Mary Allen
Regular walks in the fresh air are a real boon for a cat’s psyche. However, when it comes to health, outdoor cats are exposed to certain health risks that indoor cats need not fear. What is the best way to take care of the velvet-pawed free spirit so that he stays healthy for as long as possible?
The average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is less than that of indoor cats. This is because the fur noses are more likely to have an accident outside or to injure themselves during territorial fights with other dogs. In addition, their health can suffer from parasites and pathogens transmitted by wildlife.
Additional Vaccination Protection for Outdoor Cats
Cats can become infected with rabies or the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) from wild animals and infected conspecifics outdoors. The latter can cause feline leukemia. Vaccination against rabies or leucosis is not absolutely necessary for indoor cats but is mandatory for outdoor cats. Due to the high risk of infection, it is also important, both for outdoor cats and for the health of indoor cats, that they are vaccinated against cat cold and cat disease as kittens.
Be Careful of Ticks, Fleas, Mites
In addition to vaccinations, outdoor cats need additional protection against fleas. Spot-on preparations keep the four-legged tomboy from catching the pesky beasts. You can also use some products to prevent ticks on cats. You can prevent a mite infestation in cats primarily through hygiene and cleanliness in the household as well as through special powders or also spot-on preparations. Sometimes, however, it cannot be avoided that cats bring stowaways with them from their excursions that have bitten their skin. To avoid inflammation or infection, you should remove ticks from cats, preferably as soon as possible.
Deworming for Health
As outdoor cats, they also need worming more often than their conspecifics, who essentially stay indoors. Kitties can catch various worms from wild animals and infested fur noses, as well as from eating mice and other prey. This should not be taken lightly, as a worm infestation can lead to various secondary diseases if left untreated. Worms in cats can be treated well if detected in good time.
If you notice the parasites in the cat’s feces, you should immediately carry out a wormer treatment. If she also seems listless, apathetic, listless, and does not want to eat anything, an immediate visit to the vet is advisable. Deworming can be carried out not only when required, but alternatively also regularly. This is recommended if the velvet paw mainly does its business outside so that a stool examination is not possible. Tablets or spot-on preparations that you give your cat every three to four months are sensible health protection in this case.