Cat Nutrition
Why are cats prepare? Reasons why socially boyfriends – cats.com

Domestic cats are annoying animals, and the main way they stay clean is through preparation. Many of us have multiple feline friends in the same home and we have noticed that they prepare not only themselves but sometimes.
How did this behavior evolve? How do you decide who prepares who? Let’s explore the details about why preparation plays an important role in the life and social structure of a cat.
Autogrooming vs. Allogrooming
The car hall is a word that means preparing.
The owner of cats often asks “Why are cats clean each other?” The answer is that cats learn to Autogroom as young kittens and continue until adulthood. Most cats do this very well and stay clean without much hairdressers or their owners.
As a pet ages, the autograph room can fall due to other health conditions such as arthritis.
Allogrooming means preparing another.
Many cats participate in mutual preparation, when they live in a domestic colony or several capes, including wild cats. Allogrooming also begins at an early age, with the mother’s cat starting the behavior. The social structure, dominance and relationships also play a role in social preparation.
Why do cats lick
Have you looked closely at the tongue of a cat?
Cats have a very unique anatomy in the tongue with many small bristles that cover the surface of the tongue. That’s why he feels like sandpaper when a cat licks you! These bristles work like a small hair brush.
When licking their fur, cats eliminate debris, excess hair and parasites. If cats are not prepared regularly, they can be tangled or dirty, which leads to health problems, hunting or interruptions in a hierarchy of colonies.
Cats can lick too much or excessively. The barber results in thin or irregular hair, broken hairs or even scabs in some cases. Underlying health conditions can trigger overload. Hyperthyroidism, arthritis pain, allergies, mites and fleas cause excessive toilet. If your cat has a change in your cleaning behavior or you are losing your hair, schedule a visit with your veterinarian.
Preparation as kitten

When the kittens are very young, their mother spends a lot of time preparing them.
The kittens are born blind and helpless, who require constant attention from the queen, her mother. When licking the kittens immediately after birth, mother cats eliminate the tissue and liquids that could attract predators.
This after birth stimulates kittens, dries their coats and moves them and heats them. As the kittens grow, their mother licks them to stimulate urination and defecation. She also prepares them to keep them clean daily.
The Feline Family Unit is based on the shared space, the shared aroma and the shared behaviors, and the litter companions begin to prepare at an early age.
If a kitten is abandoned and does not have the benefit of raising a mother’s cat, toilet behavior can suffer. Human adoptive parents mimic the queen’s cleaning behaviors using cotton balls, wipes or other materials to stimulate and clean the kittens while maturing.
Without garbage companions, orphaned kittens can show inappropriate behaviors when introduced to other cats. Veterinarians and behavior coaches have resources to improve these special situations.
Domain and preparation
When two adult cats are together, who prepares who?
Studies in cat behavior show that most of the time a cat of greater classification is prepared a less dominant cat. More commonly, the dominant cat prepares its counterpart around the head, face and neck.
These locations are vulnerable areas and are also objectives of aggression during the conflict. Preparing “below” the rows can be a method to show domain without causing damage. In family units, all members are often necessary for hunting, security and defense of the territory.
If a fight explodes, an injury to a family member could compromise everyone’s safety. Therefore, allogrooming can spread the situation and avoid aggression.
In a home of several caps, domain struggles appear frequently. Accessibility to resources generally triggers aggression between Captain. The food, the sandbox and the territory are key resources in a feline environment.
Make sure each cat has a safe and separate place to eat, use the sand box and rest. Offering resources in different rooms, different levels of the house and far from other pets such as dogs, are strategies to relieve stress and aggression.
In groups where cats are sterilized and castrated, there is no obvious relationship between male or female preference in allogrooming. However, when intact female cats are together, evidence shows that females are prepared more frequently during the playback season.
In addition, larger cats seem to exhibit the domain more frequently on smaller tall cats.
Signs of linking
When adult cats live together in a home, they often develop a strong bond. Slaughting each other can be a sign of affection and linking. Do your cat shift when their housemate is licking them? That is a good sign that it is a union behavior. If your pets seem relaxed while they are encouraged, there are few reasons to worry.
What about the introduction of a new cat?
A new cat can bring a new aroma, foreign behaviors and interrupt the routine. Cat owners can help build links between a young cat and a major cat in several ways. Neutralizing smell can help cats feel more comfortable.
Use brushes and combs in both pets to help them familiarize each other. The pheromones help relieve tension, and there are synthetic pheromones aerosols to reduce anxiety by introducing a new cat into a family.
Can cleaning cause problems?
The most common condition due to preparation is hair balls. While cats prepare and among themselves, their tongue collects fur. The fur are swallowed, which usually passes through its digestive tract without problems.
Some cats with long hair, or cats that are prepared in excess, can accumulate a skin accumulation in the stomach. This rough material can cause them to vomit a ball of hair, also known as tricobezoar.
In rare cases, the hair ball can get stuck in the stomach or intestine and require surgical extraction.
If your cat has frequent vomiting or hair balls, certain foods and supplements can help them pass the hairballs more easily. Consult your veterinarian to obtain advice on what could be better based on your cat’s needs.
As expected, preparation obviously involves saliva. Saliva can transport certain diseases, which makes preparation a potential way to spread certain diseases.
Feline leukemia virus is a disease that can spread from cat to cat through shared environments and behaviors, including toilet. If your cat goes out, be sure to try them to obtain this incurable viral disease, and vaccinate it as indicated by its veterinarian.
The feline immunodeficiency virus is another disease that spreads through saliva, as well as blood. IVF propagates more commonly through the bites and cat fights, and there is no vaccine available for this disease. Although it does not extend directly through the preparation, the aggression between Captain and the domain play a role in cats of cats and IVF.
Fixing as affection

