When it comes to personal hygiene, cats are the epitome of
cleanliness. They are naturally equipped with everything they need
to clean themselves.
But no matter what age, there are still plenty of things you can
do to help your cat maintain optimum health.
Vaccinations are such an important part of
maintaining a healthy, disease free lifestyle for your cat. Often
the infections that cats contract can be easily avoided by
following the standard vaccination programme co-ordinated by your
vet.
Vaccinations are a necessity when it comes to your
cats health as they stimulate and promote immunity, enabling
your pcat to fight off infections. As a cat owner you will
need to visit your veterinarian with your cat for a series of
general vaccinations over a specified period of time. Primary
vaccinations for kittens will generally be at 6, 12 and 16 weeks.
Boosters are also required in the later stages of life to ensure
levels of resistance to infection are maintained.
When your cat has been vaccinated by a
veterinarian you will be issued with a vaccination certificate.
This will show what vaccinations have been administered and when
the next one is due. It is very straight forward and easy to
understand so always remember vaccination means eradication and
these will help maintain your cat's health.
A coat brush a day keeps the tangles away.
It's essential to start grooming your kitten as soon as you can -
especially if he or she has long hair. Short haired cats can groom
themselves, but may need a little extra help during moulting season
(spring into summer).
Regular grooming helps your cat's skin stay
healthy and keeps their coat shiny. Grooming also gives you the
opportunity to check for signs that he or she might be unwell. (If
you find anything unusual, visit your vet immediately). Start
grooming very gently and little by little they'll learn to love the
sensation of the brush in their fur.
If your cat decides not to cooperate during
grooming, let him or her relax by playing and sniffing the brush or
comb first. Begin grooming very gently from the head and work your
way down.
OPTIMUM™ Dry Cat
Food products can help keep your cat's skin and coat looking
beautiful and in peak condition.
As well as keeping your cat looking good,
regular grooming is important in reducing furballs. Furballs occur
when your cat ingests loose hair while grooming itself and the hair
compacts with undigested food, causing an obstruction in the
stomach or digestive tract.
To help reduce the formation of furballs, you
should regularly brush your cat thoroughly, removing any loose hair
and disposing of it. This is important for the health of both
short and long-haired cats. As well as keeping your cat happier and
healthier, brushing will also mean less vacuuming!
Older cats are also more at risk as their
digestive system is slower and they are more likely to get
blockages. Although furballs are an issue for all cats, long haired
breeds have more problems, especially during spring and autumn,
when they shed more hair.
If you find it distressing to hear your cat
coughing up a furball, then imagine what it's like for your cat.
This is why regular grooming is important: it reduces furballs and
it means less vacuuming for you. When cats groom themselves, they
ingest loose hair, which compacts, causing an obstruction in the
stomach or digestive tract. Also, cats with tangled fur or fleas
lick more, thus consuming more furball-inducing loose hair.
OPTIMUM™ Furball
Formula can help with furball management, click
here for more information.
Flea control is
very important when it comes to our furry friends. Both cats and
dogs can experience the annoyance and discomfort of these tiny
pests.
Firstly, preventions are available at most Supermarkets and vet
clinics. Exelpet®
provides a range of products suitable for the prevention and
treatment of fleas (for more information visit www.exelpet.com.au. And
secondly, once you've got them, you need to tackle them in two
ways:
- Fleas must be controlled on your pet
- Fleas must be controlled in your pets environment
Killing just the adult fleas and not the eggs
will not do the trick as they will grow and you will still have an
annoying flea problem! Visit your local veterinarian or www.exelpet.com.au for more
information on how to go about controlling fleas in your home and
on your pet.
The first time your cat's claws need
clipping, take him or her to the vet and ask them to show you how
it's done. Then when you're confident to do it yourself, spend time
playing with your cat's paws so they get used to the feel of your
hands.
Clip claws about once a month (or on vet's
advice) using proper cat claw clippers (available at good pet
stores). A scratching post will help keep their claws in good
repair and minimise the risk of them becoming torn or ragged.
Like humans, maintaining good oral hygiene
for cats is an important factor of good
health.OPTIMUM™ Oral Care
has been designed to help reduce the build up of plaque and tartar,
promoting healthy teeth and gums. The mechanical action of chewing
the specifically designed kibble, in combination with the active
ingredient (sodium tripolyphosphate) promotes good oral
hygiene.
Sodium tripolyphosphate is a mineral based
ingredient that binds the calcium present in saliva and reduces the
formation of tartar on the tooth surface. The calcium is then
carried to the stomach for digestion.
Click here to read more about
OPTIMUM™
Oral Care.
As your cat ages, the likelihood of dental
problems increases and so good dental health is imperative in
keeping your cat happy and healthy. Tartar build-up, gingivitis and
periodontal disease can hinder eating and cause pain and bad breath
in older cats.
If your cat has dental problems, it may lose
its appetite and so you should be alert to any changes in its
eating habits. If your aging cat will accept it, regular brushing
of its teeth is recommended and all older cats should have routine
dental checks.
Microchipping is becoming more and more
popular as a permanent and effective way of identifying domestic
cats and dogs. In the painless procedure, your vet implants a tiny
microchip, the size of a grain of rice, under your cat's skin. The
microchip holds unique information about your cat and, should it go
missing, the chip can be used to trace your cat back to a central
animal registry.
So effective is this method of identification
that in some Australian states it is compulsory.
Check with your vet or local council about your obligations as a
cat owner.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is
a really serious disease that affects cat health. FLUTD attacks the
lower urinary system and bladder, causing extreme pain and
discomfort. There are 3 different forms of FLUTD:
- Cystitis: Irritation of the bladder
- Urinary stones/crystals
- Urethral obstruction (obstruction of the urethra)
FLUTD affects male cats more so than female
cats as their urethra is smaller (a urethra is the tube that
carries urine out of the body). Symptoms that you will notice when
your cats has FLUTD include straining to urinate, blood in the
urine, increased frequency of urination, cries from you puss in the
litter box and urinating in random places around your home.
It is an extremely painful ordeal for them to go through. It is
classed as a medical emergency and must be treated immediately.
Quite often cats will come in to the clinic for treatment, and
after returning home will be back in the clinic within days.
Sometimes, (and it is quite common for this to happen) the cats
urethra will become blocked again.
Your cat may need to be on a prescription
diet for the rest of its life. These special diets try to combat
any infection from returning. Your vet will more than likely tell
you about these diets and give you all relevant instructions for a
case like this.
The OPTIMUM™ Dry Cat Food
range helps to protect your cat from FLUTD.
As we all know, nutrition is a very important
factor when it comes to keeping your cat healthy. Their
complex bodies require certain things to be able to perform general
everyday tasks. Just like us, cats need plenty of food and water,
but it's what is in their food that counts. The most part of a
cats' diet is protein. Protein supplies them with amino acids.
Amino acids are needed in order for the body to manufacture
antibodies, enzymes, tissues and a proper PH balance. Protein is
found in foods such as meat and fish so it is ideal to give your
cat meals that contain ingredients such as these. Fat is also
required in your cats diet as it gives them an energy source for
all that climbing and running around they do!
Along with fat and protein, minerals and
vitamins also play a big part in their diet. Minerals and vitamins
go hand in hand with having a healthy body so make sure that you
pick out a good quality cat food that has all of the nutrients your
cat requires. It's also a great idea to feed dry food as it keeps
their teeth healthy and hopefully gets rid of any built up tartar!
If you have any concerns or questions regarding nutritional
requirements for cats, make an appointment with your vet to obtain
a greater insight on this topic.
To find out more about the importance
of protein in your cat's diet, click
here.