How To Care for Your Cat
June is Adopt a Cat Month, when people are encouraged to adopt cats from their local shelters. If you’re thinking about adopting, or have just come home with your new feline friend, you might be wondering how to take care of a cat or how to care for a kitten. Here are the most essential tips for cat health to ensure a long and happy companionship between you and your kitty.
Tips for Cat Health
Provide nutritious food and clean water.
Provide high quality food for your cat to best promote their health. Their food should contain taurine, a necessary nutrient for cats, who are obligate carnivores. There are also things they shouldn’t have, so be careful what human food you share with them. You’ll also want to check that your houseplants are not poisonous for cats.
Make sure to provide fresh water and clean your cat’s bowl daily. Try balancing out your cat’s dry food with wet food now and then to make sure they stay hydrated.
Maintain a clean litter box.
Keeping up with litter box maintenance is extremely important. Clean it out regularly to encourage your cat to use it, and to prevent infections and diseases. When you replace the litter and wash the box, remember to avoid using cleaning products with ammonia or citrus scents.
Brush your cat regularly.
Brushing your cat is fun, adorable, and beneficial for both of you! You’ll help keep your kitty clean, and reduce hairballs and shedding.
Let your cat scratch.
Scratching is important for cats, so make sure they have a place to scratch that’s not a favorite piece of furniture. Put up scratching pads or posts with rough material like sisal, burlap, or bark.
Get necessary vaccinations.
Vaccinations protect your cat from diseases like rabies, feline viral rhinotracheitis, and more. Rabies vaccines in particular are required by law in most states. Talk to your veterinarian to get tailored recommendations for cat vaccinations.
Get them spayed or neutered by five months of age.
Spaying and neutering are essential for long and healthy lives for cats. It’s recommended to spay or neuter your kitten before they reach 5 months old, as cats can become pregnant at as young as 4 months.
See your veterinarian on a regular basis.
Schedule regular vet appointments to make sure you stay on top of your cat’s health. If you notice any odd behavior or warning signs, take them to the vet immediately.
Keep your cat indoors for a longer, safer life.
Keeping your cat inside the house will keep them safe from a host of risks like diseases, fights, passing cars, and more. While outdoor cats have an average lifespan of 1-3 years, indoor cats have an average lifespan of 15 years. Enjoy more time with your pet and grant them a healthier life by keeping them inside.
Here at International Veterinary Outreach (IVO), we’re promoting the health of cats and dogs in communities like Covelo and Oakland in California, Tierra del Fuego in Chile, and beyond. We’ve had a decade of positive impact on animal health worldwide, and we’re just getting started!
We’re on a mission to create a healthy global community free of animal suffering. We want to improve the lives of people and animals worldwide, and you can help us do it! Donate now to support our conservation efforts and our other animal health programs around the globe! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date and find out how you can get involved!
