February was national Cat Health Month, and Best Friends Animal Society has offered tips to keep pets healthy.
Dr. Erin Katribe, medical director for Best Friends Animal Society, noted that it is important for cat owners to provide the basic essentials of food, water, a litterbox, and exercise. Wet food is better than dry kibble, Katribe said, because it is more similar to cats' ancestral diets.
Cat obesity can be a problem, so monitoring a cat's weight is important. Obesity can lead to diseases like diabetes as well as arthritis and joint pain. To keep a cat at a healthy weight, monitoring and adjusting its food quantity is key, according to Katribe. A veterinarian can help determine what a healthy weight is for each pet and offer guidance on modifying the pet's diet and amount of food.
Exercise is also important for cats. While some cats enjoy going on outings on a leash, most cats prefer to play at home, according to Katribe. Owners can provide toys and engage the cat in play with laser pointers or string toys, which will be mentally stimulating and help prevent obesity.
Litterboxes should be placed in convenient spots for the cat rather than tucked away in a distant part of the house, in order to avoid behavioral misuse. If a cat starts urinating outside the box, it might be due to a number of causes. Dirty boxes or boxes placed too far out of the way can contribute, or it may be due to a health problem like a urinary infection or kidney disease. A cat should be taken to see a vet right away if its litterbox habits change.
Another way to keep a cat healthy is to schedule regular wellness visits with a veterinarian. These visits not only include vaccinations to prevent disease, which are important even for indoor cats, but also include a thorough physical exam and additional testing that can be key in catching illness early. Cats often hide illness, Katribe said, so even small changes in a cat's health or behavior may warrant a visit to the vet. Addressing problems early can increase the chance of successful treatment and reduce stress on the cat and financial expense.
One of the most stressful events that can happen in a pet parent's life is losing a pet companion. For cats, this might mean an indoor-only cat slipping out the door or an outdoor cat not returning home according to the normal routine. One way to help cats return to their families is using identification. Collars and tags are a low-tech way to achieve this, and anyone can read the tag and help the pet get back home. However, a better solution is to have a pet microchipped and to register the microchip online, said Katribe. If a lost pet is scanned, the number on the microchip will link the pet to the owner's contact information.
Spaying or neutering cats not only helps them live healthier lives, but it also helps save the lives of cats across the country. Katribe noted that sterilization can reduce or eliminate the chance of certain cancers for individual cats, and it reduces urine marking, fighting, and roaming. It also prevents more kittens from being born, reducing the number of cats that may end up at shelters that are already at capacity.
Lifesaving strategies like community cat programs have been implemented in many shelters nationally as an alternative to cats losing their lives.
Best Friends Animal Society is an animal welfare organization involved in the no-kill movement. For more information, readers may visit http://www.bestfriends.org.
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