Adult cats that share a house can prepare with each other as a sign of affection and link.
Cat preparation covers a variety of behaviors, and we still have more to learn. As cat owners, spending time brushing and caressing our feline classmates is a way to participate in this linkage ritual.
While your pet is relaxed during these interactions, preparation is an excellent way to spend time together. If your pet tried to leave, stir or become aggressive, consider stopping for now and letting you have a break.
If they are witnesses that their cats are prepared to the point where one is protesting or seems unhappy, offering a separate room or time can avoid fights. The preparation must be a relaxing and beneficial process.
Also read: How to take care of a kitten: the complete guide
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Frequent questions
How do I know if my cats like to be prepared to each other?
Slip, a relaxed posture like bed or sleep, and not even make an effort to escape that things are going well.
What do I do if my cat has a bald area of the other cat that licks them too much?
Excessive preparation or barbershop can occur when a cat exhibits too much lick or aggressive domain. In severe cases, secondary infections are produced if the surface of the skin is ulcerated or broken.
Other species prepare each other?
Yeah! Allogrooming has been observed in many other species of cats such as lions, cheese and other species of family groups. We do not have so much information about the underlying factors that determine allogrooming in wild species.
Cat Nutrition
Why antioxidants matter in their cat’s diet – Cats.com

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Antioxidants are nutrients that prevent or slow damage caused to their cat’s cells by free radicals. Antioxidants are vital for their cat’s immune system and it is believed to reduce their risk of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer and cognitive deterioration. The examples used in cats include vitamins E and C, selenium and beta -carotene.
So how do you make sure your cat is getting enough? Keep reading to get everything you need to know about antioxidants in cats, from how they work to what foods contain them.
What are antioxidants?
His body produces ‘free radicals’ during everyday metabolic processes. While free radicals have some useful functions, too many cell damage or death. Free radicals are linked to multiple diseases in cats, as well as premature aging. In addition to being naturally produced, things such as pollution, cigarette smoke, infections and exposure to toxins can increase free radicals in their cat’s body.
Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals, protecting against their harmful effects.
Your cat’s body must maintain the correct balance of free radicals and antioxidants to avoid damage. When free radicals exceed antioxidants, it leads to ‘oxidative stress’, which can be harmful to their health. That is why guaranteeing that your cat has enough antioxidants in your diet is important.
When fighting free radicals, antioxidants slow down or avoid cell damage, protecting the body of their oxidative stress cat. This reduces the effects of premature aging and protects your cat against diseases related to cell damage, including cancer.
What are the benefits of antioxidants in cats?

