During their spawning process, they will use their mouths to clean a flat rock, and female will lay her eggs there. Not all eggs are laid at once; female will take breathers, at which time male moves in and fertilizes eggs. A female usually lays 1,000-2,000 eggs. The eggs are opaque at first, turning transparent in 24 hours. After eggs are laid, both parents watch over eggs, wafting eggs with their fin and guarding them against predators. Occasionally they take eggs in their mouth, which keeps them clean and turns up bad eggs, which are then destroyed.

If a constant tank temperature is maintained, eggs should hatch in about 36 hours. At first, fry cannot swim, but they squirm "en masse" on rock, living off egg sac, for about 4 days. The parents constantly attend to their young at this time. Feeding these fry is easier than other breeds, because of baby Oscar's relatively large size. A good and simple plan is to crush regular processed flake food in your fingers, and just drop it in. Turn off filtration during fry feeding time to make it easier for them to find their bits of food.

How parents act towards their fry depends entirely on each fish personality. Some have numerous spawn and never bother their fry; others easily eat their young. To be on safe side, you can separate fry from their parents. However I do not recommend this until parents have had a few unsuccessful spawnings. The fry will reach 1.5 to 2 inches after 12 weeks at which time they can be sold.

Here are some examples of by-products:

Canned cat food:

Corn gluten meal Ground yellow corn Soybean meal Beef By-Products Meat By-Products

Dry cat food:

Ground Yellow Corn Chicken By-Product Meal Corn Gluten Meal Wheat flour Corn Meal Soy flour

3. How Much Moisture Is In Cat Food?

What's percentage of moisture in cat food you're evaluating? The higher number, better for your kitty. More moisture means your cat will urinate more. Increased urination will flush out any crystals that may be trying to form in your cat's urinary tract. Canned cat food has a higher moisture content than dry.

4. How Much Magnesium Does Cat Food Contain?

An excess of magnesium will contribute to struvite crystal formation (FLUTD). Some magnesium is necessary, but generally look for cat food that has a maximum of 0.025% magnesium to prevent struvite crystals.

5. Does Cat Food Contain DL-Methionine?

DL-Methionine is an amino acid with sulfur, which helps regulate ammonia formation in urine. This amino acid helps maintain your cat's urine pH balance around 6.6, which is normal and does not encourage crystal formation.

And...since cats are cats (which means they are in charge!), be aware that what you select for them may not be what they want to eat, if they don't like taste. If this happens, you'll need to start over again until you find a wholesome, nutritious cat food that merits two paws up from your feline!

Keep these five factors in mind when shopping for cat food to maintain your kitty's urinary tract and prevent FLUTD.

And remember, when you're considering changing your cat's diet, consult with your vet. She or he will give you expert guidance and information to make transition easier for your and your kitty.

Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home.