Some of the most toxic food for cats include onions & garlic, raw eggs & meat, chocolate, alcohol, grapes and raisins. Avoid feeding your cat table scraps, especially around the holidays, as these may contain potentially toxic ingredients.
In the home, cats are often scared of noisy household appliances, especially if they didn't become accustomed to them as young kittens. Vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, printers, washing machines and hairdryers are common culprits.
This means that washing machines, shouting, music and phones – not to mention fireworks and family parties – are all things cats hate. Being respectful of a cat's sensitive ears may help minimize the problem, but cats are also very good at escaping the loud noise and finding somewhere quiet.
Reasons for a cat being sick include hair balls, eating too much or too quickly, eating new or unusual food, an allergic reaction to food and parasites. Other causes include gastrointestinal conditions, pancreatitis, heat stroke and ingesting poisonous substances.
The number one infectious disease killer of cats in the United States today is Feline Leukemia Virus, or FeLV. FeLV destroys the cat's immune system so that he falls prey to anemia, cancer or infectious diseases that a healthy cat would not get.
Fresh foods, like garlic, onions, chives, and grapes, are poisonous to cats. Likewise, cats should never share your raisins, chocolate, or alcohol. Caffeine from coffee, tea, and soda is especially hazardous to cats, so make sure they stick to water.
Even a fraction of a teaspoon of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) can be a fatal dose for a cat due to its harmful effects on the kidneys. Other examples of highly toxic items (even at small doses) include Lilies for cats, Tulips for dogs, Tylenol (acetaminophen) and other NSAIDS, and rodenticides (rat bait).
Orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus smells), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, & mustard oil.
The second part of the outdoor cat predator problem is that cats are themselves prey. They will be killed by coyotes, eagles, owls, raccoons, dogs and otters. Two cats were killed by an otter when the cats got to close to their nest. Cars and humans also kill cats.
Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous to cats.
Chronic kidney disease is the most common silent killer in cats, and can be genetic. With this disease, 75% of both of your cat's kidneys don't work properly, and there are a few symptoms you can identify: Excessive drinking and urinating.
In most cases, cats catch colds just like people do — through exposure to a virus. According to one veterinary account, almost 90% of cat colds are caused by viruses. However, some bacteria can also cause URIs. Once a cat is infected, it can pass the virus on to other cats, often through sneezing or coughing.
If you know or suspect that your cat has eaten grapes or raisins, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately. You don't need to wait until you see clinical signs to seek help. Grape toxicosis is a progressive illness, so the sooner you treat it, the better.
Cats shouldn't eat ice cream for the same reasons it's not exactly healthy for humans: Ice cream tends to contain lots of sugar and fat that is unnecessary for the feline diet.
Cheese is not a natural part of a cat's diet. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they can only get necessary nutrients from meat. But even though cheese is also high in protein, it can upset a cat's delicate digestive system. The reason for this is that cats don't tolerate dairy very well.
Your cat is expressing her affection for you.
Your cat's licking may be an affiliative behavior, which is a friendly, altruistic behavior. Mothers groom their kittens, and cats may groom one another, which is called allogrooming.
Certainly, cats feel emotions. But jealousy and revenge aren't emotions. They are complex thought processes that are set in motion in response to emotions. Simply put, a cat does not have the brain power for plotting revenge or feeling that an injustice was done to him.