Topics below: Skin ailments, fleas, litter and teeth.
Kitty Skin Problems Solved
Sarah Bell had skin allergies which resulted in horribly irritated skin. After many years of frustration and trying every product, we have solved the problem.
We learned that cats can have allergies to airborne things and flea bites. Their skin can be soothed with regular oatmeal baths which moisturizes the skin and removes the irritating material left by the fleas when they bite. This works better than all the different ointments, food additives, hot spot sprays and other things we've tried. After some research we have concluded that fleas must be kept away and the air kept clean as well as keeping the skin and fur soothed and clean. Cats, it turns out, can be very meticulous about getting rid of fleas, but not irritants left by the bite. One might be lead to believe that the cat has no fleas and thus the skin sores from something else. There are several new flea products that work very nicely at keeping fleas away from your cat and as a bonus, out of your home and off you and your family. Our current routine is to groom Rosie, and Sarah Bell, once a month and apply Advantage to each. The other part is to vacuum often and hose down the yard regualrly. Water kills flea eggs! We also filter the air and our drinking water. It turns out that chlorine in the water is a big irritant to little kitty noses. We are now flea free and skin problem free after six or so years of struggling with terrible, itchy kitty skin problems!
The kitty commode and the little chunks of clay all over your house
The second health issue is regarding the touchy subject of litter boxes. I have read with increasing horror about the properties of scoop litter and the health problems it can cause. When Sarah Bell had sudden onset of diabetes caused by a cortisone shot given her for the aforementioned skin problems. I noticed that she was suddenly using the litter box a lot and creating giant bricks of scoop litter due to the enormous amount of water she was drinking and passing. We needed to get a different type of litter and fast. We found Litter Green which worked out fairly well until we couldn't find it anymore. I searched the web in an attempt to find the manufacturer and found another non-clumping litter. I read all about it, tried it out and am very pleased with it. It is called Feline Pine. (Link to their web page if you would like to know more.) What I like about it is the clean smell (pine oils eliminate odor and germs), and lack of dust and tracking!!!!! The fact that Feline Pine litter is compostable and made from an after milling source that would otherwise go to waste is also good for our planet. Good news, PetCo and Ralphs carry Feline Pine.
UPDATE: We are now using the Swheat Scoop kitty litter. This litter has the clumping feature without clay. It is made from wheat so there is minimal dust and smell. The clumping is nice because the urine can be removed easily. It is not always easy to find, but Target usually has it and so does PetCo. It is much less expensive at Target, however. Read more about Sweat Scoop using the above link.
Please note that we aren't paid for these endorsements, we just like passing along our experiences for the benefit of others.Diabetes in Pets
We had a difficult time finding information on this, but we did find out that pets can get diabetes. Sarah Bell had sudden onset triggered by the cortisone shot given her for her skin. We were not informed of this possibility at the time of the shot. We only discovered it because of teh enormous amounts of water she was drinking. When I called the vets' office they said the cortisone shot can cause this. So please ask your veterinarian about this before you allow a cortisone shot. Giving Sarah Bell insulin shots twice a day and taking her in for blood tests twice a week was no fun and it was scary seeing her so sick. Luckily, Sarah Bell has been in remission for quite some time. And now she feels so good that she gets into a playful mood every evening when we dangle ribbons and toys or roll her little play balls across the floor for her to chase.
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