Happy, healthy cats

As a clinic we like to blog to educate and enlighten on pet health issues that are important to you and your pets. But it’s not always easy. Coming up with relevant and on point topics isn’t always easy, much less writing at least 500-1000 words that keep people reading.

The social media calendar helps. For example did you know that September is Happy Healthy Cat Month? Perfect, I love it. Now to sit down and write about it. After starting and deleting (and checking my Facebook and Instagram pages as a diversion) multiple times, I finally remember what works best for writing....write what you know. So I will focus on my girl Loretta and how I keep her happy and healthy.

I have to admit, the concept of having to keep your cat happy makes me chuckle. I mean sometimes I look at Loretta and would give anything to be her. She sleeps 22.5 hours of the day, all her meals are provided, she has no worries etc. But still, there are things I realize I do try and keep her happiness in check.

Her health I definitely do keep an eye on and fret about, especially since she is firmly on the road to senior pet status.

So instead of scouring the internet to try and come up with a sterile blog about cat happiness and health, here are my top five ways I keep my girl on the h and h train.

1. I feed her a diet for her specific needs. When she came to us, she had some bladder health issues, including inappropriate elimination due to stress. So I religiously feed her her Hill C/D stress diet both kibble and canned. She loves it and it keeps her at optimum health.

2. I play with her. Loretta isn’t one for toy mice etc but she absolutely loves the cat dancer toys . You know the bendy sticks with ribbons or little furry critters on the end. She goes mad for them, leaping, running, stalking, it’s her joy. It provides stimulation and excercise and I love to watch her. It’s the type of toy that accentuates feline athleticism and I’m in awe of her ninja skills when she plays. (In awe and terrified to be frank). It also helps keep her at a healthy weight. Loretta loves to eat and I really have to watch her weight.

3. I keep her litter box scrupulously clean. It’s a small task but it’s a big deal to her. A clean box equals a happy cat. If you don’t get how important it is to your kitty to have a clean box, try and imagine going to the bathroom and nobody has flushed for a day or two. Now imagine having that with a sense of smell a hundred times keener. A clean litter box is key to making sure your cat does not engage in inappropriate elimination.

4. I make sure she has a quiet secure space in our house. Our spare bedroom is known as Loretta’s apartment. She’s had a hard adjustment with our German Shepherd Koa so she likes hanging out there to escape his rather pestering ways. He doesn’t mean her any harm but he wants to play with her so badly that he won’t leave her alone sometimes. That room is her sanctuary. And as a part two to this point, we make sure to spend snuggle time with her. She is a sweet girl who loves to give and receive affection, and nothing makes her happier (except maybe her cat dancer, lol) then to get pets and love from us.

5. I keep her indoors. I look at this point as being beneficial for her health and happiness. I just feel more comfortable keeping her safe indoors. Outdoor cats are vulnerable to cars, predators and disease. Plus she gives me no indication of any kind that she wants to go out. She does enjoy sitting on a window ledge surveying the neighbourhood and watching the birds and squirrels. That is more than enough stimulation for her.

And that’s my top five. As I read my list it really doesn’t take much to keep her happy and healthy.

Definitely easier to write what you know. Once I got started it just wrote itself! As of right now this blog is at a healthy 730 words, (perfect blog length!).

How do you keep your cats happy and healthy???