Cats are happiest when they’re at home. But on occasion, we need to transport them for short trips to the veterinarian or longer trips when we’re moving. How do we make the trip as comfortable as possible for our homebody pets?

Choose a good pet carrier

Cats don’t like being confined, but they do like to feel secure. A pet carrier with solid walls helps your cat feel protected. In addition to providing ventilation, holes in the sides and a grated door allow your cat to see some of her surroundings while she’s in the carrier.

Make sure that the door latches securely and that the carrier is sturdily built. A handle on the carrier makes it easier to carry and to fasten to a car seat.

Soft-sided carriers are easier to store and to stow under an airplane seat if you’re flying and your cat is allowed in the cabin with you. However, walls that can fold in on the cat while she’s in it can create a frightening experience. If you choose a soft-sided carrier, look for one with walls that don’t collapse too easily, and see how your cat adjusts to it before using it for travel. In most situations, a hard-sided carrier may be a better choice for your cat.

Get your cat accustomed to her pet carrier or harness

If you wait until the day that you and your cat need to go somewhere before introducing her to the pet carrier, your cat will naturally be resistant. Instead, leave the pet carrier out where she can go in and out of it when she pleases. Since cats like to be higher than ground level, it may appeal to her more if you place it on a table or somewhere else off the ground. Put treats or even food in it so that she’ll associate good things with it. With her favorite blanket in the carrier, she may even choose to take naps in it.

After she’s used to her pet carrier, close the door for short periods when she’s in it and walk around with it, being careful to minimize the motion she feels. Give her a treat and plenty of attention afterwards to keep the associations with the pet carrier positive.

If you’re traveling by air, the airline may require you to use an airline animal crate. You can still help your cat become accustomed to being confined beforehand, and you can bring a favorite blanket to put in the flight crate.

If you’re taking your cat just to the veterinarian or another local destination and your cat isn’t difficult to restrain, a harness and leash may work fine. Get your cat used to wearing and being restrained by the harness at home, and check that the harness straps won’t slip if your cat pulls hard to get away.

Get your cat accustomed to car travel

If your cat is a kitten when she joins your family, take her for occasional trips in the car so that she can get used to the sounds, smells, and sensations of car transportation. She may not enjoy it the way dogs do, but if she experiences it enough, particularly when she’s young, she’ll be less stressed about traveling in a car.

Make your cat comfortable for the trip

Make the pet carrier comfortable for your cat. A familiar blanket will provide psychological as well as physical comfort. A favorite toy will add to the comfort level. If you’ll be traveling for more than a short distance, include a bowl of your cat’s usual food and water in a water dispenser.

Don’t put anything heavy or large in the pet carrier — it could injure your cat or cause her to panic when the carrier moves. Also avoid blankets with a weave or holes large enough for your cat’s claws to get caught in.

Help your cat stay calm. Cats can sense when their people are stressed. Stay calm around your cat, and be sure to keep her indoors for several hours before you need to put her in her pet carrier.

When you pick up or interact with your cat, be gentle. Assure her with your voice that everything is fine. Don’t sedate her unless it’s really necessary to do so. If your cat becomes agitated easily, discuss sedation with your veterinarian before the trip.

Give your cat identification

No transportation method is 100 percent safe. In the unlikely event that your cat gets out of her carrier or harness, or that the carrier gets lost in transit, have your cat wear an ID tag with a phone number that you can be reached at. If she has an identification tattoo or a microchip, she’ll be identifiable even if the ID tag is lost.

Keep a current photo of your cat on-hand in case you need it.

Travel by air with cats

Traveling by air is risky for animals — airline cargo holds aren’t designed for live creatures.

Each airline has its own regulations about transporting animals. Some allow small pets in the cabins, some allow animals only as cargo, and some don’t transport animals at all. Those that do allow pets may require a specific type of pet carrier.

If you need to transport your cat by plane, see these pages for more information on flying with pets:

• Tips for Safe Pet Air Travel
• Airline Rules for Travel with Your Cat

Related articles at this site

• Moving Home with Dogs and Cats
• Including Your Pets in a Disaster Plan
• Travel with Dogs

Fluffy meows when she’s hungry, when she wants attention, when she smells food…and sometimes for reasons unknown to us. Her meowing may be conversational, or it may be annoying. Especially when we’re trying to fall asleep at night.

