Keeping Cats Healthy

Despite appearances and their natural ability to withstand hardship cats are actually delicate creatures. Cats are not omnivorous by nature and need more protein than their canine counterparts. In addition to this they have delicate digestive systems. I normally feed my cats dry food I get the indoor formula because it doesn't smell as bad coming out, but my cats will tell me if they want soft food. One my cats is a larger breed and is very finicky. Besides being finicky he requires soft food. It's not just a choice or preference, (although I'm sure he would be happy to eat soft food every day) it's a necessity. If I don't supplement their diet with soft food the cats tend to have more hairball problems and it seems to affect their other digestive processes including their urination and defecation abilities.

So too, their skin is effected by diet. This is especially true if you live an area where fleas are a problem. To help with the skin problems I have found that as long as I am giving the cat soft food I can supplement their canned food with some cod liver oil. Cats love this mixture. Use about a tablespoon or maybe two between two or three cats.

It sounds like a convenience issue, but a clean litter box is essential not only to your health and sanity but to that of your cat. Cats are very prone to urinary tract infections so they should have their littler cleaned often. Also cats will be happiest when the litter is deep. A shallow dirty unkempt litter box is a recipe for a miserable, grumpy ,finicky and possibly unhealthy cat.

At our house we prefer a good scoopable litter with odor control and we keep a scoop nearby and clean the litter several times a day. Obviously you can dispose of the litter any way you prefer, but what works well for us is having an empty resealable litter container with a plastic disposable liner nearby.

1. Fleas: Be extremely careful when giving flea treatments to cats. As I mentioned earlier cats are very delicate. You should not use essential oils on cats as they can become sick from the oil. The fleas don't like certain oils but these same oils are dangerous to your cat's health. Preferably speaking take your cat to the vet to check on it's overall health before starting a flea treatment program. If you do start a program to get rid of the fleas on your own (and I can't emphasize this enough) make sure the treatment you use is made specifically for cats! Do not give dog flea treatment to your cat it can really hurt them!
2. Worms: If your cat is unlucky enough to have worms it is likely that either you let them outside and they are eating things that have worms for example mice, birds, insects or dead things, or they may be finding such things in your home and eating them there. This is especially true if you have an older house where mice or even insects can get in. Also make sure the food and water is always fresh. If you feed canned food to your cat be sure it doesn't get too old because it can become contaminated with parasites that way and ultimately affect your cat. No matter how they get the worms be sure your cat is healthy enough before beginning a worming treatment. Also make sure any treatment you use is safe for cats. The label will usually say if it is made for dogs or cats.

Garlic by itself does not work and you cant rub it in as previously stated cats are too sensitive. Cats wont likely eat garlic either. However there is another solution. You can use food grade "Diatomaceous Earth" see http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html for details.