Tips To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life

So you are a better than average owner and you are wondering what you can do to help make your cat�s life better. Here are a few things to consider for further reading.

Diet

Stop feeding your cat dry food exclusively. It can lead to early kidney disease and other health problems. Consider adding a premium brand of wet can foods. Ideally feed them a raw food diet

• catinfo.org/
• catnutrition.org/

Safe outdoor access

Cats love to roll around in the dirt, climb up a tree and sit in a sunny patch of grass. If this is at all possible for you, consider getting your cat an enclosed cat run.

Photo courtesy of wvcats.com/enclosures.htm

• http://www.catandcaboodle.com/Build-A-Do-It-Yourself-Outdoor-Cat-Enclosure-Or-Run_ep_41-1.html

Check their teeth
Due to the diet we feed them, cats nowadays often get dental diseases such as gingivitis and tartar at a young age. Ask your vet to teach you how to check your cat�s teeth. If you have a kitten, consider learning how to brush its teeth. Also, consider giving your cats a chicken neck or chicken wing tips to chew or tough pieces of meat from leftover dinners.

Change their litter and have extra litter boxes
You should have 1 extra litter tray than the number of cats you have. So if you have 3 cats you should have 4 litter trays. Use different types of litter for litter tray so your cat can have a choice. Also, non-clumping litter is better because it doesn�t stick to the cat.

• �http://www.petside.com/article/create-ideal-litter-box-environment

Allow them to be cats
All indoor cats need to be stimulated mentally and physically using toys, high places to jump onto and exercise to maintain a stress free life. My personal favorite cat toys are the Da Bird and Kong Kickaroo.

• http://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/basicneeds/index.cfm
• http://www.catvets.com/healthtopics/wellness/?Id=213
• http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/cat_friendly_home/info.html

Companions
Most cats love to have companions on their terms. If you have space for another cat, adopt one today because you will be saving two lives; the cat you adopted and the cat you allowed to be rescued by freeing up a space in a shelter.

Photo courtesy of PetEpicure

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Isabel Ling

I graduated from University of Queensland in 2008 with a degree in Veterinary Science. I went on to work in a busy small animal clinic where I learnt to treat all kinds of ailments. I recently came back to Malaysia to have my first child and am planning open my own clinic in KL soon.

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