Is Your Cat Stressed Out? 3 Tips To Comfort Your Kitty

Unbeknownst to you, your cat might be silently wrestling with stress. Yes, stress can be a real problem for your cat. Cats do not like change! They love a schedule and consistency and anything that disrupts their routine can cause them to become stressed. In their own unique way, they may be trying to tell you that they are stressed, but the signs may go unnoticed. It is important to be vigilant in deciphering their subtle language and recognize the signs of stress. You can then explore their cause and find ways to relieve it.

Signs Your Cat May Be Stressed Out 

Watch for any of these signs your cat has anxiety or is stressed:

Changes in Behavior: If your cat suddenly becomes more withdrawn or unusually clingy, it could be a sign of stress. If they are spending more time hiding under furniture or in closets than usual, it could also be a sign that something is bothering them. If your cat seems unusually restless, pacing around the house displaying nervous behavior or increased aggression or hostility towards people or other pets may indicate stress. 

Vocalization: Some cats may vocalize more when they're stressed, meowing excessively or making other distress sounds like hissing and growling.

Loss of Appetite or Overeating: Stress can affect a cat's eating habits. Some cats may lose their appetite and eat less, while others may overeat as a coping mechanism.

Litter Box Issues: Changes in litter box behavior, such as urinating or defecating outside the litter box, can be a sign of stress. Your cat might be trying to communicate their discomfort with their environment.

Excessive Grooming or Self-Mutilation: Cats may groom themselves excessively when stressed, leading to hair loss or skin irritation. In severe cases, they may even resort to self-mutilation, such as licking or biting at their skin.

Changes in Sleeping Patterns: Stress can disrupt a cat's normal sleep patterns. They may sleep more than usual or have trouble sleeping, leading to insomnia.

Physical Symptoms: Stress can manifest in physical symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or respiratory problems. If you notice any unusual symptoms, it's essential to consult your veterinarian. They may also show these bodily signs: 

Immobility - may become immobile, sitting in a fixed posture for long periods of time.

Body – crouched directly on top of all fours, shaking and tail close to the body

Belly – not exposed, rapid breathing

Head – lower than the body, motionless and whiskers back and maybe drooling

Eyes – fully open and pupils fully dilated
Ears – fully flattened back on the head

Three Tips To Ease Your Cat's Anxiety and Stress

1. Create a Safe and Comfortable Environment:

• Provide your cat with a quiet and secluded area where they can retreat to when they feel stressed. This could be a cozy bed in a low-traffic area or a hiding spot such as a covered cat bed or a cardboard box with a blanket inside.

• Ensure that your cat has access to their essentials such as food, water, litter box, and toys in this safe space.

• Use pheromone diffusers or sprays like Feliway, which contain synthetic versions of calming cat pheromones, to help create a calming atmosphere in your home.

2. Implement Relaxation Techniques:

• Engage in interactive play sessions with your cat using toys such as feather wands or laser pointers. Play can help reduce stress and anxiety by providing mental and physical stimulation.

• Try gentle grooming sessions with a soft brush or grooming glove. Many cats find grooming relaxing and it can help strengthen the bond between you and your cat.

• Consider incorporating calming activities such as gentle massage or providing a warm blanket or heated bed for your cat to curl up on.

• Give Happy Paws Drops a try. This product provides a gentle, harmonizing effect on pets. It works over time to help your stressed pet "cope" better with triggers that cause anxiety.

3. Establish Routine and Predictability:

• Cats thrive on routine, so try to maintain a consistent daily schedule for feeding, playtime, and other activities.

• Minimize sudden changes in your cat's environment whenever possible. If you need to make changes, introduce them gradually to give your cat time to adjust.

• Provide your cat with plenty of mental stimulation by offering puzzle feeders, interactive toys, or rotating their toys regularly to keep them engaged and prevent boredom.

