Let’s review a few diseases that seem to “happen overnight.”

Urinary tract infections or urinary distress. Cats are hugely stressed. The typical cat has lost its territory, is being fed a diet nothing like a true carnivore’s diet, forced to share its toilet, and has almost zero daily activity. Cats can develop idiopathic hematuria or stranguria simply from being in their environment. Your veterinarian should have expert advice and tools to de-stress your cat and help if a urinary issue does occur. At least one litter box per cat is essential, some may need to be covered or uncovered, and they must be in various places around the house. Can your cat make it to the litter box when needed?

Dental disease. Cats in the wild crunch on bones and cartilage while eating, which cleans their teeth. Domesticated cats either need a raw diet with bones incorporated into the mix, or home dental care products from a veterinarian. Brushing is always best, but not practical for cats. Water or food additives that act as edible toothpaste are usually a good solution.

Obesity. Over 50% of pet cats are clinically obese. When a 10-pound cat gains one pound this is a 10% weight gain; two pounds is a 20% weight gain! This is equivalent to a 150-pound person gaining 15-30 pounds. Cats do most of their growing by 6 months of age, and rapidly become overweight because of overfeeding, incorrect diet choices and lack of activity. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they do not eat corn, wheat, soy, rice or any other carbohydrate in nature. Dr. Margie Scherk is a popular veterinary speaker who has given the following advice during her lectures: the average 10 pound cat who must hunt for its food will sleep only six hours per day and spend the remainder of the day hunting. It will catch (hopefully) 7-8 mice per day, each mouse averaging 30 calories. This calorie count of 200–250 calories per day is equivalent to 1/3 – 1/2 cup of dry cat food per day.