Cat Health, keeping your cat healthy.

A cat is a robust animal, a survivor, so much so that it may keep going regardless, sometimes making it rather difficult to notice if your cat is unwell or has been injured.

Knowing your cat, giving it regular checks, and studying a little about the characteristics of a cat's body can help in signaling a cat health problem to you.

The first indication that your cat is unwell may be a small change in its behavior that may only be appreciable by you.

Likewise a change in your cat's appearance, the condition of its coat for example, could be a sign that your cat is ill. Pay particular attention to changes in feeding and drinking habits.

Your cat's weight can be an indicator of its state of health. A fit and healthy cat will keep a steady weight, a significant change, particularly a drop, could be a sign that all is not well. Weighing your cat regularly can alert you to possible health problems.

Special pet scales are available, but if you don't have them weigh yourself on your bathroom scales, and then again holding your cat, subtract one weight from the other. This method is, of course, not very accurate but if you use the same procedure each time it will show if your cat is losing weight.

Your cat's coat is a good barometer of the state of your cat's health. The coat reflects the caliber of a cat's diet, level of activity and overall condition, it should be free from dandruff and have a gleam to it.

A lifeless, dry or course appearance with unusually raised fur is an indication that you should make some cat wellness checks. The fur of a healthy cat will be smooth and pleasant to the touch, and without any bald patches brought about by scratching. Eczema, fleas, allergies, stress and ringworm are some of the causes of scratching, your vet will give advice and possibly prescribe treatment.

Your Veterinarian - Best for Cat Health Information, Advice and Treatment

The aim of this webpage is to give basic cat health information. However should you suspect that your cat is unwell, or has an injury you should contact your veterinary without delay. Many problems are easier to treat early on, delaying treatment could cause unnecessary suffering to your cat and mean higher treatment costs. It is advisable to register with a veterinary as soon as you obtain your pet, do not wait until an emergency occurs.

A cat has a third, inner eyelid, the haw or nictitating (blinking) membrane, which should not be exposed. If this third eyelid can be seen covering part of the eye it probably denotes a cat health problem. This could be an infection, a foreign body in the eye, or it is possibly a sign of stress.

If there is swelling, redness, squinting or thick yellow discharge it is a cause for concern. The eyes of a healthy cat are clear and moist, pupils should react to bright light and not be dilated. Any sign of something wrong with your cat's eyes and your veterinarian should be consulted.

The presence of clear wax in your cat's ears is perfectly normal, however deposits of crumbly, dark brown wax could be an indication of ear mites and treatment could be needed.

Grass "burrs" or seeds, can enter your cat's ear canal causing irritation. A cat will naturally scratch at the irritation, and the ear becomes infected and traumatized.

The wall of the ear canal is easily damaged in a cat fight. A puncture could result in a large blood blister that could become infected if left untreated. If you are the owner of Outdoor Cats performing a regular health check on your pets ears will prevent many problems.

If the ears are very hot, your cat may be running a temperature and it may be necessary to consult your veterinary ( be sure that this is not due to your cat lying in the sun or next to the fire.)

Tartar forms on cat's teeth, and can infect and irritate their gums, the gum tissue gets red, swollen and often infected. Infected gums bleed very easily and cause bad breath.

The condition of your cat's teeth plays an important part in its overall heath, it is important to check them regularly, and brush them at least once a week. Special cat toothbrushes are available, but if you have difficulty obtaining one use a soft children's toothbrush. Use a toothpaste that is specifically made for cats.

If you have not attempted to clean your cat's teeth before, it may seem a daunting task. If necessary, have a friend gently but firmly hold your pet while you perform the cleaning duty.

Modern cat food does not exercise and clean your cat's teeth in the same way that hunted food would. Dry cat food gives some abrasive action, but even cats that are fed exclusively on dry food are prone to cat health problems due to tartar.

Light vomiting is in all probability not a cause for alarm, it could be due to a number of reasons. Your cat has eaten too quickly, maybe because of the presence of other pets, or being fed in a noisy stressful area. A reaction to prey that it has caught and eaten. Its food was too cold, bringing about a gastrointestinal upset.

If your cat is vomiting due to hairballs, its normal behavior should not be affected. It is usual for your cat to give a retching cough just before fetching up a hairball.

All cat types, including shorthaired, benefit from regular grooming to help prevent shedding and swallowing hair.

Persistent vomiting, especially if it contains even a spot of blood, is a cat health concern, and your vet should be consulted. Your veterinary may ask you to bring along a sample of your cat's vomit.

Any cat owner knows how clean an animal a healthy cat is, domestic cats spend a great deal of their time washing and grooming themselves. Why then should you spend time regularly grooming your cat? Grooming your cat achieves many other things other than making your cat look tip top, it is an essential part of cat health care.

Your cat’s wellness. Knowing your cat, giving it regular checks, and studying a little about the characteristics of a cat's body can help in signaling a cat health problem to you.

Grooming your cat regularly will quickly alert you to any lumps, or signs that your cat has been attacked by ticks, lice, fleas or mites. If when grooming you comb out gritty dirt, you need to check further.

It is a good tip to comb through your cat's fur over a sheet of slightly dampened absorbent paper, and if the grit makes a red stain then the grit could be flea feces gorged with blood.

Check for small gray or off white lumps, these could indicate ticks. Ticks bury their heads deep into the skin, and leave only the body showing, they will cause great irritation. If you discover them remove them straight away, making sure that you remove the head because if left behind it could be departmental to your cat's health.

Grooming should be a happy experience for both you and your cat, it is very similar to petting and a great way of bonding with your pet.

As part of your grooming routine check your cat's nails and if necessary trim them using cat nail clippers, not scissors. Holding the paw firmly squeeze the paw at the base of the nail, this will cause the nail to protrude. Trim off the tip of the nail using a single stroke. Do not cut into the quick, cutting into the quick will cause pain to your cat and cause bleeding. File the trimmed nail to smooth the edge.

Regular nail trimming is vital to cat health and wellness, preventing the claws from growing too long, and forcing your cat to walk on the sides of its feet which can cause painful joint problems. Never even consider cat declawing

Cat Health - Call Your Vet Immediately If...

• Your cat has been the victim of a road accident
• There is blood in vomit urine or stools
• Your cat is bleeding from the genitals
• Your cat is running a high temperature
• Your cat has difficulty breathing
• Your cat is vomiting and has diarrhea at the same time
• Your cat has an extreme thirst
• Your cat shows any cat health symptom that you are unsure of, don't know how to treat, or is life threatening in any way.

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