Suggestions for Healthy Care
- All animals need some light for the eyes to function. Cats are night animals, but they still need a little bit of light to see. A small night light is plenty for kitties to find everything.
- For indoor kitties - trim their nails once a month if they are active nail growers. The claws can sometimes grow long enough that the cats can't fully retract them and the claws will stick in carpet or clothing.
- For single kitty families - clean their ears out once a month to reduce risk of infections. Multiple cats will clean each other's ears, but a single cat can't do a good job. Either a cotton swab or kleenex will work fine. Be careful about pushing too deep with a cotton swab. A kleenex lets you wipe the excess earwax buildup with less chance of hurting their ears.
- Brush the kitty's teeth about once every two weeks to knock off the food buildup.
- Professionally clean the kitty's teeth once a year as part of a physical. This will alert you to any health problems before they are a last minute emergency, and will also help tell you if the kitty is in pain or discomfort.
Food and Diet
- Grow cat grass or cat nip. It is low maintenance for a healthy treat.
- Cats need real meat for proper health. Wild cats don't drink as much water as house cats because they get a lot of their water content from other animals they catch. Wet food is the answer, even though it is more expensive than dry food. Most dry foods also don't have the proper mix of nutrients, carb's and protein. It would be like people eating pasta all the time - sure it has carbohydrates and protein, but it is missing a lot of vitamins. You can survive on it, but it won't keep you healthy into your nineties.
- What causes cat acne? If your kitty has breakouts on his or her chin switch to a metal bowl - glass will work too - just as long as it is not plastic. Kitties are sensitive to plastic and it can lead to painful and itchy acne.
Exercise
- Cat condo's are an excellent form of exercise. Locate the condo where the kitties have room to run up and down the stages. Kitties love to watch everything from above, so locate the condo either near a window or in the room where you spend most of your time. This will ensure regular use and exercise.
- Condo's fulfill the kitties need for playing without forcing them to a schedule.
Litter boxes
- Cat's do not tolerate the smell of a dirty litter box, so clean the litter frequently and if there are still problems of not using the box properly I would recommend Scoop Away litter. It has an amazing ability to cover odor even for multiple cats.
- Dump and wash the litter box at least every three months. Even with the best of litter the box will get stinky and sticky.
- Cats are also lazy, so place their litter box where it is not super far away.