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Owning a cat, or any pet, is a huge responsibility. With that said, it’s important to make sure that you are doing everything possible to give your cat a happy life. But are you doing anything that could negatively impact your cat? If you aren’t sure, we’re here to help you out. Here, we are going to review some of the most common mistakes cat owners make, and how to prevent them.
1. Feeding Them the Wrong Way
Mistake:
Many cat owners don’t realize that they are overfeeding their furry friend. In fact, it is estimated that a whopping 59% of cats in the United States are considered either overweight or obese. Weight issues in cats can lead to numerous health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more. Aside from life-threatening diseases, it should not be surprising that overweight cats also tend to have shorter lifespans. Hold your horses for this stat: Obese cats live 5 to 10 years LESS than healthy-weight cats.
Prevention:
To prevent obesity, it is essential to feed your cat an appropriate diet. Talk to your veterinarian about the best food for your cat. All cats have different needs, and those needs also vary throughout the different stages of their lives. It’s also essential to feed your cat the appropriate portion for their weight and age. In addition, remember to provide opportunities for your cat to exercise. This includes providing interactive toys for your cat, and also playing with them. Fishing poles and laser pointers are just a couple of many great toys that will get your cat moving. Finally, consider weighing your cat regularly. Pounds can creep up slowly, so monitoring your cat’s weight can allow you to nip a weight problem from the start.
2. Not Scheduling Regular Checkups
Mistake:
Even though the number of pet cats outweighs the number of dogs, statistics reveal that cats are not taken to the vet as often as dogs. This is because a lot of people assume that regular vet visits are unnecessary for felines. However, the truth is that all cats need regular checkups. This is because cats are known for hiding pain and illnesses well, especially older cats. In fact, early signs of disease are usually subtle and difficult to notice. For example, some cats show signs of pain by being lethargic. Since all cats sleep 12-16 hours a day, an owner may think this behavior is normal.
Prevention:
As with most diseases, early prevention and detection are keys to having a successful health outcome, which is why it’s important to have a veterinarian examine your cat once a year. To ensure that your cat gets regular checkups, immediately schedule the following year’s visit after each appointment, and mark your calendar. If scheduling that far in advance is not possible, simply mark your calendar for the month that you usually make your cat’s yearly appointment. If you want to make things extra fool-proof, set a reoccurring reminder in your phone’s calendar.
3. Assuming Indoor Cats Can’t Get Fleas
Mistake:
A common misconception is that cats only need flea protection if they go outside. Surprisingly, this is far from the truth. The reality is that fleas can easily find their way indoors, especially by hitch-hiking on clothing, shoes, or even a dog that does go outdoors. Fleas can also sneak in the house from tiny openings in screens and doors. Aside from fleas, indoor cats are also at risk of catching other parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms.
Prevention:
To protect your cat from fleas and other parasites, make sure they are on a flea preventative year-round. Some common preventatives are Frontline Plus, Advantage, Stronghold/Revolution, and Bravecto. These preventatives can be purchased online or at the vet. However, even if you prefer to purchase online, it’s always recommended to first ask your vet which preventative is best for your cat. In addition to medication, cat owners should also do a “flea check” at least once a week. To check for fleas, brush your cat’s fur and look for any signs of movement. If your cat does have fleas, chances are you’ll notice. Fleas are tiny bugs that jump around.
4. Not Taking Care of Their Teeth
Mistake:
Since cats are self-grooming animals, many owners overlook taking care of their cat’s teeth. However, brushing a cat’s teeth is just as important as brushing your own teeth. Like humans, cats develop plaque on their teeth. if this plaque isn’t removed through regular brushing, it can lead to Gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gums. If left untreated, Gingivitis can progress to Periodontal Disease, which is when the tissues surrounding the teeth get infected. Periodontal Disease ultimately leads to tooth loss, and oftentimes pain as well. Sadly, more than half of all cats over three-years-old have periodontal disease.
Prevention:
To prevent oral diseases, it is recommended to brush your cat’s teeth at least 3 times a week. Or better yet, every day if you can. With practice and a little patience, most cats will tolerate brushing, especially if they are introduced to the routine at a young age. Ask your veterinarian for tips to make the brushing experience easiest for you and your cat. However, if brushing is impossible, there are other alternatives that can help your cat’s oral health. For example, you can put a water additive in their water bowl or give them regular dental treats.
5. Assuming it’s Just a Hairball
Mistake:
It’s true that many cats cough up hairballs, and an occasional hairball is not anything to raise an eyebrow over. When your cat grooms themselves, their tongues catch loose hair, which is then swallowed. Most this hair passes through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hairball. If it does, a cat will vomit the hairball to get rid of it. With this in mind, some cat owners mistake frequent vomiting, coughing, and gagging for hairballs. The truth is, whether or not there is hair present, regular displays of these symptoms can be a sign of gastrointestinal disease, or other health problems.
Prevention:
If your cat shows any of these symptoms regularly, it is important to see a veterinarian. It is also important to regularly brush your cat’s fur at least once a week to prevent hairballs. This works because when excess hair is regularly brushed off cats, they will not swallow as much fur compared to when they groom themselves. Finally, if your cat gets frequent hairballs, they can be switched to food specifically formulated to prevent them.
