Health and Safety Tips for Your Cats

Cats are independent creatures and very easy to care for, but your job as a responsible cat owner is still an important one. All too often, a family cat is struck down long before her time in a senseless accident, or succumbs to an illness she didn't need to catch. Here are important health and safety tips for your cats.

Your cat should be kept indoors at all times. Cats that are permitted or forced to wander outside face all types of dangers, including disease, poisons, parasites, cat fights, dog fights, cruel people (like a pre-teen with a BB gun), and the most deadly cat-killer of all, traffic. Cats simply do not need to go outside. They don't require much space to exercise, and the litter box fulfills their other needs. Cats who live indoors from the beginning won't even have the urge to wander outdoors. A healthy, stimulating indoor environment is a preferable alternative to the dangerous outdoors.

Of course, even if you keep your cat indoors there is a chance she will somehow slip out. And there is always the frightening possibility she will become lost. As such, you should adorn your feline friend with a collar and identification tag. The tag must include your name, home address, and daytime and evening telephone numbers. The collar should be a breakaway, so that if your cat becomes snagged on something, she won't have to struggle to escape.

A healthy cat is a happy cat. In order to keep your cats healthy, you must provide them with a regular, nutritionally balanced diet. Your vet can guide you on a cat's proper diet, and there is plenty of information available on the web. Always have clean water available for your cat to drink.

When your cat reaches the right age, your cat must be spayed or neutered. Spaying is a surgical procedure in which a female cat's ovaries and uterus are removed. Neutering is a surgical procedure in which a male cat's testicles are removed. These procedures ensure that your pet will not be responsible for bringing more homeless cats into the world. Millions of cats and dogs need to be humanely destroyed every year because of animal overpopulation. Spaying and neutering also eliminate the possibility of several cancers, including uterine, ovarian, and prostate. This one-time surgery will also make your cats happier, more affectionate companions.

Keep in mind, you are responsible for the health and safety of your cats from the day they arrive until the time of their deaths. Make the most of all the years you have together.