Why cats meow

Except between mothers and kittens, cats don’t usually meow to each other. Meowing is a form of communication that they use with humans. Cats raised with people learn from an early age that meowing is a way to get people to attend to their wants.

Some breeds of cats meow more than others do. Siamese and Burmese cats, for example, are known for their vocalizations.

We probably want our cats to meow to let us know when they want in or out. We expect them to meow when it’s dinnertime. But when cats meow excessively, their meowing may indicate a health or behavior problem.

Excessive meowing and your cat’s health

When cats get old, they may meow more because they’re disoriented, confused, or feeling needy. If they’re meowing more loudly than they used to, they could be losing their hearing and be unable to hear themselves as well at their normal volume.

Cats that haven’t been neutered typically meow a lot when they’re feeling distressed. Females meow to get outside when they’re in heat, and males meow to get to females.

Pain, neurological problems, or major changes such as loss of vision can also cause cats to meow excessively.

If your cat’s excessive meowing is possibly because of a health problem, take your cat to a veterinarian to have your cat checked for any problems. If your cat hasn’t been neutered, the only way to alleviate excessive meowing and the associated distress is to have your cat neutered.

Excessive meowing and behavior problems

Cats learn through experience that repeated meowing gets them what they want. They will stop if they get what they want or if they learn that their continued meowing no longer gets them their intended results.

First, identify what your cat wants. Is your cat bored? Lonely? Hungry? Anxious? Notice the timing of the excessive meowing episodes. If they happen after you’ve been away for a long time, your cat may be lonely and bored. If your cat goes into a meowing frenzy in the middle of the night, she’s probably wide awake and ready to play.

Second, meet your cat’s needs when she isn’t meowing. Give her more attention if that’s what she craves. Play with her and give her lots of exercise just before you go to bed so that she’ll be tired and more likely to sleep during the night. Feed her at regular times so that she’ll know when to expect meals.

Third, don’t give her any attention when she is meowing excessively. Even negative attention must be avoided during such times because it reinforces the behavior — meowing gets results. If she meows a lot during the night, keep her in another room or wear earplugs until she realizes that you aren’t going to get up and give her attention during the night any more.

Related articles at this site

• Cats and Stress
• Understand and Communicate with Your Cat
• Caring for Senior Cats
• Grooming Your Cat

Some cats are playful and affectionate with people. Others bite and scratch. Many cats do both.

Aggression is natural with cats. After all, they are predators by nature. Play is an expression of their predatory behavior. Biting and clawing are also instinctive reactions to protect themselves when cats are afraid or upset.

For more timid cats, their reaction to stressful situations is to retreat.

As humans, we learned how to interact with other people and with animals from our parents, our siblings, our classmates, and our teachers, among other people. Cats also learn socialization skills from their mothers and littermates as well as from their contact with humans. If kittens are separated from their mother and litter too early, or if they grow up with limited or no human contact, socialization is more difficult — but still possible.

Socialization during kittenhood

The more people and situations that cats are exposed to as kittens, the more comfortable they’ll be with a variety of people and situations. Their personalities and preferences are shaped largely by their experiences when they’re young.

Have your kitten spend time with different people, both adults and children. When meeting new people is a normal occurrence, it’s less likely to be a stressful experience. Encourage visitors to pet your kitten and to play with her. Younger children should be supervised when handling pets to keep the experience a positive one for both the child and the kitten.

Introduce your kitten to other animals. If your household already has other pets, your kitten will adjust to being with them. With or without other household pets, your kitten will still benefit from exposure to other cats and to dogs that aren’t aggressive toward cats. If a friend or neighbor has a puppy, both animals could benefit from time spent together during their more formative months. As with young children and pets, time that animals spend together should be supervised until it’s clear that the animals get along.

Teach your kitten good play habits. Use toys for the objects to be attacked, not your hands. When she uses her claws or teeth in play, withdraw from playing immediately. She’ll learn fast that teeth and claws don’t belong in playtime involving human contact.

Avoid playing too roughly and overstimulating your kitten. To satisfy your cat’s prey instinct, also play with her using toys. She may be happy with toys that she can bat around with her paws and bite into. For more fun, let her chase toys by dragging them around on a string. Or make the string or an old belt a toy in itself.

