Guide to a Healthy Cat

In older cats, inactivity is often the only sign of osteoarthritis and they might also be reluctant to play if they have a heart or respiratory condition, so talk to your vet to put your mind at ease. If you think something might be wrong, speak to your vet straight away. Overweight kittens can easily become overweight cats, and fat cats aren't healthy cats!

Overweight cats are more likely to suffer from painful osteoarthritis and conditions such as diabetes and urinary problems. Keeping your cat in ideal body condition is important. Exercise will help control your cat's weight and prevention is always better than cure. To keep up activity levels, invest in some cat exercise toys, an indoor climbing frame or a scratching post.

Introduce regular play sessions and remember that anything that moves will appeal to cats, as it gives them a chance to polish their hunting skills. A cat's home and social environment are also important in encouraging activity. Does your home contain many structures to climb or jump onto?

Do you put away your cat's toys after play sessions, so their reappearance is always irresistible?

How We Chose the Best Cat Food

If your home is split-level, try placing your cat's food bowl on a different floor from the sleeping area to encourage as much stair climbing as possible. These are all simple things you can do to keep your cat healthy, happy and a purrfect pet for years to come!

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Signs of a healthy cat and how to keep your cat healthy. Play encourages your cat to be active, keep supple and maintain a good body condition. Even better, playing is a great cat exercise that helps encourage them to express their natural hunting instincts.

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Benefits of exercising your cat. Peak activity time for kittens and cats is in the early morning and in the evening. Play with your pet before you go to bed so your kitten is worn out and will be ready to sleep when you are. Kittens often play alone and occasionally seem to spook and race away, as if pursued by an invisible friend — this is totally normal!

Toys are fun, but interactive play is also entertaining and one of the best ways to keep your kitten or cat healthy and responsive to you. Make sure your cat always has toys available, but keep some away for your own playtime together — your cat will think these toys are particularly special. Remember, never leave your cat or kitten unsupervised with fishing toys or other toys with a length of string as these can be dangerous. Any toys left with your cat should be safe, with no small parts that could be chewed and swallowed.

Solitary kittens may play more roughly with their owners as they only have you to play with.

Healthy Adult Cat Guide | 1 to 7 Years Old

Never encourage pouncing on or playing with your hands or feet. Although this may be fun for kittens, these habits can last into adulthood and this can encourage aggressive behaviour to humans in the future. Set aside time for at least two good play sessions a day. With young indoor cats who live alone, you need to activate their 'stalk-chase-pounce' hunting behaviour up to 30 times per day to keep them feeling fulfilled. But if you have more than one cat and they enjoy playing with each other, or if your cat is older and less active, it can be less.

The key to getting cats interested in playing is to understand their prey. Your cat will be far more interested in a toy if it is wiggling under a sofa or a cabinet, is hidden under a mat or makes sudden darting movements. Make the toy behave as a mouse would! Make sure to properly measure the amount of food necessary for them for the day. When the food is gone, don't fill it back up until the next day. This will teach your cat to feed throughout the day, rather than gobble it all down at once. Another option for free feeding cats, it's a good idea to use a food puzzle with pre-measured food so you control how much and how often your cat eats.

In an interview with Scientific American , cat behavior expert Mikel Delgado says she likes food puzzles not just for rewards, but as a way to feed cats every day. No one would hand them a bowl of mice," Delgado says. Mixed feeding can be defined as serving canned food as a twice-daily meal and dry food is freely available.

Combination feeding allows your cat to eat multiple, small meals per day on her own schedule. You can monitor appetite at least partially when you feed her wet food.

The Best Cat Food

It also gives cats the nutritional benefits of both wet and dry food. Combination feeding, like free feeding, can often lead to overeating and obesity, so it is important to measure the food out and not refill her bowl until the next day. If you have multiple cats it can be difficult to monitor each one's total food intake, so any form of free feeding may not be the best option. Both wet and dry food have advantages and disadvantages, when it comes to your cat.

For instance, cats diagnosed with certain medical conditions — such as urinary and kidney issues — might benefit from the higher moisture content in wet food. Dry food, meanwhile, is better for a cat's teeth and is easier to store.

A Guide to a Lean and Healthy Cat – www.newyorkethnicfood.com

If you do try combination feeding, consider using a food puzzle so your cat feels challenged by playing with her snacks. If you have a multi-cat home, keep in mind that the volume of food offered should not exceed the total calorie requirements for all the cats each day. Otherwise, your cat or cats could become overweight, leading to a higher risk of developing other health problems. No matter what method you choose, measure food out each day to best track how much your cat is eating.

You can find guidelines for how much your cat should be eating each day on every Hill's cat food bag and in feeding guides on the product pages on the Hill's website. Remember, these are only guidelines.

A cat's needs will vary depending on her size, energy level, and health issues. Consult your veterinarian about the amount of calories your cat should be consuming each day. No matter what method you choose for your feline friend, make sure to choose a high-quality food to provide her with the nutrients she needs to live a happy and healthy life.

If you feel like your cat is struggling with weight management, or just eating in general, we highly recommend setting up an appointment with your veterinarian to come up with the healthiest game plan. Kara Murphy is a freelance writer and pet parent who lives in Erie, Pa. She has a goldendoodle named Maddie. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Youtube. Hill's - Transforming Lives. A valid email address is required. Please leave this field blank: Please select your preferred country and language. Republic of Singapore English. Choosing the right cat food.

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