How To Keep Your Cat Healthy

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If you are new to owning a cat, you may be surprised to find that health problems are a common thing.

No matter what breed of cat you own, cat health is one of the major topics you will have to know about. With any breed certain problems are to be expected. Some may be hereditary, while others can easily be prevented. No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.

Tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms are among the most common that infect cats. Cats who have problems gaining weight, problems with fleas, or if you find white specks in his stool, you should have your vet test him for worms. Although they can be treated with medicine, worms can prove to be fatal if they are left untreated.

Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats. Cats often swallow loose hair from their coats during their daily self grooming rituals. Loose hair, on occasion, will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cats stool. When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball – as a popular cat owner manual confirmed recently. Although it is kind of gross, cats can usually get rid of the hairballs without difficulty. Although rare, a hairball can occassionally become lodged in the cats intestines, this creates blockage.

Blockages are not to be ignored, since they can kill you if left untreated. If your cat becomes constipated, isnt eating properly, or has a very dull coat, he could have a blockage. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take him to the vet immediately.

If you want to prevent your cat from getting hairballs and blokages, you should get rid of shedding hair by brushing your cat 2 to 3 times every week. You can also feed him food that is designed to control hairballs as well. Urinary tract infection is also a common health problem with cats.

Pee hole infections happen more with boy cats that haven’t been fixed, but girl cats can have it too. When a cat suddenly stops going to his litter box, this problem is normally the cause. If a cat’s urine smells unusually strong, the cat may have a urinary tract infection and should be taken to the vet. Your vet can treat the problem with medicine, and make recommendations to help avoid this problem in the future.

Feline leukemia was the biggest cause of death in cats in the past, however, these days, vaccines are available that can treat the disease. To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed. Even though death doesnt happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don’t have a long life span. If you know your cat has feline leukemia, you should never allow other cats around him, as the virus is highly contagious.

To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups. If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Although some health problems can’t be avoided, most of them can. If you take cat care seriously, take him to the vet and keep him healthy he will be your companion for years to come.