Handle and groom your kitten. Kittens that are accustomed to being handled and groomed are less likely to react badly if a stranger picks them up or if matted hair needs to be removed. Hold and pet your kitten every day.

Take your kitten to a veterinarian. Routine veterinary visits allow kittens to become accustomed to the sights and sounds in a veterinary clinic, the way the veterinarian handles them, and the ride there and back.

When socialization with humans isn’t easy

Socialization can be difficult when cats haven’t been taught proper cat behavior or when they haven’t grown up with positive interaction with humans. With time, patience, and care, however, they can still learn and adjust.

Recognize your cat’s limits. A few minutes of petting may be all that your cat wants. When her body language tells you that she’s had enough — flickering tail, flattened ears, perhaps a growl — stop. Watch her when visitors are petting her so that you can point out signals that they may not recognize. If she’s frightened by people she doesn’t know, let her stay away when visitors are present. When she’s ready, she’ll come to them on her terms.

Reinforce positive behavior. Praise your cat or kitten during playtime when she doesn’t use her teeth or claws. If she exposes her teeth or claws during contact with you, stop playing. Ask other people to do the same. If she is shy, give visitors treats to give to her as a reward when she approaches them.

Related articles

• Grooming Your Cat
• Understand and Communicate with Your Cat
• Games Animals Play
• Can Cats and Dogs Live Together?
• What Children Learn with and from Pets
• Cats and Babies
• Cats and Stress

You vaccinate your dog or cat for rabies. Distemper. Feline leukemia. Or do you? If you do, how often? If you don’t, why not? The answers to these questions are less clear-cut than they were a decade ago.

How vaccinations work

Vaccines contain small amounts of bacteria, viruses, or other organisms from the disease they protect against, but which have been modified so that they won’t cause that disease. After an animal is vaccinated, the vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies to fight against it. With these antibodies present, the immune system should be able to protect the animal against the disease if the animal is later exposed to it.

The protection created by the reaction to the vaccine is reduced over time, which is why booster vaccinations are needed.

The risks versus the benefits

Anyone who has had a pet die from a preventable disease can tell you about the benefits of vaccinating your dog or cat. Unfortunately, vaccinating your pet can sometimes be harmful. Vaccines can cause side effects, such as a lump at the injection site, reduced appetite, fever, vomiting, or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Some cats develop cancerous tumors at the sites of rabies or feline leukemia vaccinations.

With animals that have had reactions to vaccines, it’s best not to give the animal more than one vaccine at a time. The reaction may be less with only one vaccine to deal with. If there is still a reaction, you’ll be able to see which vaccine your pet is reacting to.

In addition, animals should be vaccinated only when they are healthy. Animals that aren’t well may not have a strong enough immune system to be able to handle the vaccine.

Vaccines do not provide complete immunity to the diseases they’re made to protect against. Even when your pets have been vaccinated, it may still be possible for them to contract the diseases that the vaccines were for. Sometimes vaccines protect, and sometimes they don’t — and we don’t know which animals they’ll protect when we vaccinate our pets. The statistics concerning how effective vaccines are depend on who you talk to.

Vaccines and disease risk factors

How is the disease that the vaccine is for spread? How likely is your pet to come into contact with animals that have that disease?

We can reduce the risks associated with vaccines by considering which vaccinations our pets need and which ones they don’t need. Indoor cats, for example, don’t need to be vaccinated against diseases that are passed through direct contact. Most animals don’t need to be vaccinated against conditions that don’t exist in their area. An exception may be show animals, which travel and are in contact with animals from other areas.

Vaccination frequency

Between the options of vaccinating our pets annually and not vaccinating them at all lie other choices.

A yearly booster shot for many diseases is not considered necessary any more. Many vaccines last much longer than one year. Vaccination intervals of about every three years are now recommended for some vaccines, or a blood test can be done to assess the level of the pet’s antibodies. A problem with this test is that it can’t test the effectiveness of the animal’s immune system. On the other hand, yearly vaccinations haven’t been proven to be necessary.

Another approach is to vaccinate puppies and kittens when they’re young (but not younger than three months), perhaps give them one or two booster shots, and then stop. The vaccines may continue to be effective for many years, and you’re sparing your pet the risk of repeated vaccinations.

