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6 Tips to Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy

January 15, 2018 by Mary Telesz

There are so many reasons why cats make very nice pets. First, they do not demand too much attention than their canine counterparts. They are also quiet and small, so you can take care of them even if you live in a small apartment. While cats are perfect pets, they can also be a nightmare especially if you don’t take care of them properly. Know that cats are hunters by nature and their stubborn characteristics make them very difficult to train, even harder than dogs, thus play and hygiene can be very challenging for cat owners. As a parent to a cat, it is crucial that you provide a good environment for your cat so that it can do what it needs to do. Here are 6 ways on how to keep your cat happy and healthy.

Brush Your Cat Daily

Woman brushing a catBrushing your cat’s hair daily is very important not only to keep hair from sticking to your upholstery but also to cut down on the amount of hairball that can develop within its digestive tract. Cats spend so much time grooming themselves that they might not realize that they have swallowed a lot of their fur. While hairballs warrant no cause for alarm such that most cats vomit or pass the hairball in their stool, a large hairball trapped in the digestive tract can cause blockage and can be life-threatening. Thus, as a cat owner, it is crucial that you groom your cat’s fur daily to reduce their propensity of swallowing a lot of hair. On the other hand, brushing their hair can also create a strong bond between you and your cat. The problem with this is that some cats don’t like to be touched but you can get your cat to cooperate by connecting the act of brushing to a happy event. For instance, you can brush your cat’s hair before a mealtime so that your cat will associate brushing with something delicious.

Don’t Feed Them Too Much Dry Food

Cats rely so much on meat to keep their bodies going through the day. Feeding them dry food is like feeding them with a high-carb diet. The thing is dry food contains high amounts of carbohydrates, which can lead to cats developing Type 2 diabetes or obesity. So, if you really want to feed your cat the right food, give them protein-rich wet food. Aside from processed wet food, your cat can also benefit if you prepare them their meals yourself. Preparing your very own cat food is easy and you can boil different cuts of meats and add eggs or grated vegetables so that they still get other nutrients. By feeding your cat with the right food, they will feel very happy and it shows in how shiny their coats are or how active they are.

Place Many Litter Boxes in Your House

Kitten in litter boxCats don’t like using only one litter box. The rule of thumb here is to provide one litter box per cat plus an additional one or two more. Place them strategically around the house. While some cat owners have the tendency to place litter boxes in the dark corner and out-of-the-way places, cats are not willing to use them because it is not how their nature works. Remember that when they use the litter box to relieve themselves, they are in a very vulnerable position while doing such functions. As such, they want to be able to see everything around them in case they need to flee from a dangerous situation. That’s just how cats think! So, if you are thinking of putting in a litter box with a lid on, forget about it. Place the litter box in a place that is accessible to your cat. If you abhor the idea of putting a litter box in the middle of the living room, place it outside and just put a cat flap on the door so that your cat can just come and go if necessary.

Put A Scratching Post

Cats love to scratch on anything–even your most favorite sofa. To keep everyone happy particularly you and your cat, teach your cat to use the scratching post. Place the scratching post in the center of the living room so that your cat can see it. To make the scratching post more appealing to your cat, you can sprinkle it with catnip. Once your cat has gotten used to using the scratching post, move it to a less trafficked spot so that they can enjoy scratching at their leisure and undisturbed by people.

Spay or Neuter Your Cat

Kittens spayed or neutered.jpgHow can spaying or neutering your cats make them happy? Some people believe that it is beyond the call of nature to deprive them of their reproductive functions. Female cats that are in heat feel a lot of discomforts. They forego eating because their need to mate is more intense. This is the reason why cats that are in heat lose a lot of weight. Moreover, if you don’t neuter or spay them, they will continue to produce litters of offspring in their lifetime that may lead to many unwanted cats. Didn’t you know that thousands of cats are euthanized in the United States yearly? So, if you love your cat, spay or neuter them.

Choose A Cat-Friendly Vet

Many veterinarians are dominated by canine patients. Imagine taking your cat to an animal clinic and be surrounded by a dog? Your cat will definitely be agitated during the entire visit to the vet. So, if you love your cat, look for a veterinarian who has a separate waiting area for cats and dog. However, this practice is not so common among many veterinarians so if you cannot find someone who offers such kind of accommodation, what you can do is to at least call your vet ahead so that your cat does not need to stay in the waiting room surrounded by dogs before seeing the vet. Remember, if you are going out of town for the weekend or working late hours, always hire a reputable cat sitter to look after your furry loved ones.

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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