If you asked any owner what kind of life they want for their cat, their answer would probably have to do with their cat having a long and healthy life. After all, who wouldn't want as many happy years with their cat as possible?
Preventive care is one of the best ways to extend your cat’s lifespan and keep them as healthy as possible. But what exactly is preventive care? And does it really benefit my cat all that much? In this blog, we’ll break down what preventive care typically entails and explain 9 key elements of it that every cat owner should be familiar with.
Preventive Care for Cats
Cat preventive care is essentially being proactive about your cat's health and getting ahead of any care that they may need that is not directly related to sickness. Proper preventive care is meant to keep your cat healthy throughout its lifetime and extend its lifespan by addressing any potential issues before it is allowed to progress and become serious. Elements of this type of care can involve taking your cat to the vet for their regular check-ups and making sure all of their care needs, including nutrition, grooming, and enrichment needs, are met.
Failing to provide preventive care can lead to serious, potentially life-threatening diseases going undetected until they reach an advanced stage, making treatment more difficult and expensive. Something no good cat owner wants!
There's a lot that goes into a comprehensive feline preventive care plan, but don't worry; you don't have to navigate this by yourself! Below, we'll cover a few key aspects of cat preventive care that every owner should be aware of to help give their cat the healthiest, longest, and happiest life possible.
Nutrition and Weight Management
Feeding your cat a balanced, age-appropriate diet and monitoring their weight to prevent obesity is crucial to helping them have a long and happy life. Cats have unique nutritional needs that differ from other animals like dogs, and these needs must be met in order for cats to maintain a healthy weight and have enough energy to support their daily activities as well as organ function. Because cats are meat eaters with specific nutrition needs, we recommend feeding cats diets approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) that provide your cat with adequate levels of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and water.
If cats are deficient in any aspects of nutrition, they can develop a number of health conditions as a result. For example, cats who eat diets without adequate amounts of taurine are at risk for developing dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition.
Keeping a cat at a healthy weight is an important part of keeping them healthy, but is something many cat owners seem to struggle with. In fact, as of 2022, a study found that 61% of cats in the United States were considered overweight or obese. While a cat's diet does greatly contribute to a healthy weight, cats will also need adequate exercise to stay trim and in good health.
If a cat does carry a few extra pounds and is considered overweight or even obese, they become at risk for joint problems, diabetes, and other health complications that can have long-lasting and far-reaching impacts.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are a crucial aspect of any preventive health care plan for all cats. Regular vaccinations against core feline diseases like feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), calicivirus, and rabies are highly recommended – and in some cases even required by state law – to guard cats against preventable diseases.
For cats, the exact recommended vaccines will vary depending on a cat's age, health status, and lifestyle, so it's crucial to work closely with your veterinarian to get a vaccination plan tailored to your specific cat and their needs.
Eye Care
Just like us, cats need to keep up with their eye health, too! While cats may not need eyeglasses or contact lenses like we do, they still need to have their eyes checked by a veterinarian regularly. These regular exams allow veterinarians to assess the health of the eye, determine if there are any abnormalities, and even clean up any discharge that may be bothersome or unsanitary. Thanks to these exams, eye issues can be caught early on and addressed before they result in pain or vision loss for the cat.
Cats of any age or breed can develop eye problems, but there are a few specific breeds of cats that are prone to eye problems. They include:
- Persian and Himalayan Cats: These flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are prone to entropion, tear duct issues, and corneal ulcers due to their facial structure.
- Siamese Cats: Siamese cats can be genetically predisposed to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a condition that leads to vision loss over time. They may also have strabismus (crossed eyes) and nystagmus (involuntary eye movement).
- Burmese Cats: This breed can suffer from congenital ocular conditions such as corneal dermoids (skin-like tissue on the cornea) and glaucoma, which can lead to vision impairment or loss if untreated.
- Abyssinian Cats: Abyssinians are also at risk for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), which causes gradual vision deterioration and can lead to blindness.
- British Shorthair: Some British Shorthairs may develop hereditary retinal degeneration, affecting their vision over time.
- Sphynx Cats: Due to their lack of eyelashes and exposed eyes, Sphynx cats are more susceptible to eye irritation, infections, and conjunctivitis.