When you discuss vaccinations with your pet’s veterinarian, consider the risks your pet faces in your area. Consider also your pet’s health and living situation. Whatever you decide, your pet should still have annual examinations to help identify and prevent health problems.

Fluffy or Fido has developed a lump. You observe your cat or dog having difficulty when chewing. Your pet doesn’t want to play any more. The diagnosis: cancer.Dog, cats, and other mammals are susceptible to many of the diseases that humans get, cancer included. With advances in veterinary medicine, our pets are living longer, which increases their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. The good news is that cancer treatment for pets has advanced at the same pace as cancer treatment for people.

Warning signs of cancer in pets

The warning signs listed here could be caused by other conditions, not just by cancer. Whatever their cause, early treatment increases the odds of success. Take your pet to your veterinarian if you see any of these signs:

Pet appearance and smell

• A lump or sore that won’t heal or go away
• An abnormal swelling that grows
• Difference in testicle size
• Bleeding or discharge from a body opening
• Weight loss despite eating
• Lameness or stiffness
• An odor

Pet behavior

• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Not eating for more than a day or two
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty urinating or defecating
• Fatigue — tiring easily and lacking energy
• Depression
• Appetite loss
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Coughing

Pet cancer diagnosis

If your cat or dog has a tumor or other visibly affected area, your veterinarian will aspirate a few cells from the area and examine them under a microscope. The presence of any abnormal cells means that the next step in diagnosis is a biopsy — removal of a tissue sample for microscopic examination. After the tissue has been examined under a microscope, the tumor can be classified as high-grade (fast-growing), intermediate, or low-grade (slow-growing).

To find tumors that might not be visible, diagnostic imaging tools can be used, such as X-rays, ultrasound, radiography, scans, and endoscopy. With endoscopy, a small scope is inserted into the body so that internal cancerous masses can be viewed and biopsied. The animal is sedated, but the procedure is less invasive than surgery.

Blood tests are used to look for changes in white blood cells as well as other changes that could point to cancer. In addition, blood tests can detect problems that the treatment itself may be causing.

After a diagnosis of cancer is made, further tests may be necessary to monitor the treatment of the disease.

Cancer treatment for pets

Animals respond differently to cancer treatment than people do. Often a combination of these treatment types is used:

• Surgery is the most effective treatment for most tumors. When tumors can’t be completely removed surgically, other treatments are used in combination with surgery.
• Radiotherapy kills cancerous cells via high-energy X-rays. It’s done as a series of treatments over a few weeks. The most common side effect is hair loss and a sunburn effect around the area of the tumor; severe side effects are rare. Sometimes radiotherapy destroys all the cancer cells. Other times, it just reduces their size enough to allow the animal good health for a long time before the tumor grows again.
• Chemotherapy rarely cures tumors, but it often puts the cancer in remission. It’s typically used for cancer that has spread to other areas and for inoperable tumors. Side effects are less severe than with people.

Special attention to your pet’s nutritional needs helps support your pet’s health. For dogs, Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine n/d has been created specifically to counter the effects of cancer and cancer treatment. The article Nutrition and the Small Animal Cancer Patient has more information on the nutritional needs of cats and dogs with cancer.

Alternative pet cancer treatment

Alternative treatment for cancer in pets may be used to help support the animal’s health while your pet is undergoing conventional treatment, or as a treatment in itself.

• Homeopathic treatments can help stimulate the immune system, prevent and fight cancer, control pain, and prevent side effects from chemotherapy and radiation.
• Nutritional and herbal supplements help your pet’s body fight cancer.

Pet cancer treatment and recovery

Cancer is the leading cause of death in older cats and dogs. However, cancer is sometimes curable, and it is usually treatable. When cancer treatment can’t cure the disease, it can slow its progression and reduce tumor size and related discomfort.

Dogs, cats, and most other pets have much shorter life spans than people do. Treatment that extends the animal’s life by even a year gives a significant increase for an animal with a life expectancy of perhaps 10 to 15 years.

When we provide quality of life along with an increased length of life, we’ve done a lot for our pets.

You want to keep your dog or cat safe in your yard. Perhaps you want to keep the neighbors’ cats and dogs out of your yard. Build a good fence, reinforce it, and design a yard that’s safe and fun for your dog or cat.

