Keeping your feline friend happy and healthy is a big responsibility. Our furry friends don’t know how to speak our language, so it’s up to us to make sure they’re comfortable. There are nearly 373 million pet cats all over the globe and many of them do not receive the proper love and care that they deserve.
However, if you have an adult cat, you need to incorporate a few changes in its routine to make sure it stays healthy while it’s ageing. Here are five important things to take care of.
- Brush your cat every day
Having a clean cat starts with daily brushing. This will prevent the formation of tangles or stray hairballs in the digestive tract that can be very difficult to remove later.
Cats often spend a lot of time grooming themselves, so owners might not be able to understand that brushing every day helps to remove loose hairs. Many cats even dislike brushing, so it’s important to associate this activity with something pleasant. For example, brush your cat every day before its mealtime.
This way, it will understand that brushing isn’t always unpleasant. Ideally, you should brush your cat twice a day if it has a lot of furs. Brush along the growth of the hair once and then brush against the growth for the best results.
- Don’t give too much dry food
Unlike dogs or other common pets, cats cannot stay as vegetarians. They have to depend on fish or meat, even for very short periods of time. So the main ingredient in their diets should be meat.
A lot of owners tend to give their pets dry cat food, which is rich in carbohydrates. While consuming carbohydrates is good, too much of it can be unhealthy. Your cat can develop diseases like type 2 diabetes or obesity if it has too many carbs.
So it’s important to cut down on dry food. If you have both a dog and a cat, it might be tempting to offer them the same type of food but never do that. The digestive systems of a dog and a cat work in different ways and cats cannot digest carbs the way dogs can.
- Hydrate it
Today’s pet cats have evolved from desert-dwelling ancestors, which means that they don’t have the same kind of thirst drive as dogs.
Canned cat food contains about 78% water, while dry food is just 5-10% water. So it’s necessary to provide fresh water to your pet at all times. You might notice that your cat is slurping on more water when it’s having too much dry food.
Adult and nursing cats are more prone to dehydration so make sure it drinks plenty of water throughout the day. If they show symptoms like sunken eyes, panting, or tiredness, it can be an indication of dehydration.
- Provide litter boxes
As a rule of thumb, you should provide one extra litter box to a cat. For example, if you have two adult cats, you should keep three boxes. The place where you keep those boxes is also important. You’d want to keep them out of the way, in a basement or any corner, but make sure the place isn’t too empty or isolated from the rest of the house.
This is because when cats do their job of relieving themselves, they’re in a vulnerable position. So they might wish to see their surroundings. You can find good, open litter boxes from any online pet store, but make sure you provide enough to your pet.
- Spay or neuter it
Spaying or neutering your pet is a very beneficial thing you can do. Female cats, especially, get very uncomfortable when in heat. Not spaying or neutering can also lead to a host of diseases that get transmitted through bites or scratches.
Additionally, there are so many kittens living in strays or in unfavourable conditions, waiting for a home. So it isn’t wise to add to the population too. When your cat is an adult, speak to your vet and get it altered as soon as possible.
Over to you…
These are the five basic things you must keep in mind while having an adult pet cat. Most importantly, remember to pet it and give it lots of cuddles!
