Being a responsible pet owner means learning all you can about proper care, keeping current on health trends, and staying attuned to your pet’s behavior and other wellness indicators. I’ll admit it, that when I was a first time cat mom, I did not know very much about properly caring for a cat. 

 

When I was growing up, my own family always let the cat roam outdoors, fed her lots of dry food, and never scooped the litter box, but instead changed it weekly. Boy did I have a lot to learn! Thank goodness we have the library, and now the convenience of the internet, with virtually no topic off limits if you want to educate yourself.  If you are a new pet owner, I highly recommend learning all you can sooner rather than later. Being a highly informed pet owner will help you give your cat, dog, bird or reptile the best chance at a long, happy life, and it will also guide you in finding the best veterinary care.

 

I will say that probably my biggest regret so far in all my years of caring for kitties is that I fed dry food for so long, and even with the “blessing” of my veterinarian.  After being lectured by a friend, and doing my own research on the topic, I changed my cats’ diets completely to wet food, as it is sooooo much healthier for a cat's kidney function. In addition, I am now much more discerning when it comes to my babies’ veterinary care!