5 Crucial Ways to Keep Your Cat Fit and Healthy
They are regarded as one of those pets that “fend for themselves”. The fact that cats are generally allowed to roam around means that most people think that they can also look after every aspect of their life.
Unfortunately, this isn’t entirely true. There are a lot of parts that an owner needs to help their cat with, in a bid to keep them in optimum health.
Bearing this in mind, let’s take a look at the five most important things you can do to keep your cat healthy.
Looking after your cat’s teeth
The first area we will talk about is your cat’s teeth. These are often overlooked, but they can cause all sorts of problems if they are not kept on top of.
You should make sure that the gums are a healthy pink color, while the teeth are perfectly white. If either of these isn’t satisfied, it could suggest an oral problem that the vet will be needed for.
To stay on top of your cat’s oral health, don’t be afraid of using cat toothpaste. Admittedly, it’s going to be hard to administer on a daily basis, but most cats don’t mind the product too much as they are designed with a special taste (just like the ones for kids are). Once your cat has got used to the taste, buy a brush and start brushing like you would your own teeth. Make sure you don’t brush the gums directly and as is the case with most cat maintenance suggestions, always make sure you reward your feline friend at the end.
The importance of litterboxes
We don’t need to drone on too much about litterboxes, the fact they have been around for so many years should highlight just why they are so important for cats.
However, it might be an idea to issue a few friendly reminders about the best way to use them.
Let’s start with the number of litterboxes in your home. It’s here in which you don’t want to leave your cat without the basic toilet amenities. It’s for this reason that you should always look to have one more litterbox than the number of cats that reside in your home.
The placement of this litterbox is crucial as well. Make sure it’s in an easy location, with plenty of light, so your cat can easily use. While it might be tempting to put them “out of the way”, this is just going to encourage your feline friend not to use them.
Having an easily accessible litterbox is one way to keep your cat healthy, but also making sure that it is emptied weekly is something else of importance. If it’s not clean, a whole host of risks are opened up, and this is why you should look to empty it at least once per week.
For a lot of cat owners, dealing with the litterbox is one of the worst parts of owning a cat. This is why products like Luuup are proving to be so popular.
In the case of Luuup, this is designed like a sieve. It means that cat waste remains in the pan, while any clean litter works its way through to another compartment where it can be used again. In short, it makes the cleaning process so much easier (it should take seconds).
Considering the fact that it also contains a non-stick coating, and a spill guard, it means that it’s really easy to clean and the risk of a mess being made is pretty much eradicated. Many owners have claimed that the $49.95 is a small price to pay for a product which eliminates odors from the cats, due to the completely clean nature of it.
Learn more about Luuup over here.
Staying on top of your cat’s coat
Some people might not pay much attention to this next issue, but there’s no doubt that regular (and correct) brushing can help the overall health of your cat significantly. For example, a cat who doesn’t have a brushed coat can incur hairballs and if these are digested, all sorts of internal problems can start to develop.
Firstly, you need to choose the right type of brush for your cat. If you look to the market, you’ll see that some brushes are designed for cats with long-hair while others are more suitable for short-haired ones. If you opt for the wrong type, it can mean that not all of the hair is going to be treated properly.
You should aim to use the brush at least once a day. Always brush in the direction of the coat, meaning that you should brush from the head towards the tail. For those of you with short-haired cats, your strokes should be short. If you have a long-haired one, opt for longer strokes. In relation to the latter, you should also be aware that cats with long hair might need even more regular brushing.
This might be a tricky time for the cat-owner relationship, with most cats not huge fans of the brushing process. For this reason, you should always try and associate the practice with something positive. It might be a treat, or even scheduling the brushing before they eat their meal.
Keeping tabs on your cat’s diet
Humans have to keep tabs on their own food and drink consumption, and the same should apply to cats. One major difference with humans surrounds vegetarianism. Cats aren’t able to be vegetarians – their bodies require too much meat. This means that you should always make sure that their main meal is comprised of meat. It also means that you shouldn’t be feeding them too much dry food, as this tends to be overloaded with carbohydrates. There have been a lot of cases recently of cats developing diabetes, and it’s all because of this reason.
In relation to drink, it should go without saying that you need to provide adequate supplies of water for your cat. Make sure that the water bowl is placed next to the food bowl, as this will aid with their digestion process as well. Every day you should look to replace the water with a new bowl.
Happy feet
This is another issue that’s often overlooked, but for cats it’s so important for them to keep their feet clean and healthy. For example, a cat is used to roaming around at his or hers free will, but if he steps in anything it might give them severe problems moving. It means that you should always keep on top of your cat’s feet, by cleaning them with a damp cloth whenever they have been outside for a long period of time.
You should also look to regularly check your cat’s paws. Swelling and sores can often go unnoticed in these areas, so it’s your responsibility to keep checking to make sure that they aren’t appearing. If you do notice any of these points, make sure you whisk your pet off to the vet as a matter of urgency as the issues can develop into worse problems.
You might also want to encourage your cat to use a scratching post. This isn’t some sort of gimmick for felines, it’s designed to shed the sheath which is based on their nails and claws. If you don’t have one of these, there’s every chance that they will use an item of your own furniture (and nobody wants that).