It is shown that antioxidants increase their cat’s immune system and reduce the risk of many health problems. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Antioxidants reduce the risk of their cat from many health conditions, such as:
Antioxidants and your cat’s immune system
We also know that antioxidants increase their cat’s immune system, protecting them from a wide range of possible diseases.
A recent study on the Effect of dietary antioxidants on free radical damage in dogs and cats He concluded that “cats fed with an antioxidant mixture, including vitamin E, vitamin C and β-carotene, have improved immune health as observed through reduced signs of oxidation and decreased cell decomposition.”
Complete research on Feline immunocompetence, aging and the role of antioxidants He found a greater immune response to vaccination in cats fed with a diet supplemented with antioxidants, compared to cats without antioxidant supplement.
They also found that immune cells themselves were stronger and less fragile in cats fed with a diet rich in antioxidants compared to those of a standard diet. This could improve them in the fight against disease and infection.
Cat antioxidant sources

While antioxidants are found in many plant -based foods, meat -based sources are more appropriate for cats, such as fish, shellfish, lean meat and poultry. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Strictly speaking, antioxidants are not specific ingredients, but substances that have antioxidant properties, generally among other benefits. Examples of substances that are known to have antioxidant effects on cats include:
- Vitamin E (may appear as Tocoferol)
- Vitamin C (can appear as ascorbic acid)
- Carotenoids, such as beta -carotene and lutein
- Selenium
- Taurine
Antioxidants can be found in ingredients based on meat base. While your cat can tolerate small amounts of plant -based options (such as sweet potatoes, blueberries, pumpkin, green leafy algae), meat, fish and eggs offer a more appropriate option to boost their antioxidant levels.
Read our 9 main antioxidant foods to combat diseases for cats to learn more about the best foods rich in antioxidants for cats.
How to give antioxidants to your cat

The safest way to ensure that your cat is to obtain the optimal amount of antioxidants is to feed them a balanced and complete diet, appropriate for their life and health stage. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Now you know how important antioxidants are, you will want to make sure your cat gets enough. There are three main ways to guarantee this: Verify your cat’s diet meets AAFCO standards, choose a diet with additional antioxidants or give your cat an additional supplement.
Antioxidants in regular cat food
The good news is that all the diets that are complete and balanced, as established by the FEED American Control Officials Association (AAFCO)It must contain adequate amounts of essential micronutrients. This includes some with antioxidant properties, such as vitamin E, selenium and bullfighting.
So, if your cat receives a complete and balanced diet appropriate for your life stage, you may be sure that you will already receive a healthy dose of antioxidants. To verify if your cat’s food meets the AAFCO standards, look for the “AAFCO statement” in the packaging.
Specialized diets rich in antioxidants
While all pet food approved by the AAFCO will meet the minimum nutritional requirements, some diets go further.
Recognizing the benefits of antioxidants, many specialized diets contain added antioxidants. These include diets designed to handle health conditions, such as heart disease and gastrointestinal problems.
With the greatest risk of oxidative damage in older pets, high quality diets designed for higher cats or those with cognitive impairment (dementia) should also contain high levels of antioxidants.
Antioxidant supplements
If you want to increase your cat’s antioxidant intake, you can also consider using a supplement. These come in capsules, liquids, dust, chews and tablets.
Most cat supplements contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and other ingredients, instead of only ingredients with antioxidant properties. Unfortunately, in most countries, supplements are not as regulated as other medications. This means that they can be sold without manufacturers having to demonstrate that the product contains what it says, it is effective or safe.
What happens if your cat does not have enough antioxidants?
Your cat needs enough antioxidants to combat harmful free radical levels in your body. We know that the activity of natural antioxidants is reduced as their cat ages, which makes them more susceptible to oxidative damage and disease. So, antioxidants are even more important for our major cats.
Diets that do not contain enough antioxidants, especially vitamin E, bullfighting and selenium, can lead to poor immune health and greater susceptibility to aging, cancer and disease.
The safest way to ensure that your cat receives the correct level of antioxidants is to feed them a commercial diet that is complete and balanced. Choosing a specific diet for your life stage, such as a diet for older people, will also take into account the greatest need for antioxidants in major cats.
What are the risks of antioxidants in cats?

