5 Cat Health Tips Most Owners Don’t Know

What Are the Best Cat Health Tips Most Owners Miss?

The best cat health tips are often the simple ones: feed fewer carbohydrates, use wide shallow bowls, increase moisture, separate water from food and litter, and give your cat more daily enrichment.

Most cat parents want to do the right thing.

You buy the “high protein” food.

You keep out a bowl of water.

You scoop the litter.

You give treats.

You tell your cat they are beautiful, usually while they ignore you completely.

But there are a few lesser-known wellness tips that can make a real difference, especially for indoor cats.

These tips may help support:

• Healthy weight
• Better hydration
• Urinary tract health
• Kidney health
• Lower stress
• Better feeding behavior
• Fewer anxiety-related problems
• A happier, more stimulated cat

Cats are obligate carnivores.

They need animal protein to survive.

Their bodies are designed for high protein, moderate fat, and little to no carbohydrates.

So let us start there.

Dr. Jones’ Ultimate Feline Health Formula

Tip 1: Read the Ingredient List on Your Cat’s Food

The first tip is about food.

I have talked a lot about minimizing kibble or avoiding it completely.

Kibble is usually high in carbohydrates, and cats are not designed to eat a high-carbohydrate diet.

Most cats do far better with high-protein cat food, especially good quality canned food.

But here is the part many cat owners miss:

Many canned cat foods still contain carbohydrates.

Even when the label says “high protein,” you need to read the ingredient list.

I have seen canned foods where the fourth, fifth, or sixth ingredient is something like potato.

And unless you read the ingredients, you would never know.

Why Are Carbohydrates a Problem for Cats?

Cats are obligate carnivores.

That means they need animal protein.

Their natural diet is:

• High in protein
• Moderate in fat
• Very low in carbohydrates

Cats also lack many of the enzymes needed to properly digest and break down carbohydrates.

When they eat high-carbohydrate foods, this can lead to blood glucose spikes.

Cats may not be able to produce enough insulin to properly handle and store all that blood sugar.

This is one reason we are seeing so many cats with problems such as:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Degenerative joint disease

The less carbohydrate, the better.

What Type of Cat Food Should You Look For?

Look for foods that are mostly animal protein.

One example shown was:

98% grass-fed beef and organs

That is the type of food that better matches what cats are designed to eat.

Do not just trust the front label.

Read the ingredient list.

The front of the can is marketing.

The ingredient list is where the truth lives.

Usually in very small print, because apparently cat food labels enjoy making us work for it.

Tip 2: Use a Wide, Shallow Bowl for Your Cat

Your cat’s bowl matters more than you might think.

Look at your cat’s whiskers.

They are wide for a reason.

Whiskers help cats sense whether a space is wide enough to move through, explore, or squeeze into.

If your cat eats from a narrow bowl, their whiskers may touch the sides every time they put their head down.

For many cats, that can be irritating.

It can even affect their feeding behavior.

Best Bowl Type for Cats

Choose bowls that are:

• Wide
• Shallow
• Low-sided
• Large enough that the whiskers do not touch the edges

This can make feeding more comfortable, especially for indoor cats.

A bowl should not feel like a whisker obstacle course.

Your cat already has enough opinions.

Make Feeding More Interesting

Indoor cats need mental stimulation.

Mealtime is one of the easiest ways to give it.

Instead of always placing food in one bowl, you can make your cat work a little.

Not too much.

This is still a cat.

They have standards.

Use High-Protein Treats for Hunting Games

One simple option is freeze-dried chicken.

That is the type of treat I like because it is:

• High protein
• Low calorie
• No carbohydrate
• Simple
• Easy to hide around the house or catio

With Cassian, I hide small pieces of freeze-dried chicken in his catio while I have my coffee.

Then he hunts around for them.

This encourages natural hunting behavior.

Your cat gets to search, sniff, move, and use their brain.

That is far more interesting than just staring at a bowl and judging you.

Try a LickiMat

A LickiMat can also make meals more enriching.

You can spread a small amount of canned food into the mat.

Then your cat has to work a little longer to get it.

This may help:

• Slow down eating
• Make mealtime more interesting
• Give your cat more mental stimulation
• Help clean some material off the tongue

It is inexpensive and simple.

And simple is often where the best cat ideas live.

Tip 3: Prioritize Moisture Every Day

Cats need moisture.

This is one of the biggest cat health points.

In the wild, cats get most of their moisture from prey.

They do not naturally drink large amounts of water the way many dogs do.

That is why canned food can be so helpful.

Good quality canned cat food provides much of the moisture your cat needs.

Cassian drinks very little because he gets most of his moisture from canned food.

That is normal.

Why Moisture Matters for Cats

Adequate moisture may help support:

• Feline lower urinary tract health
• Normal kidney health
• Better hydration
• Prevention of urinary issues
• Possible delay or prevention of chronic kidney disease

Moisture is not exciting.

But for cats, it is huge.

Especially for urinary and kidney support.

What If You Cannot Feed Only Canned Food?

Not everyone can afford or manage to feed exclusively canned or homemade food.

That is understandable.

So do what you can.

