Most pet owners have a good supply of products that they need on a daily basis to care for their pets. However, in instances where pets behave abnormally, there's sometimes a need for different items that you don't necessarily have at home. Being prepared for these events can save you the time and energy of having to rush out of your house to get something to soothe your cat. Here are three things you should always have on hand to care for your cat when things go wrong.
Nutritional Gel
Cats can be finicky eaters, but sometimes cats won't eat at all. In these instances, you should always see a veterinarian. In the meanwhile, however, it's important to get as much nutrition into your cat as you can. This is where nutritional gel comes in.
Nutritional gel is sold at most pet stores and is designed to contain a large amount of calories and vitamins. This includes taurine, which can't be produced by a cat's own body and is a necessary nutrient in their diet. Since nutritional gel contains a lot of calories per each small dose, just getting a few teaspoons into your cat can help to keep it going while you're waiting to see your vet.
Hairball Treats
Every cat gets a hairball from time to time, but just because your cat has coughed up a hairball doesn't mean the ordeal is over. In many instances, a cat will only vomit up a portion of the fur it's consumed, while some of it breaks off and remains in the intestines. In these instances, it's a good idea to have hairball treats available in your home.
Hairball treats are designed to help ease the passage of hair in the intestines out of your cat's body. This can help to prevent a gastrointestinal blockage, which can be life-threatening.
No-Mark Spray
Lastly, even the best-behaved cats will sometimes act out and urinate or mark surfaces inappropriately. This behavior typically comes out when a cat is feeling stressed or when there are un-fixed feral cats in the neighborhood. Scolding a cat isn't particularly effective, but thankfully there are products sold in pet stores that can help.
No-mark sprays are designed to prevent cats from peeing or spraying in areas you don't want them to. They not only break down existing urine stains so that cats aren't encouraged to keep urinating there, but they also contain scents that deter cats from trying to go in the same area again. Since time is of the essence in getting rid of stains and scents of cat urination in your home, it's better to have these products already in your home, even if you typically don't have a problem with your cat inappropriately urinating.
While these situations may not happen to you every day, if you ever find yourself in these circumstances, you'll be glad to have a solution available to you right away. To learn more, contact a pet supply store like Mid Cape Pet and Seed Supply, Inc.
