In my last post over at Scratchings and Sniffings, we discussed the "Sensitive Cat Syndrome".
I attended a lecture given by Dr. Tony Buffington on this subject last week at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando. Florida. Needless to say this lecture had a big impact on me and got me thinking about cats in a different way. I guess you could say I've been thinking like a cat lately and for a dog person at heart I have an entirely new perspective. now.
I've always been an advocate of keeping cats indoors. I never thought though, how much of an impact a cat's environment can have on their health. I'm now a convert to the notion of Feline Enrichment. Before I went to the lecture of the same title last week I'm not sure I could have told you exactly what feline enrichment is all about.
Now, with the help of a really informative website from the Veterinary College at The Ohio State University, we can all become highly informed feline enrichment experts. We've spent a good deal of time dealing with litter box issues and behavior issues with cats, on the blog.
We've even covered most of the more common disease issues faced by our feline charges, but we haven't spend a lot of time asking how we might prevent some of these problems in the first place. Well, feline enrichment might be just the ticket on that front.
The Indoor Cat Initiative website is a one stop shop on feline enrichment and so much more. The information on this site will have you thinking of the world through the eyes of your cat. You'll learn how to create a safe, secure and stimulating indoor environment for your feline. You don't have to expose them to the dangers of the outside world for them to have an interesting and stimulating life.
Providing for their unique needs in an indoor environment can help keep them healthy. The right lifestyle and the right surroundings are just as important to their overall health as vaccinations, dental care and annual physical exams.
Spend an hour or so on the website. You'll probably end up going back often and recommending this site to your feline fawning friends. Take some of the ideas and put them to work in your own home. It'll be a better place, and a healthier place, for both you and your cat if you do.