Top Tips for a Happy Cat
Many think of cats as being rather inscrutable creatures with few requirements - and in many ways cats can get by on very basic levels of nutrition and care. But if you've chosen a cat as your companion you will want to ensure the best quality of life possible, and that means providing the best physical and psychological environment that you can. Here we outline our top 5 tips for a truly happy cat including choosing the right natural cat litter, providing good nutrition, ensuring regular medical care and neutering, and creating a stimulating environment for your cat.
1.Provide Natural Cat Litter
Providing an organic, dust free cat litter may not seem like the most obvious source of happiness for a cat, but providing the wrong type of cat litter - or even none at all - can certainly be a source of unhappiness, stress or even harm.
Cats are fastidious creatures who take great care to keep themselves clean, and their preferred toileting habits reflect this. Providing them with a well maintained litter tray inside the house means they always have somewhere dry and hygienic to go. Cats are no lovers of the cold and wet and dislike having to go outside to do their business when it is raining. Similarly, they will dislike having to use a litter tray which contains irritating dust and chemicals, or which is oversoiled or excessively odorous. Providing an indoor litter tray containing a dust free, chemical free, natural cat litter which is kept clean and smelling fresh, will remove any stresses around toileting and assist your cat in maintaining its own cleaning regime.
Your cat's litter tray should be placed somewhere that provides a degree of privacy and quiet for your cat, well away from food and water bowls. Ideally, choose a type of cat litter which is not harmful to your cat or to you, which suppresses odour and which is easy to clean out. In terms of potential harm, look for a dust free cat litter. Try to avoid clay based or silica based cat litters which tend to be dusty and can cause respiratory irritation to cats and humans alike. In particular, avoid clumping clay based litters, especially for kittens and smaller cats, as the clumping chemicals can cause congestion in nasal passages, lungs and intestines. Instead, choose a natural, organic cat litter, with good absorbency and natural odour suppressing qualities. There are several varieties of natural cat litter available nowadays, but they vary in terms of dustiness, in absorbency and odour suppression.
SmartBedz is a natural, organic cat litter made of straw which has been processed to remove virtually all dust and then compressed. The result is virtually dust free cat litter pellets which are super-absorbent, drawing liquid into them and locking it away from the air. This prevents the formation of ammonia, the major source of odour for a litter tray. SmartBedz therefore suppresses odour naturally, with no need for perfumes or other chemical agents.
A further benefit of SmartBedz natural cat litter is that it needs relatively little work to keep clean, and only needs a complete change around once per month (for one average size cat). Solids need to be removed daily, and wet SmartBedz pellets can be easily seen (they swell up) and scooped out leaving dry litter behind. As well as making it very easy for you to maintain a fresh litter tray for your cat, less cleaning and changing means less disruption to your cat's personal territory, which all adds to a cat's comfort. And, because it is an organic cat litter, SmartBedz is fully biodegradable and can be easily disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
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2.Provide A Good Quality and Varied Diet
Cats are generally meat-eaters and require some specific nutrients that are found only in animal tissue. In particular they need to get Vitamin A, a fatty acid called arachidonic acid and an amino acid called Taurine directly from their diet. A lack of these particular nutrients can lead to a variety of serious health conditions including loss of sight and heart enlargement. It is important, therefore, that if you feed your cat any pre-prepared food that is specially formulated for cats - i.e. never feed your cat with dog food!
Some dry food formulations claim to be nutritionally superior, and dry food won't "go off" as quickly as wet food. But cats will tend to naturally prefer a wet food to a dry or slightly moist food. A dry food will also tend to be quite boring for a cat after a while, as the lack of moisture tends to also equate to less odour. By all means supplement your cat's diet with a dry food, but a more varied diet will result in a happier cat.
Once you have ensured adequate nutrition, increase your cat's happiness by varying her diet as much as possible. Just like humans, your cat won't want to eat the same thing every day, even if it is her favourite food. Offering different flavours of her usual brand of tinned food will make a difference, even if you know she has a clear favourite. Another way to vary your cat's diet is to supplement with other "human" food, but in moderation. Avoid dairy foods in particular as cats find dairy hard to digest, as well as sugary and processed foods (for the same reasons we should limit them in our own diet!). If you do offer your cat fish, chicken or other meat, make sure it is cooked (cats can pick up bugs and infections from raw meat just like humans can) and free from bones or other hard particles that might be hard to swallow.
The final element of a good feline diet is water. It is a myth that cats don't need to be given water. While a cat on a diet of wet food (fresh meat or fish or a wet formulation of tinned food) will get a lot of water via its food, you should provide your cat with plenty of clean drinking water at all times. If you are using any type of dry food as part of its diet, then this is especially important.
3.Keep Your Cat Healthy
Just like humans, even a mild physical irritation can really prevent a cat enjoying life. And, just like humans, minor symptoms which are left investigated or untreated may turn into something more serious later on.
Cats cannot tell you directly what is bothering them so it is important to monitor your cat for any unusual symptoms or changes in behaviour. Ideally you should also arrange regular examinations by a vet, and arrange for your cat to be vaccinated against the most common cat diseases. A vet can also help you to understand what symptoms to look out for, enabling you to respond quickly in the event of any health issue developing.
Vigilance and prompt action, combined with regular advice from a vet, will help to nip minor problems in the bud and ensure your cat stays healthy and happy.
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4.Spay or Neuter
Unless you specifically intend to breed your cat, you should consider arranging for it to be spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Neutering appears to prevent a variety of health problems in both male and female cats including mammary and testicular cancers, uterine infections and cat STD's such as FIV. You will also reduce the likelihood of your male cat being injured during fights if it is not feeling driven to find a mate. Female cats on heat often exhibit a level of distress and yowling especially if they are kept inside to prevent mating. Unneutered cats which are allowed outside have an increased risk of injury simply by being more exposed to traffic and other hazards. In short, you will likely extend the life of your cat, as well as creating a far healthier, calmer and contented cat by ensuring it is neutered.
5.Provide Attention and Stimulation
Cats are not the self-contained loners that they are often portrayed as. Cats do like physical contact and affection from their owners - especially if they have been brought up that way from a kitten. A cat will let you know when it wants attention by approaching you or greeting you when you arrive home. It will also make it very clear if it does not wish to be touched or cuddled - so providing your cat with the attention it actually wants is as simple as following its lead.. A cat who just wants a quiet cuddle will settle quietly on your lap. A cat who wants to play will try to engage you more actively with its paws and looking at you.
Playing with your cat on a daily basis will help create a bond with you and keep her stimulated. But cats will also play on their own if provided with suitable toys or materials. This can include toys such as balls, or objects which have interesting textures or make a noise. But it can also include household objects which cost nothing, such as crinkly crisp packets, or dangled pieces of string. When your cat gets bored with a toy hide it away for a couple of weeks and bring it out again to reignite interest.
Alternatively, create interesting tunnels and hideouts for your cat to explore or occupy even when you are not there. A cardboard box with a hole in it makes a great cat playground, while putting a towel or blanket between two chairs makes a hideaway your cat will enjoy exploring. Variety is the key here too - remove any structures after a day or two and make a new one somewhere else.
Probably the best stimulation for a cat is another cat! So if you have the space and budget, consider getting two kittens at the same time, or bring in a second cat later. Your home does need to be large enough that each can be alone when it wants to be, however.
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Follow these 5 tips and you can be assured of a very happy cat.