From the Furrie Leader

Hi everyone!

Here we are in mid-summer as the news stories increase about the high numbers of kittens being surrendered to shelters. I heard one radio interview with a Humane Society official in San Jose, California who said they were receiving over 50 kittens a day. Unfortunately, the official indicated that adoptions were not keeping pace with the incoming animals. We have also had many people drop in to the chat rooms and post on the message boards for assistance with orphan kittens or assisting a pregnant stray with delivering and raising her kittens. Despite the efforts of vets, shelters, rescue groups and many pet owners, there are still many people who haven’t spayed or neutered their pets. In order to reduce these astronomical numbers we all need to continue to spread the word on the importance of spay/neuter, both for the health of the animal itself, as well as the general feline population.

Ok, getting off my soapbox and on to some new features available at CatHobbyist! Have you signed up for the free chat reminder email service? We offer 26 hours of hosted chats a week, including Pet Loss and some chats jointly with DogHobbyist. Also new on the chat schedule is our Dog & Cat Health Chat with a couple of our hosts who are vet technicians in real life. They have been very informative in explaining what the results of tests really mean and help demystify some of the cat and dog illnesses. Join us Wednesday evenings at 10 PM ET in the Dog Den. Although they’ve been on the schedule for some time, don’t forget about our late night chats on Thursday and Friday evenings from 11 PM to Midnight ET (8 to 9 PM PT) for those in the western time zones who feel that our other chats are too early. You can view our complete schedule and sign into all our chat rooms here.

I hope you find this edition of the Mewswire informative and enjoyable. Please let me know if there are topics you would like to see in future editions.

Moira O'Connor
PHAbymom
CatHobbyist.com Site Coordinator

NEW At CatHobbyist!

Looking for a cat to adopt, or trying to find a good home for a cat? Be sure to check out the CatHobbyist.com/RescueNetwork Adoption Center!

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Fleas
By Connie Lee
PHTessie

Fleas, fleas, everywhere. Well almost.

There are five types of fleas, Dog Fleas, Cat Fleas, Northern Rat Fleas, Oriental Rat Fleas, and Rabbit Fleas.

Bites, generally found on the legs and ankles, are usually seen as a small, red, swollen spot, with a single puncture, unlike a spider or ant bite which show two punctures.

Adult fleas are not just a nuisance...they can cause medical problems ranging from allergies to tapeworms, to anemia, and even death in very young, elderly or sick animals.. The salivary secretions of fleas can result in a rash. Scratching the area can lead to infection. Fleas can also spread disease, like Bubonic Plague and Typhus Fever. And tapeworms, usually found in cats and dogs, can also be spread to children if parts of infested fleas get into food.

An adult flea has three sets of legs, flattened to ease movement between fur, feathers or hair. The hind legs are enlarged for jumping. A flea can jump as much as seven inches high or up to thirteen inches horizontally.

The flea lifecycle consists of egg, larva, pupae and adult and varies in length from about two weeks up to eight months, depending on conditions. After a blood meal, a female flea lays an average of 15 to 20 eggs, as many as 600 in a lifetime. Eggs hatch in up to two weeks, usually in furniture, under rugs or even crevices such as baseboards. Outdoors, they like sandy or gravely places, crawlspaces under houses, a child’s sandbox..

The larva can take from a couple of weeks to several months to develop, passing through three stages, their food source being organic matter and dried blood from adult flea feces. They avoid light. The pupae mature in a silk like cocoon woven by the larva to which dust, carpet fibers or other debris cling. In a week or two adult fleas hatch. Or, they can stay in the cocoon until they detect the vibrations of movement, pressure or heat in the area, letting them know a food source is nearby. Fleas generally winter in the pupal or larval stage, and grow during a warm moist winter or spring.

After a blood meal, an adult flea can live up to a year without feeding. This is why a return to an empty house after a vacation or other long trip, can be met by what seems a sudden infestation. Eggs hatch and adult fleas remain in the cocoon until they detect a blood source. In a month just 10 females, under ideal conditions, can multiply to as much as a quarter of a million...now that’s a lot of fleas.

The best flea control consists of frequent cleaning, pet treatment and premises treatment, both indoors and outside, with extra attention paid to areas pets frequent. Bedding, entrances and, for cats, don’t forget to check high areas, the tops of cabinets or the refrigerator. Walking through the house with a pair of white socks on is a good way to check for infestation.

For best results, before vacuuming, remove items from floor, shoes, toys, clothes, etc., and from under furniture. Vacuum thoroughly at least every other day. Remove the bag and tie it up in a plastic trash bag and take it out of the house immediately. Don't forget under the furniture, heat and air vents, and along baseboards. Outdoors, keep grass mowed and remove piles of sand, gravel, leaves, or other debris.

Pet owners spend over $1 billion every year on flea control.

There are many flea control products on the market...but be cautious. Talk to your vet before using any product, read and follow directions carefully. A severe infestation may be best dealt with by a professional pest control company.

Flea control is a hard job, but well worth the effort for the safety and comfort of both you and your pets.

Oh No! Not The New Sofa!
By Connie Lee
PHTessie

Why do cats scratch? To the cat, it is a natural and necessary behaviour. To you, the ruination of your furniture.

Cats scratch for exercise. Reaching and stretching helps to tone and exercise muscles. It also removes old sheaths from kittys claws, helping to keep them sharp. Some also think it is a sign of happiness. However, when kitty uses that new sofa or your favorite chair there is no happiness on your part.

So, what can you do? First off a good scratching post. Actually more than one, located in different areas. A vertical scratching post should be tall enough for kitty to get a gooooooooooood stretch, and should have a sturdy, rough surface, like a coarse carpet or sisal rope. A horizontal scratcher is also a good idea, many cats prefer them. And if you have the room, get one that is slanted also..Variety is the spice of life for kittys too. Cat condos also are often designed to serve as scratching posts.

If kitty has never seen a scratching post before, you will probably have to teach her how to use it. Rub the post with catnip leaves or spray with a catnip scented solution. Once you have kittys attention, scratch at the post with your nails. Reinforce good behaviour with petting or treats and kitty will soon get the idea.

As a deterrent to scratching in inappropriate areas, a spray bottle of water or a can of pennies to rattle, will usually work. But you must use them only when caught "in the act" , later and kitty will not know what your problem is...There are several other things you can do to deter inappropriate scratching. Lay aluminum foil on the area, doublesided tape will also work in some cases. A citrus spray, but be sure to test it on a hidden area to be sure it wont harm the fabric. Claw covers, a plastic cover that glues over the claw and lasts about a month. And keep claws trimmed. This will help to prevent tears and snagging.

Yeah, I know, sounds like a lot of work dosen't it? But don't you think your furbaby is worth it?

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