Pet Advice for Cats - Health
Cats have special little quirks and habits that can be quite different from other animals. Here you can find out just what makes cats so unique. Click through the tabs to discover more about your cat:
A coat brush a day keeps the tangles away. It’s essential to start grooming your kitten as soon as you can – especially if he or she has long hair. Short haired cats can groom themselves, but may need a little extra help during moulting season (spring into summer).
Regular grooming helps your cat’s skin stay healthy and keeps their coat shiny. Grooming also gives you the opportunity to check for signs that he or she might be unwell. (If you find anything unusual, visit your vet immediately). Start grooming very gently and little by little they’ll learn to love the sensation of the brush in their fur.
If your cat decides not to cooperate during grooming, let him or her relax by playing and sniffing the brush or comb first. Begin grooming very gently from the head and work your way down.
OPTIMUM® Dry Cat products can help keep your cat’s skin and coat looking beautiful and in peak condition, click here to find the best OPTIMUM® dry product for your cat.
If you find it distressing to hear your cat coughing up a furball, then imagine what it’s like for your cat. This is why regular grooming is important: it reduces furballs and it means less vacuuming for you. When cats groom themselves, they ingest loose hair, which compacts, causing an obstruction in the stomach or digestive tract. Also, cats with tangled fur or fleas lick more, thus consuming more furball-inducing loose hair.
OPTIMUM® Furball Formula can help with furball management, click here for more information.
The first time your cat’s claws need clipping, take him or her to the vet and ask them to show you how it’s done. Then when you’re confident to do it yourself, spend time playing with your cat’s paws so they get used to the feel of your hands.
Clip claws about once a month (or on vet’s advice) using proper cat claw clippers (available at good pet stores). A scratching post will help keep their claws in good repair and minimise the risk of them becoming torn or ragged.
Like humans, maintaining good oral hygiene for cats is an important factor of good health. OPTIMUM Oral Care has been designed to help reduce the build up of plaque and tartar, promoting healthy teeth and gums. The mechanical action of chewing the specifically designed kibble, in combination with the active ingredient (sodiumtripolyphosphate) promotes good oral hygiene.
Sodiumtripolyphosphate is a mineral based ingredient that binds the calcium present in saliva and reduces the formation of tartar on the tooth surface. The calcium is then carried to the stomach for digestion.
Microchipping is becoming more and more popular as a permanent and effective way of identifying domestic cats. In the painless procedure, your vet implants a tiny microchip, the size of a grain of rice, under your cat’s skin. The microchip holds unique information about your cat and, should it go missing, the chip can be used to trace your cat back to a central animal registry.
So effective is this method of identification that in some Australian states it is compulsory. Check with your vet or local council about your obligations as a cat owner.
Furballs are pretty much a part of life when you own a cat, but there are some conditions that favour furball trouble. Indoor cats are more prone to problems as they don’t eat grass, which is known to help the removal of furballs. Also, cats with tangled hair or those with fleas will lick more, thus consuming more of the loose hair that cause furballs.
As well as keeping your cat looking good, regular grooming is important in reducing furballs. Furballs occur when your cat ingests loose hair while grooming itself and the hair compacts with undigested food, causing an obstruction in the stomach or digestive tract.
To help reduce the formation of furballs, you should regularly brush your cat thoroughly, removing any loose hair and disposing of it. This is important for both short and long-haired cats. As well as keeping your cat happier and healthier, brushing will also mean less vacuuming!
Older cats are also more at risk as their digestive system is slower and they are more likely to get blockages. Although furballs are an issue for all cats, long haired breeds have more problems, especially during spring and autumn, when they shed more hair.
There are a number of causes of obesity in cats, although as a rule it occurs when calories consumed exceed calories expended. This may be due to overfeeding, or inactivity, or a combination of both. Some breeds are prone to becoming overweight and the age and sex of a cat can have an effect on the likelihood of obesity.
Once a cat is spayed or neutered it is more prone to putting on weight, as are cats that suffer from such health problems as Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperadrenocorticism and Hypothyroidism. As the cause of obesity can vary from cat to cat, it is best that you see your vet should you be concerned about the weight of your feline friend.
