#GetHealthyHappy, Stay Healthy Happy

As the last post in the #GetHappyHealthy initiative, I wanted to provide a quickie recap of the topics covered to date, and remind you of the $10 cat food rebate available to I HAVE CAT readers.

The importance of the right nutrition for your cat (s)

Making heads or tails of cat foods is not faint of heart. As I mentioned in my post on the importance of mealtime, I have a juggling act going on twice a day with a cat that’s thin, one that’s fat, and and one that’s “juuuuuust right” (or close-enough!).

I cannot pretend to have the answers. I used to free feed and now the kids eat twice a day under struck supervision (so no one – PETIE!!! – steals food). I feel like a traffic cop!

I’m always alternating between feeding all wet, and mixing up wet and dry and experimenting with flavors and brands to find something they will eat and I feel good about in terms of quality and a match for their nutritional needs.

If you missed the post, definitely check it out provides links to useful articles on how to select the best food for your cat, – factors to take into consideration, when you need to consider changing the type of food you are feeding, as well as discussing various feeding option pros and cons.

Check it out here: “Why Meal Time is So Important.“

And if you want to give something new a go, click on the following link to save $10 off Science Diet Life Care products.

Little Extras

Pet health and well-being extends well beyond what they eat. Their mental health is just as important.

Playing with your cats is not only a great work-out for them, but provides mental simulation, confidence building, and bonding. All cats play differently so play with them and find out if you have a stalker, fetcher or just plain cuddler(I wish!).

For other tips on playtime and things to keep in mind, check out my post, “The Importance of Playtime.”

Annual vet visits

There are more dog parents than cat parents in the US, homes with cats are more likely to have multiples. Therefore there more cats as pets than dogs (or more cat fur-children than dog fur-children!).

Despite this, among cat parents 44.9% did not take their feline(s) to the vet in 2011 compared to only 18.7% of dog parents. Now you can argue dogs are more likely to eat things they shouldn’t and spend more time outdoors so may contract illnesses more easily. But I cannot image that could make up for such a huge delta. (Source AMVA.org).

Now add to that, the fact that cats age much more quickly than we do. One of our years is approximately 5 cat years. So missing one vet visit is like missing 5 for us!

My prior post on this topic, “The importance of regular vet visits (for your cat),” provides links to a healthily weight calculator, tips on lowering vet bills through preventative hair, and knowing when a hairball is only a hairball and nothing more serious.

I don’t think I need to tell (but of course this is where I do!) you that cats – okay, dogs TOO! – add immeasurable joy to our lives, and the right care can help ensure that joy lasts as long as possible and that our cats (and dogs) are living the happiest lives possible!

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.TM, but I HAVE CAT only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.