Pet Grooming Orange County

Summer Boarding for Your Cat

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Summer is almost here and many of us have already begun making plans. If you’re like most, you’ll be heading out of town this summer. Whether you’ll be gone for one weekend or three months, it’s important to consider your cat. Cats depend on us to keep them happy and healthy. Your cat relies on you to make sure they have plenty of food, water, and a clean litter box.  

Cats-Only Boarding Facility

Many pet parents worry about leaving their pet when they go on vacation. It can be stressful to leave the care of your beloved cat in the hands of someone else. It’s important to find someone who can properly care for your cat. This should be someone you trust with the experience needed to deal with any problems that arise.

Claws N Paws Cat Boarding offers cats-only boarding in our dog-free facility located in Fountain Valley, California. Our team has years of experience working with cats and know how to recognize and deal with a number of problems. We provide daily stimulation and activities for your cat to ensure they feel loved and get the exercise they require. We feed them twice daily and ensure they have fresh water at all times.

Our feline guests are never kept in cages. We provide each guest with their very own cat condo. Our condos are comfortable, climate-controlled, and provide your cat with plenty of room to move around. Rooms are available in two sizes to accommodate one or more cats.

All of our guests are provided with toys, blankets, and scratching posts. Our skilled cat experts love cats and are well trained to give our clients medication and special diets when needed.

Cat Grooming & Boarding in Southern California

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming at our full service grooming salon. Although pet parents can schedule grooming for their cat at any time during they stay in our boarding facility, many of our clients prefer to have their cat groomed immediately before pickup. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information about cat boarding or to set up a grooming appointment.

 

Does My Hairless Pet Require Grooming?

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Hairless pets have become extremely popular over the past few years. From guinea pigs to dogs and cats, it’s seems like every species has its own hairless version. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to spend time with a hairless pet you’ll know how warm and cuddly these creatures are, even without the lush coat you’ve come to expect.

Many people with hairless pets have questions about grooming. While these animals do not require brushing, they do have special grooming needs that must be considered.

Bathing

Hairless pets become dirty much faster than your average pet. This is due to excessive skin oils. These oils protect your pet from skin irritation. Unfortunately, they can cause your pet to smell and develop an oily feeling when touched.

Regular baths are important to the care of any hairless pets. However, care must be taken not to dry out their sensitive skin. Use a mild shampoo to thoroughly bathe your pet once to twice a month. Make sure you clean their ears and between their twos as dirt and oils tend to collect in these areas. If irritation occurs, ask your vet for a non-irritating prescription shampoo.

Nails

Make sure that you keep your hairless pet’s nails trimmed as you would any other pet. Nails that grow too long are uncomfortable and pose a risk to your pet. If left to grow, they can curl back into the pads of the feet. This creates an expensive and painful situation for your pet.

Sun Care

Hairless pets do not have the same protection against the sun. This makes them prone to sunburn and skin cancer. If possible, keep your pet out of the sun. These breeds are best kept indoors. You can purchase special sunscreen from your local pet supply or your vet.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers grooming for hairless pets from our full service pet salon in Orange County, California. We have extensive experience working with hairless pets and understand what it takes to keep them clean. Please contact us at 714-962-1005 for more information about grooming.

 

Can Placing a Litterbox Outside Convince a Lost Cat to Come Home?

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When your cat is lost, you’ll likely do whatever you can to get them back. Lately, a graphic has been traveling around social media explaining that placing their litter box outside will encourage your lost cat to come home. The image claims that cats can smell their litter box up to one mile away. If this seems too good to be true, you’re probably right. While cats can smell their litter box from quite some distance, it’s more likely that this method will do more harm than good. Read on to learn why.

Attracting Wild Animals

A litter box placed outside is more likely to attract wild animals and neighborhood strays than your lost cat. Animals like coyotes and mountain lions are drawn to the smell of urine. These animals can scare your cat away if it’s hiding somewhere in your yard. They can also cause serious harm to your cat.

You’ll want to keep your cat safe until it comes home. This includes not bringing wild animals into your yard.

Most Cats Stay Close to Home

Research shows that most indoor cats are found close to home. This means that your cat has likely found a hiding space in your either front or back yard. The best way to get your cat back is by using a live animal trap (available at your local shelter or feed store), or waiting until your cat comes home on its own.

When you put out your cat’s litterbox, you run the risk of bringing wild animals into your yard as mentioned above. This puts your cat at risk and increases the chance that they will run from the area. The further away your cat travels, the less likely they are to make it back home.

Final Thoughts

Everyone likes an easy solution and it can be tempting to try everything when looking for a lost cat. However, you need to think about how your actions might affect the situation. It’s never a good idea to place the litter box outside. Consider getting a live trap instead. Your veterinarian, local rescue group, and/or groomer can provide you with more information about locating your lost cat.  

 

Keeping Your Indoor Cat Happy

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Despite what many people believe, it’s not a good idea to let your cat outdoors. Outdoor cats have a significantly shorter life expectancy than indoor cats.