Diets approved by AAFCO with antioxidants are tested for safety and nutrition, but each cat is different. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Commercial diets containing antioxidants that are approved by the AAFCO (or the PET Food Safety Agency in your country) are considered safe. They are tested to make sure they contain the levels of nutrients they claim, and these levels must be within the safe ranges. Although, of course, not all diets will agree with each individual cat.
The main risk of antioxidants in cats comes with the supplementation of the complete existing diet of your cat, since it is difficult to know if they could be getting too much. As mentioned above, in most countries, supplements are not well regulated. This means that companies are generally not obliged to prove that supplements contain what they say or demonstrate that they are safe.
Antioxidant toxicity in cats
Like most things in life, you can get too good. While antioxidants can certainly increase their cat’s health and well -being, high levels can be dangerous. Antioxidant toxicity is rare in cats, but can be seen in cats fed with excessive supplements or diets that are not properly balanced, such as diets cooked in the home.
For example, high levels of vitamin A (generally observed in cats fed with a diet rich in liver or cod liver oil) can cause vomiting, anorexia, muscle pain and neurological symptoms, as well as serious changes in your cat’s bones. Excess vitamin E has been related to bleeding problems in cats, while Selenium toxicity in animals It has been shown that it causes damage to the muscle, the heart, the liver, the spleen and the kidneys.
Side effects of antioxidants in cats
Even at the correct levels, all supplements can cause side effects, such as vomiting and diarrhea. They also have the potential to interact with medication, including herbal remedies. Therefore, always consult your veterinarian before starting your cat in a supplement.
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Cats.com Use high quality credible sources, including peer -reviewed studies, to support statements in our articles. This content is reviewed and updated regularly to obtain precision. Visit our page about us to learn about our standards and meet our veterinary review board.
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Feline immunocompetence, aging and the role of antioxidants – Wsava 2001 – Vin. (North Dakota).
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Giri, A., Ranjan, P. and Bharti, VK (2021). Selenium toxicity in domestic animals. Selenium pollution in water51–72.
Cat Nutrition
The incredible regeneration of a dog’s jaw | Animal Welfare Magazine

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Cat Nutrition
Stelling Stelling Stelling Cash Review Purrclean – Cats.com

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
The Smart Purrclean Self -Equipment Sand box is designed with a touch screen system, an application that monitors your cat’s bath habits and several safety sensors.
However, it is also one of the most expensive automatic sandboxes on the market. Is it worth the technological characteristics, or the Purrclean is too expensive? In this impartial review, I will discuss my experience and help you decide if it is the right choice for you.
Qualifications
- Ease of cleaning – 3/5
- Smell control – 3.5/5
- Appearance – 4.5/5
- Construction – 4/5
- Price – 3/5
General score: 3.1/5
Why trust cats.com
I tried the Purclean automatic sand box for about six weeks in my home in several caps. Although I have seven cats, only three are small enough to use most self -employment boxes comfortably.
During the tests, I noticed my cat’s reactions, as well as my own practical experience with the product. The things I consider when checking an automatic sand box include the ease of use, collection skills and if the machine is easy to clean deeply. I also try large amounts of fluids to see if the sand box can handle large groups.
I also look for what other people think about the product and the brand, since what works for me will not work for everyone. I want to know how the sand box works in a variety of conditions so that you can provide the best possible recommendation.
Purrclean Smart Smart Authemaning Box and instant

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
Instachew is a pet product company with a focus on intelligent technology and convenience for pet parents. Its application, instachew infinity, is at the forefront of its advertising.
The company sells a range of dogs and cat products, including pet cameras, travel equipment and the intelligent Purclean self -limited sand box.
This automatic sand box reached the market in 2020 and includes a lot of technological and safety features that include its touch screen, application connection and 12 sensors to detect when your cat is inside or near the box.
Purrclean Smart Smart Authemaning Box Characteristics

