Precious Cat Blog

Five Steps to a Happy Cat Household

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:18:17 -0600

Dr. Elsey's Litter Box Solutions booklet is a valuable informational tool. Included in the booklet is the 5 Step Recovery Program for getting a cat to use the box again. Below is a summary of that program.

Five Steps to a Happy Cat Household

1. Replace Current Litter with Cat Attract™

Cat Attract™ has a unique herbal scent that attracts cat’s curiosity and the right texture for their paws. Although you may not be aware of Cat Attract scent your cat will be.

2. Freshen Up

You don’t like a dirty bathroom and neither does your cat. Your cat’s sense of smell if 1000 times stronger than yours, so clean the litter box thoroughly. Remove feces and urine clumps daily; if your cat does not respond to a clean litter box, you may want to replace it. Some old boxes become scratched and permeated with a scent your cat may find offensive. Have more than one cat have more than one litter box and make sure the boxes are not side by side.

3. Destroy the Evidence!

Once a cat has marked an area with urine or feces, a problem cat naturally regards it is an appropriate area for relieving itself.

Do all that you can to eliminate any trace of odor from the trouble spot by using Dr. Elsey’s Urine Removal Program and following the directions in the Litter Box Solutions Booklet starting on page 17. Try to keep you cat away from the trouble spot by covering the area with plastic carpet runner placed spike side up. You can also place a food bowl in the area cats are unlikely to urinate or defecate where they eat.

4. Consider a Litter Box Makeover

Hooded boxes are designed for owners not cats. Try removing the hoods and rethink the location of the boxes. They should be in quiet, out-of-the-way places with convenient access for your cats, but no access for the family dog. Keep the boxes away for bright lights, loud noises, and vibrations from washing machines. If you house has several floors, have a box on each level and again one box for each cat plus one.

5. Treat Your Cat to Some R&R

Stress is a leading cause of litter box problems. Territorial by nature, cats need to feel secure in their environment in order to relax. In multiple cat households, make sure each cat has a separate “zone” with its own food, water, litter box, scratching post, toys and elevated perch for relaxing on. Play with your cat at least 15 minutes every day and make sure there are plenty of toys to stalk and chase.

Until next time......please remember to hug your cat.

Long Haired Cats and Defecation Problems

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:10:31 -0600

This information was discussed in the defecation blog but is worth mentioning again. Litter can stick to a Long Haired cat’s rear area and they will not use the litter box to defecate as a result. Long Haired cats do not like litter and feces adhering to their rear area so they may decide to go somewhere else to defecate than in the box. We recommend that you have a hygiene clip done around the rear area of your cat and if your cat has long hair in-between the digits of it’s toes then it is a good idea to trim that hair as well. By trimming these areas your Long Haired cat will be free of the hair that may be an issue with using the litter box.

Our Precious Cat Long Haired litter will not adhere to a Long Haired cats coat or color the cat’s coat. Until next time, please remember to hug your cat.

Tracie Hotchner's Blog Post

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:53:02 -0600

Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue Raves About Cat Attract Cat Litter!

Hello Tracie,

I wanted to send a follow up to you regarding the awesome donation of full pallet of
Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Cat Attract Cat Litter
. Pete called me at work excited with the news that the litter had arrived.

As you can imagine, we could not wait to put it to use. We had just brought one of our shelter cat’s home from having surgery for urinary crystals so we gave him a special litter box with Cat Attract litter and then placed another box of Cat Attract in the main area of the shelter where we have our incontinent cats roaming freely.

The next morning when we arrived to clean the shelter it was obvious that our incontinent cats had all used the new Cat Attract litter. The best part was the way it clumped. I don’t think I have ever had cat litter that clumped so well, making scooping a breeze and keeping the box clean and fresh. Our surgery cat, Blossom, thanks you for making the litter so easy to use and clean as well.

It is hard to find words special enough to express our appreciation of the blessings you, Cat Chat Radio, on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 / XM157, and so many of your sponsors have blessed our shelter with. FMAR and the animals who come to stay while waiting for a new start… even if their new life is a lifetime of love and care from Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue (FMAR) all thank you for your compassion and support.