How to make fences dog-proof and cat-proof

Dogs find ways to go under, over, or through fences. Some dogs manage to open the gate if the latch isn’t secure. Cats are naturally good climbers, and they can often squeeze through small gaps in fences.

These steps will help keep cats and dogs from getting out of — or in — your yard:

• Check your fence and gate and make any necessary repairs. Fill any gaps that are more than a couple of inches wide.
• If you suspect that your dog can open the gate latch, replace the latch with a sturdier one. To go a step further, add an additional locking system, such as a slide bolt latch or a chain around the gate and the gatepost.
• To stop your dog from digging his way under the fence, put cement blocks under the fence or extend chicken wire from the bottom of the fence to a few feet underground. Give your dog a section of the yard with loose soil and sand to dig in to satisfy his digging urges.
• Put a “Keep gate closed” sign on both sides of the gate to remind people to keep the gate closed.
• If a table or other object is next to or near the fence, some animals will be able to jump over the fence. Don’t leave anything near the fence that animalscould use as a jumping pad. In the winter, clear any snowdrifts that build up near the fence.
• Two types of fence extensions keep dogs and cats from going over the fence (to get out of the yard or into it):
  • An inward extension of the fence made from chicken wire (this may be more effective at keeping cats and dogs in the yard than out of it)
  • An electric wire along the top of the fence

Cats and dogs will be less inclined to try to escape if they’re content. Take your dog for a daily walk, and spend time playing with your dog or cat every day. Leave small cracks or holes in the fence so that cats and dogs can see what’s happening outside the yard. Provide toys for your dog or cat to play with.

Outdoor enclosures for cats and dogs

Sometimes making the whole yard pet-proof isn’t feasible, or you may be concerned about someone taking or harming your pet. Outdoor dog and cat enclosures allow you to build a kennel-like area in the yard where dogs and cats can be outdoors safely.

An online search for “outdoor cat enclosures” or “outdoor dog enclosures” produces links to sites where enclosures for cats and dogs are sold. If the enclosures are built next to the house, a cat door or dog door can allow the animals to go outdoors and indoors whenever they want.

How to make your yard safer for dogs and cats

Tips on making your yard safer for your cat or dog:

• Use only non-toxic pesticides in the garden, and for your lawn, only non-toxic fertilizer.
• Avoid toxic plants in your garden. A list of toxic plants is at the ASPCA Animal Control Center site.
• Mouse or rat poison can kill cats and dogs. If you use it anywhere in your yard or house, make it impossible for dogs or cats to get at it. Check your yard daily for any mice or rats that the poison may have killed. You don’t want your pet having contact with the body of a poisoned animal.
• Clean up dog poop every day. Animals can get parasites and bacterial infections from feces.
• Look at the ground from the point of view of a dog or a cat. Remove any sharp objects that could injure your pet’s feet.

Related reading at this site

• Gardens for People and Gardens for Cats
  How to make your garden unattractive to cats, and how to create a garden just for them.
• Pet Containment: What’s in it for Cats and Dogs?
  An overview of pet confinement systems (wireless or invisible fences) and systems that keep pets from entering off-limits areas.
• How to Pet-Proof Your Home
  Tips on preparing your home for a new puppy, kitten, dog, or cat.

You’re expecting a baby, and you already have a cat in the family. Your friends and relatives are telling you that you can’t keep your cat when the baby arrives. Do cats smother or suck the breath out of babies? Is it safe for cats and babies to live together?No, the old tales are not true, and yes, it is usually safe for babies and cats to share a home.

Do cats harm babies?

Before Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) had a name, babies were sometimes found suddenly dead without an explanation, and a cat might have been in the vicinity. With nothing else to blame, the rumor that cats smother babies circulated. There is no evidence to support this theory, though.

Some cats like to sleep with people, including babies. It’s best not to leave babies or small children alone with cats. The child may unknowingly hurt the cat, and the cat may react with her claws.

Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that people can get from the feces of infected animals, is a risk for pregnant women. Chances are that anyone who has lived with cats for some time has already been exposed to it. If you’re pregnant, it’s best to have your partner clean the litter box to reduce your risk of exposure to toxoplasmosis.

Babies from a cat’s point of view

Think of the situation the way your cat sees it. She’s been your baby and may have been getting all the attention, and then this noisy creature that smells funny comes into the home and diverts attention from you. She may feel sibling rivalry, and she may want to cover up those foreign smells.

