Health Care for Older Cats

It may be hard for a pet owner to notice a pet cat getting older. Outside, pet cats may show the same things- playing with toys around the home, taking naps sprawled on a favorite spot inside the home, snuggle up with you on the sofa. But inside, it might be a whole different thing.  And health care for cats as they get old may change a little bit.

When caring your an aging cat, there are some things that a concerned pet owner should know about. When a cat approaches somewhere between the ages of eight or twelve years, this is the equivalent of a human being approaching middle age. This will be the time that your pet cat may be needing a bit of extra attention.

Most veterinarian generally estimates that cats start their geriatric years when they reach twelve years. This will be the time that caring for your pet cat would have to change to accommodate the needs that aging brings.

A major part of caring for older pet cats involve feeding them. As cats get older, their digestive systems do not function as efficiently as before. Aging cats may need to eat smaller and easily digestible meals in a day rather than just two square meals. Try also to make sure that you give your cat a variety of food to eat to ensure that it gets a well-balanced diet.

There are also a number of cat food now available as food for the different life stages of your pet cat. There is cat food that is specially formulated for older cats as well as for the less active ones. The best advice in feeding your aging pet cat would be to ask your vet about the nutritional needs of your cat.

When cats age, they also start to lead a less active lifestyle. Whereas cats enjoy playing around and hunting during their younger years, older cats seem to prefer spending more time quietly around the home. This would be a benefit for some pet owners since they no longer have to worry about their once playful cat overturning and breaking things around the house. But this sedentary lifestyle would not be good for the cat.

Even though your pet cat would you may still need to keep them active since the exercise would help keep them healthy. Try to have them act as often as possible to keep them active. As they age, cats may also need to have their vaccinations up to date. Older cats have a less efficient immune system and may need vaccinations to keep them protected from diseases. 

Dental problems may also become a concern for old cats when they become prone to having loose teeth, tartar buildup, and sore gums. This can have a big effect on your pet cat's well-being. Dental problems may be the reason why they are not eating well. A regular dental check-up might be needed as part of health care for old cats.

Foster Cat Care, What You Need to Know

Some animals have been abandoned by their owners. They end up in animal shelters hoping that someone will come along and give them a good home. If you are thinking of owning a feline, you better learn a thing or two about foster cat care.

When you bring home the cat from the foster home, this should first be left inside the cat carrier until they are already ready to be isolated in a small room. This will give them time to adjust to their new environment and one of the most ideal places in the house is the bathroom that must have a cat bed, litter pan, water and food.  

If there are children in the house, they must be slowly introduced to the feline one at a time with adult supervision. They must be taught to treat it gently and speak to it softly but if you have infants or toddlers, you should wait till they grow older. 

In case there is already a cat in the house and the one you adopted will add to the number of pets, you must plan a 2 week introductory period between them. Be aware that there will be a lot of hissing and you should be present at all times so that should a fight break out, you will be able to wrap a blanket around them and have these two separated. Naturally, both should have a separate litter box and bowl. 

You must always use good quality cat food and not the cheap kind if you want to extend the life of your cat. Feeding is once daily and you have the option of giving them supplements like Omega 3 Fatty acids.

By law, cats are required to wear an identification tag so if you don’t have one yet, you better get one. Written on the tag are the cat’s name, your name, address and contact number so someone will be able to get in touch with you in the event it gets out of the house. Another option is for to install a microchip that is embedded under their skin. 

Some cats have not been toilet trained. If this is one of your problems, you should teach them so they know that this is the place to go when nature is calling. The best step is to carry them to the box when you see that they are about to do it. If you see them doing, reinforce it by giving them food as a reward thus making this habit forming. 

Aside from providing the adopted cat with food and shelter, you should also give them a scratch pad to curb the incidents of unwanted destruction of furniture. Ideally, this should measure 3 feet in height and installed near where they sleep or next to the furniture. 

If ever they scratch on the furniture, do not scold them. Just carry them and direct their attention to the post. 

Since their claws get sharp, you must also trim it every two weeks. If you have never done it before, ask your vet to teach you so this is done right causing no harm to the cat. 

Foster cat care can be a challenge given that there are a lot of things to teach it. By giving your new friend constant love and attention, you will be able to enjoy each other’s company.