Protecting Your Indoor Kitty

The other day I was walking my dog in our favourite off-leash beach, and I noticed a strange-looking baby stroller go by. It was completely covered and had a window screen at the front to allow its occupant a view. Not quite.

To my surprise, it turned out the occupant wasn’t Bubble Boy, but a large tabby cat.

I’d seen elderly dogs wheeled around, but a cat? For cat owners, there is no controversy more ongoing than the question of whether or not to allow one’s favourite feline outdoors. Some will go to great lengths to make up for indoor confinement, such as the owner of this tabby did, wheeling her big guy around in a covered stroller to get his fresh air and entertainment for the day.

It doesn’t stop there.

The owner of an indoor cat can purchase cat-proof fencing, outdoor cages, runs, pens and harnesses to keep their little prowler properly contained while outside. The belief is that an indoor cat is kept safe from getting lost, stolen, or killed by another animal, or becoming the target of cruelty or an accident, as well as health hazards such as poison, disease and parasites.

The Humane Society of the U.S. estimates the average life expectancy of an outdoor, roaming cat to be 3 to 5 years, while the indoor kitty averages 17-plus years. Though my cat, Mrs. Peel, lived to the ripe old age of 20 and enjoyed moseying around the great outdoors, I can understand the fear.

If anyone has ever seen an animal suffer from ingesting anti-freeze fluid, you’d probably quite happily push your pet around in a stroller for the rest of its life.

Some people even keep their cat indoors to protect other living creatures from their cat, such as the estimated millions of birds that become kitty bait each year. In her wild youth, Mrs. Peel was also a rather skilled and relentless menace to the bird population.

The reasons for denying one’s cat the not-so-great outdoors are therefore plenty. The only argument against it, really, is that it’s worth the risk if kitty’s happiness is at stake. In other words, an indoor life is not a life worth having for a cat, or so goes my own logic. It’s also something of a hassle, especially in summer months when you’d like to leave your doors and windows open.

But let’s say you want to wean your cat off the roaming life and keep her happy indoors? Make the inside of your home appealing, for starters. Create inviting places to lie in the window and bask in the sun; ensure there are scratching posts and clean litter boxes (one per cat) available; keep toys and cat nip around.

And if it becomes impossible for your cat to adapt to the shut-in life, consider all the outdoor options out there for runs, pens, fencing — and of course, the stroller.

Dog Food Homemade

Most dog (and cat) owners are seriously concerned about the safety of the commercial pet food that they are using. With the pet food scares and recalls that are all over the news recently, more and more dog owners want to prepare their own nutritious dog food for their loving companions.


However, a balanced diet for you or I is not the same as the one required by our furry friends. Their nutritional requirements are slightly different and these differences need to be taken into consideration for them to have a healthy balanced diet. The 3 major ingredients are discussed below.

Protein
Dogs require a significant quantity of protein in their diet, whether from a concentrated meat source or some other vegetable protein source. This is the first and foremost ingredient in a dog's diet. Examples of good protein sources would be chicken, beef, lamb (including organ meat) as well as fish, eggs and cheese.

Essential fatty Acids
The second most important requirement is fatty acids. Of these, Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) is the most important as it is the only one that dogs can't make themselves. Examples of good Omega 6 sources would be vegetables, vegetable oils, grains and fruits.

Calcium
Calcium is another important requirement for dogs. They actually need significantly more than their human companions. Examples of good sources of calcium for dogs would be animal bones which they can chew and calcium supplements obtained from vegetable sources.

The disadvantages of calcium from bones are that they may contain disease ("mad cow" disease), have a high amount of phosphorous and contain toxic elements like arsenic, lead, mercury, & radioactive strontium.

Foods to Avoid

There are several foods that you should avoid when making meals for your pet dog.

· Onions and garlic - the thiosulfates in these foods are actually very toxic to animals and can potentially cause the red blood cells to burst resulting in haemolytic anaemia.

· Chocolate and cocoa products - chocolate contains theobromine which can be poisonous to dogs when eaten in large quantities

· Raisins and grapes - large quantities of these can cause liver failure

· Macadamia nuts - small quantities can cause temporary paralysis

· Avocados- the plant and the fruit are toxic to dogs

· Raw meat - the book is out on this one as many people advocate giving raw meat to their dogs.

However, there is a chance that your dog (and you) will get sick from food-born parasites. Remember, if you do feed your dog raw meat, to practice safe food handling procedures. Also practice safe handling of your dog's waste as, although salmonella rarely affects dogs, they can pass it in their feces.

· Cooked poultry bones - these bones can splinter and kill your dog.

If you are thinking of changing your dog's diet to a home made one, you should consult with your dog's veterinarian, just like humans consult a physician for major changes in their diet. He/she is your best source of information on pet nutrition and can advise you on creating a balanced home diet.

Dietary changes should be made gradually as rapid changes in diet can cause stomach upset or discourage your dog from eating. Just remember that to stay fit, healthy and active your dog needs a nutritious and well balanced diet.