We all want our cats to be healthy and happy, but are we doing everything we can for them to achieve these aims? Sometimes we aren’t always there for them during the day because of work, and that can be many hours at a time. Therefore, in this article today we will be looking at some simple ways to keep your cat healthy and happy, even if you’re not at home.
What can you do to keep your cat healthy and happy?
A. Keeping Your Cat Healthy
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- Grooming
For the most part, cats can take great care of themselves, as you know we’ve all seen stray cats or feral cats and they seem to look after themselves pretty good. This is also true about our pet cats, because they instinctively groom and wash themselves, but there are some things we can do to ensure they are at maximum health so that they can live with us even longer. For instance, grooming your cat once a day can really help him or her out significantly, even though he or she will spend much of the day cleaning themselves.
2. Brushing away loose hair
Cats tend to shed quite a bit, so they always have loose hair which can often make its way into the digestive tract, because they spend so much time licking themselves. In turn this can lead to some problems, for instance if too much hair is swallowed it can form balls of hair which can then end up in the gastrointestinal tract. This can lead to digestive problems later on, yet a simple brushing by you each day can help prevent this from happening, and he’ll probably enjoy the attention as well.
3. Provide healthy food
Another thing we can do to keep our cats healthy is watch what they are eating, many owners give their cats dry kibble, and although this has been recommended in the past, it’s not so true today. Often cats don’t drink enough water when it is in a bowl, and if their only food supply is dry food, which often has little or no water, they can dehydrate. Dry food has lots of carbohydrates which can often lead to cats being overweight or obese and can lead to diabetes, so if you have to give your cat kibble be sure to give smaller amounts and offer some moist food too.
4. Provide adequate water supply
Keeping your cat hydrated is extremely important, just like humans they also need to keep hydrated, or your cat could end up with all sorts of health problems. In addition, many cats won’t automatically drink water from a bowl, so they have to be trained to do this, alternatively a fountain type water source is much better to entice cats to drink. Keep in mind, that cats love movement and will instinctively investigate anything that moves, so they are more likely to test a water fountain out than a motionless bowl. Cats won’t get enough water from kibble since it only as 10% or less water content, whereas a moist food will contain up to 70% water.
5. Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat
Many owners don’t like the idea of spaying or neutering their cat, and that is obviously an individuals choice, but we thought we would mention the health benefits of doing this for your cat. Spaying or neutering a cat can help prevent feline leukemia and can even prevent the spread of the equivalent of HIV in cats, or feline immunodeficiency. Also as a side note, spaying or neutering a cat can definitely help stem the flow of unwanted, or stray cats which number in the hundreds of thousands yearly, many of which are just destroyed due to such large numbers not being able to find a home.
6. Regularly clean litter trays
Cats are extremely clean animals and that also means they like things clean, including their litter tray. It may be a good idea to have more than one clean litter tray, or teach him to use one of the self cleaning litter trays that are on the market now, as they are very popular with many cat owners. If, a litter tray becomes too dirty, they may start using other places that you don’t want them to use.
7. Regular health checkups
Another good tip on keeping your cat healthy is regular vet visits, and not just when they are sick. We’ve all heard the saying prevention is better than cure and that is especially true for our cats, by taking them regularly to your vet he can give them preventative treatments and vaccinations. Keep in mind, that some are optional and some are required by law. In addition, by taking them regularly, your vet can spot early symptoms of diseases or other problems before you may have noticed them, leading to a quicker recovery than if you waited until they showed signs of being sick.
B. Keeping Your Cat Happy
So you know you have a healthy cat, but is he or she a happy cat? All cats are naturally athletic and they do need a lot of ‘playtime’, although most of that playtime is predatory behavior. A house cat especially needs something to keep them from becoming bored or stir crazy, because when that happens it can be goodbye furniture and curtains. Giving them plenty of toys and some durable cat furniture will help tremendously and go a long way to keeping them happy, especially toys that they can interact with, which will also keep their mind active. Here are some suggestions:-
1. Scratching posts and cat climbing furniture
Scratching posts are a must indoors, and once they get used to using a scratching post, they are more likely to not scratch up your furniture. That being said, a climbing tree can also be very effective if you have the room, and can give them extra places to rest, because cats often like to get up high to see everything around them. In addition, many cat owners buy ‘cat condos’ which can be very large or small. Therefore, you can purchase one to fit your room size availability very easily.
2. Toys
Cat activity toys are essential and there are thousands of different types to choose from, although it’s recommended to get some of the more interactive toys, because cats are naturally inquisitive and will investigate anything that moves. One toy that springs to mind is the mouse that pops it’s head out and back in which many owners have said keeps their cat occupied for hours at a time.
Of course when you have some spare time in the evenings or at weekends you can play with your cat and interact with him using feathers on a string, allowing him to catch it from time to time, this will also wear him out so he sleeps well.
SUMMARY
There are many things you can do to keep your cat healthy and happy and we hope that some of the things we’ve listed here within our article will better help you to keep your cat health and happy. Keep in mind, that a cat that is healthy and happy will often live longer, meaning more time to spend with you. Finally, by owning a cat has this has also been proven to have health benefits for us, like lowering blood pressure and relieving stress, so a healthy, happy cat probably results in a happier and healthier owner too.
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I received a kitty as a present beginning this year. I was so busy during those two initial months that now that I’m staying home I have begun to notice things I had’t been doing right. And the first one is, provide adequate water supply (seems simple but it’s all important). And the other is provide healthy food.
I feel I have learnt so much in just this past month that I now can resonate with your post. Probably if I would have read this same post in January, it would had not told me as much as it tells me today.
Thank you Ann for that! Yes when pet owners are forced into isolation as a result of the CV pandemic it is amazing how much they learn about their pets!
