Cat Health Problems Blog

In the previous article we looked at some of the ingredients in a well-known brand of cat food and learned how unhealthy and even positively harmful these ingredients can be for our cats.

I know from my own experiences with my pets just how important diet is. In my first article, I mentioned how my dog, Benji, died of congestive heart failure. It wasn’t until it was too late that I learned the role that diet played in his illness. Like many people, I fed him what I thought was one of the healthiest foods. It was one of the most popular brands and it certainly wasn’t the cheapest. He ate it, so I thought it was good for him – it wasn’t.

My cat Tinkerbell was returned to the shelter (before I found her) with a severe urinary infection – the direct result of being fed a very poor, exclusively dry food diet. When I adopted her she was being fed  a special science diet for the urinary tract and I was advised to keep her on that diet for the rest of her life. Fortunately, I now know better and I consulted my own veterinarian, who has a holistic approach. She advised me to feed her food that was grain free to keep her urinary tract healthy. As we saw in the previous article, most of the cat foods that are available mainly consist of grains. I’ve been feeding her grain-free food for the 2 ½ years that she’s been with us and she is as happy and healthy as can be. She’s never had a litter box problem, her coat is healthy and she’s very energetic and happy (as you can see).

 

So what is the healthiest food to feed your cat? Most experts who understand the role of diet in pet health (unfortunately that doesn’t include the majority of veterinarians) agree that the best food is food that you prepare yourself. In particular, most dietary experts recommend a raw food diet for your cat or dog. Raw meat in particular – fish is probably better cooked because of the level of toxins in fish these days. They also recommend some raw vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus (my cat Flugel loves asparagus), carrots and even lettuce. Fruit is also good – Flugel also loves bananas, grapes, cantaloupe and other fruits!

The meat or fish doesn’t have to be raw. It  can be cooked, but vegetables should be raw as many important nutrients can be lost through cooking.

There are some healthier foods available now in pet stores, and we’ll look at those in a bit more detail later on. The most important thing is to be aware of how diet affects your cat’s health problems. Feeding your cat a healthy diet will support a strong immune system and provide the nutrients needed for every body function.

Technorati Tags: Cat Care, Cat Health Problems, House Cat, pet health

 

I’ve lived with companion animals for most of my life. When I was younger I had dogs. For the past 13 years or so, I’ve had cats. I lost my last dog to congestive heart failure and what I learned through that experience made me vow to treat my animals differently. I always thought I was giving him the best food (because it was the most expensive and it was widely advertised). I always thought I was doing the best for him by taking him to see the vet regularly, getting all his shots and so on.

By the time I learned that what I had been doing for him turned out to be affecting his health in a bad way, it was too late. But from that experience I was determined that I would apply what I learned to my animals going forward. That has been good news for my cats, because they have benefited from that knowledge and experience, and I have continued to learn and study as much about what affects their health as I can.

I’ve had three cats, let me introduce them to you:

Boots was 8 years old when we adopted her from the Humane Society. She had been in a shelter for 4 years and previously had some liver problems. She died 2 years ago at the age of 17.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We adopted Flugel at the same time as Boots. He was 2 when we adopted him and he’s now 14. Apart from having some issues with his teeth, Flugel had a severe hernia issue. He had a small hole in his diaphragm and ended up with most of his organs (gall bladder, spleen, etc.,) moving through the hole and ending up near his heart. We almost lost him, but he had surgery and everything is back where it should be – now he’s doing very well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We adopted Tinkerbell about 6 months after Boots died, since Flugel was missing her so much and he clearly needed a companion. She was a year and a half when we adopted her and is now 4. Tnkerbell was originally adopted by a family when she was a kitten. She was returned because she wouldn’t use her litter box. It turned out that the reason she wouldn’t use her litter box was because she had a severe urinary infection and was in a lot of pain. Her infection was treated, and fortunately for us, we found her shortly afterwards – she happily uses her litter box and has never had a problem since.

 

 

 

I want to use this blog to bring attention to the main causes of cat health problems and how to treat them. I believe that most health issues can be avoided if people understand what causes them, so your cat can lead a long, healthy and happy life. Boots, Flugel and Tinkerbell will help me as I share information with you – and I hope you will contribute and share your own stories on this blog.

Technorati Tags: Cat Health Problems, House Cat