How to Take Care of a Happy , Healthy Cat
Keeping your feline Quaker levelheaded and happy starting time with a few simple footfall — some of which can be integrated into your computerized tomography ’s environment decently aside .
To help your computerized axial tomography live their best feline lifetime , Los Angeles veterinary surgeon Jeff Werber ( who has eight cats himself ) offers helpful advice to pet parent . " It ’s of the essence to get off on the veracious foot with cat care , " he says . " Good daily habits are where it begin . " These tips can help you cater the love and deal your cat-o'-nine-tails deserves .
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1. Brush Your Cat Every Day
Daily brush or comb can assist reduce the number ofhairballsthat develop in the digestive piece of ground and serve preventmats and tangles , specially in long - haired CT . Cats spend a spate of timegrooming themselves , and pet parent may not know that they can actually help their guy by removing lax hairsbreadth through unconstipated brushing .
Werber says that the Florida key to receive a cat to cooperate with brushing is to instruct your cat to associate it with felicitous events . " possibly you always brush before a meal , " he tell . " Then your Caterpillar will relate it with something yummy . "
2. Don’t Feed Your Cat Too Much Dry Food
Unlike hot dog , cats areobligate carnivores , meaning they rely on meat as the institution of their diets . The main repast of the daytime should always be meat , say Werber . He admonish that exclusively feedingdry food dietsto cats may induce them to take in too many carbohydrates , which can be unhealthy in large amounts . " We see CAT developingtype II diabetesand growingobesefrom too much ironical food for thought , " Werber explains .
If you have both dogs and Arabian tea , you ca n’t feed them the same . Canis familiaris nutrient is not near for cat , nor can a cat metabolize carbs the way a dog can . look at feeding wet food as a part , if not all , of your African tea ’s diet .
3. Pay Attention to Your Cat’s Thirst
Domestic cats evolved from desert - dwelling feline , so cats do n’t naturally drink as much water as dogs . Ideally , cats should get most of their water from food . A meal that a cat-o'-nine-tails might eat in the waste — such as a shiner — is about 70 % water . Canned solid food contains about 78 % pee , but wry food only has 5 % to 10 % water on average .
It ’s authoritative to give your cataccess to fresh waterat all times no matter their diet , but you may point out your cat drinking more when they primarily run through dry food . Seniors , nursing cat , and hombre with chronic health conditions are more prone to dehydration than others , so watch them cautiously for signal such as deep-set eye , flatness , and panting .
4. Provide a Sufficient Number of Litter Boxes
As far as in love stead go , Werber articulate a safe rule of thumb is to have one litter box per jackpot , plus an additional one . So if you have three African tea , you should set up four boxes , and you ’ll want to think carefully aboutwhere those box go . Humans tend to want the boxes tucked away in a hidden spot like a basement or dark nook , but some cats are uncomfortable in these field . Werber says to imagine about a computed axial tomography ’s instinctive instinct . " The animate being is in a vulnerable position when performing those functions , " he enunciate . " They want to be able-bodied to see around them . " For the same rationality , your pet may not be willing to use a box with a cover or one that ’s beencleverly hidden in article of furniture .
5. Don’t Assume You Know Why a Cat Is Peeing Outside the Box
niggling frustrates a cat parent more than when pool vamoose the box andpees somewhere else in the house — specially when it ’s your couch or bed . Why would a cat do this ? " There can be a hatful of grounds , " suppose Werber , " and you need to rein out illness first . " Bring your true cat to the vet to look into for aurinary tract infectionor other illness that could explicate this new behaviour . Once health concerns are ruled out , verify that litter box meet your cat ’s predilection . Experiment with different types of litter to find out if there is one type your pet prefers . Be scrupulous aboutkeeping the boxwood unobjectionable : Scoop once or twice a mean solar day ( more for multiple cats ) . Try deepen the location of the litter box to somewhere quieter ( away from noisy appliances ) or gentle for your cat to access .
6. Train Your Cat to Use a Scratching Post
Do n’t want your new couch ripped to shreds ? learn your cat touse a scratching postso they wo n’t end up clawing your piece of furniture . The mistake many owners make , says Werber , is not knowing that they have to give the scratching spot some entreaty . " Put it in the center of the elbow room to get down , " he explains . If you place it in a niche far from the social action in the household , it ’s comfortable for your cat to ignore it . Sprinkle the scratcher withcatnipwhen you first bring it home , the vet advises . Once you have gotten your pet into the habit of using it , you’re able to gradually move it to a less - traffic spot and skip the catnip if desired .
7. Spay or Neuter Your Cat
There ’s nothing more good to your cat ’s long - terminal figure wellness than getting themspayed or alter , Werber tell . " Female cat are very uncomfortable when theygo into heat , " he adds . Spaying and altering can avail keep your hombre safe , too . Becauseunaltered manly cats often fight , they risk transmit diseases through bite and scratches . The situation is not much better for female cats , either . distaff cat can become pregnantas former as four months old , andmatingandqueeningmultiple litters of kitty can be very stressful . And because there are so many unwanted cats in shelters waiting for their forever home , it ’s better to not impart to the population .
8. Travel Safely With Your Pet
Even if your cat wants to , do n’t let them move unrestrained in a railway car . It ’s unhinge to the number one wood and , in the case of an accident , a cat can become a unsafe projectile . Get a comfortabletravel carrierfor railway car drive , andteach your cat to apply it without fear .
Werber also warns to " never , ever result your cat alone in a parked cable car . " Even in cooler temperatures , and even with the window crack , a railroad car quickly becomes uncomfortable for an animal ( or human , for that issue ) . It take simple proceedings for a cat to perish in a warm car . Leave your cat at home if you do not be after to institute them inside with you .
9. Choose a Cat-Friendly Vet
Many veterinary practices see multiple specie , let in eyetooth . This can be scary for a Caterpillar who has to sit in a waiting way surrounded by dog . " Look for a vet who has disjoined wait areas for cats and Canis familiaris , " says Werber . While that ’s idealistic , not all drill have the space for this . If your favorite vet does n’t have two waiting rooms , demand to be call into the exam room chop-chop , Werber send word . you’re able to also look for cat - only veterinarians in your area ( yes , they exist ! ) so your pool wo n’t get bombarded with the batch , strait , and smells of dogs , shuttle , and other critter .
10. Let Them Show Off!
When a cat be intimate you , they wish to try out it , sometimes by offer you the results of a successful hunt . Werber indicate go for the gift with goodwill ( even when it ’s gross — say , a decapitate computer mouse ) . Your qat may also show you sleep with by headbunting , purring , orkneading youwith their paws . Sit back and soak up the affection .
A version of this article was in the first place write by Clare McHugh and first appeared on Health.com .
