. . . This month we turn our attention to our feline companions. Cats are amazing creatures who give us wonderful companionship and love.
These beautiful creatures are often silent sufferers. Cats hide their symptoms of illness or disease very easily and often we cat parents don't see the symptoms until late in the disease process.
Indoor cats have less traumatic illnesses and usually less parasites than outdoor cats but they also have their share of illnesses.
Outdoor cats have all the illnesses that indoor cats have plus any kind of trauma you can imagine and all kinds of extra parasites that cause cats to suffer.
Many cat owners only apply a flea preventative when they actually see fleas on their pets or see them scratching or with hair loss. If your cat is outdoors you can be guaranteed she has fleas. It's very common for cats to eat the fleas that are on their coat as they are immaculate groomers. That may explain why you seldom or never see fleas on your cat. That is also the reason cats often get tape worms as the flea carries the tapeworm larvae.
For a variety of reasons we don't tend to see cats as often as dogs in the clinic, which is a fairly common theme among the veterinary profession. One of the biggest reasons for this is that cats are a little more difficult to get to the vet. Sometimes just finding your feline friend can be a challenge, especially if he or she is an outdoor cat. Then there's the problem of transporting them in a car which can be especially daunting. That along with their tendency to be more independent, aloof and stoic when if comes to pain or discomfort all contribute to our seeing cats less frequently than dogs even there are more of them!
We've included some valuable tips to keep your cat healthy (in left column) and three short videos to help you to better understand your cat and to give you some helpful tips on getting your cat to go in a carrier and transporting her to the vet.
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Cats & Carriers: Friends not Foes
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Top 10 Cat Health Tips . . .
1 Have a veterinary check-up performed on your cat at least once a year. It should include a thorough physical examination, blood pressure check and bloodwork. Keep your cat current on vaccinations and avoid all unnecessary ones (including the feline leukemia vaccine in cats over 2 years of age). Failure to vaccinate, as well as over-vaccinating, are equally bad.
2 Always keep a fresh source of water available at all times. Cats that don't drink enough can suffer from urinary disorders.
3 Keep those teeth clean and free from tartar build-up. Periodontal disease can lead to heart and kidney disease.
4 Have any firm, non-painful lump detected on or beneath the skin removed as soon as possible. Benign tumors are rare in cats.
5 Insist on daily play and exercise. Special toys, such as light lasers, can be used to get your cat active.
6 Join an online pet forum, preferably one that is veterinary-moderated, to learn more about cat health and symptom recognition.
7 Keep your cat indoors and away from potential hazards such as stray dogs, stray cats, poisons, and car tires.
8 Clean the litter box daily. This will encourage your cat to use it more and lessen the chances for behavioral and urinary problems from appearing.
9 Feed a well-balanced diet with minimal fiber (unless the latter is prescribed). Avoid high fiber hairball and indoor cat formulas, as these can lead to urinary challenges. Don't let your cat get fat. Among other things, fat cats are prone to diabetes.
10 Cat proof your home. Keep potential poisons out of reach and keep strings or anything else that can be ingested well out of reach.
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