| |
Feline Care
Your feline family member is an intelligent and feeling being. Cats, like humans, must have their basic needs met. Proper and fresh food and clean water served in ceramic or stainless steel bowls (thoroughly wash and rinse daily) are a must. Many cats enjoy the Drinkwell Fountain (available at PetsMart or online at Drs Foster & Smith).
An appropriately sized litter box (please don't make your cat squeeze into a little box...would you like to use an airplane-size restroom every day of your life?) such as a mortar box (sold at Home Depot) is an excellent choice. The ideal cat-to-litter-box ratio is 1:1+1, that is one cat gets two boxes; two cats should have access to three boxes, etc. Since that is not always possible, it is recommended that no more than two cats share one box and that box MUST be scooped at LEAST twice daily and completely washed and filled with new litter weekly.
Do NOT place your cat's food near the litter box (you wouldn't want your dining table along side an open toilet area).
A proper, high-quality diet is the foundation for health. For many, how their cats are fed is based more on convenience (whether done intentionally or not) than what's best for their feline. Cats require high protein (meat), low carbohydrate diets. Many commercial cat food products contain a high grain to low meat (oftentimes byproducts) ratio...the exact opposite of what a cat's body requires.
There is much to consider when selecting the best diet for your feline (e.g.: commercially prepared foods [dry and/or canned] vs a raw diet [and the supplements required to make it nutritionally complete]...if the animal eats primarily a dry kibble diet, ensuring it is also consumes appropriate levels of water, etc.). Remember, if you choose to feed a commercial diet, make nutrition a priority. Some highly recommended products are: Wysong, Precise, Innova, Natural Life, Flint River Ranch, Perfect Health Diet, Pet Guard, Solid Gold Katz-N-Flocken, Cornucopia, Verus, Lick Your Chops, Nature's Recipe, Nutro Natural Choice and Excel. And, as always, consult your veterinarian.
What follows is a very information intensive link on cat nutrition: www.maxshouse.com
| |
Cats need to stretch their muscles and manicure (not sharpen) their nails. Ensure your cat has access to vertical and horizontal scratching posts...show your cat where they are and gently rub his/her paws on them.
Mental and physical stimulation are important. Provide a variety of toys (interactive and solo toys). Some favorites include fuzzy mice, "sparkly balls" (available in the sewing section of WalMart) and Da Bird (www.go-cat.com). Ensure the toys you provide are safe...watch how your cat plays with them...if it looks like he/she will eat them instead of hunt/interact, remove the toy immediately.
Please, DO NOT HESITATE to seek veterinary treatment for any problem or concern you encounter.
|
