It is pleasing that the rate of cat ownership has increased rapidly in recent years, but some cat owners are not experienced enough in how to care for a cat. This can cause serious health problems.
Putting an end to these very common mistakes that you will read soon will perhaps save your cat’s life. After raising awareness on this issue, you can give these advices to your relatives who have cats, and you can ensure that our little friends are healthier. Here are some common mistakes in cat care:
1. Not changing the water bowl frequently, not paying attention to fluid intake.
Your cat’s water should always be clean. Stagnant water in the bowl collects bacteria and dust faster, and cats with sensitive noses understand that this water should not be drunk. That’s why they usually turn to the faucet.
The fact that the water container is plastic will increase the bad smell even more. For this reason, you can get a cat fountain as in the image. Giving wet food 1-2 times a week will also support your cat’s fluid intake. Because cats have sensitive kidneys, they need to drink plenty of fluids. You can also put water bowls at two different points of the house.
2. Giving wet food too often
Yes, your cat must love wet food, but giving it too often is not in their best interest. Especially if you give simple market foods, your cat’s immune system will weaken and its resistance to diseases such as fungus will decrease. This is no different than eating fast food every day.
You should also give dry food in a balanced way. Although their chubby looks cute, you can shorten their lifespan without realizing it.
3. Not choosing a special food for your cat
There are separate foods for neutered cats and separate foods for very long-haired cats. Considering these, you should give specially formulated food to your cat.
4. Changing his used food suddenly
Cats are very picky about food, switching to a different food suddenly can stress your cat and cause it to eat less. Even conditions such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea may occur.
When switching to different food, you should mix old and new food for one week; You can increase the dose of the new food a little more every day and get your cat used to it.
5. Leaving alone for more than 24 hours
Cats are more independent creatures than dogs, but it cannot be said that they like solitude very much. It is not enough to leave enough food and water at home. When they are alone, they are under stress, and if they are exposed to too much, serious illnesses can occur in the long run.
6. Closing the doors of the rooms in the house
If you lock your cat in a single room, you will hinder its exploratory instincts. They can even learn to open doors. You need to create an environment where they can travel comfortably.
7. Not changing their litter regularly
They don’t want to use a heavily contaminated sand toilet. Therefore, a different point of the house may be more attractive for them. This causes your cat to feel depressed. An unclean toilet will also increase the risk of bacteria and parasites.
You should also pay attention to the selection of sand. Since some cheap litters are better than construction sand, they can get into your cat’s lungs and cause serious illness.
8. Not to keep your cat away from chemical cleaning materials in the house
The detergents you use to clean the house can get on your cat’s paws and fur. Your cat could be harmed if he inhales them or comes in contact with them while licking their fur. Since they are small creatures, they will receive proportionally too many harmful substances, which can cause various health problems. You can choose to use natural and harmless cleaning agents.
9. Not using nets on windows and balconies
Cats instinctively sense that height is a danger, so you may be mistaken that they will never fall down, but they will not be injured/death by falling from a height. The cases are unfortunately too many.
They may lose their balance or jump after a bird when going to dangerous spots. This type of accident is very common, especially in cats in heat.
You can have nets made on windows and balconies. Moreover, you don’t just have to live on a high floor for this, cats can be exposed to unfamiliar hazards such as cars and stray dogs when they jump off the lower floors.
10. Petting your cat without washing your hands after petting an animal outside
Domestic cats may be more susceptible to diseases on the street. Moreover, you can infect your cat with a deadly disease such as FIP. The costs of this disease, which has no definitive treatment, can reach 30 thousand liras, although the result often results in death.
11. Leaving food packages open
Foods that come into contact with air go stale easily. Cats who are sensitive about food may therefore stop eating food, and not being able to eat fresh food may cause nutritional problems. Especially in packages over 10 kg, care should be taken that the food does not come into contact with air.
12. Just as a sedentary life causes health problems for humans, the same is true for cats. Moreover, since they are much more agile creatures than us, you need to turn the house into a more fun environment for your cat. You both prevent boredom and keep stress away, and you prevent the danger of obesity.
13. Allowing them to gnaw on electrical cables
Cats are creatures that love to gnaw and scratch, but when it comes to electric cables, it is necessary to take precautions. You can run your cables through the cable protector against the danger of being caught by current. You can buy toys for your cat to gnaw at, so that he can turn to them.
14. Not combing their hair regularly
Because they like to be brushed, their stress level decreases and they shed less. In addition, you will prevent the formation of hairballs in their stomachs, as they will swallow less hair while licking themselves.
15. Washing
You do not need to bathe your cat. They are always clean as they lick themselves with their antimicrobial saliva. If you wash them, they will be under stress.
16. Shaving
It is a common mistake to think that they will relax in hot weather. On the other hand, long hairs prevent heat from reaching the skin, keeping them cooler. If you want to shave for matted hair, you should only shave that area, not the entire hair.
17. Punishing by shouting and hitting
If you are uncomfortable with him coming up on the kitchen counter or scratching your sofa, you should never use violence. By directing his attention to different places, you can make him stay away from them.
18. Allowing him to play with objects such as rubber, bags
Since these types of materials contain beef gelatine, cats may want to swallow them, which can cause serious problems in the digestive system. opens. These substances, which can get knotted in the intestines, will cause your cat to suffer.
19. Exposing your cat to cigarette smoke
Cigarette smoke, which is life-threatening even for a human, affects a much smaller cat than you think. . If your cat is a passive smoker, your cat’s lungs may be damaged. In particular, it can cause allergic respiratory reactions.
20. Not knowing if indoor plants are harmful to your cat
Some indoor plants may be harmful to your cat’s health. To avoid kidney damage, you should not keep the following plants at home:
- Poinsettia plant (Poinsettia flower)
- Mistletoe
- Hollywood
- Christmas cactus
- Clover
- Hedera helix (English creeper)
- Easter lily
21. Not Neutering
The cat population is already very large; It is irresponsible to attempt to reproduce cats while there are neglected cats on the streets and in shelters. Cats that you haven’t neutered can run away from the house and jump from the balcony during the periods of anger due to hormonal effects. Unneutered female cats have a higher risk of developing mammary tumors and pyometra than neutered cats.
This behavior, which is practiced a lot, especially by breed cat owners, is one of the things that a true animal lover should never do. You can read our content on cats of the breed here:
22. Giving food such as bone, milk, salami, raw fish
Possibility of bones damaging your cat’s esophagus, stomach has. It can cause ruptures in internal organs. After cats stop sucking on their mothers, their digestive systems cannot break down the lactose in milk. For this reason, it can have consequences such as stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea. You can find other harmful nutrients in this content:
23. Not taking them to veterinary checks regularly
Even if you think your cat looks good, there may be some problems that you cannot notice. Thanks to regular check-ups, you can detect health problems at an early stage.
24. Over-maintenance
Yes, applying that much stuff might sound like over-maintenance, but these are basic maintenance that should be done. Some may be too sensitive and miss the end of the thread. Caring enough to overwhelm your cat will cause him to be under stress.
25. And never, ever throw him out of the house. This photo shows a house-accustomed cat pulling its own fur due to stress after it’s been introduced to the shelter.
Take very good care of cats, dogs and all other animals both at home and on the street…
Sources: Veterinarian Hüseyin Çaylak, Petibom, Petlebi
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