6. Not Spaying or Neutering
Mistake:
You may think that spaying or neutering is unnecessary if you only have one cat, especially if the cat never goes outside. This belief is far from the truth. All cat owners have the responsibility to spay or neuter their cats, no matter what. Not only does spaying and neutering help with the overpopulation problem, but it also protects cats from several health issues, like infections, and even cancer. In addition, spaying or neutering prevents aggressive behaviors in males and yowling in females when they go into heat.
Prevention:
Experts say that all cats should be spayed or neutered as soon as they are old enough. It is generally safe for kittens as young as eight weeks old to get the procedure done. Ideally, your cat should get “fixed” before they reach 5 months old. However, if your cat is older than 5 months, it is never too late to spay or neuter them as long as they are healthy. If you are thinking about adopting a cat, keep in mind that many shelters spay and neuter cats before listing them for adoption. This means that you can adopt a cat with the procedure already done. If you already own a cat but he or she is not fixed yet, there are many low-cost or free spay-neuter programs in the United States.
7. Poor Litter Box Maintenance
Mistake:
Part of Cat Owning 101 is having a litter box. But some cat owners don’t practice proper litter box maintenance. If a litter box is not kept clean, your cat may go outside the box, which is something you definitely don’t want. Not only is this unsanitary for both you and the cat, but cat urine is also incredibly difficult to clean. In fact, cat urine can even ruin hardwood floors. Plus, even after the urine is cleaned, getting the smell to disappear is a whole other issue.
Prevention:
Proper litter box maintenance involves scooping the litter at least once a day. Typically, is it recommended to fully change the litter pan once a week. However, certain litters can go a few weeks before needing to be fully changed. If this is something that’s hard for you to remember, set a reminder in your calendar. In addition, veterinarians usually recommend that you keep one litter box per cat. Some even recommend one box per cat plus one extra box.
8. Declawing Your Cat
Mistake:
Cat owners should NEVER declaw a cat (unless medically necessary) because it causes unnecessary short-term and long-term pain. Declawing is equivalent to cutting a human’s fingers off at the first knuckle. Due to the pain and suffering it causes cats, this procedure is considered very inhumane. For this reason, declawing has been restricted or banned in over twenty countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and more. The procedure has also been banned in parts of the United States as well.
Prevention:
Instead of declawing, there are many tips to prevent unwanted scratching. One method that works well for many cat owners is keeping scratching posts throughout the house, especially in the areas they like to scratch. Other popular methods include spraying citrus or Feliway spray on the areas that are off-limits. Other cat owners have luck with double-sided tape, motion-activated spray, or nail caps. If you are having trouble finding a method that works for you and your cat, ask your veterinarian for advice.
9. Yelling at or Hitting Your Cat
Mistake:
Here at The Purring Journal, we can’t stress enough how important it is to never yell or physically punish your cat in any way, even if they misbehave. Not only is scolding or hitting completely ineffective, but doing either will also make the cat fear you. Yelling and smacking will also cause the cat to feel stressed and anxious, which can lead to additional unwanted behaviors down the road. The truth is, cats don’t understand the reason for these punishments anyway. With that said, scolding or hitting a cat is abusive and useless.
Prevention:
The best way to prevent unwanted behavior is to reinforce good behaviors. An effective way to do this is to give the cat a healthy treat when they do something right. If you reward your cat while they are doing something good, he or she will eventually make the connection between that good behavior and the positive reinforcement. Another important way of keeping your cat out of trouble is to prevent tempting scenarios. For example, you can prevent your cat from scratching the couch by placing a scratching post nearby, or by spraying citrus spray on the area they like to scratch.
10. Not Considering the Risks of Outdoor Life
Mistake:
Indoor versus outdoor life is a heated topic among the cat community. Some owners think cats deserve fresh air and freedom, while others think it’s too dangerous. While we aren’t here to start a heated debate, there is no denying that a common mistake cat owners make is not weighing the risks of letting their cats outside. Some of these risks include being attacked by other animals, getting hit by a car, or being exposed to diseases or even toxic substances.
Prevention:
We encourage you to weigh the risks of letting your cat outside before deciding if they are going to be an indoor or outdoor cat. If you are concerned that your cat will be bored indoors, you can turn your house into a “cat-friendly environment.” This involves keeping perches and scratching posts throughout the house, as well as giving your cat access to plenty of interactive toys. You should also make sure your cat has plenty of climbing and hiding places. In addition, you can also consider building a “catio” so that your cat can admire the outdoors without actually going outside.
DISCLAIMER: The Purring Journal is a participant in both the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Chewy Affiliate Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions, at no cost to you, by advertising and linking to Amazon.com or Chewy.com. I only affiliate with products that I truly support, and commissions help support this blog. This article is made for entertainment purposes only. This is NOT medical advice. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. ALWAYS seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
Resources
https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/spaying-and-neutering
https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/routine-care/how-to-discipline-a-cat
https://www.petcoach.co/article/preventing-obesity-in-cats/
https://www.petmd.com/cat/pet-lover/declawing-cats-illegal
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/brushing-teeth-in-cats
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
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