Cats make wonderful pets and shower you with love throughout their lifetime. We want them to always be healthy and playful. Cats are low-maintenance pets and do not need much from you. But a little bit of time and attention can make their life better and improve their health. You need to take some time out to play with and train your cat and give them all the care and affection that they deserve.
Train your cat
Training is an essential step to ensure the good health of your cat. Training keeps their body and mind stimulated and healthy. Training involving agility and tricks involves physical activities that ensure good muscle and skeletal health thereby result in increased stamina and high energy. Regular Training prevents obesity in cats, which can cause several diseases in cats. According to a survey of 2017 conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), about sixty percent of cats suffer from obesity. Training your cat for agility could help you avoid this major problem.
Give Supplements for Health
All types of diet do not ensure your cat’s overall nutrition requirements, so it is often recommended by doctors to give supplements for cats alongside the diet. Nowadays, giving your cat supplements is considered absolutely necessary which is evident by the increasing market size for cat supplements. A recent survey found out that the pet supplement market is estimated to be $1.07 Billion by 2027. The following are the types of supplements for cats for improving a cat’s health.
- Vitamins and minerals: These supplements for cats contain all the essential vitamins and minerals that are needed for maintaining the good health of a cat. There are numerous such supplements available in the market, but you should take the advice of your vet before giving them to your cat.
- Essential Fatty acids: Omega-3-fatty acid and omega-6-fatty acids are known for their ability to improve a cat’s skin health and give a shiny coat. It is also known to positively affect the immune system of a cat.
- Probiotics: Probiotics contain “good” microorganisms like lactobacillus to eliminate the “bad” ones.
Don’t Feed Too Much Dry Food
Dry food or kibble has only one known benefit and that is convenience. But according to the data of a report, some variants of dry food have sufficient amounts of required vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids and are known to improve dental health. It is recommended to feed your cat a combination of wet and dry food along with nutrient supplements.
- When the food is dry, most cats tend to overeat and eat fast, this results in the absorption of too much water in the digestive system and causes discomfort and health issues.
- Dehydration in cats can cause several health issues including irritation and problems in the urinary tract. Dehydration is caused due to less intake of water. If your cat does not drink water at regular intervals, wet food is recommended.
Brush Your Cat Often
Brushing your cat could be a calming opportunity for you and your cat. Regular brushing is important to remove dirt and exo-parasites that may later cause disease in cats. Brushing improves your cat’s skin health by increasing blood circulation. Brushing removes dirt, dry skin flakes, and dead hairs, thus preventing the matting of cat fur. Brushing is also useful in minimizing shedding. Cats tend to clean themselves if not cleaned by you, they can ingest dirt and furballs which can cause vomiting and affect digestion. Brushing at the end of the day is relaxing for both you and your cat.
Play with him
Your cat may love its toys but it loves you more than those toys. Spending time with your cat while playing is an excellent way to improve your cat’s overall health. According to the Veterinary Medical Association survey, pet owners experience a 35% probability of unique emotional bonding and positive influence as compared to people with no pets. Playing involves physical exercises that reduce the chances of obesity by improving metabolism. Playing will help your cat be calmer and focused. This will lead to reduced anxiety and stress. Playing and training with your cat will make it a confident and obedient cat.
Conclusion
Before owning a cat, one should know all these ways to take better care of their new four-legged friend. People often tend to ignore playing or training with their cats which may result in a nervous and aggressive cat. All these steps should be followed to give your cat a happy life.