Health and Safety

Food

Commercial cat foods
High-quality commercially prepared cat foods have been scientifically developed to give your cat the balance of nutrients and calories.

Human food
Never feed your cat human food such as table scraps or bones. Milk is not necessary for cats and may cause digestive upset. Low fat meat is necessary for cats because it produces essential metabolites.

Fresh water
Fresh water must always be available to your cat.

Obesity

Obesity is a serious health problem in cats. Ask your veterinarian to help you
determine the ideal body weight for your cat, and adjust your cat's diet to maintain that weight according to your veterinarian's suggestions.

Detecting illness

It is extremely important that you get to know your cat's regular habits and behaviors. Any deviation from normal behavior could indicate a problem with your cat's health. Some symptoms and behaviors are obvious: diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, runny nose or eyes, and trouble using the litter box. There are other, more subtle, physical and behavioral signs as followings:

• Misses more than one meal
• Shows a sudden change in eating habits
• Stops using the litter box
• Develops puffiness or a lump under the skin
• Hides for more than a day
• Becomes suddenly short-tempered or intolerant of attention
• Shakes his head frequently
• Changes his routine or loses interest in his favorite games
• Stops grooming

*Source: www.HSUS.org