Pet Insurance 4U

Our pet cats are often as close to us as members of our family. In fact, they virtually are members of our family! That’s why cat owners should know as much as they can about cat health. Here are the major things to know about caring for your pet cat in a loving way:

GROOMING: Long-haired cats should be groomed regularly for optimum cat health. Use a pet brush and groom no less frequently than once a week.

DIET: Cat health is strongly affected by what your cat eats. Obesity is a major factor in heart disease particularly as your cat gets older. Choose a pet food for your cat that is right for it’s age but feed it regularly. Consistency is the key to a well-fed cat.

OLDER CATS: Some diseases occur simply because your cat is getting older. These can be labeled elderly cat health problems. As cats age their kidneys and eyesight fail and they may need special diets.

LITTER: The litter box can be dangerous to both cat health and human health if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Change your pet’s litter no less than once every four days and keep a small dish of baking soda near the litter area.

SCRATCHING: Scratching is a major cat health concern because if a cat scratches regularly it is often a sign of other problems. If your cat is scratching a particular area often try a delousing product and then take your pet to the vet.

DECLAWING: Declawing your cat can be a major factor in Cat health. If you choose to declaw your pet it is important to remember to keep them inside at all times.

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: Many cat health problems relate to difficult or uncommon behavior. Listlessness can be a symptom of depression. Strange aggression is sometimes caused by hormone imbalances.

STRESS: Your cat can easily get stressed out. Stressful situations like moving, travelling, natural disasters or even changes in the family can affect cat health. To minimize the effects of stress on your pet, buy a tranquilizer for distance travelling and have a place in your home where your cat can escape if there are busy changes in the house.

POISON: Make sure dangerous poisons like antifreeze cannot be reached by your pet. Some plants are fatal to cats so make sure to raise your plants and lock your toxins.

PARASITES: Parasites such as ringworms, heart worms and rabies can greatly affect cat health. Blood in a cat’s stool or uncommon appetite are common signs of parasites.

MOUTH: Cats often have mouth diseases and this can influence cat health. Cats are just as prone to gingivitis as humans. For problems like rodents ulcer or bad breath, brush your cat’s teeth with a small child’s toothbrush.

INDOORS/OUTDOORS: One of the greatest factors in determining cat health is whether your pet goes outdoors. Cars, children, other animals and toxins are all dangerous and should be avoided by keeping your cat indoors.

Taking care of your cat is critical to your cats health. Hopefully this article has provided you with information that will make your pet’s life much safer, healthier, happier and longer.

Do dogs provide health benefits? Believe it or not they do! Did you know that owning a dog and pet ownership in general, can help a person in many ways? Owning a pet can improve your mental wellness, reduce your visits to the doctor, improve your cardiovascular health and allow for faster recovery time from surgery as well as higher survival rates. Recent research suggests that dogs may be able to detect cancer on a person’s breath! Lets’ explore these amazing health benefits of pet ownership:

It has been proven that dog owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-dog owners. These factors, in turn, reduce the chance of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, just stroking a pet has long been known to reduce blood pressure. Furthermore, a study from the New York State University concluded that these benefits continue even without the pet being present!

Hospital studies have shown that senior citizens and recent post-op patients respond better to treatment and recover faster while in contact with dogs and other therapy animals. Did you know that dog owners have a greater chance to survive a serious illness than non-dog owners? In fact, a study revealed that a pet affected a person’s survival rate even more than the presence or company of family members or friends!

Studies conducted at Cambridge and UCLA concluded that there is a direct correlation between pet ownership and improved overall health, which leads to fewer visits to the doctor. The Journal of American Geriatrics Society notes that pet ownership has a positive effect on a senior’s physical and emotional well being. Additionally, a Medicare study of elderly patients also shows that people who own a dog have fewer doctor visits than patients who do not.

Pet owners have better emotional health and mental wellness than people who do not own a pet. Pets offer unconditional love and affection and their presence alone helps reduce loneliness. For people who are isolated, disabled or handicapped, a pet offers friendship and can even add a element of safety to their lives. Dogs are used as a form of therapy in hospices, nursing homes and as companions for the disabled and blind. In fact, there are studies that prove that people with a major illness fight the stress of having the illness better by having a dog as a pet.

There is new research that suggests that dogs may be able to detect certain types of cancer. Researchers at the Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo, California and the Polish Academy of Sciences exposed dogs to breath samples from breast and lung cancer patients and samples from healthy people. They claim that the dogs were able to detect cancer with astonishing results and accuracy. The dogs were able to identify 99% of lung cancer breath samples (which included early stage cancer patients) as well as 88% of breast cancer samples. The study, which has been met with skepticism, will be released early in 2006 and published in the March edition of the Journal for Integrative Cancer Therapies. Experts agree that this holds promise, but must be evaluated and researched further.

As you can see pet ownership or having a dog comes with many benefits for an individual. Owning a pet encourages social interaction, reduces stress levels, boosts self-confidence and self-esteem and encourages exercise. Having a pet is a great investment, not only in the joy and pleasure that the animal brings into your life, but the many health benefits that come with the territory!