Posts Tagged: Cat Health

Cats with access to the great outdoors may have more feline fun, but this freedom can come at a high price. The potential for serious falls, car accidents, and fights with other animals leads many owners to keep their fluffy buddies strictly indoors. Many cats are content to hang around the house, but depend on their indoor environment to keep them busy, engaged and entertained. However, without daily physical and mental stimulation, owners can possibly expect some destructive cat behavior.

Of all their beautiful features, your cat’s long whiskers are probably among your favorites.

While they may not get as much credit as the highly capable eyes or ears, whiskers bring a lot to the table. They make your cat look really cool and help them navigate the ever-changing world around them. But since they poke outward from the sides of their face, can these touch receptors suffer from whisker fatigue?

The way a cat looks is part of what makes them so appealing. A thick, shiny feline coat is downright splendid, and we love to run a hand from their perky ears all the way to the tail. But another feature that draws us in lines the sides of the nose, dots the spots above the eyes, emphasizes the bottom of the chin and scores the backs of their front legs. 

Indeed, cat whiskers are inexorably part of a feline’s handsome aesthetic, but they offer more than looks alone.

Ah, cats! They are fun, playful, loving, and fiercely independent. And, they often confuse us with their antics and behavior. Whatever the personality of your cat, there’s no denying they are endlessly fascinating.

Maybe that’s why at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital, we never tire of hearing fun cat facts, and we have a feeling you don’t either! 

Physical Prowess

The physical abilities of cats is nothing short of incredible. Did you know that:

Cats sleep an average of 15 hours a day, but there are many that get upwards of 20 hours! When they aren’t dreaming of chasing mice, fighting rivals, or licking their chops for a taste of tuna, cats are highly alert and keenly aware of themselves. To that end, they spend up to half of their waking lives grooming themselves.

What is this fixation on grooming all about? More importantly, what can owners do to help their cats stay clean and encourage healthy grooming? Let’s take a look at cat grooming practices to get a better understanding of this important social instinct.

Every cat boasts an array of uniquely feline physical attributes. Like the color of their eyes or the length of their whiskers, a cat’s fur coat tops the list of what makes them beautiful or handsome.

Aside from aesthetics, however, a cat’s coat is the ultimate indicator of overall feline health. Whether thick and fluffy or silky and smooth, when they feel good, their coats can take on a lustrous quality. But when something’s “off” you’ll likely see it first with a change in grooming habits.

If you own a cat, you know what mysterious, funny, and independent creatures they are. They can also be extremely loving. But whatever your cat’s personality, the fact is that they are a big part of our lives. So it’s natural that we want to care for them the best we can.

But when was the last time you thought about cat dental health? Maybe…. never? If that’s the case, let us give you some reasons that we should all be paying attention to cat dental health, beginning with our own kitties.

If you already have cats as a part of your household, you likely know what wonderful and unique creatures they are. Cats are agile, intelligent, and loving, but keeping your cat healthy takes more than bringing them to the veterinarian when something is wrong.

Here are the basics of cat health, from Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital, to keeping your cat happy and healthy for their lifetime.

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Cats have truly unforgettable qualities, skills, and abilities. From crazy feline acrobatics to stealthy hunting madness, cats are all that and a bag of catnip-flavored chips. In light of all the wonderful things cats bring to our lives, the tenets of proper cat health can get a bit upstaged. There’s a great deal we can do to change the perception that cats are independent and self-sufficient – and it starts with these five important reminders!
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There are so many myths and anecdotes about getting the family pet fixed that it can be challenging to find the real facts. Besides the most obvious bonus of not having a surprise litter of puppies or kittens on your hands, there are other stressors of having an unfixed animal that can be avoided by this simple surgery, too. The truth is that spaying and neutering can have many medical and behavioral benefits.

As a responsible pet owner you want to do all you can to help not only your own animal but the animal population as a whole. Since millions of homeless dogs and cats are killed in shelters across the country every year, spaying or neutering your pet prevents unwanted litters and reduces the homeless pet population; which is always a good thing.

If you’re on the fence about spaying or neutering your pet, here are a few proven reasons it can be a good idea. Continue…