes forget that they are built very differently to us. Our digestive systems have evolved very differently to theirs, and can tolerate a much wider range of food than our cat friends can.

Or you could have a cat like Dylan who will and does eat almost everything!!! Even the bread crusts I throw out for the birds!!! But I can always tell if he's eaten something that's not right for him - the next time I check his litter tray!

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Brush brush brush!!!


Spring is definitely on its way now, and all the cats I go to visit are shedding hair madly!! Bella has a very thick fluffy coat, so come this time of year, I'm forever sweeping up cat hairs, and now Dylan's joined in.

Now, Bella has always loved her brush, and we're getting Dylan used to it too - although he sees it as more of a plaything, something to be bitten and chewed on!! Through the winter our brushing regime has slackened off a little, but we're now back to daily brushes. And so needed!!!
Brushing is great for so many reasons. First of all, it gathers up all the loose hairs, so that when cats groom they're not having to swallow too many. So fewer fur balls. Secondly, it's great for their skin. It will stimulate the blood vessels under the surface and also encourage production of sebum, which keeps the skin and coat naturally moisturised. Spending winter mostly indoors, in a warm, dry house means that the skin can get very dry. I've noticed that Bella has a lot of dandruff at the moment.

And thirdly - and what I think is the best reason - it's the most lovely way to bond with your cat again. When they love being brushed, they'll love you forever. Just looking at the big smile on Bella's face while I'm brushing her is worth a thousand words.

It's a good idea to get your cat used to being brushed from an early age - that way they get very used to it, and look forward to their regular brushing sessions. But some don't like it - and it's likely to be because of the way a brush has been wielded in their past. If they've been forced, held down, it will have bad feelings for them. Such a shame when this has the potential to be so pleasurable for them.

But even then, I find it's easy to get a cat used to it, and to love being brushed. If any of the cats I look after have brushes, I always give them a good brush when I visit. Some are a little anxious, so it's important it's done on their terms. A good way to do this is just to present the brush to them, put it near their face. Let them sniff it, and come towards it. Chances are that they will then rub their faces in the bristles. You know how cats love the sides of their faces and their ears being rubbed? Well this is the same.

Just keep holding the brush, don't actively brush, just let them get used to this, and build up nice feelings about the brush. It might take a few sessions just doing this, but in time you'll be able to gently brush their body. It's important though that this is still gentle, and if they show signs of being uncomfortable with it, just let them rub their face on it again. With cats patience in most things does pay off, so take this on your cat's terms. Eventually they'll come to love their brush, and may even do what Bella does, and shout at me for her daily brushing!!!

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Amazing Felix!

This time last year was very sad. I'd been looking after 16 year old brothers, Oscar and Felix for a couple of years, and I turned up one day to find that Oscar had passed away. It wasn't a bad age, and he'd had a lovely life, but all the same, it's very upsetting. It was fortunate that that day I was fairly quiet, so was able to re-organise things, and stayed with Felix all day until his mum was able to get back from where she was working in London.

Poor Felix was very clingy, didn't understand what had happened, and was very distressed. He soaked up all the Reiki from my hands and heart and we used Bach Flowers to help him too.

The next few days, his mum worked from home and the two of them just spent all their time almost stuck to each other - they both needed healing from the other one. One day Kath had to go back to work in London, so I resumed coming to take care of Felix. We made changes to his schedule - as he was on his own, I'd stay for long visits, which we both got to love.

While Oscar had been around they'd both been quiet cats, and used to spend a lot of time together, even grooming each other after 16 years! They'd often both try to squeeze onto my lap at the same time (and they're not small cats!), but really they were just happy with each other's company.

But we started to notice changes in Felix after the first couple of months. And this has gone on and on, and a year later, it's like he's a different cat. He now has lots of toys that he runs around after like a kitten, and is very talkative and interactive. Some days he's a little quieter, but others he's very lively. Out of the two brothers he was always the most extrovert, but not very - whereas now he's extremely outgoing and friendly.

It's almost like he's come out of his shell, or Oscar's shadow. I'm sure he missed his brother at first, and I did worry for a while how he'd cope. But I really didn't need to. And now at the grand old age of 17, he's doing brilliantly!! Love you Felix!!

PS - I do have pictures somewhere! When I find one I'll add it to the top of this post.

Dylan comes to stay


I'd often thought that Bella might want a playmate - she's very interactive, talks a lot and is into everything. I'd thought now and again that she got a little lonely or bored while I was out seeing other cats. So, every now and then I'd think "does Bella need a little friend?". This was difficult, as she's also a bit of a princess, and had got used to having me to herself for over 4 years.

She'd also not shown too much affection with other cats that came around, until Henry started visiting, and more recently Jussi from across the road. She'd happily tolerate both cats in the garden, and would even roll over on her back in front of them. She was still a little nervous though, as, if they got too close they'd get a warning hiss. But I'd started to think, perhaps......

Still wasn't thinking about this particularly seriously though, until one day at Animals in Distress I met a lovely boy kitten, about 4-5 months old. Now, I must have picked up and cuddled hundreds of cats in the time I've been visiting, and now and again, I'd wonder if any of them could come home to stay with us. But not until I held this little boy did I feel that any of them could be the one.

He felt very gentle, with lovely soft energy, and I found the words "I'd be good for Bella" floating around in my head somewhere. I trusted my intuition on this. I knew that if I thought for too long I'd talk myself out of it. I realised that there was a huge risk this might not work, but if I didn't try, I'd never know.

So, Dylan came home to live with us a few days later - now about 3 months ago. He lived in a little puppy pen in the corner of the lounge for a little while, so that Bella could get used to him, and he had somewhere of his own to feel safe. Every now and again I'd take him out for cuddles, and let Bella sniff him.

On that first day, when Bella first saw him, she was most unimpressed! I picked up thoughts of "what's that doing there?". She was clearly very upset and confused, so I needed to be sure I spent lots of time with her reassuring her over the next few weeks. I knew that this would all take time - as long as it needed to - this is something that can't be hurried. And I knew that I could either help or hinder the process. Patience was needed from me, as well as making sure my energy was always helpful for both of them. There were times that Bella was so upset I was in tears too! We've got through loads of Feliway, and Bach Flowers have been enormously helpful too.

She's a bright and intelligent girl, and I could tell she was trying to learn to deal with this. There were times she was genuinely interested, and there were thaws, even though the next day it often felt like we'd retreated a couple of steps again.

After a few weeks - when I knew it felt right - I started to let Dylan out of the pen to find his way around the house. The first time, he chased Bella up the stairs! Since then he's not stopped chasing her, and somehow the little gentle being I first met seems to have completely disappeared. Then, I'd leave him out all day, even when I was out, but he'd go back in the pen to sleep at night, until eventually I judged it was right to do away with it all together.

So far, it's been tough at times, certainly fun at others, as well as both interesting and challenging. Now and again, if I'm honest I do still get the odd day where I wonder whether I did the right thing. But they are mostly getting on very well now - it's lovely to see them both fast asleep on chairs next to each other in the kitchen, and now and again they'll touch noses. As long as he's being well behaved and quiet Bella does seem really happy to have him around. And he idolises her! Which is probably why he doesn't leave her alone. And of course, despite the fact that he's now bigger than she is, he is still only 8-9 months old - I'm sure that he'll calm down as he grows up.