A Guide To Common Cat Health Questions
If you're planning on inviting a cat or kitten into your house, you almost certainly have a few cat health questions. The very first thing you will need to decide is whether you need a kitten or a full grown cat. There are benefits to each choice. When you adopt a kitten, you're getting an adorable baby cat that is going to grow up with your family. However, kittens are typically naughty and need more attention than full grown cats. Although kittens are more popular than adult cats for those seeking to adopt a feline, there are plenty of adult cats in need of a good home that would make loving companions.
Either way, you'll have to confirm your feline has the correct shots. Your vet will explain to you which shots your cat wishes at what intervals. Vaccination shots are sometimes given in the kitten age at intervals. Just like children need booster shots, kittens also need booster shots. Examples of crucial vaccination shots kittens need include feline panleukopenia, feline rhinotracheitis and naturally, feline rabies. Even if your kitty will be staying indoors it is important to have them vaccinated.
Another often-asked question many owners ask is how to keep fleas away. Fleas are very common pests for cats and dogs. These tiny critters hop onto your pet and feed on their blood. They also do the same with humans. When you are bitten by a flea you will notice a rash like bump which will itch badly. Fleas are tough to dump once your house is plagued, but fortunately they're easy to stop. Your vet can supply you with a product like Frontline, which is applied to your cat's neck once each month. This product works to kill fleas, ticks and larvae.
Then there's litterbox coaching. Cats are easily litter trained as it is their inbuilt instinct to kill their waste. All you need to do is provide your kitten or adult cat with a clean litterbox filled with the cat litter of your choice. Place your feline in the box and gently scratch their paws in the litter. Do this several times each day and they'll learn to use the box in no time. You will find many different kinds of litter on store shelves, including the clumping variety and natural cedar. There are even self cleaning litterboxes available. You want to fill the box with several inches of litter but don't overfill. The most important thing about litter training is to keep the box clean. Cats hate using dirty litterboxes and will often refuse to do so.
Another one of the most common cat health questions is to declaw or not to declaw. I would give an emphatic no when it comes to this issue. A few of the people opt to declaw their indoor cats to stop scratching of furniture. A much more natural and humane solution to this problem is to provide your cat with an appealing scratching post to use. If your cat doesn't appear interested, splatter catnip on the post. They will soon discover that the texture of the scratching post is perfect for sharpening their claws and will learn to use the post rather than your furniture.
