7 Tips to Keep Your Cat “Feline Fine” in Cat Health Month and Beyond

Cats are an important part of the family, and deserve to be kept healthy for their lifetime. To celebrate February’s Cat Health Month, here are 7 tips to keep Kitty “feline fine”. With regular vet checkups, a proper diet, and prey-style prey, you can help ensure a long life of health and happiness for your kitties. 

Keep Your Cat Healthy By Taking Him To The Vet

National Cat Health Month is a good time to schedule Kitty’s annual vet visit. Cats are experts at hiding pain and illness. Without regular vet visits common illnesses that affect felines, like kidney disease or diabetes, can be life-threatening by the time they are discovered. 

During these visits, your vet will take Kitty’s medical history, check your furbaby’s weight, vital signs, heart and lungs, and give Kitty a once over. They may test for worms, do a urinalysis, and do blood work, especially if your cat is a senior citizen. 

You will discuss the latest vaccines and preventive care treatments available for your kitty.The vet will hopefully also discuss nutrition, grooming, and any lifestyle changes that would benefit Kitty. Vets can help you with basic behavioral issues or refer you to a cat behaviorist.

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Pay Attention To Kitty’s Dental Health

One of the most important tips for keeping your cat healthy is to pay attention to his dental health. Keeping kitty’s teeth clean and free of plaque, tartar, and bacteria is vital for overall well being. It can seem like an unnecessary expense because the only way to truly do a dental checkup is under anesthesia; but skipping it can leave Kitty suffering in pain, unable to eat properly, and unable to keep his coat in good condition.

Poor dental health can lead to heart, liver, or kidney disease. Considering how common kidney disease is in cats, you want to do everything you can to prevent straining her organ further. 

It can be difficult to brush your cat’s teeth on a regular basis, but there are other ways you can ensure that kitty has healthy teeth. Invest in a quality dental diet or treats, use anti-bacterial kitty mouthwashes, or water additives. 

Related Post: How to Brush Your Cat’s Teeth

Prevent Obesity To Keep Your Cat Healthy

Obesity is a serious health concern for cats of all ages. It is an epidemic in cats today. To prevent your cat from becoming obese, make sure that you are providing them with a balanced diet and portion size appropriate for their age, breed, and activity level. Your vet can help you determine what weight is right for your furbaby.

Monitor Kitty’s fat and calories. Just like us, she needs to watch her treats. If you give treats, or tastes at the table, decrease her food by the same amount. No more than 10% of her intake should be treats to make sure her diet stays balanced.  Make sure your cat has access to plenty of fresh water at all times and that they have an opportunity to engage in physical activity suitable for their age. 

Play is the easiest way to increase Kitty’s activity, but you can help her work off her calories by making her work for her dinner. Trick training, feeding her on top of her cat tree so she has to climb for it, puzzle feeders can all help. Enrichment in the form of leash walks can also help burn off some of those extra pounds. Some cats will run on a cat wheel or walk on a treadmill. Mine are not those cats. But all of them love a wand toy workout and some of them really enjoy a walk out on harness and leash. 

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Keep Up A Regular Grooming Routine

Good grooming habits are essential for a healthy, happy cat. Keeping up a regular at-home grooming routine helps to reduce excess shedding, maintain skin and coat health, and minimize hairballs. Brushing or combing your cat helps get rid of dirt and debris and distributes their natural oils evenly through their fur. Regular baths keep Kitty clean and smelling fresh too.

Grooming time is a chance to check his coat for fleas and ticks, his ears for wax build up, infection, or mites. Trimming your cat’s nails on a regular basis helps prevent scratching things you don’t want damaged and protects Kitty from getting caught on things and hurting herself.

Related Post: At-Home Grooming Routine for Kitty

An Appropriate Diet and Fresh Water Will Keep Kitty Healthy

Providing your furbaby with a good, balanced diet and clean, fresh water is essential for a healthy life. A quality cat food, rich in taurine, omega 3 fatty acids and other important vitamins and minerals will ensure your cat’s nutritional needs are met. 

Fresh water should always be available to your cat. Cats need hydration to protect their kidneys. But cats in the wild gain most of their moisture from their meals. In our homes, they benefit from a wet food diet because they are very inefficient drinkers and can’t overcome the dehydrating effects of dry food. By taking care of their basic needs, you’ll keep your kitty feline fine both during Cat Health Month and beyond.

Monitor Kitty’s Litter Box Habits

Monitoring Kitty’s litter box habits is essential to maintaining her health. Look out for changes in the amount of urine and feces, since that can be an indication of an infection, diabetes, or kidney disease. Monitor the color and texture of the poop as well; a change in any of these could signal an issue with diet or digestion. 

Check the litter box regularly to make sure it’s clean, and scoop it out at least once a day. Finally, if you introduce a new type of litter, keep an eye on Kitty’s response to ensure she isn’t having any adverse reactions. A dirty box or unappealing litter can cause litter box avoidance. Holding her pee can lead to urinary tract infection or a blockage. Constipation can result from avoiding pooping in a dirty box. Kitty can develop behavior problems peeing or pooping outside the box.

Provide Prey-Style Play to Keep Kitty Mentally and Physically Healthy

In order to keep your cat entertained and healthy, be sure to provide prey-style play. This type of activity is great for cats as it mimics hunting behaviors they would exhibit in the wild. Try using a fishing pole-style toy or an automated toy that moves around the floor, giving them something to stalk and “catch”. 

It’s also important to switch toys up every few days so they don’t lose interest. Keeping your cat active with hunting activities will help them stay engaged and mentally healthy during Cat Health Month and beyond. Cats aren’t meant to be just couch potatoes, no matter what the stereotype says. A couch potato cat is a bored cat that could become overweight and unhealthy.

Related Post: Benefits of Play for your Cat

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most important tip to keep your cat healthy and happy is to be sure that you prioritize your cat’s health in your daily life. Regular veterinary visits are essential for identifying potential health issues and ensuring that your cat receives the best care possible. Changes in behavior could be signs of boredom, illness, or injury. Proper diet and exercise will keep her at an appropriate weight. Providing Kitty with this type of care and monitoring in an enriched environment will keep her healthy and happy long beyond Healthy Cat Month.