Fight the Fat

With 58% of the United States cat population being overweight or obese, fat cats are not uncommon. While they are cute, cats who are overweight are known to be at high risk for many health problems and a shortened lifespan. Keep your cat lean by:

  • Feeding your cat measured amounts of food
  • Taking it easy on calorie-laden treats and table food
  • Encouraging exercise (try a laser pointer, fishpole toy, even catnip)

If you need help with weight loss strategies for your cat, please let us know. We are always happy to help. We recommend a visit before putting kitty on a diet due to the risk of hepatic lipidosis if calories are cut too drastically.

Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Good dental care is vital to your cat wellness routine. Cats who receive good oral health care during their lifetime live, on average, two years longer. Dental disease can lead to oral pain, loss of teeth, bad breath, and infection that can affect major organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Be sure to:

Environment is Everything in Cat Wellness

Cats aren’t really meant to be indoor animals confined to a pack that they didn’t pick. Many health and behavioral issues stem from a kitty who is simply unhappy in his or her environment. You can help enrich your cat’s day to day life by:

Providing a safe, healthy environment – Give your cat a place to call his or her own. Things like litter boxes, feeding stations, beds, and crates should be placed away from noisy areas such as the utility room or high traffic areas of the home. Always be sure to clean up pet waste regularly and provide fresh food and water.

Offering stimulation – Cats love vertical space like cat trees and kitty-friendly shelving so that they can explore their world. You need to also provide an appropriate area to scratch. Be sure to rotate toys as well so your feline friend does not get bored.

Encouraging socialization – Cats aren’t always the most social of pets, but be sure to interact with your cat daily and foster any relationships he or she has with other pets in the home.

Minimizing stress in the environment – Try to minimize the impact of change in the home on your pet. Provide a safe, quiet area for him or her to retreat to and consider using pheromones like Feliway.

Keep Up the Wellness Care

Good routine care is very important for the health and longevity of our feline family members. Perhaps the most important habit to get into is bringing your pet in for routine wellness examinations. During these appointments, we examine your pet from nose to tail and discuss any problems or concerns you may have. These visits are vital for us to get you know you and your pet and so that we can pick up on subtle changes that might be the early indication of an issue we need to address. We will also make wellness recommendations for:

Using these cat wellness tips are sure to increase your kitty’s lifespan and happiness, and Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital is happy to be part of that.