On the other hand, if your cat continues to get some attention from you or your partner, she’ll feel less deprived. She might regard the baby as a family member that needs her protection.

As long as your cat gets enough attention and is allowed to feel connected with the baby, she will more than likely accept the baby into the family.

Your baby’s room and your cat

If you allow your cat in your baby’s room, consider getting a crib tent, which is a tent-like netting structure that fits over the crib. It prevents babies from climbing or falling out of cribs — and cats from climbing in.

To keep your cat out of the baby’s room entirely, any of these methods stop the cat from entering the baby’s room:

• Always keep the door to the baby’s room closed when the baby is in the room.
• Put a screen door on the baby’s room so that your cat can see what’s happening without being able to go in.
• Place CatScram silent electronic cat repellent at the door to the baby’s room.

In addition, if the baby’s room is on the ground floor and your cat goes outdoors, put a screen on the window so that your cat can’t enter the room through the window if it’s open.

Preparing cats for a baby in the household

Start preparing your cat for a newborn baby before the baby arrives.

• When you’re getting the baby’s room ready for the baby, allow the cat to explore the room. She’ll be less curious about it after the baby arrives if she’s allowed to investigate it beforehand.
• Bring any flea problems under control, and check with your veterinarian to make sure that the flea treatments are safe in a household with a baby. Have your cat dewormed if she has worms.
• Before the mother and baby come home from the hospital, get the newborn baby’s scent on a towel or cloth to be taken home for the cat to smell. Your cat will then recognize the baby’s scent right away when the baby joins the household.

After the baby comes home

Your cat will probably be curious about the new human in her home. Allow her to sniff the baby or at least the blanket that the baby is wrapped in.

You will naturally have less time to spend with your cat when you have a baby to take care of. Ask your partner to give the cat more attention if possible. When you have visitors, encourage them to pet and play with your cat too.

When the baby starts to crawl, keep cat food dishes and the cat’s litter box out of your baby’s sampling reach.

Always supervise the time that your baby and your cat spend together. With the right preparations, though, babies and cats can become friends.

Fido or Fluffy may be lethargic. Or hyperactive. Eating less and gaining weight, or eating more and losing weight. Feeling cold. Feeling hot.The thyroid gland, which sits against the windpipe, could be responsible. Dogs aged two and up are at risk for developing hypothyroidism, a condition resulting from not enough thyroid hormone. Middle-aged and older cats may develop hyperthyroidism, which happens when too much thyroid hormone is produced. An overactive thyroid (hyper-) speeds up the metabolism and body processes, while an under active thyroid (hypo-) forces everything to slow down.

Hyperthyroidism in particular can be fatal if untreated. Treatment for hyperthyroidism reduces the amount of thyroid hormone, and for hypothyroidism, the treatment is to supplement thyroid hormone.

Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism

Thyroid disease can look like some other health problems. Blood tests and a list of your pet’s symptoms will help your veterinarian diagnose the condition. Only a few of these symptoms may be present.

* Interpreting blood test results

T4 (thyroxine, or tetraiodothyronine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) are the main thyroid hormones. The level of one or both of these hormones is low in hypothyroidism and high in hyperthyroidism. Normal ranges for dogs are breed-specific. The normal level of T4 goes down for cats as they age, so a T4 level in the upper part of the normal range may be fine for a younger cat, but too high for an older cat.

TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, drives the thyroid gland to produce more T4 and T3. When it’s high, it’s working overtime to stimulate the thyroid, which indicates hypothyroidism. Often, though, it isn’t high even when hypothyroidism is present. A too-low TSH level means that the thyroid is producing more than enough hormone, and indicates hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism in dogs is often caused by antibodies. Positive levels of antibodies may be present in hypothyroidism.

Your veterinarian will have preferred tests to do for dogs and cats. Sometimes further testing beyond the standard tests is necessary.

Treatment of canine hypothyroidism

Synthetic T4 hormone, given twice daily, is the standard treatment. Common brand names for dogs are Soloxine, Thyro-Tab, and Synthroid. Some dogs may do better on natural, desiccated thyroid containing both the T4 and T3 hormones; a common brand name is Armour.

