It is easy to tell that people in the United States love their pets. It has been estimated that somewhere between 70 and 80 million dogs are kept as pets and somewhere between 74 and 96 million pet cats live in our homes. Nearly 63% of people who own dogs and 58% of people who own cats get them presents at Christmas. If you have a pet, you know the veterinary diagnostics are as advanced for then as for people. If you have a cat, you may be looking for ways to keep them healthy and happy. Here are a few:
- Get your cat spayed or neutered. This is one of the most important things you can do for the health of your cat. He or she is susceptible to reproductive diseases that can be devastating, You can also protect them from, in female cats, ovarian problems such cancer and breast cancer. For males, the risk goes down for testicular cancer and this can prevent problems with their prostate. This operation also prevents males from spraying (and no one likes that). It will also limit their instinct to roam and get each other pregnant.
- Get a veterinarian who is a cat specialist. Cats, like dogs and other animals, have their own health issues and problems. While veterinary diagnostics companies make tests for both animals, you do not want to go to a veterinarian who does not have enough experience with feline issues and problems. If you have trouble, you can consult the American Association of Feline Practitioners (https://www.catvets.com/) for help finding the right veterinarian for your cat. A canine heartworm test is not going to work for your kitty.
- Take your cat to the vet regularly. Even if your cat is healthy and happy and stays indoors, they need to have veterinary laboratory services done on a regular basis and in the same way that you need regular medical treatment from your doctor, your cat needs to be seen once a year by the cat veterinarian. They will want to give your cat shots as needed and make sure they are not developing problems that can be dealt with before they become real problems.
- Keep your cat inside. Some people do not like to do this because they think it is cruel to keep a cat cooped up. At the end of the day, there are a lot of reasons Humane Societies and ASPCA’s around the nation make people promise to not let their cats outside when they adopt a kitten. There are too many things (cars, other animals, unscrupulous people) that can cause your cat hard in addition to the diseases they can be exposed to and bad things they can eat. They will be much healthier indoors.
- Brush your kitty. All cats, no matter how long their fur is, can benefit from being brushed on a regular basis. This is good to get rid of dead hair, which can help prevent hairballs. You can also find any injuries that they may be hiring (they are good at that) and just get a better sense of their health. It may not be as detailed as the veterinary diagnostics the professionals use but it can help you keel an eye on the health of your cat.
- Keep their water fresh. This is essential to your health and to the health of your cat. You should make sure you take the time to change it several times each day. Also, if your cat does not seem all that jazzed by the bowl, you may want to get them a fountain.
- Get enough litter boxes. People do not often know how many boxes are enough. Experts say that you should have one more box than you have cats. So, if you have one cat, you should have two boxes. Clean them often. There are a lot of different kinds of litter so you should look into more than one kind if your cat refuses to use one.
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Keeping an eye on your cat can be as good as the best veterinary diagnostics (sometimes) but all of these tips can help keep your furry friend healthy and happy for a long, long time.