Having a love for cats, you need to be as knowledgeable about your cat’s health as possible.  Your furry member of your family deserves to be as healthy and happy as you can make him.

Your cats’ health starts by what you feed it as a kitten and continues though the adult life.  Unfortunately, heart disease caused by over fed cats is one of the major factors in shortening your pets life expectancy.  You need to check the manufactures and veterinarians recommended feeding and calorie count.  Choosing a brand that is flavorful and healthy can make sure that your pet is getting the nutrition that it needs.

Regular grooming is also on a weekly basis will add to your cats’ health, especially if it is a long-hair variety.   Brushing and grooming is great way to form a bond with a new kitten too.

A litter box can be a source that can affect the health of both your cat and the humans in your household if it is not properly and regularly changed.  You need to replace the litter box content every 3 to 4 days for a single cat and more frequently for multiple cats.  Disinfect the tray after discarding the old kitty litter and before adding fresh.  This will help control any odder.  Just remember, if you can smell it, your cats’ sense of smell is 10 times what yours is.

Many cat owners debate about declawing and the health factors of the decision.  If you do decided to have your pet declawed, it can no longer be an outside cat and should be kept indoors.  Most vets recommend not to have a kitten declaws, but better to wait at least a year before having the procedure done.  In the meantime, make sure to have a good cat scratcher with a little cat nip on it.  Your cat will get used to this self trimmer fast and enjoy it.

Stress can have an influence on your cats’ health, the same as a human.  If you are moving, going to be traveling, recovering from a natural disaster or changes in your family can be stressful for a sensitive cat.  Many times, veterinarians can recommend a slight sedative for your cat to help it through a stress situation.

Being curious creatures, cats can get into many different situations and many dangerous situations.  You want to make sure that your home environment is “cat proof” same as you might make your environment “child proof”.  Keep dangerous cleaners and household items stored away.  Remember, cats can get into areas that you might have thought impossible to get to, so storage closets are the best.

You should also take inventory of your household plants and check with your vet to see if any might be dangerous is digested.

Ensuring that you will have years of enjoyment with your feline pet can be very simple.  Give it the love and attention that it needs, along with proper nutritional food and proper grooming and annual vet visits, will keep your loving pet in your family for years.