Getting cats in your home is nice, but maintaining the cat's hygienic measures is so necessary to keep this nice relationship.
Neglecting the personal hygienic measures of your cat results in the spreading of bad odors, and increases the chance of susceptibility to the diseases.
So, DR. provet provides you this article to can perfectly advise the cat breeders how to maintain their cats healthy, and also to remind all freshly graduated vets what are the personal hygienic measures that the cat needs.
This article will include:
- Cleaning the cat litter box.
- How can the common cleaning products affect your cat?
- Removal of the everywhere spread cat hair.
- The protocol of cat's hygienic measure.
- How to maintain the cat coat?
- Maintaining the cat claws.
- How to clean the cat's face?
- Maintaining the cat's feeding.
Cleaning the cat litter box
Cleaning of the cat litter box and keeping the cat's toilet clean is so necessary to avoid spreading undesirable odors into the home, including:
- Regular scooping of the cat box at least once daily.
- Rapid dumping of the cat litter just after smelling urine odor, which is the indicator of the time of litter replacement.
- Regular washing the cat litter box once monthly using hot water to kill these odor-causing bacteria.
- Using mild detergents such as dish detergents to overcome undesirable odors and to ensure the complete killing of bacteria.
- Avoid using detergents with citrus odor, bleach, pine-based cleaners, and ammonia that may be toxic for the cat.
- Thorough rinsing of the washed cat box then leave it to be air-dried.
- Sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the box bottom, then refill 3 inches litter box to prevent sticking clumps to the bottom of the cat box.
- The cat litter should be replaced once yearly.
- The odor of the cat can be controlled in several ways, including:
- Pet-specific air purifiers depend on ionizing the air particles (air Naturalizer).
- Odor-removing crystals: they are odorless crystals containing sachets that can be hanged near the cat litter box to overcome the undesirable odors.
- Litter mats are necessary to prevent the spreading of litter, urine, and fecal matter from spreading everywhere.
How can the common cleaning products affect my cat?
Certain detergents and cleaning products have harmful effects on the cat health, including:
- Phenols containing products
Using any products containing phenols such as some types of floor disinfectants, paint removers, and rubber adhesives has a direct negative effect on your cat.
When cats ingest or touch these chemicals, they can be seriously affected by burns.
Also, the liver, kidney, and heart can be damaged due to destroying proteins in cats’ cells.
- Artificial fragrances
Using artificial fragrances may cause both respiratory and skin allergies
- Ammonia containing products
- Chlorine containing products
Using bleach, toilet bowl cleaners containing chlorine can cause serious respiratory, skin, and eye irritation.
When cats ingest the chlorine in such products, it may cause mouth and esophageal burns.
- Permethrins containing products
When cats are exposed to permethrin which is one of the insecticides components of both ant powder or bug spray, they often show some serious signs, including:
Drooling.
Muscle tremors.
Fever.
Seizures.
Staggering.
Dilated pupils.
Naphthalene containing products
When cats ingest naphthalene, it can directly cause vomiting, diarrhea, high water intake, frequent urination, and seizures.
Removal of the everywhere spread cat hair.
Control of cat hair spreading everywhere, including clothes, furniture, and rugs, is one of the most important cat's hygienic measures that should be considered.
Cats always clean their body hair well by licking. But spreading of their hair all over the home can be controlled through:
A lint roller.
A vacuum cleaner with a pet hair remover attachment.
Cat-hair remover glove.
White vinegar.
Rubber broom or carpet rake.
Damp cloth.
The protocol of cat's hygienic measures
Your cat should connect applying personal hygienic measures with happiness.
So, you should be careful of applying the cat's hygienic measures with play, and without any pain.
The cat personal hygienic measures include:
- Maintaining the cat coat
It's a very important step to keep a healthy cat, it should include:
Brushing the cat to remove loose hair is necessary to check for fleas or ticks.
Shower the cat regularly with specific shampoo for and take care to keep water out of the face and ears.
Using a blow-dryer on cool or towel to dry the cat's body after bath.
Use gentle words to offer reassurance.
Giving the cat a treat at the end to love all the previous cat's hygienic measures.
When the cat scratches its ear, it may be a good indicator of a fleas attack.
So, treatment with flea sprays, and using a flea comb are necessary with careful following the written instructions.
Maintaining the cat claws
Trimming the cat’s claws is necessary to avoid its scratched damages without affecting the natural scratching behavior.
It should be painless and applied during playtime using a noisemaker and avoid yelling or swatting.
Trimming the cat claws includes cutting only the white tip of the claw using a guillotine clipper, which is the best tool for trimming the cat claws.
The cat's claws are an indicator of their health. When the cat claws are too hard or too soft, they usually indicate signs of malnutrition or bacterial infection.
How to clean the cat's face?
Cat's eyes can be cleaned by whipping from the inside of the eyelid toward the outside using a sterile compress with eye lotion.
Cleaning the cat's nose with sterile tissue and warm water is necessary to remove any nasal secretions.
The cat's ear should be always clean without any abnormal secretions, it can be cleaned through drizzling an ear solution and massage the outside.
The cat's oral hygiene is necessary to avoid tooth loss and gum inflammation.
Brush the cat teeth using veterinary toothpaste at a young age to make it a good habit for the cat.
Maintaining the Cat's feeding
Cats as well as people can get food poisoning and become diseased by spoiled food.
So, vets should always advise all cat breeders to pay attention to the food provided to their cats, including:
Well, heat-treated if prepared at home.
Valid and good case packages without any damage.
Storage of cat food should be in sealed containers.
The remaining food should be refrigerated.
The dry food should be replaced daily.
Handwashing just after cat feeding is very important.