New Years Resolutions for your Cat

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR CAT

With holiday festivities coming to a close and a New Year beginning, this is a very common time to set new goals and resolve to accomplish them. For those of us lucky enough to have a pet, you may just have the best free motivator/trainer to help you stick to your New Year's Resolutions, and while you are making some for yourself, why not extend them to your cat….

1. Diet
At a time when up to 60% of our pets are overweight the serious risks to our pets’ health have to be addressed. Not only are our pets facing the prospect of being constantly lethargic and short of breath, there is increased risk of serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart conditions as well as these animals having a shorter life expectancy than pets of an ideal weight.

Many cat owners feed their cats a variety of fatty foods that are just not good for them. The New Year is a time to readdress your cats diet and feed them high quality foods that are low in fat. Get your cat weighed and your vet can help you set out achievable goals for weight loss.

2. Exercise
Diet alone is not enough for either you or your cat to start the New Year with a healthy lifestyle. Cats can be very lazy animals, especially in the colder winter months. It is up to you to ensure they get moving – there are plenty of great toys and games available to encourage your cat to play. Make a habit of playing with them at least twice a day. If your cat is seriously overweight, build up playtime gradually and ensure it is done in combination with a strict exercise regime.

3. Spend Quality time with your cat
Spending quality time with your cat playing with them and stroking / grooming them, not only helps build your bond together but studies have shown that it can help reduce your stress levels and also lower your blood pressure.

 

4. Look after your cat's health & safety

The New Year is a fantastic opportunity to make the extra effort to ensure your cat is kept healthy and safe. Make sure your pet sees a vet at least once a year for an annual check up. This will include keeping their vaccine status up-to-date and checking for dental health, lumps and bumps, heart murmurs and other things you may not notice yourself.

At home, make sure your cat is regularly wormed with a veterinary recommended wormer such as Drontal or Panacur and deflead using a product such as Frontline. Fleas are a year round problem. Get into the routine of regularly grooming your cat, daily if they are longhaired. This will help remove old hair and prevent their coat becoming matted and uncomfortable.

Pet proof your house. Keep poisons in locked cabinets, keep poisonous plants and electrical cords out of reach of inquisitive cats and don't leave out strings or ribbons for your cat to swallow.

To help prevent the risk of your cat getting lost, make sure they have a correctly fitting collar with a tag. Make sure that any collar your cat wears fits correctly and has a quick release safety catch that will allow your cat to slip free from it if they became caught. Check your contact details on your cats tag are correct (you would be amazed how many are not!). As cats can easily lose their collar, microchipping is a great form of identification for your cat. The New Year is an ideal time to make that appointment and get it done…you could be very grateful in the future if your cat gets lost.

Whatever cat you have, whether it’s a kitten or an adult, a new pet or old, the New Year is a great time to make a fresh start. So enjoy and have a happy New Year!