Hi
I think you have hit the nail on the head, as a cat has to be fit both physically and mentally. There is no point in spending all that money to buy a cat and then completely ignore it, don’t play with it and generally look after it. Cats are hard work but of you are prepared to put the effort in, they will reward you with so much love and loyalty. Is there any different to how you treat a cat of different breeding?
I found this article to be very useful, especially for my cousin who has adopted a feral cat. I will pass it on to her.
Thanks
Antonio
Some good points there Antonio and thank you for them. Different breeds of cats have unique personalities as owners quickly establish if they have a mixture of breeds but over a period of time there should be little differences in how owners treat them
Hi James, I have a kitten on the way 🙂 and must say I got a lot of good advice from this article. I am definitely going to check out all the different cat furniture. After all, I want my kitty to be happy as Charles Dickens said: “What greater gift than the love of a cat.” Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Cornelia for those comments and I am sure you will have lots of fun times with your kitten as I certainly did with all the cats I have owned from the kitten stage. Very pleased that you enjoyed my article. Jim
I knew that cats lick themselves so much but not that they swallow the loose hair to form balls in the gastrointestinal track.
Also, equally funny to know that cats can land up with diabetes if too much dry food is given. I must start giving fountain type water source to my big cat.
Thanks for sharing this useful information including all the toys shown and climbing furniture.
Wishing you all the best.
Many thanks for those comments.
Jim
Hi James,
Thanks for this post, cats are such independent animals that I often need reminding of the little things that they require.
My last cat was dreadful on the water bill until I got her a fountain, she refused to drink still water (I was unsuccessful at convincing her that she should) and would only drink from a dripping faucet. She really didn’t appreciate lectures on the environmental impacts of leaving the water on – but at least she didn’t end up with kidney problems!
I am so impressed with some of the ideas for cat trees and climbing furniture that you can now find, there really isn’t an excuse for having nothing when you can buy or make something to suit all budgets and styles of decor!
Thanks again,
Lisa
Hi Lisa and thank you very much for those comments from your personal experience. Jim
Interesting article have bookmarked this for the future reference, maybe because I have quite an interest in this topic. Thanks for sharing
Jason 🙂
Thank you Jason. Pleased to hear you liked the article. Jim
I adore cats but haven’t had one since I was a child and changed over to having a dog. I was staying with a friend who used to put his two cats out at night and I realised that very soon there were no birds around our neighbourhood and I often saw them stalking what was left. So although I agree with everything you said about caring for these lovely creatures I was a bit sad to not have you encouraging people to NOT put their cats out at night.
Unfortunately, feral cats are a huge problem in Australia where they have sent extinct at least 20 marsupials and birds. Please encourage people to be responsible for protecting wildlife from these predators that we love (or I can see the day when they are destroyed as vermin and that would be tragic.)
It was an excellent article. You obviously know your cats and their needs. Lots of toys and playing.
Thank you Lily for those comments. Yes you are right in that cats are natural hunters and unfortunately they do prey upon other creatures. I did touch on this topic in my article ‘ Indoor versus outdoor cats. How to decide what is best for your feline friends’ when I made the comments ‘It is wise to think about the environment when it comes to letting your cat outdoors, as cats are natural hunters that regularly kill birds. Moreover, with millions of stray cats killing birds, your cat will only add to that number, especially if you have bird feeders, and bird baths around the garden or in your neighbors garden’ Jim
I loved your article. I don’t have cats. I have dogs. But suggestions 1 (grooming), 2 (brushing away loose hair), 3 (provide healthy food) and 4 (provide adequate water supply) seem to me to be common sense suggestions but can be difficult to implement. I do those suggestions with my dogs. But I struggle with suggestion #4. I always set out a bowl of water for my dog, but when I come home from work, it’s dirty. So I’m going to take your suggestion of buying a water fountain!
I didn’t know that cats can get sick because they lick themselves and can digest too much cat hair. I use a comb for my dogs because they shed so much.
Many thanks for those interesting comments from a dog owner’s perspective Shalisha. Jim
These are all great suggestions on how to keep your cat happy. I think many pet owners don’t spend very much time considering how happy and comfortable their pets are. The suggestions you have put forth here are easy and common sense. Thank you for posting! I’d just to add that there are programs in most states that provide reduced or free spaying/neutering, vaccinations and medical care to pets. It’s worth checking out!
Many thanks for those comments Cynthia which are greatly appreciated. . Pleased that you enjoyed reading this article. Jim
My cat is quiet and just sits around under a tree and will come for her meals when it is mealtime. Because she has never been ill or stopped eating, I used to feel she was doing ok. These tips are showing me ways I can do more for her. The tips about giving her more water, a scratching post, toys and more moist food are what stand out to me. Thank you for an interesting and valuable article.
Thank you JJ I really appreciate hearing about your pet experiences and pleased that you found my article useful. Jim
I appreciate these tips on keeping our kitty healthy and happy. Even though I work from home there are times I get so busy that I feel I neglect our little kitty when he is asking for attention. I like the idea of grooming and brushing him more. We do buy him quality food and he does get adequate water as we have a special water container for him. We do give him health exams at the vet and clean his litter daily. He just loves his scratching post and kitty tower. Also he has plenty of toys including my plastic golf balls. Thanks for this great info.
Great comments Joseph and many thanks for sharing your personal experiences with us here. Jim
Solid advice to help keep your cat(s) entertained, moving, happy, and healthy! Keeping a cat does not have to be complicated, but they will need some specific attention to live their best life. They are loving souls and might try subtle ways to communicate their issues. It’s wise for cat owners to pay close attention to the quirks and any changes from their cats!
Thank you Aly for those comments which are greatly appreciated. Jim