After treatment is started for hypothyroidism, blood tests should be redone in about six weeks. Watch for symptoms to change. You may see the beginnings of improvement within in a week, while some problems may take months to improve. Treatment is for life.

Treatment of feline hyperthyroidism

Your veterinarian can help you choose between the three standard types of treatment. If your cat has kidney disease, the only option is medication, since the other two treatments may worsen kidney failure and are irreversible.

Look for changes in one to three weeks, and ask your veterinarian when to return for follow-up blood tests.

Radioactive iodine (I-131) treatment

When radioactive iodine is injected into a hyperthyroid cat, it destroys abnormal thyroid tissue, but it doesn’t harm the rest of the body.

Advantages:

• It cures feline hyperthyroidism in 90 percent or more of cases.
• It’s permanent.
• No surgery is required.

Disadvantages:

• Cats must be isolated at a special clinic for about one to two weeks after treatment.
• Cats must be kept away from small children and pregnant women for up to two weeks after they return home, and their litter box contents require special disposal during this period.
• Possible side effects are decreased renal function in cats with kidney disease, and hypothyroidism.
• It’s expensive.

Surgery to remove affected thyroid gland tissue (a thyroidectomy)

Advantages:

• It requires hospitalization for only one day, and not much follow-up care.
• It’s permanent.
• No isolation is required.

Disadvantages:

• It risks damage to the neighboring parathyroid glands.
• Hyperthyroidism may recur even after surgery.
• It’s expensive.

Antithyroid medication

Methimazole (brand name Tapazole) is the usual medication.

Advantages:

• Surgery or separation from your cat isn’t necessary.
• The initial cost isn’t high.
• It comes in pill, liquid, and gel form, so the dose is easy to titrate.

Disadvantages:

• It must be given two or three times daily for the rest of the cat’s life.
• It costs hundreds of dollars a year.
• If the cat has a thyroid tumor (the most common cause of feline hyperthyroidism), the tumor may continue to grow.
• Tapazole occasionally has (sometimes temporary) side effects, such as vomiting and appetite loss. Less common side effects include lethargy, hair loss, liver damage, anemia, bone marrow suppression, and decreased white blood cell counts.

Your role in treating your dog’s or cat’s thyroid condition

Your pets can’t describe how they’re feeling, so you’ll need to do this for them. Know the signs of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism so that you’ll recognize them if your dog or cat is overtreated or undertreated. Regular blood tests will also help monitor your dog’s or cat’s thyroid condition.

With adequate treatment, you can expect your hypothyroid or hyperthyroid pets to live a normal, healthy life.

Cats and gardens go together like…well, it depends on who the garden is for. To cats, gardens are a little piece of heaven. Fresh soil makes a perfect litter box, and seedlings that get uprooted in the digging process are of no consequence to them. You may not want your cat in your garden, and if the cats in your garden aren’t your cats, you probably like having them there even less.The solution? Make your garden unattractive to cats, and give them a garden of their own.

A garden not for cats

You can build a fence around your garden, but cats can climb over most fences. Spraying water at cats usually (but not always) sends them in the opposite direction, but it works only when you’re there with hose in hand. Motion-activated sprinklers go into action when people as well as animals approach the garden.

Mothballs in the garden may deter cats, but they contain pesticides. At high levels, mothballs have been known to cause liver and kidney tumors in animals. Both paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene, the active ingredients, may be linked to cancer. Another problem is that children may mistake mothballs for candy and play with them, or ingest them.

Safer cat-deterrent garden strategies:

• Grow plants that cats don’t like the odor or texture of
• Sprinkle substances in the garden that deter cats
• Put objects in the garden bed that make it unappealing for cats to dig or sit

Some plants may also be toxic to animals. Lists of plants that are safe or poisonous for cats are at plants-and-your-cat.com and i-love-cats.com.

Websites and discussion forums about gardens and cats have lists of methods that people have found successful. You might not want to grow, sprinkle, or see all of these in your garden, and not all cats are repelled by all the items listed below. Citrus scents in particular deter only some cats. Boundary Cat & Dog repellent granules, on the other hand, are effective as well as cheap and attractive. A combination of techniques produces the best results.

We’ve compiled some of the methods, sorted by type:

* You may need to resprinkle these periodically, especially after rain.

