REMEMBER THAT PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN THE CURE

Only a Licensed Veterinarian can give medical advice but we can tell you

what has worked for us over the years:

1. WE FEED HIGH-QUALITY FOOD as canned (Royal Canin Kitten, Iams Kitten & Fancy Feast Kitten) & Dry Kitten foods because good nutrition is vital for good health.   Evaporated milk in a bowl in the morning & warm canned food on a saucer twice daily is important for protein & calcium to have healthy teeth & hair & fat in the milk to pass hairballs in the stools & not having to throw them up. Teach your kitty that your lap is a very nice place to be by giving Temptation Pureed Pouches on your lap are good for bonding!  We never clip nails, give medicine, or pull out a mat on our lap.  The hands are for petting & not for grabbing the kitty's tummy to make them bite.  That may look cute when they are little, but when they grow up, they will jump to bite your hands while you are on the computer, etc & will make you mad & it's your fault. Play with them with dangly toys & laser lights,

but not with your hands!  Also please don't tell them "shhhh" because that is a hissing sound & scares them!

2. WE DEWORM OUR CATS MONTHLY and our kittens we worm at 4 weeks of age and every 2 weeks until 6 months old & then monthly.  We use Strongid Wormer, proportionate mgs to their weight, mixed into their favorite warm canned food.

3. IF DIARRHEA OCCURS & they have been Dewormed already, something else is wrong.  We use an over-the-counter anti-diarrheal pill to stop fluid loss immediately then we start kittys on Albon for Coccidia for 10 days (from a Vet.)   While on Albon we give a Tsp. of cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt a few times a day to restore the natural flora in the intestines.  If Albon doesn't stop diarrhea within 2 days we suspect Giardia so we use Metronidazole (6-11 mg/lb every 12 hours, for 5 days, from a Vet).  If we treat for Worms, Coccidia, and Giardia and still there is diarrhea, then possibly food is the problem, but in our case, the food has never been the problem. Sometimes NO Worms, Coccidia, or Giardia were manifest in the stool sample but treating them anyway stopped diarrhea, so one of them was the cause but was not seen in the stool sample.

4. WE GROOM OUR CATS WEEKLY & BATHE THEM MONTHLY, Kittens twice/month.  We prepare warm water in the kitchen sink & add 1/8 cup of bleach/gallon of water; then we put the kitty on the counter and clip their claws, 10 in the front, 8 in the back. We comb them to remove any mats, dip the kitty gently into the water stroking them gently to coat their entire body. Then we place the kitty on a towel on the counter & pour a warm soap mixture (Dawn Dish Liquid & water) over the oily areas, like their back & tail.  We massage them 3 - 5 minutes, then rinse them well in the Chlorinated water. Towel dry them for 1 minute, change towels & then continue massaging and combing gently. If we decide to blow dry them we carefully start the dryer a few feet away & gradually bring it toward the kitty while talking softly & gently massaging them. A bath helps