Outdoor cats face numerous dangers including traffic, coyotes and other wild animals, poisons, and more. Even cats that are only allowed outside every once in a while are more likely to die from unnatural causes. This is why it’s so important to keep your cat indoors.

Start Young

Kittens that grow up inside are generally happier to stay indoors later in life. Unneutered males are the exception to this rule. These cats have a very strong instinct to find a mating partner. This is one of the most common reasons male cats go missing.

Have your cat spayed or neutered as soon as possible to prevent them from attempting to find a mate. Neutering can also solve other problems such as spraying, yowling, and aggressive behavior.

Play With Your Cat

Both outdoor and indoor cats require exercise and stimulation to keep them happy and healthy. Regular exercise reduces stress, increases the human/feline bond, and may prevent certain diseases.

Set aside a little time each day to play with your cat. Popular toys include feather wands and laser pointers. Some cats even like to play fetch. You might want to experiment with several different types of toys until you figure out which type your cat prefers.

Keep The Litter Box Clean

Cats are tidy creatures. They do not appreciate mess. Keeping their litter box accessible and clean can go a long way towards improving the health and happiness of your cat.

Just In Case – Be Prepared

Sometimes even the happiest indoor cat will sneak out to explore. If this happens you’ll want to make sure they make it home to you. ID tags are a great place to start. You can create ID tags for your cat at most pet stores. The tag should include your name and recent phone number. If you move or change your phone number, you need to update the tag.

Microchipping your cat is one of the easiest and fastest ways to ensure it makes it home. The microchip is placed under the skin at your vet and contains all of your contact information.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers grooming and boarding for cats. Please call 714-962-1005 for information about our services.

 

 

 

 

Most Common Feline Health Problems

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Cats are very good at hiding problems. Some feline health issues present themselves in strange ways. It’s always a good idea to have your cat seen by a qualified vet if they develop new habits or display unusual behavior. This is often the first sign of a problem.

Vomiting

Vomiting is an extremely common problem with cats. Often times, vomiting is caused by eating too quickly or ingesting too much hair (hairballs). Other, more serious problems such as urinary tract infections, diabetes, and poisoning can cause vomiting as well. It’s a good idea to have your cat seen by a vet if vomiting comes on suddenly and occurs on a regular basis.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (FLUTD)

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (FLUTD) are extremely common. In fact, it’s estimated that as many as 3% of all cats seen by vets are diagnosed with this condition. FLUTD has multiple causes and is more common in overweight cats fed a strictly dry food diet. Symptoms of FLUTD include:

  • Blood in urine
  • Straining to urinate
  • Inappropriate elimination (not using the litter box)
  • Depression
  • Lack of appetite
  • Vomiting

Sometimes, cats cannot urinate at all. This is an emergency situation! It’s crucial you take you cat to the vet immediately.

Fleas

Signs of fleas include excessive scratching or licking, red skin, and skin infections. A visual inspection of your cat can help you determine if fleas are present. Part the hair and look close to the skin. You might see moving fleas or flea dirt, which looks like coffee grounds that turn red when wet. Fleas are common in both dogs and cats.

Although you might be tempted to give your cat a flea bath or use an over the counter treatment for fleas, this can be dangerous for your cat. Ask your veterinarian or groomer for advice about treating fleas.

Most cat health problems are easily treated when caught early. This is why it’s so important to pay close attention to your cat.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers cat grooming and cat adoptions in Fountain Valley, CA. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information about our grooming services, cat boarding facility, or adoptable pets.

Celebrating the New Year With Your Pet

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It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. If you’re like many Orange County residents, you’ll be celebrating the New Year surrounded by friends and family. If you’ve chosen to enjoy this holiday at home, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Keep Your Pet Safe and Comfortable

As much as you might want to include your pet, they probably won’t appreciate the sights and sounds of the celebration. In fact, it might be a good idea to consider boarding them for the evening. The right boarding facility will keep them safe and reduce the amount of exposure your pet has to the loud noises that are commonly present this time of year.

If you choose to keep your pet at home, make sure that they are comfortable. Playing soft music or leaving the television on can provide a welcome escape from the fireworks and other sounds of the celebration. It’s also important to make sure your pet cannot get outside. When pets become startled, they run. This creates a safety hazard for themselves and others if they run into traffic. If they run too far, they might not find their way home. This is why it’s so important that you make sure your pet cannot get outside.

If you are having guests over to celebrate the New Year, make sure they know not to leave doors open and not to let your pet outside. It might be a better idea to keep your pet in a safe, quiet room instead of allowing them to join your party. This is safer for your pet and they might appreciate it more, especially if they are nervous around new people.

Some pets enjoy being the center of attention. If this sounds like your pet, you might want to let them join the party. Just make sure that your guests know not to feed them any table scraps. Party foods are often loaded with fat and sugar. They might also contain ingredients that are toxic for your pet. The best way to avoid upset stomach and other issues is to make sure they don’t get anything they aren’t supposed to eat.

Claws N Paws Day Spa hopes that you and your loved ones have a Happy New Year!