Preserving your feline pal wholesome and comfortable begins with just a few easy steps—a few of which will be built-in into your cat’s setting instantly.

To assist your cat stay their finest feline life, Los Angeles veterinarian Jeff Werber (who has eight cats himself) gives useful recommendation to pet dad and mom. “It is essential to get off on the correct foot with cat care, ” he says. “Good day by day habits are the place it begins.” The following tips can assist you present the love and care your cat deserves.

Each day brushing or combing can assist scale back the variety of hairballs that develop within the digestive tract and assist stop mats and tangles, particularly in long-haired cats. Cats spend a whole lot of time grooming themselves, and pet dad and mom might not know that they will truly assist their cats by eradicating free hair by means of common brushing.

Werber says that the important thing to getting a cat to cooperate with brushing is to show your cat to affiliate it with comfortable occasions. “Perhaps you all the time brush earlier than a meal,” he says. “Then your cat will affiliate it with one thing scrumptious.”

Not like canines, cats are obligate carnivores, that means they depend on meat as the muse of their diets. The primary meal of the day ought to all the time be meat, says Werber. He cautions that solely feeding dry meals diets to cats might trigger them to eat too many carbohydrates, which will be unhealthy in massive quantities. “We see cats creating kind II diabetes and rising overweight from an excessive amount of dry meals,” Werber explains.

When you have each canines and cats, you possibly can’t feed them the identical. Pet food isn’t good for cats, nor can a cat metabolize carbs the best way a canine can. Contemplate feeding moist meals as a component, if not all, of your cat’s weight loss program.

Home cats developed from desert-dwelling felines, so cats do not naturally drink as a lot water as canines. Ideally, cats ought to get most of their water from meals. A meal {that a} cat may eat within the wild—resembling a mouse—is about 70% water. Canned meals incorporates about 78% water, however dry meals solely has 5% to 10% water on common.

It is essential to offer your cat entry to contemporary water always regardless of their weight loss program, however chances are you’ll discover your cat consuming extra once they primarily eat dry meals. Seniors, nursing cats, and cats with persistent well being circumstances are extra liable to dehydration than others, so watch them rigorously for indicators resembling sunken eyes, lethargy, and panting.

So far as potty locations go, Werber says a superb rule of thumb is to have one litter field per kitty, plus an extra one. So when you have three cats, you must arrange 4 packing containers, and you may wish to consider carefully about the place these packing containers go. People are inclined to need the packing containers tucked away in a hidden spot like a basement or darkish nook, however some cats are uncomfortable in these areas. Werber says to consider a cat’s pure instincts. “The animal is in a susceptible place when performing these features,” he says. “They need to have the ability to see round them.” For a similar purpose, your pet might not be keen to make use of a field with a canopy or one which’s been cleverly hidden in furnishings.

Little frustrates a cat dad or mum greater than when kitty skips the field and pees elsewhere in the home—particularly when it is your sofa or mattress. Why would a cat do that? “There will be a whole lot of causes,” says Werber, “and also you wish to rule out sickness first.” Carry your cat to the vet to verify for a urinary tract an infection or different sickness that would clarify this new habits. As soon as well being considerations are dominated out, ensure that litter packing containers meet your cat’s preferences. Experiment with several types of litter to seek out out if there may be one kind your pet prefers. Be scrupulous about maintaining the field clear: Scoop a few times a day (extra for a number of cats). Attempt altering the placement of the litter field to someplace quieter (away from noisy home equipment) or simpler in your cat to entry.

Don’t desire your new couch ripped to shreds? Train your cat to make use of a scratching submit so they will not find yourself clawing your furnishings. The error many homeowners make, says Werber, isn’t realizing that they’ve to offer the scratching submit some enchantment. “Put it within the middle of the room to begin,” he explains. In case you place it in a nook removed from the social motion within the family, it is easy in your cat to disregard it. Sprinkle the scratcher with catnip if you first convey it house, the vet advises. After getting gotten your pet into the behavior of utilizing it, you possibly can step by step transfer it to a less-trafficked spot and skip the catnip if desired.

There’s nothing extra useful to your cat’s long-term wellness than getting them spayed or neutered, Werber says. “Feminine cats are very uncomfortable once they go into warmth,” he provides. Spaying and neutering can assist hold your cat protected, too. As a result of unaltered male cats typically battle, they danger transmitting ailments by means of bites and scratches. The state of affairs isn’t a lot better for feminine cats, both. Feminine cats can develop into pregnant as early as 4 months outdated, and mating and queening a number of litters of kittens will be very hectic. And since there are such a lot of undesirable cats in shelters ready for his or her ceaselessly properties, it is higher to not add to the inhabitants.

Even when your cat needs to, do not allow them to journey unrestrained in a automotive. It is distracting to the motive force and, within the case of an accident, a cat can develop into a harmful projectile. Get a snug journey service for automotive rides, and educate your cat to make use of it with out concern.

Werber additionally warns to “by no means, ever depart your cat alone in a parked automotive.” Even in cooler temperatures, and even with the home windows cracked, a automotive shortly turns into uncomfortable for an animal (or human, for that matter). It takes mere minutes for a cat to perish in a heat automotive. Depart your cat at house if you don’t plan to convey them inside with you.

Many veterinary practices see a number of species, together with canines. This may be scary for a cat who has to sit down in a ready room surrounded by canines. “Search for a vet who has separate ready areas for cats and canines,” says Werber. Whereas that is perfect, not all practices have the area for this. In case your favourite vet would not have two ready rooms, ask to be referred to as into the examination room shortly, Werber advises. You can too search for cat-only veterinarians in your space (sure, they exist!) so your kitty will not get bombarded with the sights, sounds, and smells of canines, birds, and different critters.

When a cat loves you, they prefer to show it, typically by providing you the outcomes of a profitable hunt. Werber suggests accepting the items with grace (even when it is gross—say, a decapitated mouse). Your cat can also present you’re keen on by head bunting, purring, or kneading you with their paws. Sit again and absorb the love.

A model of this text was initially written by Clare McHugh and first appeared on Well being.com.