@ludemeula
If you’ve recently added a feline friend to your family; well, we know you’ll be thrilled to have your new cat in your home. More so, your responsibility is to make sure your cat stays healthy and prepared for their constant nap sessions. You should feed your cat the appropriate foods at the proper age. Even more, you can change your cat’s behavior, and even prevent them from certain health conditions.
Having your feline friend stay healthy and even happier starts with a few easy tips; some of which can be fused into your cat’s routine right now. Reading further you should get some valuable insights as to how you can nurture your cat well enough.
Nurturing Tips About Your Cat’s Health You Need To Know
Feeding
It’s recommended you purchase high-quality, brand-name cat food. Your veterinarian should be able to evaluate your new cat and in turn, determine the most suitable diet for her. Determining what your cat’s diet should be is important because they have a sensitive digestive system, more so, factors such as activity level, health, and age; make a difference in how much and what a cat should eat.
- Cats need taurine, a fundamental amino acid, that’s good for eye and heart health. The food you wish to feed your cat should be balanced with your cat’s life stage. Properly balanced foods should contain taurine.
- You also need to give them clean and fresh water at all times, besides, wash and refill your cat’s water bowls every day.
- The treats you give your cat shouldn’t be more than 5-10% of the diet.
- A lot of people feed baby food to their cat who is refusing food or not feeling well, but if the baby food contains garlic powder or onion, then your feline could be poisoned.
Take your pet to see your veterinarian if you notice signs of diarrhea, anorexia, or vomiting for more than two days.
Housing
Your pet must have her own dry and clean place in your home to rest and sleep. Place your cat’s bed with a warm and soft blanket, and try washing the bedding often. Also, keep your cat indoors. Cats that stay outdoors do not live as long as cats who stay indoors.
More so, outdoor cats are at risk of trauma from automobiles or fights with other cats, free-roaming dogs, and raccoons, even worse coyotes are associated with eating cats. Going forward, outdoor cats are likely to become infested with ticks, fleas, and contract infectious diseases.
Litter Box
All cats that stay indoors need a litter box, which should be placed in an accessible and quiet place. In a home that’s multi-level, one box per floor is suggested. Don’t move the box unless it’s necessary, but if you must move it, move it just a few inches per day. Always remember that cats won’t use a smelly and messy litter box, so remove solid wastes from the box at least once a day, dump everything and wash with a mild detergent, then refill at least once a week, but keep in mind that you can do this less often if you’re using clumping litter.
Don’t use deodorants, ammonia, or scents, most especially lemon, when cleaning your cat’s litter box. If your cat refuses to use a litter box, please discuss it with your veterinarian; because when cats refuse to use a litter box, it’s a sign of a medical condition that requires treatment.
Scratching
Cats need to scratch, and when a cat scratches, her old outer nail sheathing is pulled off; and her smooth and sharp claws underneath are exposed. Trimming your cat’s nails every three weeks will keep the nails blunt and less likely to harm the arms of any human and furniture.
It’s good you provide your cat with a firm scratching post, that’s about three feet high. The post should be solid enough so that it won’t shake during use, and it should be covered with a coarse material such as burlap, sisal, or tree bark. A lot of cats also like scratching pads.
Brush Your Cat Every Day
Combing or brushing your cat daily can reduce the hairballs that might develop in the digestive tract. And the reason is; because cats spend a lot of time grooming themselves, some owners might not know this; but brushing your cat is something that can help in removing loose hair.
Finally, unlike dogs, cats can’t be vegetarians, even for a short period. They rely on meat as the basis of their diets, and the principal meal of the day should regularly be meat. More so, completely feeding your cat dry food diets means they’re consuming too many carbs, and when they consume so many carbs; it can be bad for their health. Cats can develop Type 2 diabetes and grow obese from eating too much dry food.
Taking care of your beloved cats should not be hard. By following the tips stated above, you can ensure your pets are always happy and healthy. Doing so will help extend their lifespan and your time spent together.