Senior Cat Care

Senior cat care is either an easy situation or a very difficult situation for cats and owners. It can be easy if proper monitoring of food, regular visits to the veterinarian and proper exercise have been ongoing habits. If not, this time of the pets' life will be difficult for the senior cat and the owner, plus the vet bills will be greater. Prevention is everything.

Most senior cat care health problems are due to improper care and lack of understanding of the reality of what feline needs are. Obesity is the number one (1) health problem cats have to contend with.

How many times have we seen cats that should weigh 7 to 12 pounds look like they weigh 85 pounds? When these owners are quizzed about this, they respond by saying that they don't want to be mean by depriving food from their pet. They also feed them table food, this is not beneficial at all. Cats require a continual intake of very high protein foods and table foods do not provide it. Like humans, an excess intake of the improper types of carbohydrates makes them obese.

Kittens need to eat several times a day until they mature due to their stomach size. Proper senior cat care calls for them to eat only twice daily. Pick up the food bowl after the morning feeding is over then set it out again about 12 hours later. Start this practice immediately when kittens turn adolescent and they will always be used to this schedule. Don't feel badly about this because the flip side is very detrimental to their health. Obesity adds unnecessary tremendous stress on the heart, liver, bowels, and kidneys.

Senior cat care foods on the market today are designed specifically for proper nutrition and supplemental needs. Everything is there in the food. Nothing else should be given. For cats that have problems with hairballs, buy the bags of food that say "Hairball" on the packaging. The only hairball food my cats will eat is from Hills Science Diet brand. You will be amazed as to how well this food works when you realize that you haven't seen hairballs in a while.

Regular visits to your veterinarian are a must for senior cat care. Diseases will be recognized in their early stages. The common diseases in felines are cancer, dental, bowel, kidney, lipidosis, anemia, diabetes, heart, liver, bladder stones and arthritis.

Preventative care is essential to adding years to cats' life span. Your vet will let you know their recommended frequency of visits.

Getting kittens used to fingers being in their mouth and continuing this practice throughout adulthood prepares them for vet visits. Doctors and staff have to stick their fingers in there for examination purposes. You don't want a biting cat, do you? You will really appreciate this when you have to force feed "pills" to them for senior cat care medications. If tapeworm is present, the medication comes in pills.

The fun part of senior cat care is grooming long haired cats every day. Others need to be groomed twice a week. Brush or comb in the opposite direction than the hair lays to help get down close to the epidermis and hair roots. Grooming in this manner brings the hair oils to the parts of the hair that need it. You'll notice any fleas, lice, mites or ticks' then thus enabling you to treat immediately and before it gets out of control. Grooming is the perfect way to bond with your feline and your cat loves bonding in this manner because this is how it's done in the wild.

Playing vigorously with indoor cats is important for senior cat care. This is the only time that they have a chance to exercise and they sleep more soundly as a result.

Remember, weight management, proper foods & supplements, grooming, vigorous exercise and regular veterinarian visits starting as kittens makes senior cat care easy.

By Drew Mezo

Drew Mezo has been a life-long owner and lover of family pets. Over the many years he has seen simple but common mistakes with animal husbandry by friends and neighbors. These mistakes are made by first time pet owners and by life-long pet owners. Drew gives good pointers that first time pet owners need to know before bringing a pet into their lives. He has had just about every kind of pet imaginable living in his house.

Parakeets in captivity usually live only 2 to 6 years. Drew shows how they can realistically live for 15 years if proper husbandry methods are followed.

There is more information on parakeets and others pets at [http://www.drewspetcare.com]