How to Remove Cat Urine From Carpet - Do This But Not That

By Amy Yang

If you have both a cat and a carpet, then eventually you will need to learn how to remove cat urine from carpet. Urine has to be one of the hardest things to clean out, especially in combination with carpet.

You have probably realized that just blotting it up does not in any way remove the distinctive urine odor. Because it's carpet, blotting it up might take out the urine in the top part of the carpet, but the urine that has been soaked into the carpet pad is still there.

The only effective method on how to remove cat urine from carpet is fighting bacteria with enzymes. It is the bacteria from the cat urine that causes the distinctive odor. Simple blotting will not remove that bacteria. Only enzymes can break it down and completely eliminate the problem.

One word of caution. When cleaning up the litter box or when cleaning small messes, do NOT use anything with bleach! Remember science class in school?

Remember what two chemicals they said NEVER to mix?

Ammonia and bleach!

You should NEVER mix these two together because the combination will produce very noxious fumes that are fatal, as in deathly fatal!

Bleach would be the cleaning agent you're thinking of using and the ammonia comes from your cat urine! A big no-no!

Now back to the how to remove cat urine from carpet with enzymes topic. Not all odor eliminators are created equal unfortunately. Some of the products on the market work to a certain extent but not completely. Some you have to use within a certain amount of days after you open it.

So make sure you read user reviews to make sure it works.

I have been looking into different kinds of odor removers out on the market. I have posted the one that most people have had consistent success with on my website. You can find it by clicking on remove cat urine.

Cat Holiday Safety - 4 Ways to Keep Your Cat Safe During the Holidays

By Debbie Davis

If you own a cat, safety is a continuous and daily commitment that you make as its owner. During the holidays as our schedule becomes busier, strangers (to your cat) come into your home, and as we are required to multi-task more, some safety precautions may fall by the wayside. Don't let that happen to you or your cat. Here are 4 ways to keep your cat safe, especially during the holidays.

Avoid Holiday Plants

Mistletoe and Poinsettias are 2 favorite holiday plants that many people bring into their homes for the holidays. If you have a cat, keep both these plants out of your home. They are both toxic-the Mistletoe more than the Poinsettias, but don't take a chance with either of them.

Clear Away Small Toys

If you are having small children as visitors during the holidays that will bring small toys such as beads, marbles, small game board pieces, make sure your cat is confined to another room or the cage in the same room so it remains safe but feels included in the gathering. Warn children not to feed the cat anything unless you give them permission. After the children have gone, make sure all small pieces that could possibly cause choking have been cleared away before allowing your get to run free again.

Keep Away from People Food

Holiday parties contain a lot of food that is great for people but toxic for cats. Remember your cat can climb to unbelievable heights so make sure that foods that are toxic to cats such as chocolate, tomatoes, green potatoes, garlic, grapes and raisins are contained in pet proof containers. To avoid any possibility of your cat ingesting these foods from the table at a party, or having an unknowing guest feed these foods to your cat, put your cat in his cage with a favorite toy in a room well away from the party, and ask guests who know you have a cat not to go into the room.

Contain Electrical Cords

An increased number of electrical cords are often used during the holidays to light up decorations. Many times they are seen as a new toy to your cat who may be tempted to swat at (and knock over) decorations, chew, or pull-none of which are good. Make sure that you tape cords together to avoid tangling or hanging, or enclose the cords in heavy plastic tubing that can be purchased from most hardware stores and reused each year.

An excellent resource for a HEPA air purifier to remove cat odor, hair, and dander from your home in time for the holidays is offered by PurerAir - the Pet Machine Purifier at http://purerair.com/austin_air_pet_machine.html

How Much Do Persians Cost?

By Dennis Cheesman

When you first consider getting a Persian cat, one of the first things you will want to know is how much you should expect to pay for your Persian. The truth is that there is no pat answer to this question, as the cost of the Persian depends on many variables.

First note that if you find a Persian priced under $200 you probably are not getting a purebred. At the very least, you will be getting a purebred that has no pedigree - and this does happen. The typical cost of a purebred Persian kitten is about $500, but again, this isn't written in stone because many other variables come into play.

When it comes to price, you should know that prices in one area may not be the same as prices in a different area - even if the kittens are comparable as far as bloodlines and such go. As with any type of commodity, the price goes up when there is a greater demand, and the price goes down when there is less of a demand. Typically, the prices charged on the East coast of the United States are higher than those prices charged in the central part of the country or on the West coast.

The time of the year matters a great deal as well. Cats are generally in heat in the early spring and into the summer. This is when the most Persian kittens will be available - Spring, Summer, and even into the fall. However if a litter is born in the winter, you can expect the cost of those kittens to be higher - because there aren't as many kittens available.

