When it comes to taking care of their cats, many owners act clueless. Are you one of them? Are you not able to improve your cat’s health despite taking a lot of care and doing the best you could to make it happy?
Well, maybe you are not taking enough care. Or maybe you are doing it all wrong.
Keep reading to find out what it is.
Ignoring its fur
I’ve run out of counts how many times I’ve seen pet owners ignoring the simple fact that their four-legged children have far all over their skin. Their furry skin requires special treatment. Simply bathing them and rubbing a sponge over them is not enough.
Flea, germs, and heartworms are your biggest concern. Mosquitoes, insects, and bugs can hide in the pile of body hair. There are some breeds of flea that specifically target cats for the thick layers of fur in their bodies.
For 100% flea removal, use top heartworm and flea prevention products available in the market. A skin infection in your cat is the last thing you want.
No more vet visit
Do you always take your cat to vet regardless of whether it’s healthy or not, or put it off if he seems too healthy to be taken to a vet? If you choose the latter, I am sorry to say that you are taking care of him in a wrong way.
Experienced vets recommend a monthly visit. Understand that just like us humans, diseases in cats manifest slowly and often gradually. While skin problems, seizure, etc are easy to identify, vision problems, neurological problems, tumors, and kidney related issues are indeed difficult to diagnose for a medically untrained owner.
So, never hold off vet visits. Take your cat to a vet every month, if not every week.
Not using proper products
A number of owners are guilty of this crime. Yes, I call it a crime because pet products have labels on them that specifically instruct buyers to use them only on animals the products were made for. But many cat owners – it appears – don’t pay any heed to such instructions.
Many of them happily apply skincare products made for dogs on cats. This is a strict no. Dogs and cats have different skin, different metabolism, and different biology altogether. So, using dog care products on cats is ineffective at best and fatal at worst.
Just as wrong pet products can be harmful to your cat, human medication too can prove lethal. Follow the expert’s advice. Give your cat medicines and healthcare products designed specifically for felines.
Give too much independence
Unlike dogs, cats love privacy and solitude. Caring cat owners give their feline friends a break from cuddling every now and then, letting them vacantly look into the void. While it’s okay to be phlegmatic sometimes, a fully self-sufficient cat that doesn’t need you is the last thing you want.
So, a hands-off approach with cats is good but don’t overdo it. Then, your cat will stop interacting with you, spend too much time idly sitting around. That’s not what you want and besides, it’s not good for your cat’s health either. Stats indicate many cat owners in the US are so lenient that they allow their furry felines to become obese and under-exercised.
Ignoring litter box avoidance
Once again, an example that leniency can kill the cat. When cats avoid litter box, owners take it lightly. In reality, reluctance to use the litter box can be symptomatic to serious health issues.
Thankfully, most of the times cats avoid litter box due to not-so-serious reasons. Often for enclosed space, unwillingness to learn, etc. But if it becomes a daily occurrence, take your cat to a vet because it could be an early symptom of UTI or bladder or kidney stone.
Cat owners are strongly recommended to use separate litter boxes for each individual cat they have. More than one cat using the same litter box means they have to stand longer in the queue fueling their reluctance.
Cleanliness of the litter box is an issue too. An unclean litter box could cause hygiene issues and trigger cat health problems. You don’t want your cat to fall sick because you were laid-back, right?
Summing up
I doubt there’s any cat owner who intends to harm their cat. However, due to ignorance, unintended negligence and not following the right cat care tips, they end up putting their furry friends in harm’s way. That’s why it’s essential to follow the five tips listed here. When you follow these tips, your cat’s health and hygiene improve.