Cat owners often raise their cat friends as if they were their own children, caring for their health, providing them with security, and giving them the appropriate amount of affection. However, for the sake of the cat’s health and safety, it's beneficial for owners to take some time while the cats are young to slowly train them to accept things they may not initially like, such as entering a travel crate, eating wet food, brushing their teeth, and having their nails trimmed. It’s akin to teaching children to eat more vegetables and fruits rather than just fast food from a young age.
Balanced Diet of Various Food Types
Cat owners should hope that their cats can accept various types of food including fresh food, raw food, main course cans, complementary food cans, dry food, freeze-dried food, and treats. There are many books and resources available online and in stores that help understand the nutritional needs of cats and how to read cat food labels. Learning about cat nutrition is definitely one of the essential lessons for every dedicated cat owner.
The more one learns, the more one realizes how little one knows, so it is always recommended that cat owners read, listen, and learn as much as possible. It's also crucial to find a trustworthy veterinarian to discuss and track a cat’s diet and health over the long term.
There are numerous benefits to accepting wet food, not least of which is increased hydration and choosing better-quality brands for better nutrition. Looking towards the future, as cats age, they may lose teeth due to oral issues. If they can accept moist food mixed with water early on, it will make dietary transitions smoother in their old age and during recovery from illness, ensuring a stress-free and higher quality of life.
No matter the type of food, as long as attention is paid to the ingredient ratio and the cat is willing to eat it, it’s good food. Whether it's main course cans, complementary food cans, fresh or raw food, or dry food, there is much to learn about the details, which can be thought of as leveling up in being a quality cat owner.
Activity for Longevity
If cats are not encouraged to be active while they're still young or playful, it will be difficult later to manage their weight, deal with depression, or address behavioral issues.
It is known how important it is for cats to play with cat teaser toys. It’s not just a simple game of chase; it’s an activity that helps them exercise, relieve stress, and expend energy, which is incredibly beneficial for their physical and mental health. And it is believed that when a cat successfully captures a teaser toy, it boosts their confidence immensely!
Tips for Cat Slaves
As a dutiful servant, how does one mimic the stealthy, almost invisible, prey that skitters along the corners? Try these methods:
- Hide in slightly dark corners.
- Run along the edges and corners.
- Vary the speed of your movements.
- Shake and partially hide behind obstacles.
- Only reveal a small part of a feather.
- Flutter or scurry under a piece of fabric.
- Pretend to sneak food from the bowl (just acting!).
- Avoid running or flying too fast, or lacking a trackable path.
- Observe each cat's preferences to simulate their favorite prey.
Training for Their Benefit
Getting close to your cat is essential for future interactions like deworming, putting them in a travel crate for vet visits, escaping fires or earthquakes, grooming, trimming nails, and brushing.
For shy or nervous cats, close training can be challenging and strenuous. Providing a hidden box and maintaining a respectful distance are good practices, occasionally using a towel wrap to assist in close training, and the dreaded meaty mush cans can also be used for brief moments of closeness.
Besides typical emergency supplies like flashlights, a must-have for cat owners is a secure travel crate. A suitably sized laundry bag can also be crucial for quickly securing your cats during a fire or earthquake to prevent them from being injured by falling furniture or broken glass, or even to carry them safely out of the house if needed. Thus, they often use a laundry bag with meaty mush to trim their nails and have a tag with their contact info on the specialized laundry bag to prevent getting separated.
The owners agree that although they only take their three cats to the vet for a health check once every six months to a year, if they have time, they like to take them in a travel crate to a nearby park for a brief sunbath (keeping an eye on ventilation and temperature) and feed them meaty mush through the crate. This can also be done at home, teaching the cats that "going into the travel crate isn't scary, and there's even food involved!"
Annual Check-Ups for Lifelong Health
It is highly recommended to take your cat for a health check-up at a trusted veterinary clinic every six months to a year while they are young to monitor their oral health and various blood test values.
If a cat has never been to the vet until they are sick or old, they will find the experience unfamiliar and frightening. Without positive past experiences of being touched and treated by vets (a touch with a treat, just a touch, no worries!), their first visit involving invasive treatments can be quite traumatic, making them extremely fearful of future visits. Being ill is already hard enough without the added stress of high blood pressure and physiological strain that a scary vet visit can cause.
Starting annual health checks while a cat is young not only helps track potential future health issues but also allows for preventive care, knowing what diseases might be possible and thereby maintaining and preventing health issues is far more beneficial for a cat’s life.