Many Cats And Dogs Can Live Together Peacefully

There might be some truth to the phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” and it might even lead you to believe that cats and dogs cannot live together, but that is simply not true! Many cats can coexist and even have a strong bond with their canine companion, especially when they are raised together from an early age.  Some breeds such as Siberian Huskies may view cats as prey and so the combination isn't generally a great idea but there are plenty of cases where it has worked when the husky was raised from puppyhood with a cat.  Other breeds such as Golden Retrievers and Labradors don't seem to have an issue at all.  It all just depends upon the breed, temperament of the pets and age at which they are brought together.  For the most part, many cats and dogs can live a happy life together!

Natural Treatments For Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) in Pets

Our hearts go out to the Kim family on their loss of sweet Freckles who passed away from Canine Congestive Heart Failure.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is when the heart cannot deliver enough blood to the body and fluid backs up into a pet’s lungs and abdomen, putting pressure on the heart. It is a progressive disease that can be caused by a variety of reasons, including: high blood pressure, heart defects, heartworms to name a few.  Unfortunately, in most cases, CHF cannot be cured. However,  you can provide treatment for your pet which can help improve their life span and quality of life.

Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

• Easily tiring after exercise
• Bluish discoloration of the tongue
• Sudden collapse
• Difficulty breathing
• A persistent dry cough
• Accumulation of fluid in the lungs, leg or abdomen
• May have a hard time settling down (especially at night)
• Fainting or dementia due to lack of blood flow to the brain

Natural heart supplements for dogs and cats can help your pet with heart murmurs and congestive heart failure:
 
Amazing Omegas -  purified fish oil delivering therapeutically high levels of Omegas without the toxins

Purrfect Pet CoQ10 - these softgels use an advanced technology that provides an efficient and natural method of nutrient delivery, offering enhanced absorption and assimilation versus ordinary capsules and tablets containing Coenzyme Q10.

Resveratrol for Dogs--  exceptional antioxidant formula backed by research that is cardio-protective and has been shown in cancer research to help fight cancer   

Have a question about your pet? Please email us at support@askariel.com

Why Feed Your Pet A Grain-Free Diet?

You may be seeing a lot of pet food coming out with the "grain-free" label but may not understand what the hype is all about.  Here is a summary of why it's best to avoid grains in your cat or dog's food and treats:

What are grains? 

Grains are small, hard, dry seeds, with or without attached hulls or fruit layers, harvested for human or animal consumption.

Examples of grains in pet food:
--Rice
--Quinoa
--Corn
--Wheat
--Barley
--Wheat Gluten
--Rye
--Oats, oatmeal    
 
Why are grains found in pet food?
Cereal grains  are durable and when chemical preservatives are added, have a very long shelf life.  Grains contain some protein but are exceptionally high in starchy carbohydrates.   They can be easily mass processed and used as "fillers" in pet foods to add calories and protein at a fraction of the cost of adding meat, fish or poultry.  Even organic grains are overprocessed and high in carbohydrates.  Bottom line:  pet food brands include grains to provide calories and boost the protein level while minimizing the cost of expensive animal proteins.

Why are grains problematic for pets? 

Cereal grains can cause inflammation and an allergic response in many pets.  Symptoms of an allergic or inflammatory response can manifest in different ways.  A dog might be scratching and itching and a cat might be vomiting. Grains are high in starchy carbohydrates which can contribute to yeast overgrowth, a weakened immune system, diabetes and even cancer.

Feeding a high moisture, hypoallergenic, low carbohydrate diet such as a raw frozen diet is preferable and can eliminate a lot of the health symptoms you may be seeing with your pet that is eating a dry food with grains.  Remember, cats are carnivores and have no use for carbohydrates and dogs fare best on a low carbohydrate diet.

Brands That Contain Grains

Most pet foods contain grains unless they specify otherwise.  Here are just a few examples:

Diamond Dry Dog Food

Hills Science Diet

Iams

Purina Dog Chow

Royal Canin
Most "Prescription" Diets 
Many Kirkland dry foods

But aren't grains ok if they are organic?

