The first important step is diet. Animal health has decreased since the arrival of pet food in the mid-1900's. Before this time, it was uncommon to see the myriad of diseases in animal nutrition that we now see today.

The second important step is a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways to allow your pet to have a healthy lifestyle. This includes appropriate water, exposure to outdoor air, and keeping your cat indoors as much as possible (indoor only cats are known to live longer). To allow your cat fresh air, take your cat out on a leash and do not allow your cat to roam an area where it can get bites from ticks or other insects. We have always brought our cats out on a leash and held them or allowed them to stay on a screened in back porch. This gives your pet plenty of sunshine and fresh air without the risk of cars and disease carrying insects.

The third is to watch your cat for any signs or symptoms of disease so you can catch it early. A knowledgeable pet owner who can quickly notice a problem and treat it can catch illness early and therefore slow or stop the progression of disease.

The fourth is to stay knowledgeable about ways to care for your cat especially in the area of nutrition. This requires reading books that will allow your cat to live to be a healthy old age. My cat lived to be 22 years old! We switched her diet off of the mainstream commercial pet foods at the age of 17. She was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 16 (I believe this was due to the commercial pet foods we were feeding her) and she had a tumor removed at the age of 17 (again poor nutrition probably had a lot to do with this). My cat lived 6 years with kidney disease - The University of Madison Veterinary Hospital considered this record breaking in their facility. They had never seen a cat so healthy with the disease and they had never seen a cat live as long with the disease as she did! We used many of the health tips in Dr. Pitcarin's book such as adding appropriate amounts of vitamin supplements. I also followed the advice in the book Food Pets Die For and had I known and applied the advice about a cats diet offered in the Cat Health Secrets E-book early in her life, my cat could have possible lived even longer!

Please care for your cat or kitten no matter what stage of life they are in and you will give your pet a happy and healthy long life! It is easy to make a few simple adjustments to cat's nutritional diet and prevent your cat from experiencing the many health problems cats succumb to later in life when they are on a commercial diet. There are some nutritionally sound food you can buy (use the tips found in the following books), or you can make your pets food.

The fifth most important step is to Buy and read these 3 books:

1. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats Author: Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn

2. Food Pets Die for: Shocking Facts About Pet Food Author: Ann N. Martin

3. Cat Health Secrets E-bookTips to Allow Your Cat to live to be 20-30 years of age!

A tip: Read the following books to find out how to make your cat a healthy and balanced diet. Also, be sure to buy organic meat when creating your cats pet food.