Bladder Crystals in Cats

Bladder crystals in cats is a topic not often discussed outside veterinary clinics. Nevertheless, this topic is worth investigating further especially if you are feeding your favorite feline a diet that consists solely of high mineral content dry food.

Bladder crystals are formed when minerals such as calcium and magnesium clump together. In most cases they are simply flushed out through the urethra in the normal process of urination. Other times they simply stealthily reside in the bladder for years without your cat showing any sign of discomfort. A problem arises only when these tiny bladder crystals bond together, forming an entity that is too large to comfortably reside in the bladder or cannot be passed out of the urinary tract.

There are a number of viable explanations for their formation. The most widely accepted conclusions have to do with three basic factors, diet, infection and urine concentration. Cats that are fed a diet high in minerals (specifically calcium and magnesium) are more prone to be victimized by bladder crystals. It is not fully understood what starts the process, but it is likely that an abundance of minerals in the urinary tract seem to be as likely a starting point as any.

Note: Cat foods often suggested for magnesium phosphate crystals are Hills Prescription Diet Feline s/d, Purina UR St/Ox, and Eukanuba Low pH/S.

If the minerals are not flushed out of the system they will tend to form bladder crystals. Once the crystal is formed it is much like a snowball rolling down a hill, if not flushed out the crystal simply gets bigger over time. At some point it can no longer be eliminated through natural means. This is a point you should try to avoid at all costs, both for your wallet and your pets health.

Prevention is an important part of overall pet health and the subject of bladder crystal in cats in no different. Most experts would suggest that an effective preventative approach would include a diet low in calcium and magnesium, promoting a consistently high water intake, and avoiding mineral laden dry cat foods. Additionally, many cat owners are implementing natural preventative therapies such as homeopathy. Homeopathic formulas for pet urinary tract health work naturally to improve urine flow, restore healthy pH levels, and are effective in improving bladder and overall urinary tract health.

How to Care For Cats

Cats bring joy in our lives and are a wonderful companion and pet in our homes. They are playful and are excellent with children. A responsible cat owner entails more than just love and devotion - it also involves knowing how to care for cats.

This article will give you a few basic tips on how to care for your cats so that you can thoroughly enjoy your pets. After all, with your loveable furry family members it is all about being a responsible cat owner so you and your family will have years of enjoyment and devotion.

Caring for cats does involve a bit of basic care. Things such as ensuring that your cats are given fresh and clean water everyday. Also making sure that the water basin is clean as this will help prevent contamination and the possible spreading of diseases.

Caring for cats also means giving them the proper amount of nutrition by selecting cat food with good a nutritional value. Cats are naturally carnivorous, so they should be fed meat, fish, and poultry as their primary diet.

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How to Toilet Train a Cat

Step 1: Start with a regular litter box placed in the bathroom by the toilet. Give the cat a few days and then raise it up using a phone book.

A couple of days after that, you will have to raise it again so you may have to be creative with items to use in order to lift it up. I used multiple phone books and then a crate as I lifted it higher.

That is our next step. Over time, your goal is to raise the litter box up until it is parallel to the toilet. The idea is to get the cat used to jumping up to relieve himself/herself.

Tip: Go slow. If your cat gets confused he or she may find a place in your home to "go" where they feel more secure. A couple of these accidents and it may be hard to break this bad habit so let the behavior of your pet dictate when to advance to the next step.... after a word from our sponsor....

Step 2: Move the litter box on top of the toilet and remove the phone books, boxes or crates.

After a couple of days of your pet jumping on top of the toilet to use the litter box, get your aluminum tray and flushable litter ready.