Vitamins in Cats - part 2 of a 6 part series

Again - shared from writings of Linda Hornberger -


5. Vitamins (2 of 6)
The first vitamin we will look at is Vitamin A. Vitamin A is actually several compounds, retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid, with retinol being the most biologically active form. In the body, vitamin A is involved in vision, bone growth, reproduction and epithelial tissue (the tissue that lines body cavity, organs, and comprises much of the glands).
Regarding vision, the retinal combines with a protein to form rhodopsin, which is the light-sensitive pigment found in the rods of the retina. [Rods are the part of the retina which is responsible for low-light, black and white vision.] The rhodopsin splits apart when exposed to light, releasing energy that is transmitted by the nerves. It then regenerates in the dark. With a deficiency of vitamin A, the rods become increasingly insensitive to light, eventually leading to night blindness.

Regarding epithelial tissue, vitamin A is necessary for the production and differentiation of the cells and for the production of mucoproteins, found in some of the mucous secreted by the body. This mucous, in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract is an barrier against infection. With a deficiency of vitamin A, lesions occur which can then lead to increased infections.
Regarding bone and tooth development, vitamin A is important for the epithelial cartilage and for osteoclast activity, which are the cells responsible directly for bone growth.
Regarding reproduction, vitamin A has been shown to be important for the production of sperm and for normal estrous cycles.
In most animal, vitamin A is converted from carotenoids, the yellow orange pigments in plants. Cats, however, lack the enzyme (or are very deficient in it) which converts the carotenoids. Thus, cats MUST consume vitamin A. Fish oils, milk, liver, and egg yolk are all sources for pre-formed vitamin A which cats can use.
Interestingly, lutein, one of the carotenoids, and beta-carotene do actually have a role in cats. It seems these two compounds have a function in cell-mediated and humoral immune response. [Regarding this, see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10713345 " Compared to control, cats fed lutein also showed enhanced Con A- and pokeweed mitogen-stimulated PBMCs proliferation. Dietary lutein also increased the percentages of CD4+ and CD21+ lymphocytes on Week 12 but had no significant effect on pan T, CD8 and MHC class II markers. Plasma IgG was higher (p<0 .05="" 10mg="" 12.="" 8="" action="" and="" cats.="" cats="" domestic="" fed="" immuno-modulatory="" in="" lutein="" of="" on="" p="" results="" support="" the="" these="" weeks=""> Note: not my cat

Grooming continued...

Again - copied from an online article written by Linda Hornberger - all due credit to her.

Grooming a Cat -- Step 3.3
Now for the fun, and yes, I personally think it's fun!
I groom my cats in one of two locations -- depending on the cat's willingness to be groomed. Those that like, I groom on my kitchen counter. I use the end of the counter with the refrigerator, so the cat is blocked in on 3 sides -- wall, fridge, and me. It's a nice height so, my back is not strained. There's space on top of the microwave for tools. And there's plenty of light.
For those less than thrilled, which is only a few, I take them into the master bath, close the door, and groom them on the floor, between my legs. Being in there with only me, they seem to feel safer. I can easily lay out all the tools next to me.
Regardless of the cat, my general order of grooming is something like this:
back of neck
back of neck continuing in long strokes towards tail
back of neck
front shoulders
chin and chest
back of neck
hip region
back of neck
lifting one front paw at a time, the inside of the other paw and chest/belly
back of neck
long strokes down body
push cat gently over and lift one rear leg to groom belly and groin
let cat up, push over on other side and repeat
back of neck
finally tail and butt bloomers
With a shorthaired cat, I do it with comb then slicker brush, so two complete run throughs. With persians, I do one very thorough combing.
Now, you may have notice the back of neck got a lot of attention. Cats LOVE being brushed there -- it's their sweet spot. So, I return to it over and over to make the experience enjoyable, especially with anxious cats. Sometimes it's only 1 or 2 strokes, just to calm and reassure. The chin, chest, shoulders are all spots most cats like groomed. The hips can be iffy. Many cats do not like the area in front of the tail combed, especially with any pressure so sometimes I sneak in some strokes there. If the cat tolerates nail trimming, lifting the front feet to groom should be fine.
Some cats love their bellies groomed and some don't. The recommended way of grooming it is to flip the cat on its back in your lap and groom it that way. And if the cat is skittish at all, you will be mauled as an upside down cat feels VERY vulnerable. Laying on their side, they tend to be more tolerant. With one girl, I have her sit up, I pick up both front feet on my one arm, raise the arm until she's a prairie dog, and then comb her tummy like that.
I can hear some of you say "Yah, not with my cat." Grooming is a matter of positive experiences. Start with what you can do -- and if that is 2 or 3 strokes on the back of the neck, so be it. Then try for 3 or 4 or even 5... Work up to the shoulder region. Slowly expand the tolerable area an inch here and there.
The worst thing you can do is force the issue!
And before someone says, "But you have show cats," I also have Gabby, PsychoPuff (in photo). When I got her, she would attack me if she saw a comb -- and I mean it, I have the scars. (BTW, getting blood on your silver persian is a no-no!) But I persisted (and it did help when she started to like being petted...), and did just what she could handle on that day. I approached her calmly, without any anticipation that she would attack, and with lots of patience. It took 9 months to fully groom her back, shoulders, head, and chest. We are working on her front legs now... slowly.
With long-haired cats, the #1 reason in my mind for hating grooming is mats, which we will talk about in the next installment.

