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So you have a new kitten — congratulations! You’re about to embark on a pet ownership journey that could span several decades. But if you’ve never owned a cat or kitten before, you may have questions about how to keep your kitten healthy and thriving. Use our guide to get started, and welcome to pet parenthood.
When you choose a veterinarian, you’re choosing a partner in your kitten’s health care. Scheduled vaccinations and yearly examinations mean that you’ll see your veterinarian on a regular basis, so choose wisely. When researching veterinary clinics for your cat, make sure to do the following:
Owners should have their cats spayed or neutered unless they plan to show or breed them. Veterinarians advise spaying or neutering by at least 6 months of age. Consider the following:
Each year, millions of cats are euthanized because the new cat population far exceeds the number of homes that can be found for them. Here’s why you should consider spaying or neutering your kitten:
While we hope your kitten experiences few, if any, health issues over the course of her life, it’s smart to familiarize yourself with common cat ailments. Use our guide to some of the most common medical issues that can affect kitten health. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to notice when your kitten isn’t feeling well.
Most common in warm spring and summer months, these pinhead-size insects can be active all year long. Fleas can jump onto your cat, lay their eggs, breed, and spread to your furniture and to you, looking for blood. In addition to causing discomfort and scratching in many cats, fleas can transmit parasitic or infectious diseases, including tapeworms. A severe flea infestation may, in turn, cause anemia (low red blood cell count) and/or allergic dermatitis, a skin allergy characterized by itching and irritation. Though some cats become irritable and scratch, others have no visible signs of discomfort.
Luckily, flea prevention treatments are numerous and easy to give:
Hairballs are tube-shaped, brown masses of hair fibers. When cats clean themselves, they swallow fur. Because hair isn’t digestible, it either passes through and ends up in the litter box or it is vomited.
Cats that pass hairballs more than once a week or that pass foul-smelling hairballs may have a serious underlying health problem. See your veterinarian if your cat experiences frequent hairballs.
Here’s how to help prevent hairballs in your kitten or cat:
Feline lower urinary tract disease is a potentially fatal, painful inflammation of the lower urinary tract that can be caused by viruses, bacteria, diet, decreased water consumption or urine retention.
Symptoms include blood in the urine, difficult and frequent urination (often in small quantities), inappropriate urination, lack of energy and loss of appetite.
You can help your cat maintain proper urinary acidity and magnesium levels through a properly balanced diet that helps promote urinary tract health.
Fiber isn’t just for humans — it’s an important part of balanced nutrition for cats, too!
But how much fiber do cats need, what kinds should they be eating and how can you make sure they’re getting the right amount for their bodies?
Cats and humans both need fiber in their diets, but that doesn’t mean cats should be eating the same amount as humans. People are growing more aware of the importance of fiber in our own diets today — and while it’s good to think about your cat’s fiber intake too, it’s important to remember that cats have different dietary needs than humans.
Cats have a much shorter digestive tract than humans, and unlike humans, cats are carnivorous, so their nutritional needs are better satisfied with mostly animal-based ingredients rather than plant matter.
Nondigestible fiber supports cat health by providing bulk that helps move food through the digestive system. This fiber is largely made up of carbohydrates that cats can’t break down in the same way they digest protein or fat. This undigested matter helps usher food through your cat’s system at a healthy pace that lets them absorb the nutrients in their food and eliminate waste comfortably. Higher levels of nondigestible fiber can even help address specific conditions like frequent hairballs.
Fiber can’t be broken down and digested like proteins and fats, but some kinds can be fermented (broken down by bacteria) in your cat’s digestive system. This breakdown produces short-chain fatty acids, which provide energy to your cat’s intestines as it is fermented.
Fiber sources used in pet foods include cellulose, which is poorly fermentable; beet pulp, which is moderately fermentable; and gums and pectin, which can be highly fermentable. Appropriate levels of moderately fermentable fiber, such as beet pulp, provide the benefits of energy for the intestinal lining and bulk without the negative effects of excessive stool or gas. That makes them ideal for the health and comfort of most cats!
While a high-fiber diet can be part of a weight-loss solution for humans, our research has found that it’s not as helpful as a weight-reduction option for cats.
High levels of poorly fermentable fiber in cat food dilute the calories and nutrients in a serving and may make your cat feel fuller. Unfortunately, high fiber content can also increase the rate at which food passes through your cat’s digestive tract, making it harder for them to digest other nutrients in their food. They may be going to the litter box more often, but that doesn’t mean their digestive system is working more efficiently.
When choosing a pet food, remember that cats and humans need different things from their food. All IAMS™ cat food products are made with the right amount of moderately fermentable fiber needed to promote intestinal health. Use the IAMS™ Cat Food Selector to find a recipe tailored to your cat’s unique needs.