You can still support moisture by:

• Offering fresh water daily
• Using a wide water bowl
• Keeping water away from food and litter
• Aerating the water
• Considering a cat water fountain

Small changes can help.

Tip 4: Make Water More Appealing to Your Cat

If your cat has a water bowl, make it cat-friendly.

Use a Wide Water Bowl

Just like with food bowls, the water bowl should be wide enough that your cat’s whiskers do not rub against the sides.

Whisker irritation can make cats less interested in using the bowl.

Change the Water Every Day

Fresh water matters.

Change it daily.

After adding new water, swirl it around a little.

This helps aerate the water, adding oxygen and making it more interesting and potentially more appealing.

It can also help off-gas chlorine that may be added to tap water.

Yes, we are now swirling water for cats.

This is what love looks like.

Keep Water Away From Food and Litter

This was one of the newer things I learned about water placement.

In nature, cats would usually drink from a water source away from their food and away from their bathroom area.

Many of us place the water beside the food because it is convenient for us.

But that may not be how a cat thinks.

So try placing the water:

• Away from the food bowl
• Away from the litter box
• In a quiet, accessible area

This can encourage better drinking behavior.

Consider a Water Fountain

Some cats prefer moving water.

A water fountain may encourage them to drink more.

This can be another helpful option for cats that need more hydration support.

Tip 5: Reduce Stress With Cat-Friendly Enrichment

Cats are intelligent animals.

They need their brains stimulated.

If a cat is indoors all the time with very little enrichment, stress and anxiety can build.

Lower anxiety is linked with a much lower incidence of serious disease, including feline lower urinary tract disease.

So enrichment is not just entertainment.

It is health care.

With whiskers.

Use the Slow Blink

One simple bonding tool is the slow blink.

Here is how to do it:

1. Make soft eye contact with your cat.
2. Slowly blink.
3. Look away.

Your cat may interpret this as a sign that you like them, love them, and are not a threat.

It is a simple way to communicate safety and trust.

Of course, your cat may also interpret it as:

“Human is blinking strangely again.”

Still worth doing.

Use Unscented Litter

Your cat’s sense of smell is much stronger than yours.

Scented litter may smell nice to you.

To your cat, it can be overpowering.

The better choice is an unscented, more natural litter.

Cassian uses a natural cat litter made from crushed walnut shells.

Nothing else added.

Just crushed shells.

It still has reasonable odor control and is not overwhelming for him.

So yes, get rid of scented litter.

Your nose is not the only nose in the house.

Give Your Cat Safe Outdoor Time

Outdoor time can be excellent enrichment when done safely.

Cassian now has a harness and leash.

He gets to spend time outside once or twice a day.

He likes walking around on the lawn.

This gives him:

• New smells
• New sounds
• Safe exploration
• Exercise
• Mental stimulation

For an indoor cat, this can be a very positive addition.

Give Your Cat High Places to Climb

Cats love being up high.

It lets them climb, look down, and observe their world.

For Cassian, I added some wood from outside across shelves so he has higher places to climb and explore.

This makes his indoor life much more enriching.

High spaces can include:

• Cat shelves
• Window perches
• Cat trees
• Safe shelves
• Climbing areas

Cats like to be above the action.

Possibly because they enjoy supervising.

Possibly because they think they are royalty.

Both are likely.

Best Cat Health Habits by Goal

Goal	Helpful Habit
Support healthy weight	Feed low-carb, high-protein food
Support diabetes prevention	Avoid high-carbohydrate foods
Support urinary health	Increase moisture and reduce stress
Support kidney health	Feed canned food and encourage hydration
Reduce feeding stress	Use wide, shallow bowls
Encourage mental stimulation	Hide freeze-dried chicken treats
Slow eating	Use a LickiMat
Encourage drinking	Separate water from food and litter
Lower anxiety	Use slow blinking, safe outdoor time, and high places
Improve litter comfort	Use unscented natural litter

Final Thoughts

These five cat health tips are not complicated.

But they can make a real difference.

• Read the food label.
• Feed high-protein, low-carbohydrate food.
• Use wide, shallow bowls.
• Make moisture a priority.
• Keep water fresh and away from food and litter.
• Use unscented litter.
• Add enrichment with hunting games, a LickiMat, outdoor time, and high places to climb.

And do not underestimate the slow blink.

Your cat may not admit it.

But they may appreciate it.

Possibly.

Cats need food that matches their biology, water habits that match their instincts, and an environment that keeps their brain active and their anxiety low.

That is good cat care.

Simple.

Practical.

And approved by Cassian, although he has not signed anything formally.

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P.S. If you do only one thing today, read your cat’s food label.

Even canned foods labeled “high protein” may contain hidden carbohydrates.

For cats, the less carbohydrate, the better.

P.P.S. Move your cat’s water away from the food and litter box.

That one simple change may make water more appealing.

And yes, your cat may still act like it was their idea.

P.P.P.S. For indoor cats, enrichment is not optional.

Hide a few freeze-dried chicken treats, try a LickiMat, give them a safe high perch, and use the slow blink.

A less stressed cat is often a healthier cat.