A garden for cats

An outdoor garden area with everything that cats love may keep them away from your garden. For indoor cats, a smaller version with the following can be a windowsill cat garden:

• Loose soil (this is what cats are mainly interested in)
• Sand
• Small bark mulch
• Catnip: one type or various types
• Grass: regular grass that’s long enough to chew on, lemon grass, oat grass, sweetgrass, and wheat grass
• Jacob’s Ladder
• Cat Thyme (similar to catnip in how it affects cats)

The gardens of…

Peace. For both you and your feline friends. When they have a cat-friendly garden just for them, they may not even venture near your garden. If they do — once — they probably won’t return if you take steps to make it unfriendly to their sensitivities.

Why adopt an adult cat or dog?First, they’re kittens and puppies. They wiggle and totter and fall in love with us as we fall for them. Kittens and puppies remind us what it’s like to start on life’s great adventures, but they require a lot more work than adult cats and dogs do. They make messes on your floor, they scratch and chew on your furniture, and they pull at your drapes and your patience.

Grown dogs and cats have already Been There, Done That. They understand the basic rules of life, and they know that you’ll teach them whatever else they need to learn. They’ve already developed into what they were going to be, but they still have plenty of love to give.

Puppies and kittens can almost always find a home. Older dogs and cats often can’t. If you adopt an adult dog or cat, you’ve not only bypassed the puppy and kitten accidents and training, but you’ve got yourself an appreciative, mature companion. As the bond between you grows, you’ll remember that you helped give your pet new life.

Where to find a dog or cat to adopt

• Newspaper classifieds often have ads for older animals that need new homes. If you visit pets in their current homes, you’ll get a good idea of their temperament and how they interact with different people. You’ll also be able to discuss their needs with the people who know them best.
• Animal shelters such as the SPCA have lots of grown dogs and cats waiting for adoption. While it’s more difficult to assess their personalities when they’re in an unfamiliar setting, you’ll see a variety of animals to choose from.Links to websites for animal shelters and rescue organizations throughout the US are in the Odor Destroyer Pet Resource Directory.
• Animal rescue organizations spend time matching pets with adopters. The rescue volunteers will be able to describe the animals’ personalities and what type of home is the most suitable for each cat and dog. They’ll probably have a questionnaire for you to fill out, and they may ask for references. Some dog rescue organizations take in all breeds and mixed breeds, while breed rescue organizations rescue purebred dogs of a specific breed. Cat rescue organizations are sometimes breed specific, but the majority rescue all kinds of cats.To find an animal rescue organization in your area, see in the Odor Destroyer Pet Resource Directory. Or, do an online search for “dog rescue” or “cat rescue” and the name of your city. Include a breed name in the search if you’re looking for a specific breed.

How to choose an adult dog or cat to adopt

Purebred dogs and cats

If you plan to adopt a purebred pet, research the breed as you would do when adopting a puppy or kitten. Consider the breed’s needs for space, companionship, and other breed-specific requirements. Some dogs require professional grooming, for example. Others may be too aggressive for children, or need more exercise than you can provide. Cat breeds also each have their own characteristics.

All varieties of dogs and cats

When you meet dogs and cats that are available to be adopted, learn their history if possible. Some animals prefer to be “only” pets, while others enjoy the company of other animals in their home. Why was the cat or dog given up for adoption? Does the animal have health problems that require extra medical care or special food? Consider both your budget and your available time to take care of the pet’s needs.

Cat and dog behavior

Observe a potential adoptee dog’s behavior with different people — male and female, and adults and children, including household members if possible. Does the dog appear to be friendly, aggressive, dominant, submissive, fearful? These traits may or may not be problems, depending on your experience with dogs and your situation. See if you can take the dog for a walk to get to know him in a different environment, more than once if possible.

Cats are happiest when they’re in a place they consider home, so they tend to be more stressed when they’re in a shelter. Give cats time to respond to you, and ask their caregivers about their personalities. Some are more independent and aloof, some crave affection, some tend to be playful, and some are more loyal or easygoing than others.

Who to bring home

The goal is to find a cat or dog that can become part of your family. Research different breeds if you’re looking for a purebred animal, spend time with animals you’re considering adopting, and learn the animals’ backgrounds. Having to return an animal to a shelter or rescue is hard on the animal and on the family. A well-considered adoption, on the other hand, can be the beginning of a bond that grows for years.