I live with a six-month-old cat named Pretzel who likes to sprint from one side of my apartment to the other and sometimes pounce on me with his claws out along the way. He’s the first pet I’ve ever had, and living with him is mostly a joy. But because he’s my first pet, I’ve often been uncertain of what to do: am I feeding him too much or too little? Do I need to brush his teeth? And what do I need to do to make sure he stays healthy?
I hesitate to use the analogy of car MOTs to checking whether a cat is 'road-worthy' since the last thing we want is for our cats to feel free to dance around on the highways, but?the principle of ensuring that your pet gets an annual health check is an important one.
Cats spend a lot of their time grooming and anything that interferes with that process, such as neck pain or a sore mouth, will indirectly affect coat quality.
This may involve either the bowel or the urinary tract and it is important to differentiate between the two, particularly in male cats. Urinary obstruction is not uncommon in males and could quickly turn into an emergency that requires immediate veterinary treatment