Cat Care is your go-to resource for keeping your cat healthy, comfortable, and content. From grooming and nutrition to health, training, and travel, you’ll find practical tips to help with everyday care. Whether you’re raising a kitten or supporting a senior, this section covers the essentials to help your cat thrive.
Left undetected and untreated, intestinal parasites can rob or cat of much-needed nutrients, can cause severe gastrointestinal upset, and can predispose it to secondary disease. Internal parasites are widespread throughout the pet population. To make matters worse, many internal parasites of cats are also classified as zoonotic diseases; that is, they can be directly communicable … Read more
Inflammation of the thin, transparent mucous membrane lining the inner portion of the eyelids and front part of the sclera is termed conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is the most common cause of “red eyes” in cats. Other signs seen with conjunctivitis include discharge, swelling, and pain. The type of discharge present can sometimes give a clue as … Read more
Otitis media, infection involving the middle ear, usually results from a chronic, untreated or recurring otitis externa. In such cases, the eardrum might become so diseased as to tear or rupture completely, allowing direct access of infectious organisms into the middle-ear chamber. The clinical signs of otitis media are essentially the same as those for … Read more
The term seborrhea refers to an abnormality in the normal turnover of skin cells, which can lead to excessive secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands in the skin. Cats afflicted with seborrhea might have dry, flaky skin (seborrhea sicca), or, if the sebaceous glands are active, greasy skin with a rancid odor to it … Read more
At about 12 months of age, switch your pet to a maintenance diet for adults. Once your kitten is grown, its nutritional needs are reduced considerably from those during the rapid development of that first year. Continuing to feed your adult pet high levels of minerals (particularly calcium and phosphorus), protein, and energy (calories) could … Read more
Most well-cared-for pet cats can live to age 14 or 15, with some occasionally reaching 20. Life expectancy is increasing due to advances in disease prevention, a better understanding of diet, improved drugs and treatments, and more cats being kept indoors away from traffic hazards. Senior Years By about age 10, your cat may begin … Read more
The kidneys are responsible for eliminating waste products produced by the body’s normal metabolism. If they fail to perform this function adequately, the body will literally poison itself. For this reason, special attention must be directed at keeping these organs healthy, or—if a disease state already exists—at treating to prevent further functional deterioration. In cats, … Read more
Cats should be bathed when one or more of the following situations develop: Accumulation of excessive dirt, grease, or other foreign substances on the skin and coat Build-up of waxy sebum (seborrhea), which often leads to body odor Accumulation of skin scale (dandruff) s Skin infections Cats with normal, healthy skin and hair coats … Read more
Feline neurodermatitis results in hair loss and/or skin irritation due to nervous licking and chewing. The highly emotional breeds of cats, such as Siamese and Himalayan, are more prone to this disease than others. This nervous licking and chewing can be triggered by any disruption or stress in the cat’s normal daily routine, such as … Read more
As part of a routine grooming program, you should perform a nail trim on your cat, every 2 to 3 weeks. The procedure itself is easy, assuming you have the right equipment and that your pet agrees to cooperate. If your pet refuses to hold still for its manicure, let a veterinary assistant perform the … Read more