OPTIMUM Healthy Weight Management Formula for cats helps to control your cats weight naturally, without compromising on taste or the uptake of essential nutrients
Feline diabetes, otherwise known as Diabetes Mellitus is a common disorder found in cats. It is caused by the inability of the hormone “insulin” to properly balance blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Obesity can often play a big factor, so it’s a good idea to be more aware of the fat in those extra little treats you give on the side. Some signs that your cat may be affected by diabetes include increased appetite, excessive urination, vomiting, depression and weight loss. Diabetes tends to target male cats more so than females, so if you have an obese male cat, be on the look out for symptoms like these.
This disorder is easily treated with insulin injections. The needle is very small and will be relatively pain free for your puss. You will have to learn how to give injections but with practice it will become easier to do. Diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. Most animals that receive treatment go on to lead happy, healthy and wholesome lives.
As much as we would like to spare them any pain, some senior cats will suffer from arthritis in their later years. If you are alert to the tell-tale signs you will better be able to make your feline friend more comfortable.
Watch out for stiffness, reluctance to jump, visible pain when walking, altered gait, hot or swollen joints or changes in personality such as anxiety or depression. If you notice any of these signs or are concerned about your cat, make an appointment with your vet.
As your cat ages, the likelihood of dental problems increases and so good dental health is imperative in keeping your cat happy and healthy. Tartar buildup, gingivitis and periodontal disease can hinder eating and cause pain and bad breath in older cats.
If your cat has dental problems, it may loose its appetite and so you should be alert to any changes in its eating habits. If your aging cat will accept it, regular brushing of its teeth is recommended and all older cats should have routine dental checks.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is a really serious disease that affects cats. FLUTD attacks the lower urinary system and bladder, causing extreme pain and discomfort. There are 3 different forms of FLUTD:
- Cystitis: Irritation of the bladder
- Urinary stones/crystals
- Urethral obstruction ( obstruction of the urethra)
FLUTD affects male cats more so than female cats as their urethra is smaller (a urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body). Symptoms that you will notice when your cats has FLUTD include straining to urinate, blood in the urine, increased frequency of urination, cries from you puss in the litter box and urinating in random places around your home. It is an extremely painful ordeal for them to go through. It is classed as a medical emergency and must be treated immediately. Quite often cats will come in to the clinic for treatment, and after returning home will be back in the clinic within days. Sometimes, (and it is quite common for this to happen) the cats urethra will become blocked again.
Your cat may need to be on a prescription diet for the rest of its life. These special diets try to combat any infection from returning. Your vet will more than likely tell you about these diets and give you all relevant instructions for a case like this. The OPTIMUM dry cat range helps to protect your cat from FLUTD, to find out more visit our health benefits page.
TAs we all know, nutrition is a very important factor when it comes to keeping your puss healthy. Their complex bodies require certain things to be able to perform general everyday tasks. Just like us, cats need plenty of food and water, but it’s what is in their food that counts. The most part of a cats diet is protein. Protein supplies them with amino acids. Amino acids are needed in order for the body to manufacture antibodies, enzymes, tissues and a proper PH balance. Protein is found in foods such as meat and fish so it is ideal to give your cat meals that contain ingredients such as these. Fat is also required in your cats diet as it gives them an energy source for all that climbing and running around they do!
Along with fat and protein, minerals and vitamins also play a big part in their diet. Minerals and vitamins go hand in hand with having a healthy body so make sure that you pick out a good quality cat food that has all of the nutrients your cat requires. It’s also a great idea to feed dry food as it keeps their teeth healthy and hopefully gets rid of any built up tartar! If you have any concerns or questions regarding nutritional requirements for cats, make an appointment with your vet to obtain a greater insight on this topic.
| To find out more about the importance of protein
in your cat’s diet, click here. |
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a terrible virus affecting cats. Much like HIV, the virus suppresses the immune system. This means that cats are unable to fight off infections that a normal healthy cat would easily. FIV affects a lot of the cats in the stray world as there are a lot of fights. The virus is spread by blood and saliva, so unfortunately a lot of tom cats are affected as they tend to fight a lot. You can always tell when a cat has FIV. They are very skinny, the quality of their coat is often very poor, they have chronic reoccurring infections, bad breath and many other symptoms. There is a special blood test that can detect FIV. A drop of blood is taken from your cat and put in to a test strip, over about 10 mins the test will show whether you cats blood is positive or negative for FIV. Some cats don’t show symptoms for up to 10 years but sadly FIV is eventually fatal. To protect your cat against the FIV you can vaccinate against the virus. Speak to your veterinarian about the right vaccination program for your cat.
