Does Your Cat Need Veterinary Care? The Clue is in its Eyes.

It is said that cats are good at concealing their illnesses and/or discomfort, so it makes perfect sense why they visit the vet less frequently than dogs. This also makes it more difficult for owners to know if there is anything wrong with them in the first place. Sure, there are some behavioral signals, such as lethargy and a loss of appetite, but these are easily overlooked if you aren't fully in tune with your cats overall personality (there's no shame in this, by the way. Especially if you have a rescue cat, it may take more time to really get to know it as s/he gets to know and trust you). 

In addition, these "behavioral changes" can be quite subjective, even for those who are fully aware of their cat's typical behavior. Say you have a profoundly lazy cat; lethargy could be overlooked as normal. If your cat doesn't have a big appetite to begin with, it wouldn't be too surprising that if you only filled their food bowl a few times a week. A "decrease in appetite" could also indicate that your cat does not like his/her food (if you bought something different). 

As a cat owner, I understand the desire to ensure that your cat is not only happy, but healthy. You can research "subtle signs your cat is sick," all you want, but as I said before, some of these signs are subjective and dependent on your cat or circumstances. For instance, I read that bad breath is a sign, but that can also be a result of the food you're feeding your cat! To add a side story, I experienced this sign just recently when I accidentally bought Kitty salmon-based food as opposed to chicken-based. It made her breath very stinky to say the least! I'm pretty sure that I also vowed to never buy her that food again!

Upon my research, however, I learned that there is a telling sign that it may be time to take kitty to the vet, and it doesn't have everything to do with behavioral changes. This sign, while still subtle, is in their eyes. 

Cats (as well as other animals) have what is called "a third eyelid," or scientifically named, "the nictitating membrane." When visible, it is whitish in color and located in the corner of your cat's eye. Its purpose is to provide an extra layer of protection for when danger is anticipated, or when an injury to the eye has occurred. 

To determine an eye injury, you will notice that this nictitating membrane is more-so visible in one eye. If your cat does have an eye injury, it is important that you don't "let it go," in hopes that it will heal itself, either. Eye injuries are not only extremely painful to cats, but they can quickly escalate into a more serious problem.

When the nictitating membrane is visible in both eyes, however, this can indicate an internal infection or disease. These infections include, but are not limited to: Haw Syndrome, tape worms, or even cancer! I will not go into detail about each illness, but I imagine these are not only serious, but can be fatal if not treated!

Of course, the third eyelid can also be a sign of a sleepy or sedated cat. If the problem persists, it couldn't hurt to bring your cat to the veterinarian. Even if you've had the evaluation say that there isn't anything wrong, that peace of mind will still be there. If god forbid, there is something wrong, at least it will be caught early enough to where the problem can be resolved.

The Importance of Puppy Training

In honor of National Dog Day, I'm going to dedicate this post to our pups, and how we can effectively train them. Training is important because it establishes communication, and more importantly, a social hierarchy in your household. Remember that dogs are pack animals, and you need to establish your role as the "pack leader." You need your dog to respect you, and a dog who is disobedient does not. 

Luckily, with proper instruction, puppies are rather quick to learn. With that being said, puppies are quite impressionable, so its first days at home are especially critical, because they set the precedent for how your puppy will behave in its adult years. 

When you first bring your new puppy home, it's easy to get swept away in your emotions, and break any pre-established rules and boundaries. This is exactly what happened to me when I attempted to train Rusty. I let him get away with bad behavior, because I was swept up in the excitement of a new puppy, and I allowed his cuteness factor to cloud my better judgement.

What I learned from that experience, however, is that puppies need guidance from day one. If you decide you want your dog crate trained, but allow him to sleep in your bed "just that one night" (I put that in quotes, because I think we all know how well that doesn't work), he wont understand why he's suddenly in his crate on night two (or three or four, depending on how often you let him get away with the former). If you allow your puppy to jump on you, it will be very hard to retrain him not to do so when he's bigger and it's not so cute anymore. Allowing bad behavior and later changing the rules will only leave your puppy feeling confused. 


Remember that dogs are animals, and they will behave as such. Without training, they will do what is inherently natural to them. They will chew on your furniture. They will soil your house and ruin your carpet. They will dig up your yard and destroy your beautiful garden. They will even exhibit aggressive behavior to you, your guests and strangers, and even other dogs. While these are normal dog traits, they are less than desirable, and they need to be treated as such. 

But remember, training is an ongoing process; your job is not complete just because you've trained your puppy at an early age. You've simply built the foundation for good behavior. As your puppy grows into adulthood, its behavior will continue to change, and new problems will develop. These new problems will need to be corrected. 

Will Another Cat Help With a Needy Cat?

So recently, I've noticed a shift in my cat's behavior. She's always been affectionate towards me, but lately, she's been teetering on the edge of a "stage 5 clinger." Her always wanting to be in the same room as me is normal for her, but now being on the chair next to the couch is no longer good enough. She insists on always being in my lap, or on the armrest of the couch. This isn't really a big deal, in fact, I've always found it to be quite endearing. 

What made me start to question this new behavior is when I noticed that she would also follow me around everywhere. It didn't matter if I was going to the kitchen or the bathroom, she would be at my side. 

When I bring out my laptop to do some work or play around on the internet, she decides she needs to meow at me and sit on/near my computer, impeding my ability to do anything on it. 

I started to wonder if she was like this because she was trying to tell me that her food and water bowl is empty, or that she wanted her litter box changed. When I went to check these things, however, they didn't seem to be an issue. She had plenty of food and water, and her litter box was clean.

I then started to think of anything in her environment that may have changed and stressed her out. I haven't moved into a new apartment, I haven't introduced any new people into the home, and I haven't moved any furniture. Sure, the apartment may get cluttered every now and then, but for the most part, I keep it pretty clean. 

As I type this, I feel as though it sounds like I'm complaining that my cat wants attention. I'm not being a jerk, and I really do love how loving she is. I'm just wondering what may be causing this sudden change in behavior. Maybe this is just part of her personality, and she is showing it more because she is comfortable with her surroundings and fully trusts me (she is a rescue cat). Maybe she's lonely during the day when I'm at work, so she feels the need to cling on to me when I get home. 

One of my first thoughts is that since my cat is a rescue cat, she's not used to being a single kitty. She's used to constantly being around other cats, so maybe she gets bored and lonely during the day. I've actually thought about getting another cat, but held off because she seemed to do fine as a single cat. I've also been afraid of what her reaction may be with the new addition to her environment. Would she be welcoming, indifferent, or hostile? 

I've done my research, and from what I've read, there's no way to predict how the current resident cat will react. I'm not sure how comfortable I feel with this "trial and error" approach. I would hate to bring in a new cat, only to have to take it back to the rescue again if Kitty will not have it. That's not fair to either my cat or the new cat. 

Cats do have a reputation for being more independent and self sufficient. Maybe a second cat will not do her any good because her neediness is just a sign of boredom, and not necessarily loneliness. Maybe I need to make her environment more stimulating. While she has free roaming capabilities throughout my apartment, maybe she needs more stimulating toys such as tunnels or cat trees (even though I bought her a tall cat condo, she much prefers the top of the refrigerator). 

All in all, adopting a second cat is a big decision to make, and I don't want to make a hasty decision. While I don't have any qualms about getting an additional cat, I only want to do so if it is the best decision I can make for my current cat. I want to make sure that she is happy and healthy. If she would benefit from having a feline companion, I am happy to oblige. :)