My little Simba was recently diagnosed with feline asthma, so I wanted to share my experience with you, just in case you ever notice similar symptoms in your cat. A couple of months ago, she started having coughing spells, like she was trying to cough up a big hairball that just wouldn’t dislodge itself. I tried giving her hairball medicine, but the spells got worse and increased in frequency so I took her to the vet for a check-up. Of course, she wouldn’t make the noise for the doctor, but a chest x-ray did show some dark patches around her lungs, which is an indication of asthma. While we waited a few days for the blood work to come back to rule out any other problems, the doctor recommended that I look for some videos online of asthmatic cats to see if that is what Simba was doing. That was such a great suggestion, because I found the following video (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site):

I am truly grateful to Dave’s owner for posting this video because it helped me understand exactly what Simba was doing. Just so you know, Dave had already received her medicine when her owner shot this video. They were waiting for the medicine to kick in and he thought that the video might be helpful to others, and he was right!

My vet prescribed a number of medicines, some to get the asthma under control initially, others for maintenance, and still others for emergency attacks. It was a bit overwhelming. I was also nervous about giving Simba the inhaler, which is the most important part of the treatment. The inhaler is administered with a special device called the Aerokat, but I didn’t completely understand how to use it from the directions, so YouTube came to the rescue again! I found the following video of a woman demonstrating how to use the Aerokat and it really gave me the confidence I needed:

It has been about two weeks since Simba started her asthma treatment and I’m pleased to report that the attacks lessened over the first few days, and now I haven’t seen one in about a week. I’m not sure, but Simba seems to know that the inhaler is helping her, so she takes her dose twice a day with relative ease, although she is nowhere near as nice as the kitty in the video.

Feline asthma can be life threatening for cats. If you would like more information, please read this excellent overview article from Renee L. Austin, just posted this week over at The Conscious Cat, and also visit FelineAsthma.org.

These adorable mini Halloween cards are from Etsy seller ShesBattyDesigns. Measuring 2.5 x 2.25 inches they are the perfect way to send a tiny Halloween greeting with Moderncat style.

Have you given any thought to the type of material used in your cat’s food bowl and food storage container? Well, I recently learned a little about this topic when faced with Mackenzie’s breakout of kitty acne (see photo below – it’s not pretty.) This is really a two-part issue:

1) Plastic pet food dishes and containers can trap bacteria that causes kitty acne. What is kitty acne? It looks like little black flakes usually found on the chin and around the mouth. Not all cats are prone to acne, but when they do get a bad case, like Mackenzie did, it can lead to open sores and infection. I treated Mackenzie with antibiotics and “kitty facials” with a cleanser followed by Neutrogena On-the-Spot acne treatment, as prescribed by my vet. He’s all better now, but I also switched all the food and water dishes to porcelain*. Stainless steel, ceramic*, glass, and stoneware* are all excellent options, too, because they are not porous like plastic, which can trap oily food particles and harbor bacteria. It’s also very important to thoroughly clean and dry all food and water dishes daily and food storage containers weekly.

* With any glazed material, make sure that the glaze is food grade, it should not be marked “for decoration only.”

And as if that wasn’t bad enough…

2) Some plastics can contain chemicals that may leach into your cat’s food and water, possibly causing other health issues. This is a controversial issue which has been in the media quite a bit over the past year, specifically regarding Bisphenol-A (BpA) in water bottles and children’s products, as well as phthalates in other plastic products. Apparently not all plastics are bad, but since we really don’t know much about the long-term effects of eating and drinking out of plastic, I’m choosing to avoid it whenever possible, for both me and my cats (which is proving to be MUCH easier to do for the cats than it is for me!) Research done by Environmental Working Group has shown that pets have much higher levels of chemical contamination than humans, some up to 23 times the levels. The study points out that “with their compressed lifespans, developing and aging seven or more times faster than children, pets also develop health problems from exposures much more rapidly.” This is a complicated study that looks into chemical contaminants from multiple sources, but if eliminating plastic food containers might help just a little, it’s an easy change to make.

There are lots of beautiful and functional non-plastic pet food bowls available. If you haven’t already, please consider making this change.

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

And to help you make a change with your cat food storage, the folks at Stor-in-Style are offering one lucky winner a designer metal food storage container. The metal canister has a durable, non-toxic powder-coated finish and comes with six graphic decals and a metal scoop. To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling us what you currently use to store your cat food. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on April 24.

The Moderncat household has been diagnosed with its first case of feline diabetes. Sophie is a senior kitty — somewhere around 15 — who came to live with me about three years ago. When I first got her, tests showed that she was in what looked like the early stages of kidney failure. I started her on prescription food and her kidney levels went back to normal. Recently her drinking and urination had become excessive, so I took her in for a check-up and some blood work. The vet called today with the news that her blood glucose levels are dangerously high, so I am starting her on insulin right away, as well as beginning the task of learning as much as I can about this disease.

So far, I’ve found one excellent resource, www.felinediabetes.com. They have a page of information if your pet has just been diagnosed, as well as an introduction to diabetes in cats for beginners. The site is very well written and incredibly reassuring. Feline diabetes is apparently a disease that can be treated and conrolled with the proper attention and care. They even have a forum where other cat owners offer advice and support.

I’ll keep you updated on our progress. Sophie is a tough old girl with a great spirit, so I have confidence that she will be able to handle whatever comes our way.

Chicken, eggs, potatoes, yams, flaxseed, zucchini, spinach, honey, cranberries, and rosemary. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, you could almost eat this cat food yourself (but please don’t).

Prowl is an all-natural, organic, dehydrated cat food from The Honest Kitchen. This San Diego-based company is changing the pet food industry. All of their products are 100% human-food-grade and they are made in an FDA-approved human-food-producing facility in southern California. They use absolutely no by-products, added salt or sugar, chemical preservatives, artificial colors or flavors in their pet foods. Their grains are certified organic, their meats are hormone and antibiotic free, and their fruits and vegetables are guaranteed non-GMO. Their Quinoa is even certified fair-trade.

Prowl is made especially for cats. It is grain-free and packed with vitamins and minerals. Simply re-hydrate the powder by adding warm water. Dehydrated foods have many advantages; they are highly nutritious, easy to prepare and store, and they ship easily and inexpensively.

Available at Amazon