The expert explained how pet owners can give cats the best chance of enjoying a healthy life
Every pet owner wants the best for their animal so that they can lead a long, healthy life. However, cat owners could unknowingly put their pets at risk if they make one of several common mistakes.
Posting on TikTok under the handle @Amirthevet, Dr Amir Anwary frequently discusses his work as a veterinarian and shares tips for pet owners. In one video, the expert revealed that there are a few mistakes he often sees cat owners make. Introducing his video, Dr Amir told viewers: “Hey cat owners of TikTok.
“My name is Amir, and I’m a veterinarian. I’ve made a list of nine very common mistakes that cat owners make that really affect the quality of their cat’s life, and I want to explain all of those to you guys. So I’m going to break it down in three separate videos, each video focusing on three of these common mistakes.”
He then highlighted three common mistakes in his first video in the series. The expert said: “So the first mistake, and this is a controversial one, is feeding only dry food. Now this is my personal opinion as a veterinarian, but among the most common conditions that cats will suffer with is kidney disease and bladder problems, and both of these conditions are associated with cats being in states of dehydration.
“Now cats are not great drinkers of water. In fact, wild cats, which are still very closely related to the cats we have today, get most of their hydration from the food that they eat, as 80% of their hydration comes from what they eat. So cats are actually not very well designed to eat dry pellets. That’s not what they’re made for.”
Dr Amir continued: “So giving them wet food with their food is absolutely essential, or making sure that you have a water fountain available for them to encourage drinking more water.” For his second tip, the vet claimed many cat owners don’t provide their pets with ‘enough enrichment.’
He explained: “I know it’s very easy to own a cat, and they often don’t need a lot of entertainment or enrichment, or really, you don’t have to do much with them. However, because of that, many cat owners just don’t provide them with any form of enrichment. They still need enrichment. They still need to be stimulated, even if they are indoor cats.
“If they don’t, they’re going to become anxious and develop behaviours that you don’t want. Make sure that they have interactive toys or a windowsill to sit on so they can look at the outside world. Give them some form of enrichment.”
The vet said it is important for cats to get enrichment (Image: Getty)
Lastly, Dr Amir warned against making sudden food changes. “I see this so often,” he shared. “Pet owners will either run out of food, or they will want to change the food brand, and then we’ll just change it from one day to the next. You can’t do that with cats.
“Within one or two days, it will be at the vet clinic, and it will be vomiting, and then you’re going to have to pay an expensive vet bill, which really you don’t want to do. So just keep it in mind, guys, when you’re changing your cat’s diet, always do so over a period of seven days. Sudden diet changes will cause tummy issues, and that’s not something that you want to deal with.”
