Yes, a nice semi-light topic for IMO.... (can ya tell I don't do politics 
)
I would like to hear your thoughts, do YOU worry too much about your cat?
I got thinking about this when I was trying to figure out the best food for Kizzy a while back.
Dealing with his URI, ringworm, and diet changes left me frustrated beyond belief. I was so worried about every little thing, and did NOT enjoy my pet.
Everyone has a relative who has had a cat live at least 13yrs on a diet of the cheapest grocery store food out there.... a food filled with crap if we analyze the ingreds. But the cat is healthy, happy and living a long life.
My aunt, her cats are indoor and she's got a couple outdoor (strays) cats too. Most of them are 12yrs +.....the only shot they get regularly is rabies... they don't see the vet annually, and they are fed a cheap diet. They all look pretty good, shiny coats, and they act like kitties. Does she worry about everything she thinks of feeding them, no. She ENJOYS her kitties.
My "first" indoor cat.... no idea what food I fed him (as far as brands go) but it was cheap and it (OMG) varied from box to box.....with no tummy issues. He ate things he shouldn't have, drank things he shouldn't have (he knew how to party), and I didn't worry if he puked from time to time, coughed, sneezed, etc. I had FUN with my kitty.
I do think had I fed him better, he "might" (big empasis on MIGHT) have lived longer.... but we had a great life together..... he was around 10 when I had to put him down. (honestly, medicine/vet care probally could have saved him had I been able to afford it...but a single mom on welfare does not have a lot of cash floating around)
I really did not enjoy Kizzy when I first got him.... I spent a month worrying way too much. He spent the first month locked in a room because of his ringworm. It finally got to the point that I realised this is not why I got a cat, I just wanted to enjoy my cat.... and yep, I let my RW infected kitty run the house. I figured if we were gonna catch RW ourselves, it didn't matter where the cat was....because the spores would be on my clothes anyways, which I didn't change after feeding/playing with him.
I can't count how many hours I researched, read, posted, etc. about feeding. Which I'm happy to say that I've come to my own conclusions as to what issues I deal with as far as nutrition goes, I go by Kizzy and if he likes a food and does well on it, it's his.
I've started enjoying my cat, without worrying about every little sneeze, cough, loose BM, etc.
and I think by doing so, he's alot happier too.
Knowledge is power, but it also leads alot of people to be too uptight, too anal, too concerned that everything they are doing is right to enjoy their pets.
(don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't seek medical advice if you think your cat may be ill. I'm saying don't sweat the small stuff..... )
Enjoy your pets, be responsible and worry when something needs to be worried about (yes, that is open to personal beliefs) , but above all enjoy them....they will thank you, and you will thank yourself (I know my stress level has gone down since I quit worrying so much).
)I would like to hear your thoughts, do YOU worry too much about your cat?
I got thinking about this when I was trying to figure out the best food for Kizzy a while back.
Dealing with his URI, ringworm, and diet changes left me frustrated beyond belief. I was so worried about every little thing, and did NOT enjoy my pet.
Everyone has a relative who has had a cat live at least 13yrs on a diet of the cheapest grocery store food out there.... a food filled with crap if we analyze the ingreds. But the cat is healthy, happy and living a long life.
My aunt, her cats are indoor and she's got a couple outdoor (strays) cats too. Most of them are 12yrs +.....the only shot they get regularly is rabies... they don't see the vet annually, and they are fed a cheap diet. They all look pretty good, shiny coats, and they act like kitties. Does she worry about everything she thinks of feeding them, no. She ENJOYS her kitties.
My "first" indoor cat.... no idea what food I fed him (as far as brands go) but it was cheap and it (OMG) varied from box to box.....with no tummy issues. He ate things he shouldn't have, drank things he shouldn't have (he knew how to party), and I didn't worry if he puked from time to time, coughed, sneezed, etc. I had FUN with my kitty.
I do think had I fed him better, he "might" (big empasis on MIGHT) have lived longer.... but we had a great life together..... he was around 10 when I had to put him down. (honestly, medicine/vet care probally could have saved him had I been able to afford it...but a single mom on welfare does not have a lot of cash floating around)
I really did not enjoy Kizzy when I first got him.... I spent a month worrying way too much. He spent the first month locked in a room because of his ringworm. It finally got to the point that I realised this is not why I got a cat, I just wanted to enjoy my cat.... and yep, I let my RW infected kitty run the house. I figured if we were gonna catch RW ourselves, it didn't matter where the cat was....because the spores would be on my clothes anyways, which I didn't change after feeding/playing with him.
I can't count how many hours I researched, read, posted, etc. about feeding. Which I'm happy to say that I've come to my own conclusions as to what issues I deal with as far as nutrition goes, I go by Kizzy and if he likes a food and does well on it, it's his.
I've started enjoying my cat, without worrying about every little sneeze, cough, loose BM, etc.
and I think by doing so, he's alot happier too.
Knowledge is power, but it also leads alot of people to be too uptight, too anal, too concerned that everything they are doing is right to enjoy their pets.
(don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't seek medical advice if you think your cat may be ill. I'm saying don't sweat the small stuff..... )
Enjoy your pets, be responsible and worry when something needs to be worried about (yes, that is open to personal beliefs) , but above all enjoy them....they will thank you, and you will thank yourself (I know my stress level has gone down since I quit worrying so much).
The way I look at it, as long as they are still eating, drinking, cleaning and using the litter box they are fine. Of course, that is pretty much the same philosophy my parents had with me (except the cleaning part of course) while I was growing up.
They love this, by the way, and usually follow me around and chase my fingers and rings. Sometimes I think I'm so caught up in their care that I simply don't get as much time to enjoy them. 
well said.
