Cats have a 10-15 year life expectancy, however there is a chance they can live longer if we provide excellent care. Like humans, cats should maintain good physical health, eat high quality food and stay updated on their vaccinations to live long lives.
Doing these five steps to improve your cat's lifestyle will add years to their lifespan and make their current days better.
1. Give them a Balanced Diet of Wet and Dry Food
Cats do best with a diet of wet and dry food. Wet food helps to keep cats hydrated and prevents kidney disease, while dry food helps prevent tooth decay and provides many essential nutrients. When feeding wet and dry food, you need to make sure that the brand is rated highly. Cats need a high quality protein source in order to extract all their nutrition from their meat-based diet.
2. Visit Vet Regularly
Visiting the vet annually is essential for all pets. Cats benefit from getting regular blood work and exams. There are many diseases that can hide in plain sight, which you can only discover if you test for them. Some of these illnesses include kidney disease, feline leukemia, and diabetes. Luckily, any disease caught early is easier to treat. So take your pet to the vet!
3. Update Vaccines
Cats need to be vaccinated to protect them from many diseases. Vaccination protocols depend on the region, but may include a set of core vaccinations at the beginning of a cat’s life, then updated regularly with boosters.
4. Limit Cat to Indoor Spaces
Outside cats only live a few years because there are so many dangers they face. There’s cars, diseases and cat fights, to name a few. If you want your inside cat to enjoy the outdoors, keep them on a leash while you supervise them, that way they will stay out of harm's way and get some fresh air.
5. Provide Treatment for Hairballs
It’s a normal part of a cat’s life to have hairballs, but this can cause digestion problems. Some simple solutions include brushing their fur more often or giving them hairball prevention food. When you ease their hairballs, digestion will be a lot easier for them and they will be better able to absorb nutrients from their food.
Throughout your cat’s life, follow these five steps, and you’ll be setting them up for a long, happy life!