With the new year upon us, we find ourselves making resolutions for 2009 (I know we’re already into January, but it’s not too late!)

Here are 5 resolutions for a happier, healthier life with your cat. If you already do these then good for you. If not, add one or all of them to your list of resolutions – your cat will thank you.

1. Get active

   Cats may love to sleep and lounge around the house, but physical activity is just as important for kitty as it is for you. Even a few minutes of energetic playing each day will keep muscles strong and burn off calories. Playing is also a great way to bond with you cat.

   Don’t have a lot of time? Get a toy on a long stick or string, like a feather duster or fishing rod, and spend 15 minutes getting your cat going. With these kinds of toys you can even play with kitty while you sit on the couch and watch TV.

2. Eat better

   We all know the importance of good nutrition for ourselves, but how much thought do you give to your cat’s diet?

   Resolve to do a nutrition review this year – really look at what goes into the food you feed your cat, and if it’s not optimal, switch to something better.

   While all commercial cat foods claim to be nutritiously complete, not all cat food are created equal. You might be surprised to learn that even the most expensive premium foods, like Hills Science Diet, are not necessarily higher quality.

   Ditch the dry food – they tend to be mostly grain based and not at all appropriate for a carnivore. And, as cats tend to get their moisture from their food rather than drinking, feeding dry can leave your cat in a state of chronic dehydration. Instead, feed a food that is high in moisture – either a high quality canned food or a raw diet. If you’re feeding canned, look for ones that are free of grains and plant material, and that have some type of meat as the first ingredient (rather than a “by-product” or a “meal”.)

3. Better oral hygiene

   A clean mouth helps promote whole body health. Conversely, if your cats mouth is dirty or afflicted with disease, this can have a negative impact on their entire immune system.

   In a dirty or diseased mouth, bacteria can easily enter the bloodstream through irritated and inflamed gums. This puts a huge strain on your cats immune system and can make it more difficult to heal injuries or fight off other illnesses.

   Forget the “dental diet” dry foods out there, because they just don’t work (you don’t clean your teeth by eating a bowl of cereal do you?) Instead, provide your cat with foods that will help clean teeth (a chunk of muscle meat that is too large to swallow whole, or raw edible bones from chicken, mice, rabbit etc all do a great job.) Regular teeth brushing is also a great habit to get into.

   If your cats mouth is already full of plaque or if they’re suffering from gum disease, invest in a proper teeth cleaning at the vet. It may be pricey (because your cat will likely need to be anaesthetized for the procedure) but it’s well worth it. With a bit of regular maintenance, you’ll only have to do it once.

4. Battle the bulge

   Many people have pets that are over weight. While the image of the fat cat may be endearing, excess weight puts your cat at risk for a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, joint problems, respiratory & cardiovascular disease. Overweight cats also are often unable to properly groom themselves, leading to skin irritation, dandruff, matted coats and feces and urine collecting around the anus and genitals. All in all a bad situation for your cat.

   Is your cat overweight? Use your eyes and your hands to check them over. There should be a small amount of fat over the ribs, but you should still be able to feel the ribs with gentle pressure. There should be no excess fat hanging from the belly (loose skin is fine though) and your cat should have a visible waist. The back of the head and along the spine should be well muscled.

   If your cat is over weight, portion controlled meals of high protein, low carb food and regular exercise will help get that weight off. Dr. Pierson has a great article detailing how to put your cat on a diet.

5. Spay or Neuter

   Having your cat altered is one of the kindest things you can do for your cat, yourself and the pet overpopulation problem.

   Spaying and neutering has many great benefits including:

   1. Population control: With thousands of unwanted cats being euthanized every year this is an obvious and important benefit. Even if you are able to find homes for any kittens your cat has, it means one less available home for cats in shelters.
   2. Lowered risk for reproductive diseases: Intact female cats have a much higher risk of diseases such as mammary, uterine and ovarian cancers and pyometria (and infection of the uterus.)
   3. Less aggression: Intact cats are much more likely to fight with other cats. Cats that fight have increased risk of exposure to FIV, FeLV and other communicable diseases. Deep puncture wounds from bites are prone to infection and abscessing and often require vet treatment.
   4. Fixed cats make better pets: Feline sexual behaviour is extremely unpleasant to deal with. From loud calling at night, roaming, territory marking with urine and feces and strong odour, unaltered cats are much less suited to the life of an indoor pet.

   There are plenty of myths about spaying and neutering, but in reality the consequences are overwhelmingly positive and spaying/neutering will benefit you and your cat.

Related posts:

1. Nutro Recalls Dry Cat Food
2. Feeding chart by body weight
3. Eco Kitty! Suggestions for green living on Earth Day
4. The cute fat cat: perpetuating a dangerous stereotype
5. The cost of raw feeding your cats: time and money

Tags: Habits, resolutions

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Habits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.