A Real Tartar

Ok, no she isn't, she's my lovely snuggly puss who spends nighttimes curled up on my chest purring happily. But she does have tartar, and in her not too distant future, assuming it carries on building up, lies a trip to the vet, a general anaesthesia, and a jolly good scrape of the teeth to get it all off. Poor Ava.

(and poor me- dental treatment isn't covered by insurance!)

I'm not surprised one of the cats is needing this, it's an incredibly common issue in cats which is of course why the insurance companies won't cover it. As cats get older, too, they are more likely to need treatment, which means as my cat population ages, trips like the above will occur again. No, I'm just surprised its Ava! Indigo now, Inds has had a grumbling, mild (and I do mean mild) gingivitis for a while now, (Tonks are one of the breeds rather prone to this) and I would have expected it to be her to have teeth issues. Theo has a teeny patch of gingivitis on one side too, just round one tooth. But Ava has never had any hint of teeth issues.

But there- humans need the dentist every now and then and so it seems do mogs. Oh well, when they need the treatment they will have it. Inds gingivitis isn't affecting her at present, it looks mildly sore, but they aren't swollen, bleeding or- clearly- interfering with her eating in any way (lol) so she's fine, and Ava's tartar will be monitored and dealt with when appropriate. Theo seems OK. As for Sofia's? Practically perfect in every way. Perfect teeth, perfect gums, absolutely beautiful.

Ouch!

Looks so innocent doesn't she? Not so much. The other day, Marta got so carried away playing with a toy dolphin that she pounced on my foot and bit it. Hard. Hard enough to draw blood! Yes, quiet, shy Marta!

It came as a total shock to me as I was sitting at my desk, I think I rose about two foot into the air and I may have let a few choice words escape my mouth too... and poor Marta dashed away in fright. Guilt! So I then had to cuddle and kiss her and tell her I wasn't shouting at her, just- well- shouting. Of course, being a cat, she wouldn't understand this but it made me feel better!

And then I had to sort out my bleeding toe.

Anyway, when playing with a new kitten, it's best not to encourage biting- type games. (I don't, but I'm just saying this is why!) Whilst most bites are mere tickles, even a small cat is capable of giving a pretty powerful nom and you don't want to encourage pouncing on toes unexpectedly. Cat saliva can carry some nasties as well, especially if your cat goes outside, and if they get into a wound it can turn a bit unpleasant.

Today, I am wearing my slippers... lol!

Chew Chew

Kensey has been a baaaaaad boy this week it seems, having chewed his way through the wires of a clock and a clock radio. So I thought a blog entry was in order, in case anyone else was having issues.

Kittens lose their kitten teeth and get their adult ones somewhere between 3 and 6 months, so if your kitten suddenly becomes very chewy or bitey, this is probably why. It's a phase, they all go through it, but it can be rather annoying if they decide to chew on things that they shouldn't.

For some reason, chewing on wool gives the gums a bit of relief, but this habit is hard to break once established. Tonkinese are notorious wool chewers. Indie doesn't, but my Birman Theo does and he is a complete pain in the butt about it too, having chewed up both my new jumpers already this year. It's like an addiction with him, nothing is safe, not even in a drawer or wardrobe. So avoid letting your kitty pick up this habit if you can help it. I literally can't have anything wooly in the house because Theo will shred it within days.

You can buy chewy toys for kittens if their teeth are bothering them. Corrugated cardboard boxes also seem to be satisfying to chew on (and hide in, and jump on) Indigo still likes a box to chomp on even now! You might also find your kitty favours the dry food for a while, the crunchiness is soothing to the gums.

Obviously, if your kitten decides to chew on wires, this is an issue you will need to address because one, it's blooming annoying when you keep having to repair appliances, and two, more importantly,it's dangerous. Your kitten could get an electric shock,  or a frayed, chewed wire could shock you or start a fire. So it's worth addressing this as soon as the behaviour starts! You can buy cable protectors that enclose all wires, and I'm sure I read somewhere you can get these impregnated with citrus which is really offputting to cats. You can also get bitter apple spray- apply this to your cables- power off, just in case!!-  it tastes and smells absolutely FOUL to kitties... they soon get the message. I've got some of this and it works a treat!