3 Ways to Help Your Cat-Master Live Their Best Life
Helping your cat live their best life involves providing them with a safe, healthy, and enriched environment that meets their physical and emotional needs. Here are some essential tips to ensure your cat's well-being and happiness meet their super high expectations:
Quality nutrition:
Provide a balanced and appropriate diet for your cat's age, size, and health condition. Yep, it changes as they get older.
As we learn more about our feline overlords (and more money is available for research), a growing group believes strongly that feeding your cat a kibble-only diet simply does not provide them with the adequate amount of moisture to support all of their body functions. A dry food only diet can lead to many different health issues including excessive hairballs all the way to Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FLUTD. Now, this doesn’t mean every cat will expereince these issues on dry kibble diets. Some will be just fine but why not provide your Cat Master with a yummy combo?
As always, consult with your veterinarian to determine the best food and feeding schedule for your kitteh.
Enrichment and mental stimulation:
Cats need mental and physical stimulation to thrive. They are super intelligent beings and can really spiral down if they don’t have anything to engage in. In 2023 there are a bajillion new cat toy products on the market, from treat feeding robots to litter boxes that all but wash your dishes. My new kitten; Carl, LOVES a ball I found on Amazon. Battery operated, it lights up and wiggles on its own while my 13 Year old cat; Handsome, still loves a good foil crinkle ball. My middle child, Lucy, can not get enough of an automatic laser toy. It is her nightly ritual to play with it for 5 minutes, every night or until Carl ruins her fun.
Cats also LOVE to climb and cat towers are all but a requirement for them to really live their best life. I have two in my home. They can scratch , climb, perch and it provides great exercise, giving them a full bodied murder mitten workout.
Socialization and companionship:
Spend quality time with your cat - THE WAY THEY WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU - to build a strong bond. Not all cats want to be cuddled while some would never leave your arms, if they had a choice. It’s important to follow whatever your Cat Master prefers because well, you will not change a cat’s mind. Ever. About anything. Some cats can be pet all over their bodies and purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr in sweet content, while others have literally two tiny spots that humans may touch. No more, no less. Either way, make time with your kitty; however they prefer the time be spent.
Cats socialization isn’t that different from dog socialization. Some cats prefer to be the only cat in the world while others not only prefer but require other feline companionship. This stems heavily from the earliest kitten years and how they interacted in their litter. Cats learn socialization from their mothers and littermates all the way up until about 16 weeks of age, which says a lot about Carl the kittne I found whne he was 8 weeks old. He still head some developing to do and Lucy and handsome used their iron whapping paws to teach him. In a multi-cat household, cats display their social flexibility by using space management, favored spots, and tail signaling to communicate. Anyhoo, this is all to say that every cat is different but the common denominator is you.
If your cat is especially social and it is possible, consider adopting a second cat to provide companionship, but ensure they get along well.
Remember, every cat is unique, so observe your Cat Master closely to understand their individual needs and preferences. By providing love, care, and a stimulating environment, you'll help your cat lead a happy and fulfilling life.