Dental Care
Dental care is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of cat health by pet owners, and data backs that up. Studies report that between 50 and 90% of cats older than four years of age suffer from some form of dental disease, such as periodontal disease, gingivitis, or tooth resorption. These diseases can cause extreme discomfort, not only greatly diminishing a cat's quality of life, but also causing secondary health effects, like loss of appetite and nutritional deficiencies from not wanting to eat due to pain.
Regular dental check-ups and professional teeth cleanings under anesthesia can help identify and resolve dental problems early before they can negatively affect the cat. Additionally, cat owners should stay on top of their cat's dental care at home by brushing their cat's teeth every day and providing veterinarian-approved toys and treats formulated to help strengthen and/or clean your cat's teeth and gums.
Spaying and Neutering
Surgical sterilizations, also called spaying and neutering, are important procedures for cats that help prevent unwanted pregnancies, reduce the risk of certain cancers and reproductive diseases, and minimize behavioral issues. Specifically for male and female cats:
- Spaying (removing a female cat's ovaries and uterus) prevents pregnancy, eliminates heat cycles, and reduces the risk of mammary, ovarian, and uterine cancers.
- Neutering (removing a male cat's testicles) prevents reproduction, lowers the risk of testicular cancer, and curbs testosterone-driven behaviors like roaming and aggression.
Veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering kittens around 5-6 months old for optimal health benefits. Spayed and neutered cats live longer, healthier lives, with neutered males living 62% longer and spayed females 39% longer than their unaltered counterparts.
As an added bonus, appropriately spaying and neutering cats helps to resolve the United States' ever-worsening overpopulation problem with stray and unhomed cats, thus freeing up resources for shelters and rescues and allowing more stray cats to go to loving homes. So when you choose to spay or neuter, you're not just helping your own cat; you're helping the entire cat community!
Parasite Prevention
External parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites, as well as internal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, heartworms, and tapeworms, can all cause major problems for cats and be total nuisances to pet owners. These pesky parasites can transmit a number of diseases to our cats and wreak havoc on their bodies and organs, with some, like heartworms, even leading to death.
Fleas and ticks are likely the parasites most pet owners are familiar with, as veterinarians commonly educate owners about the importance of regularly and consistently using flea and tick preventatives to keep their cats itch-free and safe from the diseases these creatures can carry. Intestinal parasites are an especially common health issue in cats, with some populations having a prevalence rate as high as 45%, so it's crucial for cat owners to stay on top of prevention for all types of parasites.
Consistent use of flea and tick preventative treatments, as well as regular fecal examinations to detect internal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms, are crucial for safeguarding your cat against the ill effects of internal and external parasites.
Grooming
While cats may be known for doing their own grooming and generally keeping themselves clean, there are a few grooming activities that owners need to stay on top of in order to keep their cat looking and feeling their best. Regular brushing can help keep your cat's coat matt free and can even aid in the distribution of natural oils, making it look shiny and healthy.
Nail trimming is another essential aspect of grooming that owners will need to help out with. Cats can often maintain their nails if given appropriate material to scratch on, like filing boards and scratching posts, but a little extra care can never hurt! Keeping your cat's nails at an appropriate length promotes good foot health and keeps you and your furniture safe from any accidental scratches.
While many cats don't need this level of extra grooming attention, professional grooming can be a great option for older cats who struggle to completely groom themselves or cats who are fearful of brushes or nail clippers and give their owners trouble.
Enrichment
Do you want to spend the rest of your life inside the house doing nothing but sleeping and staring at the paint on the walls? Neither does your cat.
Cats, especially those that are kept exclusively indoors, need mental stimulation and enrichment to keep them mentally sharp and from engaging in bad behaviors as a result of boredom. Research has shown that cats living in environments that prioritize enrichment have significantly lower cortisol levels than cats who live less enriched lives.
You can enrich your cat's life by providing them with puzzles and games, allowing them to watch the world outside through a perch near a window, playing with them using interactive toys, or even getting them a friend to play and explore with.
Senior Cat Care
As cats age, they undergo a number of physical and mental changes and often become more susceptible to illness and disease due to weakened immune systems — meaning the amount of care they'll need will also change.
Older cats may need more frequent veterinary exams to ensure that any symptoms or odd behaviors they exhibit are attributed to aging and not underlying medical conditions. Routine bloodwork and tests like urinalysis are great tools for ensuring your cat is maintaining its health as it ages.
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