Please pass on our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Cat Attract Cat Litter for their generous donation of a huge pallet of Cat Attract cat litter.

Marcy LaFramboise

Dear Marcy,

This is fantastic news! I know Gina, Jim, and Dr. Elsey at the company will be thrilled to know that their wonderful product made such a big difference — it may be that those kitties who were not previously using a litter box may now be able to get a forever home!

This is a great testimonial to share with others who may be experiencing the same problem of their cats not wanting to use the litter box for any number of reasons. Having a product such as Cat Attract can be of great help in addressing these types of issues.

Wishing everyone at FMAR well!

–Tracie Hotchner

Thanks Tracie for sharing this great success story about Cat Attract litter! Remember to listen for Tracie on Cat Chat Radio, on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112/XM 157.

Until next time please remember to hug your cat.

Gina Zaro

Introducing a New Cat

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:48:07 -0600

Bringing a new cat or kitten into your home can be a stressful situation. With this time of year being kitten season there may be a number of you welcoming a new kitten or cat into your homes. Following are a few hints that will hopefully make the transition easier on you and the other cats in your household.

Keep in mind that the slower the introduction period the better the chance of the cats adjusting to each other. We recommend confining the new cat to its own room for a couple of weeks. Cats feel more secure in a smaller space when they go into a new environment so it is not only keeping the cats away from each other but giving the new cat time to adjust. Using Feliway will help to calm down the household. During this two week period you can wipe each cat’s fur with a towel and then place that towel under the other’s food bowl. This will help them get use to the other cat’s smell and it will be associated with something pleasant – eating. After a time switch the rooms out by letting the new cat explore the whole house while the existing cat spends time in the new cat’s room. The last step would be to block off the door of the new cat’s room. The opening needs to be big enough for the cats to see and smell each other and maybe play a bit with their paws within the space but not big enough for them to hurt each other should a cat fight ensue.

When you finally do let them out initially it should be under supervision and make sure to have enough elevated perches that one can get away from the other if necessary. Always remember to have one cat box for each cat plus one – this will help with any territory issues between the cats. Separate food bowls for each cat can also be helpful. If you have multiple cats, which most of us do, it is always a good idea to zone their litter boxes and food bowls so they each have their own space.

Good luck with your new cat addition and until next time please remember to hug your cat.

Industry Standard Award Precious Cat

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:57:31 -0600

In 2009 Precious Cat, Inc. received an Industry Recognition Award from Pet Business editors for one of the most exciting and functional pet products on the market. The Precious Cat litters that were chosen by Pet Business for this award were Precious Cat Long Hair litter and Precious Cat Senior litter.

The editors had this to say about the products - Precious Cat offers non toxic, biodegradable litters that are safe for felines and the environment. Precious Cat Senior addresses medical and urinary tract problems in older cats, and Precious Cat Long Hair litter features a particle size that these cats prefer and will not adhere to long fur.

Following is a client testimonial about the Precious Cat Senior litter:

We were at our wit’s end with one of our cats who had been urinating on the carpet. We had the carpet replaced with hardwood floor and he started urinating on it, too.

He had been a farm cat but we retired him to the city, however, he was used to being able to go anywhere he pleased. We had tired a cat mat which worked more of less but we found he would often simply go on the carpet.

I was at the point of doing the unthinkable but read the booklet on litterbox solutions.

I replaced his pan with a shallow pan, as suggested and his litter with your Precious Cat Senior and overnight he was using the box exclusively.

To learn more about Precious Cat Senior and Long Hair litter please visit my blog on Precious Cat litter products. Until next time take care and please remember to hug your cat.

Canned Food -vs.- Dry food Debate

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:43:10 -0700

The debate on which type of food to feed cats continues to be a hot topic. At Precious Cat, under the guidance Dr. Bruce Elsey, we recommend a canned food diet. One of the reasons for a canned food diet is to promote good urinary health. Cats are carnivores so feeding canned food is closer to their natural meat diet. Cats are also desert animals so they don’t typically drink a lot of water so the added moisture in canned food is beneficial for cats. This additional moisture can help with urinary inflammation which can be a reason for a cat inconsistently not using the litter box.

