A healthy cat is a happy cat. Feline owners have a responsibility to ensure that their kitties live their best furry lives. Good cat care habits should start from the time a cat joins the family. However, it is never too late to learn and implement new tips that enhance a cat’s health.
With so many books and experts wanting to offer you advice on cat care, eliminate the noise and start with these three basic feline maintenance practices:
Healthy diet
Cats need a protein-rich diet of healthy food and should be fed regularly while avoiding overfeeding. However, not all feline food brands offer cats the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals they need. Among them is a nutritious joint supplement for cats to support their joints during their many leaping and climbing adventures. Without joint support, cats might develop arthritis or lose their mobility at a younger than average age. Vet’s Best, Nutri Vet, Scruffy Paws Nutrition, Only Natural Pet, Spectrin and Nature Vet are some of the brands trusted by cat owners for their quality supplements that help you ensure a healthy life for your cat.
Another useful supplement would be one that boosts a cat’s immune system. Cats are vulnerable to Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). It might only become detectable long after infection when the cat becomes susceptible to secondary infections. Keeping a cat’s immune system functioning optimally is essential for a long, healthy life.
Cats get most of their fluid intake from cat food. They do not drink much water from a bowl like dogs. Cat foods contain varying fluid quantities. Dry cat kibble includes the least, while tinned moist food has the most. However, the latter might be too expensive for a cat owner to use exclusively. Experts advise that feline owners use a combination of dry, semi-moist, and moist cat food to ensure their cat gets enough fluids without it becoming prohibitively expensive.
Following on from the feline practice of not consuming enough water and liquids come urinary tract (UT) problems. These could include kidney and bladder infections. Utilizing a supplement that prevents such instances can ensure that a cat remains healthy. Cats should also be encouraged to drink enough water by having a sufficient supply provided to them by their owners. Some popular cat supplement brands like Vet’s Best, Nutri Vet, Scruffy Paws Nutrition, Pet Naturals, Spectrin and Nature Vet will offer you a wide variety of products you can use to ensure optimum health for your lovely kitty.
Grooming
Many cat owners assume their felines do not require grooming as they spend so much time on it themselves. However, grooming should form an integral part of cat ownership. Cats that groom themselves ingest a lot of fur. Their bodies are unable to digest this fur, leading to it accumulating inside the digestive tract. The fur strands stick together and cause a furball. This furball is obstructive, and a cat must egest it. This can be a distressing event for both feline and owner.
Regular brushing means less hair ingested by a cat and a lower likelihood of furballs. However, many cats do not take kindly to being brushed, and owners need to work around that. Experts recommend associating brushing with a pleasurable activity. Therefore, make a point of giving the cat a treat after grooming it as it connects brushing with a delicious consequence.
There should be no need to trim a cat’s claws if you provide a scratching post. Cats keep their claws the correct length by scratching in the wild. Domestic cats have the same instinct, with many using their owners’ furniture for the purpose.
Like all animals, a cat needs healthy teeth to eat the right food. Most cat owners agree that getting a cat used to having its teeth brushed can be a challenge. However, doing so extends a feline’s teeth lifespan. Like fur brushing, kitty owners who teach their felines from a young age to associate tooth brushing with something enjoyable, such as a treat or game have greater success.
Cats have sensitive skin and are perfect targets for ticks and fleas. These pests bite and damage feline skin, causing itching and discomfort. Owners should make tick and flea repellent products part of their cat grooming routine.
Spaying and neutering
Unless you plan on breeding using a cat, it is advisable to have it spayed or neutered as soon as it is old enough. This practice is beneficial to a feline’s long-term health. Female cats can start bearing litters at four months, so spaying should be done before this milestone.
Tomcats that have not been neutered are inclined to be aggressive and fight with other cats, often incurring injuries that require a trip to the vet. They will also go to great lengths to get away from home to reach a female in heat. Being in heat can be uncomfortable and distressing for a female cat. The pronounced male attention to a female in heat can also become problematic for the owners.
Bearing dozens of litters is not beneficial to a female cat’s health. It places great stress on their bodies. Additionally, owners must find new owners for each kitten. Many shelters are overflowing with cats awaiting adoption, and there is no need to add to this already large population by neglecting to spay or neuter a cat.
