Cat Health Questions Answered - What Do You Need to Know?

By Gary Pearson

When introducing a cat into your life, you automatically become responsible for their health and well-being. Proper diet, nutrition, exercise and medical care are all things to be weighed when adopting a kitten or cat. But exactly what is involved with your pet's health when you bring home kitty?

Cats need a balanced diet, like us. To ensure that you cat is getting a balanced diet, her food should be high in proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Their food should also contain such vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, C and Niacin to ensure your pet's health. Cats also require taurine and arginine, two essential amino acids that assist in growth and maintenance. Cats do not do well with vegetarian diets, so refrain from giving your cat all vegetables. Cats need animal meat to obtain arginine and taurine to function. A diet low in these essential amino acids will result in your cat's death.

If a chronic disease, such as colitis, affects your pet's health you can make a few simple changes to her diet to help relieve the symptoms of said disease. With colitis, increasing the fiber in your cat's diet will ease her symptoms. A diet that is high in fiber and easily digestible fats can ease bowel tension and increase bowel movements. Should you cat have chronic kidney failure, a diet high in easily digestible proteins is best. Offer kitty canned, soft food if they have painful dental diseases. If your cat's diagnosis is cancer, a diet with omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene can help. Keeping your cat on a balanced diet and keeping their vaccinations in order will keep your cat from developing any medical conditions down the road. However, as with anything, a cat can develop medical conditions without warning and without symptoms. Only you know your cat's personality, so you will be the best determinate as to whether they need medical help or not.

Since several things can affect your pet's health, it is best to seek out the advice of a veterinarian to get an accurate diagnosis. Whatever you do, do not give your cat human medicine. Medicine designed for human consumption can be deadly to small animals. You may think that you are helping, but in reality, you are causing more harm. Only give your cat medicine prescribe for her and nothing else, unless recommended by a veterinarian. Al though there are some emergency medicines you can give your animal in very small doses to help them until you can get to the vet. If they are experiencing diarrhea, you can offer them some anti-diarrhea medicine to ease the symptoms. But do not give them a full human dose. You can also use anti-histamines to alleviate allergic reactions. But it is best to seek immediate medical help, if your cat is suffering from a medical condition.

Your pet's health is important, so ensuring that they are happy, healthy and safe comes down to you. There is nothing better than a happy cat purring at your feet, why not make sure she is healthy too?

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about cat health visit Independent Cat for current articles and discussions.