7 Easy Ways to Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy
Want to make your fur baby’s life better?
Knowing what, how and when to do certain things can make a big difference in your cat’s life, and smooth out your previously bumpy relationship. Keeping your mini panther happy and healthy boils down to a few simple but smart things. Experienced Los Angeles veterinarian, Jeff Werber, put together a list of the seven most important tips you should know and follow to give your fur baby the caring life they deserve.
- Balance your cat’s diet! Cats cannot be vegetarians, not even for a short period of time. This means they need a balanced diet that regularly includes meat. If you only feed your cat dry food for prolongued periods of time, it will develop type 2 diabetes and become obese. Many cat owner are also dog owners and tend to treat the two equally, but a cat’s digestive system can’t tolerate the same amount of carbohydrates that a dog would be fine with.
2. Groom your cat properly. Brushing your cat daily will limit the chances hairballs will develop in their digestive tracts. A lot of the loose hair will inevitably be ingested when cats groom themselves, and keeping this amount minimal will prevent problems later on. If you find it difficult to brush your cat because it doesn’t like it, try to associate it with other pleasurable events in the cat’s daily routine, such as brushing before feeding.
3. Give your cat an adequate litter box, depending on their size and breed, and place it away from their food and water bowls (keep those separate too!). A good amount of consideration needs to go into deciding where to put the litter box, so that the cat uses it and doesn’t pee or poo somewhere else. Cats feel vulnerable when they use the toilet, so the litter box needs to be in a place they perceive as safe, including having visibility to potential escape routes.
4. Train your cat to use scratching posts. This little detail is commonly overlooked by many cat owners, and eventually causes a lot of hardship that can sometimes lead to them abandoning their pet. If you don’t want your new sofa to end up ripped up in shreds, learn how to make the scratching post interesting for your cat. Place it in the middle of the room and sprinkle some catnip on it when you first bring it home. You can then move it out of the way when your cat has already developed a habit of using it instead of the furniture.
5. Choose a good vet that your cat approves of. Many veterinary practices are geared up towards the canine population, and this can cause your cat a lot of stress. Sitting with your cat in the same waiting room as a bunch of dogs will make your cat dread going to the vet and this can cause problems down the line.
6. Travelling can also be a major stress factor for cats. They tend to feel the need for a secure environment when travelling, so it’s important to keep their carrier in such a way so that it doesn’t rattle or shake too much, while also making sure they have good visibility to ensure there’s no potential threat coming their way.
7. Let them show off! Cats put a lot of effort into “hunting” and other means of proving they’re a worthy predator that has earned their place in the household. Give them this satisfaction by showing appreciation when they bring you gifts (even if they’re gross!).
Follow these tips and you’ll improve your relationship, smoothing out the bumps and helping you and your cat enjoy life together!
If you’ve made it this far, you earned a free copy of my “New Cat Owner’s Crash Course” ebook, worth $12. Download it directly from here: https://meow.systeme.io/cat_ebook
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Meow-gnificently yours,
Jules 🎩🐾
Photo credits to Pexels and Pixabay.