If the Persian kitten's parents are registered, this raises the price of the kittens, which will also be registered - or pedigreed. If the parents have won awards, this again raises the price of the kittens, because they are proven to be show quality animals based on their parent's achievements. Show quality Persians always cost more than pet quality Persians.

The color of the kitten and the rarity of that color or pattern can also drive the price up. At the same time, however, if one color is currently more popular than others, which is shown by what the judges seem to favor at the cat shows, the cost of kittens of that color or pattern go up. The health guarantee that the breeder offers will also bring the price up. Good breeders have their kittens checked by a veterinarian, and this also drives the cost of the kittens up.

Overall, with all of these factors in play, one should expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $1200 for a purebred Persian kitten. Older cats typically sell for less, and the Persians that you find at Persian rescue centers and Humane Societies will of course cost even less.

You may also visit our Pets site! Where we have more Pet Articles and related resources!

Cat Pneumonia - An Owner's Guide to Pneumonia in Cats

By D Swain

Pneumonia in cats is a serious condition. It occurs when there is inflammation in the lungs. The condition can quickly become life-threatening as it progresses. As the disease advances, your cat will have more and more trouble breathing. It can effectively be treated if caught early enough.

Causes

The inflammation in the lungs is a condition caused by bacteria. However, this is usually the result of a viral infection that affects your cat's lower respiratory tract. Common viruses that can result in cat pneumonia include feline parainfluenza virus and calicivirus.

Symptoms

Pneumonia in cats is easily noticeable as your feline will appear extremely ill. He will stop eating and drinking which can lead to dehydration, a potentially serious condition. As the disease advances, your cat will have breathing difficulty. Some cats also develop a fever.

Treatment

As mentioned earlier, cat pneumonia is caused by bacteria. Therefore, treatment involves the use of antibiotics. It's important not to discontinue this medication too soon or the bacteria may become resistant. As you already know, some cats with this condition experience trouble breathing. These cats will need to be provided with supplemental oxygen.

When your cat goes back home with you from the vet, there are a few things you can do to make him more comfortable. Make sure he has a warm, dry place to rest. If you can, you should also be a humidifier in the room. You will also need to prevent your cat from exercising too hard, or he may experience more trouble breathing.

Pneumonia in cats is a serious condition, but it can be treated effectively. There are many other cat illnesses that can affect your beloved pet. It's best to learn the causes, symptoms, and treatments of some of these conditions so you can protect your cat. So, stop by cat-illnesses.com today to learn about some of these conditions like feline arthritis.

Watch Your Choice of Kitty Litter

By Karen Mckee

What started all this was I took Misty to the Vet for an eye issue on Sept. 14,2008. She had scratched her eyeball and the vet gave me an eye ointment to treat her. She has been fine until about two weeks ago. Misty has been "snoring" at night. Then she started wheezing last week during the day. As her care giver, I used her visit to the vet as a starting point to back-track what had changed in her life.

The first thing I did was wash her "blanky" that was in the cat carrier that accompanied to the vet. My first step was to put the cat carrier and her "blanky" in the closet where she could not access it. Three days passed but the wheezing was increasing. So, I went back and thought about what else I had changed in her life. I bought the same food, but I had run by a local convenience store and picked up cat litter. AWWWW! The cat litter.

For the last 7 years I have used the same brand of cat litter. Three weeks ago I picked up a different brand- I admit only because it was convenient for ME, and guess what! The cat litter was the only change in her life that I HAD MADE ON HER BEHALF. Man do I feel bad!

My husband and I started researching cat allergies on the internet at 3:00 in the morning. WHO KNEW- cats can have allergies just like us!. The first advice was to take a wash cloth soaked in hot water and wash her down from head to toe. Meanwhile, Steve-my husband- was conducting his own experiment in the bathroom. He had taken the cat litter I bought and stuck his hand in it. It came out covered in DUST. Running into the living room, he said "look at this!" I thought OKAY, if Misty is in the litter box and stirring up the "dust" by covering her business, she's not only breathing this dust in, but her paws are covered in it and when she grooms herself; she's licking her paws and swallowing the dust as well.

The solution was not only to change her cat litter to a NON DUST cat litter, but I took a wash cloth, soaked in warm water and washed her down from head to toe. I figured if my husband stuck his hand in the bag of cat litter and it came out covered in dust; then, when Misty washed herself not only was she breathing in the dust, she was also licking it to clean her paws to clean herself.

Man- do I feel like a fool, going for cheap, and convenient on my cat's behalf I may have harmed her. Good news is she's fine now and on the road to recovery.

I guess the point of this article is what's best and convenient for us is not always best for our cat family members who have no voice, and can't tell us what's bothering them. We have to be their guardians and care givers.

