.Many people have a cat at home, but do you know what cats like to eat ? What thing will the cats do in their "free time"?
In General
Your cat can't tell you how it's feeling so you must familiarize yourself with its normal behavior. A healthy cat maintains normal body weight, level of activity, and social behavior. A significant change in any of these is a warning sign.
Getting regular, accurate weights can detect problems early. You can weigh yourself on a bathroom scale with (holding) and without the cat and subtract. This is accurate only to about two pounds on most bathroom scales. For better accuracy, modify a kitchen scale by mounting a bigger platform on it. Train your cat to get on the platform by placing a Pounce or similar treat on it. Any sudden weight change, especially loss, probably means your cat is feeling sick.
Medicines for humans are often used for cats, both prescription and non-prescription drugs (phenobarbitol, lasix, amoxicillin, cold medications, etc.). When you hear that you should never give human medicines to cats, it means that you should not give them without first consulting your vet. Certain very common human drugs like aspirin and especially tylenol (acetominophen) are deadly to cats, so don't give them any kind of medication unless recommended by the vet (note that aspirin can be given in very small doses, but you need to check correct dosage and frequency of administration).
A final cautionary note about this section. This is not meant to be a complete treatise on these various diseases. It is intended to familiarize you with the various major diseases your cat can develop. If your cat has any of these diseases, you should be in close contact with your vet, who will provide you with all the information you need
Veterinary Care
On the vet
Frequently there are postings such as: "My cat is doing , should I take it to the vet?" Or even, "I can't afford to take my cat to the vet, he is doing , what can I do?" The usual answer will be TAKE IT TO THE VET! It is an irresponsible owner who does not consult the vet, even by phone, at the first opportunity. And if you take on the responsibility of owning a cat, you must budget for the vet visits to keep it healthy.
On the other hand, if you already have a vet appointment, or have had the vet look at it and be stumped by the symptoms, rec.pets.cats can be a valuable resource of tips on what might be wrong, or reassurances that the cat is not at risk of immediate death, so do not hesitate to ask the group under these circumstances.
Home vet books
A low-cost method to ease anxieties over non-emergency kitty problems is to get a home vet book. These books also help explain what sort of "deviant" behaviors are actually relatively normal for cats. However, unless you yourself are a vet, these books should never substitute for having a vet for your cat.
Cat reactions
Cats largely dislike being taken to the vet. They hate riding in the car most of all, and the smell of fear and other animals in the office often distresses them further. Get a pet carrier. A plain cardboard one will do for infrequent trips; get a stronger fiberglass one for more travel or destructive cats. Carriers keep your cat under control at the vet's and prevent accidents in the car en route. Popular suggestions to reduce your cat's anxiety during vet visits:
Further steps
From kittenhood, accustom your cat to being handled. Look into its ears (clean, white and light pink), eyes (clear, no runniness, inner eyelids may blink but should remain open), nose (clean and pink (or its normal color) and mouth (clean, light pink gums) regularly. Hold it still and look at its anus; pick up its paws and look at the pads and claws. This will have the added benefit that you will notice any changes from normal quickly and be able to call up your vet if something is wrong.
Do arrange for the kitten to meet plenty of people; this will socialize your cat and it will not hide from people when adult.
Dental Care
Tartar buildup
Cats, like humans, have tartar buildup on their teeth called plaque. An accumulation of plaque can lead to peridontal (gum) problems, and the eventual loss of teeth. Plaque is a whitish-yellow deposit. Cats seem to accumulate plaque primarily on the exterior face of their upper teeth. Reddened gum lines can indicate irritation from plaque.
Some cats are more prone to plaque buildup than others. Some never need dental care, others need to have their teeth cleaned at regular intervals. Many vets encourage you to bring your cat in annually for teeth cleaning, using a general anesthetic. The cost, which can be considerable, and the risk of the anesthesia itself are both good incentives for doing some cat dental care at home.
If you must have the vet clean your cat's teeth, see if your vet is willing to try a mild sedative (rather than putting the cat under entirely) first when cleaning the teeth. If your cat is an older cat (5 years or more) and it must be put under, see if the vet will use a gas anesthesia rather than an injected form.
What you can do:
Brush your cat's teeth once a week. Use little cat toothbrushes, or soft child-size toothbrushes, and edible cat toothpaste (available at most vets or pet stores). Cats often hate to have their teeth brushed, so you may have to use a bathtowel straightjacket and a helper. If you are skilled and have a compliant cat, you can clean its teeth using the same type of tool the human dentist does.
Rootwork
Cavities in cat teeth often occur just at or under the gum line. If your cat has an infected tooth, you will have to have root work done on it. It is typical to do x-rays after such a procedure to ensure that all of the roots have reabsorbed. If the roots haven't done so, then the infection can easily continue on up to the sinus and nasal passages and from there to the lungs. Such infections require long-term antibiotics.
Smelly breath
If your cat has smelly breath, there are various possible causes.
Food
Chocolate: theobromine, which is found in chocolate is toxic to cats. The darker and more bitter the chocolate is, the more theobromine it has. More information can be found in the Summer 1992 edition of Cat Life.
Caffeine: can cause problems for your cat. Do not feed it coffee, Coco Cola, or other foods containing caffeine.
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