Owning a cat has specific responsibilities. You have to groom and feed it as well as keep it away from numerous diseases. This is what caring for cat health is all about. By doing it correctly, your cat can live for longer than 10 years.
The most effective way of preventing disease is vaccinating your cat. This also prevents it from ever becoming a carrier. Some of the standard vaccinations are against feline leukemia or FeLV, cat flu, Feline Infectious Enteritis or FIE, and Feline Chlamydophilosis.
Your cat may experience some side effects if it is given a vaccination. This, however, goes away fast, even if they develop fatigue or flu-like symptoms in the next few days. In sporadic cases, where the injection has been inserted, the cat may develop cancer in weeks, months, or even years.
Just like humans, cats have allergies. This may come from dust, pollen, disinfectants, and others. If you notice any allergy symptoms in your cat, you should stop using such disinfectants, keep your cat away from plants and make sure your home is clean.
Your cat may face another problem in the form of ticks and fleas. You will know they have them if your cat scratches more often than usual. Look for any black dots around the neck. Use a special flea comb to look deeper into the fur.
Treat them against fleas and ticks by dabbing a small amount of liquid onto the back of their necks once a month. As for those already present, you can pull them out using a pair of tweezers or applying Vaseline over the affected area. Always wear rubber gloves when doing this, so the bacterium does not transfer to your fingers.
Unlike ticks and fleas, which you can see, cat worms are inside their digestive system. There are three types of them: roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. If left untreated, they will have a sour stomach and, at times, can be fatal.
Give them worming tablets annually to prevent this from happening. But if the worms are already there, you have to get a prescribed medicine from your doctor. Using a tick remover spray that is available in pet stores is another option. You will notice a wound when the flea or tick is removed. To prevent the injury from infecting, this must be treated by bathing the area with salt water afterward.
With the help of their nails, cats can cause damage to your furniture and hurt people. Give them a scratch pad to play with and trim their nails regularly.
Do you know about the saying "curiosity killed the cat"? Well, this also happens if they walk around your house freely. To protect your cat and prevent this from happening, make sure the windows are shut, all cabinets are closed, medicine and rat poison are hidden. Also, never give them chocolate as a snack as this can be fatal for them.
Proper care for your cat is the most effective means of keeping it healthy. Studies have shown that cats kept indoors and loved by their owners live 5 times longer than those you see on the street. You decided to own one, so you should provide adequate care for it.