As we have talked before, in other blogs, cats are extremely texture driven and that applies to the food they eat as well. Sometimes cats that are use to eating dry food do not like the texture of wet food and have a hard time accepting it. It is a good idea just to give them a choice putting down a spoonful or so of wet food in a bowl near the dry food and letting them make the choice. As with any diet, it should be done slowly as not to cause digestive and or health problems. I have had cats my whole life and even with my first cat in the late 50’s and 60’s we always feed wet food I have never had a cat with urinary issues. I feed my cats a variety of canned foods but I try to stick to the ones with pure meat and no additives like Weruva and Wellness. I also cook a turkey breast or give ground lamb or turkey as a treat in addition to their canned food.

If you cat will not accept wet food then getting a water fountain can be beneficial as well for increasing their water intake.

One other food for thought…..cats do not cross chew so dry food does not provide the benefit with dental care as originally thought. Also, wet food has more protein and dry food has more carbohydrates therefore you hardly ever see a fat cat that is eating a canned food diet.

Until next time, please remember to hug your cat and as my Lilac Point Siamese, Makeeta, always says - Mom remember to bring me home a roasted chicken from Costco!

Territorial Marking

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:29:57 -0700

Territorial marking is natural behavior for cats, a form of communication not unlike the big cat in the wild that marks his territory to communicate to other cats that - this area is mine. However, in an inside environment we don’t want cats marking with urine.

Territorial marking or marking with urine is a different behavior than sitting to urinate. With territorial marking you will see small amounts of urine on walls, furniture, against the base boards and even on the owner’s clothes or bedding. After the cat has marked it will simply walk away and not sniff and paw at the area as is the case with sitting to urinate.

Often times cats will mark with urine if they are under stress from other cats in the household or even seeing other cats outside that may be invading what the cat perceives as their territory. If this is the case, it is important to try to keep stray cats away from your house. For the cats inside it is a good idea to zone the litter boxes and food bowls so each cat has their own space in theory. Giving cats their own zone will help with any territory issues that may arise between cats in the household. Also making sure that your cats have several elevated perches to hide from the other cats if the need arises. Feliway, which is a synthetic feline pheromone, can also be added to mix to create “friendly zones” to help diminish your cat’s need to spray urine.

Research has indicated that many cats will not stop urine marking unless they are placed on anti anxiety drugs. In any situation if your cat is urinating outside the box it is a good idea to have your veterinarian do an exam to rule out any medical issues. Your veterinarian will also be able to discuss and suggest an anti anxiety drug that will be suitable for your cat. Remember they will need to be on the drug at least 30 days and then depending upon results 120 days to life.

Happy New Year and until next time please remember to hug your cat.

Holiday Hazards for Cats

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:11:26 -0700

The Holiday season is upon us so I thought it would be good time to discuss some holiday hazards to avoid for cats. As you know, I have had cats since I was three so I have really never had life BC (before cats) that I can remember anyway. Many of my friends refer to the holiday season BC and how they have had to adjust their decorating life to accommodate their cats.

Plants are popular around the holiday season and some of these plants can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Some plants that need to be keep away from cats are poinsettia, mistletoe, and holly. I like to always air on the side of caution – so I don’t allow these plants in my house - if you do please keep them away from your cat’s reach and if your cat does come in contact with them, it is good idea to have your veterinarian check your cat right away.

Christmas trees can be another source of frustration when you have a cat. I have extreme allergies to trees and so does one of my cats, so I don’t have a live Christmas tree – if you do don’t allow your cat to drink the water under the tree. There may be a fertilizer added to the water that may be poisonous so it is good idea to always keep the water covered well with a heavy tree skirt. The Christmas tree itself can be a problem for many cats. One night I walked into the living room to catch my Lilac Point Siamese “Makeeta” surfing the tree down onto my glass table. Thankfully the cat, tree and table survived with no great harm but cats will climb trees so it is good idea to make sure the tree is anchored well and away from things like glass tables. The same boy cat liked to chew the artificial tree as well and this can cause some serious problems if some of the materials become stuck in the cat’s intestines.