Combs for Longhaired Cats as written by Linda Hornberger

Written by Linda Hornberger - copied in full


Grooming a Cat -- Part 3.2 -- Tools for Longhairs
As long as we are not talking about grooming a show persian (or other longhaired show cat), the tools are very simple.
Item 1 -- A greyhound comb.
These are metal combs, usually with two different ends -- one wider spaced than the other. The teeth should be about 1 3/8" or a bit longer with the comb about 7.5" long. Master Grooming Tools makes one for about $8-15. Andis (the clipper company) has them. Chris Christensen's Buttercombs (shampoo manufacturer) are good ones I've been told and cost around $30. The best WERE the Original Greyhound combs handmade in Belgium. Sadly that company went out of business, but an English company, Ashley Craig, bought the molds and is now manufacturing greyhound combs for about $35. Whether these are actually better is a matter of opinion -- some claim the new ones are smoother through the coat, others claim the old ones are more durable. The point is, there is a greyhound comb to fit everyone's budget.
The reason you want a comb is simple -- you have to get through all that hair and down to the skin. A brush (slicker, bristle, pin) won't work and in fact, a brush often will make matters worse by dealing with only the last 1/2" of hair while the hair near the skin mats. This leaves the owner surprised when they finally discover the cat is one giant mat even though the outer layer is soft!
And that is about it... For years, I had 1 cheap greyhound comb and it was perfectly fine to keep my longhairs and persians in okay condition. Now if you want to, you can add a face comb for the legs and face and a pin bursh to floof the coat, but neither item is essential. Just the greyhound comb...
Now for my show cats, I have an oversized greyhound comb, 2 regular greyhound combs, a face comb, a flea comb, a fat-brat comb, a pin brush, eyebrow comb, and 2 sizes of slicker brushes -- each with a particular task or area of a cat to deal with. (I do believe some of the appeal of showing persians is buying all the tools to groom them!) If there is interest and we have time, I will gladly explain grooming a show persian.
Next up, how we will be using these tools.

Merry Christmas From Kender Siberians

 From our kitty family to yours. Merry Christmas

Dangerous Holiday Plants and your Siberian

Here's a quick look at a few of hte most popular plants this time of year that are potentially life threatening to your kitty !  This is by no means a comprehensive list. Just a small reminder !

Vitamins And Their Role in Cats

PLEASE NOTE - I did NOT write this - I am copying and pasting from Linda Hornberger's FB Group. But it is very concise and easy to follow.


 Vitamins (1 of 6)
Next to energy, vitamins are one of the most important aspects of food. Vitamins are organic molecules that the body needs in tiny amounts to help with many of the enzymatic processes. They are not fat, carbohydrate, nor protein and are not used for energy or as structural components. Most cannot be synthesized by the body.
Vitamins can be divided into two groups: fat-soluble, water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. They are digested and absorbed in ways similar to fats and are excreted in feces through the bile. Excesses are stored in the liver. Because they are stored, the fat-soluble vitamins, and especially A and D, are more likely to build to toxic levels than water-soluble vitamins. Also because they are stored, deficiencies develop slowly.
Water-soluble vitamins are C and the B-complex vitamins. These are absorbed passively in the small intestine and excreted in the urine. With the exception of cobalmin (B12), the other water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Hence, while they have a low risk of developing toxic levels, they have a better chance of developing deficiencies than do fat-soluble vitamins.
The photo shows a summary of signs of deficiency, signs of excess, and the food sources for each of the vitamins. We will discuss each in turn.

 Vitamins (2 of 6)
The first vitamin we will look at is Vitamin A. Vitamin A is actually several compounds, retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid, with retinol being the most biologically active form. In the body, vitamin A is involved in vision, bone growth, reproduction and epithelial tissue (the tissue that lines body cavity, organs, and comprises much of the glands).
Regarding vision, the retinal combines with a protein to form rhodopsin, which is the light-sensitive pigment found in the rods of the retina. [Rods are the part of the retina which is responsible for low-light, black and white vision.] The rhodopsin splits apart when exposed to light, releasing energy that is transmitted by the nerves. It then regenerates in the dark. With a deficiency of vitamin A, the rods become increasingly insensitive to light, eventually leading to night blindness.
Regarding epithelial tissue, vitamin A is necessary for the production and differentiation of the cells and for the production of mucoproteins, found in some of the mucous secreted by the body. This mucous, in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract is an barrier against infection. With a deficiency of vitamin A, lesions occur which can then lead to increased infections.
Regarding bone and tooth development, vitamin A is important for the epithelial cartilage and for osteoclast activity, which are the cells responsible directly for bone growth.
Regarding reproduction, vitamin A has been shown to be important for the production of sperm and for normal estrous cycles.
In most animal, vitamin A is converted from carotenoids, the yellow orange pigments in plants. Cats, however, lack the enzyme (or are very deficient in it) which converts the carotenoids. Thus, cats MUST consume vitamin A. Fish oils, milk, liver, and egg yolk are all sources for pre-formed vitamin A which cats can use.
Interestingly, lutein, one of the carotenoids, and beta-carotene do actually have a role in cats. It seems these two compounds have a function in cell-mediated and humoral immune response. [Regarding this, see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10713345

" Compared to control, cats fed lutein also showed enhanced Con A- and pokeweed mitogen-stimulated PBMCs proliferation. Dietary lutein also increased the percentages of CD4+ and CD21+ lymphocytes on Week 12 but had no significant effect on pan T, CD8 and MHC class II markers. Plasma IgG was higher (p<0 .05="" 10mg="" 12.="" 8="" action="" and="" cats.="" cats="" domestic="" fed="" immuno-modulatory="" in="" lutein="" of="" on="" p="" results="" support="" the="" these="" weeks=""> Note: not my cat

Hawaii LItter Gets a Pro Photo Shoot

So we decided to show 1/2 of the Hawaii litter at the CA , CFA show. Boy did they ham it up and show very very well.  Marilyn even made a 9th Best Kitten Final.