While one of our favorite things about cats may be their generally independent natures, even the most self-sustaining kitty companion will benefit from their humans doing a little routine maintenance to really keep their engine purring. Don’t worry, no dipsticks or fluid changes are required!
#1 Brush Your Cat Regularly
Cats are fastidious creatures; they like to keep themselves clean and often spend a lot of time in that endeavor. Regularly brushing your cat not only improves the appearance of their coat, it also goes a long way to improving their overall well-being, as it can prevent some hair-related health risks.
Benefits of Regularly Brushing Your Cat Include:
- Reducing Hairballs
While we can just pop into the shower, to freshen up, cats must groom themselves and in doing so, they ingest a lot of that hair. When a cat ingests too much hair to easily pass through their digestive system, the result is that dreaded sound that rockets us out of bed at 3am.
Besides being foul to clean up, hairballs can act as a physical blockage in a cat’s GI system, leading to reduced appetites and general discomfort. I see this intermittently in my senior cats, whose GI systems are slowing down with age. When this issue flares up, they receive additional brushing as well as a gel supplement that helps lubricate and dislodge stuck hairballs. - Prevent Painful Matting
Have you ever noticed that very few long-haired wild cats exist? While partly this is a result of domestic cats having been selectively bred for longer coats, another big factor is that long coats can be a liability in the wild. Fur that is frequently subjected to getting wet, muddy, or full of burs is likely to mat, and prolonged or extensive fur matting can be extremely painful.
Our domestic felines may not be as likely to get down and dirty, but even without visible mess, mats can begin to form. As the fur twists and tightens on itself, forming the mat, the skin below is stretched tight. Even slightly jostling a mat can cause discomfort. In severe cases, the only way to remove matting is to shave the fur down to skin level. - Increased Bonding
Cats that are friendly with one another may spend a lot of time mutually grooming, an action that helps reinforce their bonds. We can likewise reinforce the bond with our kitty companions by engaging in regular brushing.
Most short-haired breeds can get by with brushing 1-2 times weekly, but more often is recommended for tangle-prone long-haired breeds. Brushing is also especially important for senior cats, who may find it challenging or even painful to groom themselves fully. There is no upper limit (besides the one your cat reinforces) for how often a cat can be brushed. I find it helpful to keep a brush within reach of my couch, a spot where I and my cats are frequently lounging together.
#2 Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their diet is exclusively meat-based. In their wild days, cats would be consuming their meals as whole prey items, protein-packed and water-rich. Because of this, many domestic cats struggle with maintaining adequate hydration, especially those on kibble-only diets. Pair that with an instinct to avoid still water, and you’ve got a recipe for chronic dehydration and the issues that come along with it (such as kidney disease and urinary tract infections.)
Thankfully, increasing your cat’s hydration doesn’t need to involve IV lines or waterboarding. A change as simple as substituting a can of wet food into their kibble diet and investing in a water fountain can make a big difference. For older cats or those who don’t reliably drink free water, adding additional water to the wet food is a great option.
When choosing a water fountain for your cats, be aware that a little trial and error may be needed to find the style that works best for your cat, as many options exist. In general, aim for stainless steel or ceramic over plastic, fountains that are easy to deep clean, and designs that have an accessible reservoir in the event the power fails.
#3 Trim Their Nails
Even cats with lots of scratching surfaces available will benefit from having their nails regularly trimmed. Cat nails grow in layers, like an onion, with the oldest outer layer falling off over time. Most cat scratcher materials serve the primary nail care purpose of removing loose layers, but not so much to shorten or dull sharp claws. Unless your cat regularly uses hard scratching surfaces, like wooden cat tree posts, or runs across an abrasive surface during play, they will likely need intermittent nail trims to keep the murder mitts in check.
But why are long nails a problem? Long, sharp nails are not only more likely to cause accidental harm to human skin, but they can be a safety hazard for your cat. Long nails more easily get snagged on surfaces and possibly torn out (I had this with my youngest…), they can affect a cat’s gait and cause discomfort, and, if left untended for too long, may even begin to curl and grow into a cat’s footpad. Senior cats are also prone to being less effective at removing old nail layers, which can cause chunky, flakey nails to develop if not managed.
How long you can go between nail trims will depend on your cat, their scratching opportunities, and how willing you are to be pincushioned when they stretch up your leg to say hi. For my younger cats, it has been as frequent as every two weeks and every month or two for my seniors.
#4 Play with Your Cat
Like as soon as you finish reading this post. Playing with your cat is CRUCIAL to your cat’s well-being. From keeping them physically active to providing mental stimulation, play is one of the best and most enjoyable things we can do to keep our cats healthy.
Tips on How to Engage Your Cat in Play
- Try a variety of toys to discover their play/hunting style
Some cats are mousers, and some prefer leaping for birds. Some love toys that make noise, while others may be scared of unfamiliar sounds. Finding what triggers their “killer instinct” is key to enthusiastic play. If you’re not sure what your cat will like and are hesitant to purchase new toys, check out my list of favorite DIY Cat Toys for free/cheap trial options! - Rotate the toy selection
Like many of us, cats generally are more engaged with novelty. Rather than have all of their toys out at once, consider rotating through the selection, keeping a smattering of maybe 5 various types of toys out and storing away the rest. When you notice your cat hasn’t interacted with a toy in a while, swap it for a “new” one. I do this, particularly with my big enrichment toy purchases, the tunnels, and our Ripple Rug. - Use toys, and move them in a realistic fashion
Wand toys are a staple in playing with cats. Excellent for encouraging lots of movement, safe for engaging cats who tend to get a little handsy, and with a variety of lures to choose from, what’s not to love?
The trick that we sometimes overlook with wand toys is moving the lures in a manner that triggers our cats’ hunting response. Too much movement, as well as too little, can lead to a loss of interest. Think about how a mouse moves across a space, they generally scurry, pause, assess, scurry. Applying similar irritating movement to wand toys better replicates a prey item, and generally gets a more potent pouncing response. - Don’t forget brain games!
Sure, maybe your cat doesn’t want to learn a whole circus act, but cats are just as trainable and in need of proper mental stimulation as their canine counterparts. Two of my cats are pretty solid with sitting for treats and working their way towards a consistent “give paw.” Challenge yourself and your cat to go beyond physical play and see what they are capable of!
One of the easiest and most recognizable forms of brain games is a food puzzle. Anything that makes your cat have to move around, sniff around, or uncover their kibble or treats can be a puzzle and great mental stimulation.
Now, obviously, the list of things we can do to improve our cats’ well-being could go on and on. But adding even just these three simple things to your cat’s regular routine will get things off to a great start!