Male cats are prone to being blocked which can be a life or death situation. A blocked cat could only take the matter of days before he passes away. So how do you prevent it from happening in the first place?
- Grain free, no by product diet. Grains seems to be the worst offender of blocked cats as it takes away moisture. In fact if you can do a wet food only diet (that is grain free, no by products) that would be best or at least supplement it into your cats diet.
- Like people if they don’t use the washroom enough it can cause UTI’s which can lead to further issues. Make sure that there are equal number of litter boxes to cats plus one extra around the house and that it is cleaned enough to their liking so they use it regularly.
- Overweight cats can be prone to having these issues as well. So it is very important to make sure your cats are at a healthy weight. Some cats should not be free fed as they tend to not know when enough is enough and will eat way more then they should so regulated diets are a must for them.
- Fresh water or water fountains are extremely important. Cats do not drink enough water mostly due to in the wild cats get their water from their prey so on a dry food diet only they don’t ever get enough water. By adding the water fountain it promotes cats to drink more, or by having fresh water a cat will be more inclined to drink. You could even put a little bit of water in the dry food to help give your cat more water intake.
What are the signs of a blocked cat?
- Straining to urinate.
- Peeing more frequently.
- Blood in the urine.
- Peeing in places that is not the litter box.
- Crying out in pain while peeing.
It is extremely important that if you see the signs to get your cat to a vet immediately. If money is tight contact various vets to see what their pricing is and if they are willing to do payment plans. But as always if you generally don’t have thousands of dollars to use for vetting, please get pet insurance so you never have to deal with the huge amount of stress of not having the money to make your best friend feel better.
The first thing I’ve always noticed at the ACCC is the lobby – the new place is inviting. Unlike the old “Edmonton Pound” with its one long counter, the lobby is divided into intake area and pickup areas with a winding wall partially separating the two. The seats are comfortable, the greenery is lush, and the flat screen TV shows some hilarious animal pictures as well as helpful advice. The kennels that were so prominent in the old facility are nowhere in view – they’ve been replaced with a row of transfer cages and bays for pet carriers. These were installed to prevent animals from escaping in the lobby area and the system works very well.
The dog kennels are unexpected. The first thing I notice is the smell. It neither stinks nor smells like harsh cleaners, but simply smells a bit like “dog”. The lighting is subdued, there’s a whiff of aromatherapy in the air, and there’s relaxing music piping through hidden speakers. Dogs housed here get a clean bed and blanket, food, water, and at least one new toy a day. They also get lots of attention on a number of dog runs (indoor and outdoor), plus an indoor treadmill. It isn’t a dog spa, but it’s a far cry from the overcrowded, filthy shelters sometimes portrayed in the media, where animals have been known to have been warehoused in kennels without food, water or care. The ACCC’s kennels can even be subdivided by sliding panels to increase the shelter’s capacity in case of a sudden intake of animals.
The cat kennels are just as clean and just as impressive. Like the dogs, cats get a clean bed and litter, food, water, and at least one new toy a day. Plus, they also have an “Enrichment Room” where they get lots of play daily. In fact, when we visit the Enrichment Room, there’s a staff member playing with a big black cat using a feather wand from a big wall cabinet full of toys. The cat (named Oscar) is having a lot of fun, and I’m surprised to find out he’s 17 years old.
