The Warning Signs of Cat Health Problems, Part 1

Cat health problems are many and varied, and feline illness symptoms, like that in humans, often overlap. Your cat is at increased risk for developing illness if recently injured or debilitated by some other condition, or recovering from a procedure or surgery. In addition, your cat is also at higher risk if there is stress due to a recent life-changing event in the home. This may include the addition or removal of a family member or other pet, change of residence, or other event.

It's possible for your cat to contract viruses and bacterial infections such as a flu or a cold. She can also get parasites, diabetes, and certain cancers. In addition, there are any number of feline specific health conditions.

Some of these cat health issues will require treatment. If you suspect your cat has an illness, it's best to call your veterinarian up front and get some direction. That way, if things seem to get worse, both you and your vet will be better prepared to handle the situation.

General signs of cat illness --

Cat health problems of a general nature include some of the same things that people face when they have a cold, flu, infection, or injury. Symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, lethargy, and nasal discharge are common. If your cat has the flu, or an infection in the mouth, you may notice excessive drooling or fever.

Some other more serious signs of illness are excessive vomiting, blood in the vomit, evidence of worms, or signs of pain. If you notice that your cat has trouble breathing, walking, jumping, or faints or falls down, get her to the vet immediately. Also of concern is rapid weight loss or gain, or a bloating or tightness in the abdomen.

Eating and drinking --

A classic sign of a health problem in animals is refusal to eat, so loss of appetite is usually a sign that your cat isn't feeling good. Difficulty in chewing or eating, of course, is an obvious problem. Increased thirst is a sign of a number of diseases, including diabetes. Failure to drink can lead to dehydration, which can be life threatening. Hovering over the drinking bowl but refusing to drink is a definite sign of trouble if it happens for an extended period.

Defecation and urination --

Any indications of problems with urination or defecation may be a sign of disease. These behaviors should be watched closely, including any failure to use the litter box, as there may be a physical cause. Occasional constipation is common in cats, and is most often caused by hairballs, but if left untreated may develop into a serious condition. One of my readers found out that her cat had impacted anal glands and required medical treatment. In male cats, blockage of the urinary tract is life threatening, so difficulty urinating is a warning sign.

Other things to look for are evidence of blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools, or crying out while using the litter box. Diarrhea may indicate intestinal disease and can lead to dehydration.

Keep alert to any changes in your cat's routine, and keep a journal. If you see warning signs of cat health problems, notify your vet and get advice on how to proceed. In part 2 of this article, we'll cover problems with the eyes, mouth, skin and hair, as well as behavioral changes that may indicate cat illness.

Kurt Schmitt has created a resource for cat lovers with over 150 articles, including many on cat health problems. Of particular interest are these more than 70 cat illness warning signs.

Skin care tips

Halo 3 Could Put XBox in Front of the Console Wars

Everywhere you turn, the news of Xbox 360's Halo 3 release is out there. The game is garnering such attention because the franchise has been so successful and this is the latest and greatest. Halo 3's release is one of the biggest video game events to date. Part of the reason for this is the coverage the game is receiving. You don't have to be a gamer to run across Halo 3 everywhere you turn. Many news programs are constantly running stories about this new game.

The original Halo game came out with the launch of the original Xbox, and it has been a popular gaming franchise ever since. Expert gamers claim that it is the best first person shooter franchise in gaming history. These fans call themselves "Halo Nation" which is to Halo what "Trekkies" is to Star Trek. Halo Nation members camped out for the release of the game, hoping to be the first to get their hands on Halo 3.

There was so much attention surrounding this release that stores like EB Games held release day parties at midnight so that customers would not have to wait to receive the game until normal opening hours. With such devoted fans, Microsoft pulled in a cool 170 million dollars on the very first day!

Predictions have Microsoft making about 560 million dollars from Halo 3! This is not bad considering they spent only 55 million dollars to design the game. They may even collect some money from those buying the Xbox 360 console just to play the game. The timing is perfect with the holiday season right around the corner. Many children and teens will have this on their wish-list for sure!

Still not sure what Halo is? The franchise is based on a setting in the future where people must battle against aliens. The weapons are all futuristic and very cool! You play as Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117. Master Chief has all the tools he needs to battle the aliens. The game is very "pretty" and well done as Microsoft had top employees developing the game for over 3 years. You can expect the world to be massive and full of interactivity. This definitely isn't a game they threw together just to keep the franchise going. They seem very committed to producing a top of the line game for Halo fans.

Microsoft needed this boost, as the Nintendo Wii is still the top selling console. We'll have to see what happens with the battle of the consoles this holiday season.

Ellie is a successful work at home mom to a beautiful baby. She has played video games since she was a young girl, and has since developed the website Video Game Bargains

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Blogging as an Effective Search Engine Marketing Tool

All Online business are in dire need of website traffic. The success of any Online business is subjected to the density of web traffic that the website attains as a result of its search engine marketing practices. There are several ways in which influx can be generated into a website. Blogging is one such technique, that has increased the search engine ranking of the websites. It is a unique and free search engine marketing technique, that helps in increasing web traffic. Here are tips and ideas which will explain how blogging is useful and how it can be utilized as an Online marketing tool.

Blogging helps you create interesting content which can be used to promote your website, or as a knowledge base for the readers so that they find it interesting and will come back to your blog site again and again. Blogging is a feature that gives you the opportunity to understand what your readers want to see. You can be at your reader's service all the time. Through blogs you can instantaneously reply to your visitor's queries if they have any. Blogging definitely is a great search engine marketing tool, but before you begin utilizing it, here are some important facts that you should always remember while indulging in Blogging.

The most important thing about a blog is that it should always be kept updated. Keeping the blog updated is an essential feature, this will tell your users that you are actively present there and if they write in or reply to your posts, they can expect a reply soon. Fresh content is always a welcoming feature in search engine marketing. The more new content your website has, the greater it is expected to perform in the search engine.

It is not necessary that you only post stuffs that are related to your website in your blog. Blog is a free zone, where you can post anything that interests you. News that might be related to the industry, your views on certain issues anything can be posted as a blog in your blog site. Regular posting and will keep your visitors coming back to you everyday, with the hope of getting something new every time.

The core factor in blogging is that it generates regular traffic which increase the page rank of the website and also helps in conversion ratio. A regular presence in the blogs, tends to build a friendly relation with the customers which is a good sign and helps in website viewership and also gives search engine marketing the desired boost.

About the Author- Naman Jain is an Online marketing professional, Presently working with Rupiz Media, one of the leading internet marketing company, providing Search engine marketing services and web development solutions as well.