Many pet owners assume feeding ingredients such as organic brown rice, organic barley and organic millet are beneficial for their pet because they are "organic".  Organic grains are much better suited for a vegetarian animal such as a rabbit, horse or cow.  Grains, even if organic, present the same health issues for cats and dogs as any other grains.

What is a grain-free diet?

A grain-free diet is often not a carbohydrate-free diet.  Many pet foods will remove the grains only to replace them with other high carbohydrate ingredients such as potatoes, rice, and peas.  This is why we don't recommend feeding your cat or dog dry kibble. To learn more, please read our article Facts You Should Know About Dry Dog Food and Cat Food.  Over the years, we have seen dogs and cats feel best eating a combination of any of the following:  frozen raw diets, canned food diets, freeze dried raw diets, homemade vegetables and/or lean proteins mixed in.

Have a question about your cat or dog's diet?  Please visit www.AskAriel.com and review our complete library of pet nutrition articles.  

Reading to The Pet Dog Helps Kids Learn

It has been shown that children reading to a dog can improve their reading skills, self esteem and have an overall increase in positive feelings associated with reading.  Many children are very self-conscious about reading aloud.  A dog is non-judgmental and it allows the child to focus on practicing the art of reading.  Reading to the pet dog helps kids learn!

Update:  After publishing our own post on this adorable topic, we since learned that the Laguna Niguel Library offers a Tales for Tails event on the 2nd Monday of every month where children can come and read aloud to trained therapy dogs.  This allows them to build their confidence and reading skills.  To learn more, please contact the Laguna Niguel library 949-249-5252.  The next event is Monday May 8 at 4:00 pm.

Best Kidney Supplements For Cats With Renal Failure

We wanted to share this testimonial from years ago as the same products that are helping cats with renal failure today were helping cats many years back.  These are the best kidney supplements for cats with renal failure.  They have proven themselves over time to work consistently for many cats.  The kidney remedies have the best chance to help when a kitty is just diagnosed but can still relieve symptoms in an older cat that has had the disease for awhile.  If your cat is experiencing symptoms of chronic renal failure (crf) such as vomiting, weight loss, lethargy, inappetance, please bring your cat to the veterinarian immediately for laboratory testing.  Most cats with kidney disease are dehydrated and need fluid therapy.

Tuesday Testimonial 2010: "I ordered herbs for Ranger, my 14 year old cat, on Friday Jan 29th. To my great surprise, they arrived here in Upstate NY on Monday Feb 1st! Ranger, my kitty was near death. She hid to sleep constantly. Usually cats hide to die. She was in really bad shape. I had one cat die of liver disease and two others from renal failure. Ranger is my third cat with renal failure so I know how they act before they die. Anyhow, Ranger was near death on Feb 1st when your supplements arrived. I ordered  Renelix, Kidney Health (and a few other kidney support products.) I gave them to her but assumed she was probably too far gone by this time and I was kicking myself for having waited too long. However, after 3 -4 days, she started eating more, was more alert, sleeping less and feeling so much better. I know she isn't cured...but your supplements are giving her more quality time with me. For that, I am truly grateful. I know she is 14 but I can possibly see that if she stays the same as she is now, maybe she will be around awhile more. THANK YOU!!!!!" Daniel   New York

Aug. 2011 (1 1/2 years later):  "My Kitty Ranger is still alive thanks to the wonderful products you sell.  She is now 15 1/2 years old."

Find Your Perfect Pet on Petfinder.com

If you work full time, why not consider adopting a second pet through www.petfinder.com? There is a dog or cat of every size, breed, age and color just waiting for you to come rescue them. Looking online is great but you can also view homeless animals at shelters and many rescue groups show them at stores such as PetSmart and adoption events.  You can find your perfect pet through petfinder.com or any other rescue organization.  It is a misnomer that rescue pets have something wrong with them.  Rescued animals have no control over their lives and are in this unfortunate situation due to the circumstances of their owners. 

Have a question about your pet? Email us at support@askariel.com