Cat Hygiene
Most cats will keep themselves fairly clean on their own. If you have noticed changes in their cleanliness or coat, it may be time for a check up.
Cats that are very obese will have trouble grooming and reaching all areas of their body.
Long haired individuals will be more prone to hairballs.
There are also individuals who are known to overgroom and cause areas of hair loss.
These are the types of troubles that you should be on the lookout in your feline friend.
You can help them by making sure to keep their weight under control, brushing or grooming them as needed, using hairball medication, and being on the lookout for signs of itchiness or stress that can cause these types of problems.
Keeping their nails trimmed as needed and providing appropriate scratching posts (they really like the cardboard ones and the rope ones) will help them live more peacefully in your home.
If they have long fur that neither of you can manage without troubles many folks get their groomer to give their cat a “lion cut” which many owners are resistant to at first but grow to love for its help with hairballs and tangles.
Ask your veterinarian or their technician for nail trimming demos and grooming tips they have seen work well. This is a great thing to bring up at an annual appointment and they will usually love to talk about this because it shows your interest in maintaining your cat’s health and comfort.
Exercise for Cats
Let’s not lie exercising a cat does not always work out for all households. Leash walking is rare and although some folks can pull it off, they may be the talk of the neighborhood.
Some small things you can do to increase the number of steps your cat takes are breaking up their food into small portions and making them “forage” for it by strategically placing around the house small dishes that require more work to get to. The top of the refrigerator, on different levels of the house, up on countertops, and in different rooms for example.
Some folks use a laser pointer to get their cat to run around their home or a toy that mimics prey. Do not use a laser pointer with dogs-it is known to make some of them very anxiety prone.
There are a few items that I would stay away from or if you do use them to help your cat play/exercise they must be closely supervised. Any items with long strings or hair rubber bands fall into this list. I have pulled these out of several patients after they have ingested them and then blocked their digestive tracts. Bummer.