Along those lines, ribbons and tinsel can also become foreign bodies in the cat’s intestine and may require surgery. So, I avoid tinsel on the tree and I don’t put any packages around the tree with ribbon until they are opened under close supervision and away from my cats.

The holiday season is also a time for a lot of good food. Be careful not to over do it with giving your cat’s different food that may cause digestive upset. I cook a turkey breast about once a week for my cats so they are use to having turkey on their canned cat food but you need to go slow and be careful how much food you are giving them. Also, don’t allow them to eat sweet foods like chocolate, which can be hazardous for cats.

Last but not least, the holiday season is a busy time and cats do get stressed and they don’t like change. This type of stressful activity can cause a cat to have inappropriate elimination issues. It is a good idea if you have a lot of people over to place your cats in a quiet room with a radio playing softly. Make sure to put their litter boxes, food, water bowls and toys in their room so they feel safe and secure. It will also help avoid them escaping with people coming and going. It is always a good idea to minimize the stress in the household as much as possible especially during the busy holiday season.

Wishing you and your cats a safe and happy holiday and please remember to give your cats a hug.

Litter Additive

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:40:40 -0600

There seems to be a number of questions as to why you can not use the Cat Attract litter additive in alternative litters such as wheat, corn, pine, paper, cedar etc. The paramount reason is that the additive works on a smell premise. Alternative litters have a particular odor about them because of their composition. In other words the corn smells like corn, the wheat smells like wheat and so on so these litters will mask the scent of the additive providing no benefit in drawing the cat to the box. There are no problems with using it with any kind of litter since it contains non toxic natural herbs – if just won’t be effective. The second part of this equation is that you need to use it with litter that is clumping so it will become part of the litter and mix in well.

We do recommend that it be used with our Precious Cat Ultra litter since this litter is non scented clumping clay litter. However, it can be mixed with any clumping clay litter as long as the litter has no additives like baking soda, perfumes, chemicals and deodorants.

Thanks and until next time – please remember to hug your cat.

Precious Cat Litters

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:31:52 -0600

I have been receiving a number of phone calls and emails about the different types of litter that we offer. In this blog I would like to outline some of our different litters.

Cat Attract™

Cat Attract was designed for cats with inappropriate elimination issues. It is a clumping clay litter that is texture friendly to a cat’s paws and is blended with a natural herbal attractant that cats are attracted to. It is hard clumping litter with superior odor control and is 99% dust free. Keep at least 2.5 to 3 inches of litter in your box and remove the feces and clumps of urine a couple of times a day. We recommend changing the box every 3-4 weeks.

Kitten Attract™

Kitten Attract is for kittens 8 weeks to one year of age. Kitten Attract is a clumping clay litter with a granule size and texture that is pleasing to a kitten’s tender paws. It is blended with a natural herbal attractant that piques a kitten’s curiosity to use the litter box. The Kitten Attract is 99% dust free. Keep at least 2.5 to 3 inches of litter in your box and remove the feces and clumps of urine a couple of times a day. We recommend changing the box every 3-4 weeks.

Precious Cat Senior

Precious Cat Senior was invented for senior cats in that senior cats are 45 times more likely to develop a urinary tract infection than a younger cat. Precious Cat Senior has a small particle size that cats prefer. The litter absorbs urine on contact and traps it inside the crystal to prevent bacterial growth, thus helping to prevent urinary tract infections. The Precious Cat Senior is an amorphous silica gel that is safe if inhaled or ingested and the Cat Attract litter additive is hydrolyzed in the Precious Cat Senior. This litter is biodegradable. Since this is a silica gel litter it does not clump you just simply remove the feces daily and then rake the litter around with a scoop to refresh it. One application which is about an inch and half of litter in the box will last around 2 weeks depending on urine output. If you notice that the crystals are no longer absorbing the urine then it is time to dump the litter and start over again.