Karen Mckee-proud pet owner of Misty

How to Tell If Your Cat is Sick

By John Sommer

It is very important for you to be close to your cat. Know what their normal everyday habits are. Pay attention to how much they eat and how often.

It is important to know these things, because if you don't know them you will not be able to realize if something is wrong and they are acting differently.

If you have a cat that is normally overactive and even somewhat hyper and then one day they just lie around and do nothing there is a good chance that there is something bothering your pet.

Do You Know The Symptoms?

Knowing the symptoms of certain feline illness is also a deciding factor of getting your cat help in time or losing them to a possible disease.

For example knowing that weight loss, frequent vomiting, and increased thirst and urination are all symptoms of feline diabetes would enable you to get them the help they need before it is too late.

Your cat can not tell you that something is wrong. They can't walk up to you and say "I am just not feeling right today." It is your responsibility to take care of them and to know when they are not feeling like they should be.

Pay attention to your cat's liter box, if you ever see that your cat is having problems relieving themselves, than you know there is something wrong.

Checking The Litter Box

If you see that your cat is in the litter box more or less often these are also signs of possible illness. When it is painful for your cat to use his box he will become irritated and his personality will change for the worse. All of these are subtle little changes and it takes a watchful eye to pick up on them.

A cat's coat, nose or eyes are also telling symptoms of problems. A cat's fur is just a reflection of what is going on, on the inside. Their fur should be healthy looking and thick. If you notice that your cat is losing a lot of hair at once or suddenly has bald spots then you need to take them to the VET immediately as these can be signs of almost every problem a cat can have.

If your cat has more eye or nose draining than normal there is something wrong also. If the cat looks like he has been crying have the vet check out his sinus. It is just a mild problem as opposed to kidney failure which also shows through the leaking eyes and runny nose symptoms.

When brushing your cat make a special point out of feeling along the cat's limbs. Any new bumps or lumps could indicate cancer. If there are changes like these then it is better to let your vet determine how serious they are and what risk it inflicts on your cat.

It is very important that you are not too embarrassed to talk to your vet. Never feel like you are over reacting, your vet is there to help you and your pet. They understand that it is better to be safe than sorry. If you live by that motto, than your cat should live a long healthy life.

No matter how old your cat is they are still like newborn babies. If you had any reason at all to think your new baby was sick you wouldn't hesitate to take it to the doctor at every little cough or sneeze.

By thinking like this you create the difference between whether a sick cat recovers or dies. Taking the time to connect with your cat, and paying attention to it will not only build a strong unbreakable bond between the two of you, it could also save a life.

John Sommer is a successful consultant and publisher of The VIP Pet Insurance Guide. He provides valuable reviews of all the major insurance companies and VPI Insurance in general. You can research everything in your pajamas on his website.

Attacking Ankles

By Doris J Canova

Attacking ankles and sudden biting are most often associated with your cat's aggression but there may be a reasonable explanation. Cats have a strong natural desire to hunt and they are taught by their mother how to do it. Now here is where the problem starts. Inside the house, there isn't much to satisfy this desire to hunt. Mice, fleas, bugs of all sorts, spiders and the like are all that the cat has to hunt, and other attractive prey are scarce indoors.

They have to make do with what they have so that may mean that they will hide out and when you least expect it, with attacking ankles and other moving body parts of their human counter parts. In some cases you can provide an appropriate toy to help him with the problem of wanting to hunt something. Remember that cats have this urge to hunt instilled in their being. So when you walk by he may see you as a target, and well attacking ankles is just fun to him.

Toys that work in a lot of cases are furry balls on a string, wand, or attached to a small fishing rod for efficient "casting" and interesting motion as it is reeled in. There are other things you could try like a wind up mouse or a battery operated toy that moves on its own. If your children have a radio controlled car and your cat is not afraid of it that may work to satisfy the urge to hunt. Some people just tie a toy on a string and drag it thru the house so that the cat will attack the object and making it a better target in stead of attacking ankles to bite at.

These activities will also give the cat a lot of exercise which is a good release of pent up energy, and will be especially beneficial if you just happen to have a kitten. Most cats will outgrow this behavior by the time they are a couple of years old. They are much better if given other objects to attack and can get enough exercise. If your cat doesn't respond to any of these suggestions, it might be a good idea to consult with your vet and see if they may have an idea as to why this is still going on and what can be done to stop the cat from attacking ankles.

NOTE: This article is for information only. See your veterinarian for medical advice.

We plan to post articles that are informative and helpful to other cat lovers. Having been "owned" by cats for years, we know they can be demanding, but also be very entertaining and fun. Best House Cat Care Visit our website for products your cat may enjoy http://www.besthousecatcare.com