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
Instachew focuses its intelligent technology, and especially its application, by announcing this product. I found the convenient and simple touch screen, but the application is less. Several users, including myself, had trouble connecting it to the sand box. Some also seemed confusing to use.
Once connected, you can configure a cleaning schedule, collect or empty the sand box, monitor your cat’s sand habits and more.
Another main characteristic of the Purrclean is its large number of safety sensors. In addition, the drum revolves from side to side when taking out and has no door. So, even if all these sensors fail, your cat would not get stuck inside.
The machine works silently, presents an air purification system to control the smells and has a large waste container located at the bottom of the sand box.
Although instachew focuses on the owner’s convenience, this sand box is not the easiest to clean deeply. We will discuss this more in depth below.
What we like:
- Easy to use touch screen
- Shoops in silence
- Weighs cats and monitors your sand habits
- Made with 12 cat safety sensors
What we didn’t like:
- Not made for large cats
- Difficult to clean
- The drum is difficult to insert again after configuration and cleanliness
- The application is difficult to connect and send excessive notifications
What did our trial cats think?

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
The Smart Purrclean Self -Equipment Sand box was difficult to configure from the beginning. It cost me a lot to remove the drum to configure the machine, in addition to putting it back in its place later. You have to lift it while pressing it at the right angle, which can be a challenge.
I was satisfied with the touch screen in the sand box, which works well and is easy to use. However, I spent a lot of time trying to connect it to the application. In the end, I had to follow the problem solving steps in the instruction brochure, which worked!
This sand box is quite small, but most automatic sand boxes are. Only my smaller cats would use it. The sand box sends notifications every time a cat approaches the sand box, which seems unnecessary. Emerging windows quickly become annoying in a small space, or if the box is in an area of the highly treated house.
That said, I like that the sand box sits when cats are close. Actually, it has a dozen safety sensors, and it is always good to see that a product prioritizes security, especially with other products in the market that have security problems.
The last problem I had was when it was time to deeply clean the machine. In addition to the battery problems, the inner eyeliner seems to be stuck. If you need to be cleaned, you must deal with the complete and bulky drum instead of simply remove the eyeliner itself.
In general, I liked this sand box and recommend it for small cats if it were not for the price. Personally, I think there are many cheaper automatic sand boxes in the market with similar characteristics, including application compatibility. Some of them are even easier to clean deeply!

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
What do customers from the Purrclean smart box think?
Positive reviews
“This product was exactly as described. I was in the order of setback, so it was a bit late in shipping, but I received it only a couple of days after the original delivery date. My cats love and I would recommend it to anyone other than people with multiple cats.” April Stuckless Review at Amazon (May 17, 2023)
“This sand box for intelligent cleaning cats is absolutely life! Automatically takes out the garbage, keeping everything clean and smell free with a minimum effort on my part. My cat took it immediately, and I have noticed a big difference in how fresh the room is maintained.” Shams Review On Chewy (August 16, 2024)
Reviewers agree that the sand box is convenient and works very silently. Several say it works better than their old sand box for folders, and some point out that the smell control works very well for them.
Negative reviews
“It is not large enough for a normal size cat. They enter and cannot turn around to urinate the opening and the front.” Sherry Review in Chewy (May 15, 2024)
“I had great hope for this automatic sand box for cats, but it turned out to be a great disappointment. The construction feels cheap and the application is even worse. It is barely synchronized with the sand box and the few characteristics of” hands -free “that just work.” Catty on Chewy
The complaints of the most frequent customers include problems with the application that connects or operation, the volume of the machine and the input or the drum are too small. Some reviewers had problems with the drum stuck in the shipment, which meant that they could not eliminate it to configure the sand box. Others pointed out that the deodorization system did not work well or that the urine leaked from the drum.
Similar automatic sandbox marks
Looking for other sandbox brands similar to the Purrclean? Check out some of our other sandbox reviews.
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