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House Cat : How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound PDF

259 Pages·2005·7.66 MB·English
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House Cat Revised How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound Christine Church House Cat Revised How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound Christine Church Copyright © 2005 by Christine Church. All rights reserved. Howell Book House Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or oth- erwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, E-mail: [email protected]. Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, Howell Book House, and related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accu- racy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a poten- tial source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley prod- ucts, please visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Church, Christine. House Cat : how to keep your indoor cat sane and sound / Christine Church.— Rev. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-7645-7741-7 (pbk.) 1. Cats. I. Title. SF447.C5 2004 636.8—dc22 2004023104 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Revised Edition Book design by LeAndra Hosier All photos by Christine Church, except where noted. Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services Dedication For Taffy, whose life brought sunshine to mine and all who knew her. I am glad I was able to give you sunshine in the end. August 1983–September 2001 For Teisha, who, despite her blindness, could see very clearly into my heart for the ten years she was with me. ??–February 2002 For Candy, thank you for two decades of love and holding your large double paw in my hand at night when I was alone. September 1983–August 2003 And, to Gillie, always the trooper, who battled cancer with a spirit like none other. A true inspiration, you learned to walk on three legs as if you were born to it and you never let illness bring you down. Always happy, always loving. You greeted every stranger with purrs and head-butts and brought smiles to all who met you. I miss how you would grab my manuscript pages as I worked and try to run off with them. You were gone from my life far too soon. June 20, 1992–February 18, 2004 A very special dedication to New England Veterinary Oncology Group (NEVOG), who cared for Gillie with gentle hands and gentle hearts. To Dr. Kim L.Cronin, DVM, DACVIM (oncology), a fantastic vet and wonderful person. And to the receptionists (Sandi, thank you for the laughs) and to the techs. You treated and saw Gillie as one of the family, let- ting him hop around behind the reception desk, always greeting him with big smiles and lots of treats. It made his experience (and the long drive for my brother and me) so much more bearable. I will never forget you. You gave Gillie life, until he chose his own time to move on. Thank you! And to my brother, Correy, for taking the time to bring Gillie and me to each appoint- ment. Thank you! Gillie, June 1992–February 2004 Contents Preface, ix Acknowledgments, xi Introduction, 1 1 Safety in the Eyes of the Cat, 7 Understanding Danger, 8 • Outdoor Dangers, 10 • More Points to Ponder, 18 • Making the Decision, 21 2 Important Introductions, 23 Before Bringing Your New Cat Home, 24 • Cat-Proofing, 26 • Bringing Kitty Home, 32 • Introducing People, 35 • Meeting Other Cats, 38 • Introducing Other Animals, 42 • Carrier Training, 45 • Setting House Rules, 48 • Acclimating Your Cat to the Indoors, 52 v vi CONTENTS 3 Understanding Your Cat’s Mind, 59 When a Cat Is Just Being a Cat, 60 • Stress and Its Causes, 62 • Feline Rivalry, 62 • Loneliness, 69 • Jealousy or a Change in Routine, 72 • Death or Divorce, 73 • Signs of Stress, 74 • Stress Relievers, 78 • The Cat-Friendly Home, 85 4 Bathroom Duty, 89 Litter Box Fillers, 90 • Making Your Choice, 95 • Litter Boxes, 96 • Where to Put the Box?, 98 • Litter Box Liners, 100 • Maintenance and Odor Control, 100 • Toilet Training, 103 • Litter Box Problems, 104 • Training and Retraining, 110 5 The Claws That Scratch, 115 Why Cats Scratch, 116 • The Mechanics of Claws, 117 • Cat Trees and Posts, 119 • One Post or Two?, 125 • Scratching Post Training, 126 • Breaking Bad Habits, 127 • The Declawing Controversy, 129 • Other Alternatives, 131 6 Cat Hair Everywhere, 135 The Cat’s Coat, 135 • Grooming, 137 • Bathing a Cat, 142 • A Healthy Coat, 145 • Home Sweet Cat Home, 145 • Other Cat Messes, 148 7 The Outdoor Indoor Cat, 151 Outdoor Enclosures, 152 • Bringing the Outdoors Indoors, 156 • Leash Training, 156 8 Your Healthy Cat, 161 Know Thy Cat, 161 • The Home Health Exam, 162 • Neutering Your Cat, 165 • Vaccinations, 166 • Common Ailments, 168 • More Serious Ailments, 176 • Caring for a Sick Cat, 179 • Household Emergencies, 184 • Natural Disasters, 193 CONTENTS vii 9 The Lost Cat, 197 What to Do, 198 • What Not to Do, 201 • Preventing Escapes, 202 • Identification, 202 10 Cats in the Kitchen, 207 Good Feline Nutrition, 208 • Canned Food or Dry?, 208 • Feeding Time, 210 • Water, 211 • Obesity, 212 • Finicky Eaters, 214 • Treats and People Food, 216 • Vitamin and Mineral Supplements, 216 • Strange Eating Habits, 217 11 The Aging Cat, 219 Geriatric Changes, 220 • Caring for Your Aging Cat, 223 • Health Problems, 225 • Loss and Grieving, 226 Index, 229

Description:
Indoor cats are not deprived. . .. . . in fact, keeping your cat indoors can add ten or more years to his life. Here's how to add quality to those years. Along with the scoop on litter boxes, creating a cat-safe home, and achieving a truce between cat and couch, this updated edition supplies the lat
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