Natural Senior Cat Care
Natural care for your senior cat will help assure your pet of many healthy years of active "retirement" with your family.
The aging process is gradual in cats, and greatly dependent on individual factors like genetics, breed, lifestyle, and variations in metabolism, to name several. Of these factors, there are a few you can positively influence.
First, starting when your cat is young, find a good veterinarian and begin a routine of annual check-ups. Having your cat spayed or neutered by six months of age at the latest, will greatly improve the quality of her life and yours. Behaviors associated with going into heat (spraying, wandering off for days, etc.) will be eliminated, and studies have shown that altered cats live one and a half to two times longer than unaltered cats. Regular visits to the veterinarian will also detect disease or conditions early on where intervention is possible and more or less inexpensive. Many vets recommend doing a yearly blood panel beginning when your cat is around seven years of age. Moreover, a good vet will advocate for dental care as required by your cat. This being said you can save yourself some money and your cat some stress by keeping your cat's teeth clean. Raw bones (under supervision) can accomplish this, and there are natural "brushless" cleaning products on the market that can be added to your cat's water that will daily clean your cat's choppers everytime she takes a drink.
Your cat will also enjoy a longer life if kept indoors, out of the way of traffic, disease (which transfers easily between cats), and other hostile cats or dogs.
In her senior years, your cat is likely becoming a little less active than she once was, and adjustments need to be made in the quantities, not the quality, of the food she eats. An obese senior cat is an unhealthy cat who is more susceptible to joint problems, heart disease and surgical risk. Remember to keep the nutrient balance consistent, unless under special instructions from your vet in the case of diet restrictions. Make food available only at mealtimes, twice a day, with fresh water available at all times. As to supplements, unless your vet prohibits them in the case of dietary restrictions, it may help to provide a supplement to your cat's diet to help maintain his joint function or eye sight, sense of smell,etc. Just as we humans benefit from supplementation, a generally healthy adult cat does too!
Go to Natural Treatment for Arthritis in Senior Cats
Go to Natural Treatment for Heart Disease in Senior Cats
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