If you own a cat as a pet, keeping it happy and healthy has to be your priority. As Dr. Jeff Werber – a vet from Los Angeles says:
“It’s crucial to get off on the right foot with cat care. Good daily habits are where it starts.”
Here are the best tips to help you provide the best care and love to your pet. Once you start practicing these daily habits, it will allow you to give your feline a healthy, pain-free, and long life.
- Daily Brushing
Brushing your cat every day will help you reduce the number of hairballs. This is going to allow you to prevent tangles and mats, especially if you have a long-haired cat. This will also help your cat get rid of loose hair, making grooming less painful and much easier.
But, getting them to cooperate with you could be tricky. One way to get around this is to associate brushing with a reward. For example, you can brush it before a meal or a playful activity to encourage it and build a habit.
- Focus on Your Cat’s Water Content
Domestic cats are the descendants of desert-dwelling cats, so felines don’t have that much of an appetite for water. They usually get most of their water content from their food. For instance, if your kitty eats a mouse, that contains about 70% water. Canned food also has around 78% water, which suffices your cat’s thirst.
On the contrary, dry food – as the name suggests – only has 5% – 10% water, which can cause dehydration in your pet. Cats usually drink more water after eating lots of dry fruits. Nursing cats, adult cats, and the ones with underlying chronic diseases are more susceptible to dehydration than the rest. So, watch out for signs like lethargy, panting, and sunken eyes.
Regardless, you should always give your cat fresh water no matter what they eat.
- Keep the Amount of Dry Fruits Checked
Speaking of dry fruits, they can cause a lot more damage to your cat’s health than just dehydration. Excessive eating of dry fruits can lead to the accumulation of too much carbohydrates, which can cause type 2 diabetes and obesity in cats.
Cats’ dietary needs are different from dogs. Kitties require a heavy meat-based diet to ensure proper growth. It’s a consensus among the vets that the primary meal of the day must always be meat.
- Have Extra Litter Boxes
If you have more than one cat, you should have at least one box per cat. However, it’s an important practice to have an extra litter pan. That means if you have three kitties, you should set up four litter boxes.
Also, choose wisely where to place them. You may want to put them in a hidden spot, basement, or a dark corner; however, some cats feel uncomfortable if they cannot look around while pooping.
- Find Out Why Your Cat is Peeing Outside the LitterBox
Nothing could be more irritating for a pet owner when a kitty pees somewhere other than the litter pan. Could be your bed, couch, or carpet. Anything but the box! And then having to clean that is next-level frustrating.
There could be many explanations for this behavior. It could be a health issue like a urinary tract infection (UTI) or any other illness. If you have run a health check and everything is good, the reason for this unusual behavior could be your cat’s disliking the box. Therefore, you should try different types of boxes to figure out which one your feline prefers.
Plus, keep the boxes clean. Scoop 2-3 times a day and more for multiple cats. You might also want to place the box somewhere quieter.
- Regular Health Checks and Grooming
Regular grooming is one of the most effective ways to notice any changes in your pet’s health. Doing so, any signs of injury or illness won’t go unnoticed. It will also help you notice any behavioral changes that could be a symptom of an underlying disease.
- Vaccination and Microchipping
Even if everything seems good after this, it’s still important to do an annual health check. This is an effective way to ensure your cat is current on vaccination, wormer, and flea treatment.
Besides, consult your vet to get your kitty microchipped if you haven’t already. Road accidents are the leading cause of injuries and deaths of cats. Microchipped cats stand a greater chance of being reunited with their owner in the event of a mishap.
- Get Your Cat Spayed Neutered
Neutering or spaying is a proactive way to prevent a cat from giving birth. It’s one of the most important steps in ensuring your cat’s long-term health. A female cat can get pregnant as early as four months old, so this simple surgery should ideally be conducted before they turn four months.
As for male cats, unaltered cats usually fight with fellow animals. Therefore, they can easily catch diseases through scratches and bites. This procedure will reduce aggressive behavior in male cats, and eventually also decrease the likelihood of transmitting diseases.
- Learn about Your Feline’s Breed
Different cat breeds exhibit different behavioral and health problems. Some breeds have lower life expectancy while some are at risk of inherited diseases. So, learning about your cat’s breed will spare you a lot of headaches of not knowing why your pet behaves a certain way.
- Safe Travel with Your Cat
Do not drive a car with an unrestrained cat. It’s a huge distraction for you as a driver and in the event of an accident, a cat might fling through the vehicle and will suffer serious injuries. Instead, buy a comfy travel carrier for your car and also train your pet to use it.
Plus, do not leave your cat unattended in a parked car. Even with a bit of open windows and cooler temperatures inside, your car can rapidly reach a high temperature that could be unbearable for any animal. Within mere minutes, your cat could tragically succumb to the intense heat. So it’s better to leave your pet at home if you don’t intend to take it inside with you.
To Sum it Up
Ensuring a cat’s health goes beyond this guide. Visit your vet regularly to see if your cat has an.y illness to keep it happy and healthy and also to increase its life expectancy.
