Any cat owner will tell you that felines are family members just like humans and that losing them doesn’t bear thinking about. But if something were to go very wrong and your cat was injured or became ill, would you be able to pay for the cat health care?
If you think about the costs of looking after a cat, the food or the cat litter might come to mind. Perhaps the cost of worm and flea treatments might also be factored in. You probably wouldn’t stop to think about the costs of cat health care.
If surgery or regular, ongoing treatment is needed then vet costs can be massive. Cats who are fortunate enough to survive being hit by a car often need extensive surgery. A cat could also need regular, ongoing medication for illnesses such as diabetes. Could you afford to pay for these cat health care costs?
Perhaps you think you’ll be lucky, but is it worth the risk? This is why there is pet insurance. You buy the pet insurance and if the worst does happen, the costs of treatment will be covered. With pet insurance you won’t have to worry that cat health care is over budget.
Be sure to invest in the pet insurance whilst your cat is young. Insurance companies may not take on older cats with existing conditions and will certainly charge more if they do. Remember that as with any insurance there could be conditions, so be sure to check the small print. Paying for vaccinations will still be your responsibility and if your cat isn’t up to date the insurance company could refuse to pay for treatment for illnesses that vaccination would have prevented.
It’s not just about cat health care though, some companies will offer you other extras. For example, some provide money for advertising lost cats.
Pet insurance is vital to give you peace of mind. It’s just important to get the best deal you can and to be certain you understand what is and isn’t included. Be sure you understand excesses and limits and if the policy is only annual rather than for life, don’t forget to renew.
As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. Obviously, this isn’t a literal truth but the importance of a good diet for cat health care as well as our own cannot be underestimated. Ensuring that our pets get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy is a big responsibility, but it needn’t be complex if we understand a few simple things about diet and cat health care.
Drinking plenty of water is really important both for us and our pets. If a cat is not given access to fresh water it can become seriously ill within just a few hours. Dehydration can cause serious cat health care problems and even death.
The diet which cats require is very specific. Because they are obligate carnivores, felines cannot survive on a vegetarian diet. Cat health care problems such as malnutrition, blindness and eventually death would result from depriving a cat of a meat based diet.
As owners we must be careful not to upset the fine balance of our cats’ diets. However harmless they might seem, giving leftover human food can lead to cat health care problems. The food we eat is generally too high in calories and fat and could even be toxic to a cat. For example, onions are highly poisonous to cats.
As owners we should try and allow our cats to eat several small meals a day as they are naturally inclined to do. In many cases school and work commitments might mean that owners are unable to be at home to feed their cat during the day. To resolve this problem, why not leave out dried food for the cat to nibble at throughout the day.
Finally, when considering diet we must consider obesity, which is one of the biggest cat health care problems of the moment. Obesity can lead to heart problems, breathing problems, diabetes, arthritis and eventually death, so it must be avoided. A short haired cat is generally considered a healthy weight when its ribs can be felt but not seen. Pay close attention to the instructions for serving sizes on cat food and always see a vet if you believe that your cat’s weight is a problem.
Obesity is one of the largest cat health care problems in the United Kingdom. More cats than ever before are obese and the result is increased incidence of serious cat health care problems. Unfortunately, obesity in cats creates a cycle that is very hard to get out of: overweight cats are less likely to be physically active and are therefore more likely to remain obese.
Diagnosing this particular cat health care problem is not difficult at all: it is clear to see just from looking at the cat. If it is a healthy weight, a cat will have a clearly visible waist when viewed from above, just in front of its back legs and if it is a short hair breed its ribs should be easily felt but not seen.
The vet will confirm the cat is obese by weighing him or her and will then offer advice on how to get the cat to lose weight. Cat health care problems such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and breathing difficulties are likely to follow if the obesity is not treated. Obesity really could kill a cat.
Pet shops and vet surgeries stock reduced calorie cat foods. We have to remember that any cat treats our pet eats still contribute to the daily calorie total, so if treats are given, meal sizes should be reduced accordingly. Also remember that any leftovers or titbits that cats receive could upset their finely balanced diets. Many pet owners are not aware that their cat is being fed by well meaning neighbours, as well as at home. It is a good idea to mention the cat health care problem and politely request others do not feed your cat.
Cat owners have a responsibility for cat health care and this includes encouraging exercise and physical activity, although this is harder for cats than dogs. Try to send your cat outdoors for some time every day so that it can take a stroll. Indoors you could also try playing with your cat. Getting the cat to chase toys such as balls will keep the weight off.
Urinary problems are amongst the most frequent cat health care problems our feline pets experience. A lot of the diseases, illnesses and even undesirable behaviour that our cats display are directly caused by urinary problems. Cystitis, or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, spraying and kidney failure are some of the biggest urinary problems faced by cats.
Cystitis and FLUTD are umbrella terms used to describe the cat health care problem of inflammation in the urinary bladder. As this problem causes irritation and inflammation related to urination, common symptoms include urinating frequently or urgently, appearing to experience difficulty urinating and possibly blood in urine. These illnesses are caused by various triggers, although very often food causes urinary crystals to form into bladder stones. Also, cats which are overweight are often affected because they are susceptible to cat health care problems generally. Fortunately, cystitis can be treated by a vet.
On the other hand, spraying is more likely to be considered a problematic behaviour than an actual cat health care issue. At the age of eight or nine months, a male cat is likely to become more territorial and begin behaving in new ways. He will begin spraying strong smelling urine around your house to mark his territory. It can be very hard to get rid of the smell. This behaviour goes hand in hand with other typical male cat behaviour such as fighting, which can lead to cat health care problems, so it advisable to have a male cat neutered before this age to avoid these problems.
Renal disease is a cat health care problem which is particularly prevalent in middle aged and older cats. This is partly because of the way cats’ kidneys work so hard because of the concentration of their urine and the infrequency with which they pass urine. It is therefore not uncommon for the kidneys of older cats to begin to fail. Symptoms of kidney disease include drinking and urinating more and if the disease progresses, sickness, disorientation and weight loss. Besides old age, this cat health care problem could be caused by cancer, infections or ingestion of a poisonous substance.