Precious Cat Long Hair

Precious Cat Long Hair litter is an amorphous silica gel that is safe if inhaled or ingested. The particle size is much smaller than other silica gels on the market which makes it more pleasing to a cat’s paws. It is biodegradable and will not stick to a long hair cat’s coat. Precious Cat Long Hair litter is infused with hydrolyzed herbs to draw a cat to the litter box. Since this is a silica gel litter it does not clump you just simply remove the feces daily and then rake the litter around with a scoop to refresh it. One application which is about an inch and half of litter in the box will last around 2 weeks depending on urine output. If you notice that the crystals are no longer absorbing the urine then it is time to dump the litter and start over again.

Precious Cat Ultra

Precious Cat Ultra litter combines heavy non tracking granules with smaller granules. The result is an excellent clumping clay litter that prevents moisture from reaching the bottom of the box, while providing a clump that will not break up. Great for multi-cat families it provides superior odor control without any use of deodorants, additives, or chemicals. It is hypo-allergenic in that it contains no plant protein and 99.9% dust free so it is an ideal litter for cats with allergies or asthma. Keep at least 2.5 to 3 inches of litter in your box and remove the feces and clumps of urine a couple of times a day. We recommend changing the box every 3-4 weeks.

Blog #5 How To Clean Up Cat Urine

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:36:08 -0600

Another frequent email or call I receive is “what the best way to clean up cat urine”. As you are aware a cat’s sense of smell is 1000 times stronger than ours so even though you may think you removed the urine odor your cat may still smell the odor and use that area again. If you do not remove all the urine odor there will be a tendency for your cat to continue to urinate in those areas over and over. Cleaning up old urine odors is essential for getting a cat to use the litter box again. In our Litter Box Solution Booklet starting on page 17 we go through each surface step by step and discuss how to clean each surface. You can down load the booklet on the website www.preciouscat.com or it is attached to our Cat Attract litter products and additive.

Continue reading "Blog #5 How To Clean Up Cat Urine"

Blog #4 Defecation Issues with Cats

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:29:02 -0600

I receive many emails from clients that want to know why their cats are defecating outside the litter box. Defecation issues can be difficult to sort out and it can be frustrating to try to stop the behavior. Hopefully this entry will give you some insight to try to get to the bottom of this difficult problem.
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Precious Cat Senior Litter

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:22:17 -0600

I have received a number of questions and or comments about the Precious Cat Senior litter. In light of these questions, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss how to use the Senior litter and the benefits of using the litter.

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Inappropriate Elimination - Blog 2

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:47:56 -0600

Inappropriate elimination is the number one behavioral reason cats are abandoned, surrendered to shelters and put to sleep. It can be a frustrating situation to deal with. Following is Precious Cat's Five Step Program - to help solve the problem of cats not using the litter box.

First, replace your current litter with Cat or Kitten Attract. Cat and Kitten Attract were designed to be texture friendly to cat's paws. Cats are very texture driven that is why some textures of litter just don't appeal to them. The texture of the litter can be an issue as to why cats will not use the litter box. Both of these litters also have the natural herbal attractant added to them so they do draw the cats to the litter box by smell.

Continue reading "Inappropriate Elimination - Blog 2"

Precious Cat's First Blog

nospam@example.com (Aaron Westcott) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:36:15 -0600

This is our first blog entry to the Precious Cat website and with myself being the blogger I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Gina and I am the Marketing Director for Precious Cat.

I have had a long relationship with cats having lived with them since I was three years old which means I have shared my life with cats for a very long time. I have worked with Dr. Elsey, DVM - owner and president of Precious Cat, Inc for many years and through my education, work and life experience I have gained some good knowledge about cats. However, I am not sure one ever fully understands cats.

I live with three currently, 2 boys and a girl cat, Kaiote - 15 years, Makeeta - 9 years and Chyna Girl Too - 4 years. I am sure you will see me refer to them many times in my upcoming blogs.

Kaiote and Makeeta

Chyna Girl Too

Continue reading "Precious Cat's First Blog"