Recently, my human saw an article on insider.com where the writer spoke with different veterinarians about cats and their owners. It was an opportunity to address some common issues and misconceptions people, even cat owners, have about their cats. Also a few important things that people already know, but don’t often act on.
A lot of really good points were made! And I wanted to elaborate on a few of the issues these vets saw. I thought these facts were the most crucial ones that many cat owners ignore.
Fact: One Litter Box Is Not Enough
The saying goes you need one litter box for each cat, plus one extra. Most people have heard this, but then they still have too few litter boxes. Even my human has been guilty of that — when it was me, Binga and Boodie, we only had three litter boxes, when it should have been four. Now that it’s just me, I have two, one in my human’s bathroom, and one in my photo studio. Ideally, however, they should be located on each floor of a house.
Cats are private, territorial, and very particular about their litter box business. Having an adequate number of litter boxes relieves a lot of feline stress, especially in a multi-cat family. Some cats prefer to do one type of business in one litter box, and the other in a different one, if you catch my drift. (And yes, I am one of those!) Others might be a little touchy about sharing. More litter boxes is always better.
Fact: Hacking Up Hairballs Is Not Healthy
People often shrug off cats hacking up hairballs as just something that happens. But it’s an indication of something else going on. If your cat is regularly tossing hairballs, their digestive systems are having a problem processing the fur they’re ingesting. At the very least, it could be because they’ve groomed more fur than they can handle. You can help with that by giving your cat regular grooming sessions, especially during seasonal changes, when cats shed the most fur. Or it could be another issue, and you should discuss it with your vet if more frequent grooming isn’t helping.
Here’s an interesting note about me. When I was competing and attending cat shows all the time, I never threw up a hairball. That’s because I was being groomed all the time. When the pandemic set in and my human started getting a little lax about my grooming and bathing sessions, I started to throw up hairballs! So yeah, while most of you certainly don’t need to bathe your cats, more grooming is something to work on.
Fact: Free Feeding Is Bad for Your Cat
In fact, it’s really bad for both cats and humans. If a human snacks all day, they’ll put on an unhealthy amount of weight. So will your cat, if you leave out food all day. Cat food should always be carefully measured out, and everything counts, including treats, towards keeping a healthy weight.
I get fed just twice a day, an amount that’s appropriate for my weight, plus treats in between meals during training sessions. That’s really all a cat needs. When my human worked at jobs she had to actually go to, her cats got fed before she left and when she came home. Your cat is not going to starve in the hours you are away from the house. There are automatic feeders, if you worry. Just make sure they only dispense the amount your cat needs for the day.
Fact: Dental Disease Is a Real Issue With Cats, So Learn How to Brush Their Teeth
Granted, this may be more problematic with some feisty cats, but it’s true, regular tooth brushing can help keep a cat’s gums healthy. Gingivitis and periodontal disease can start as early as three years for a cat. And inflamed gums can spread infection and disease throughout the body. The more proactive you can be about dental health, the better off your cat will be. And the better off your pocketbook will be since you will have fewer vet bills.
Over the years, my human has used a variety of cat toothbrushes with me, and recently she’s found one that’s really good. The head is tiny enough to fit into a little cat’s mouth (like mine), and the handle is long enough so that you have control while keeping your hands safely away from your cat’s teeth. It’s called Ryercat, and you can find the link here (it turned out they have an affiliate program, so we joined): https://ryercat.com?p=HJ3VZeed2
There are several more things in this article vets wish their cat clients knew. All of them contain valuable information, and you can see the rest here: 11 Important Things Veterinarians Want Every Cat Owner to Know
Other posts you’ll enjoy:
- How Much Does Your Cat Like Their Food, Really? Here Are the Signs
- If Your Cat’s Litter Box Was a Human Toilet
- Cat Dental Health Secrets


Guud tipss Summer….
BellaSita Mum iss carefull with mee foodabullss an treetss….
Shee brushess mee butt mee can beecoem nippy an that scaress her….so shee has a bit of Hairball Gel mee can lick….
As fore teefie brushin…..well mee getss Greeniess Dental Treetss. Mee not let anyoen neer mee mouth.
(Sorry mee iss still ferally……)
**purrss** BellaDharma an **sighss** BellaSita Mum
Wow, thia ia really helpful – all issues I know/knew about but can improve on. It helps with motivation to know you care, Summer!
These are good ideas. Did your human realize immediately why
you were having hairball tosses when you never had before? I bet
she did and felt guilty.
Well Summer, if I’m being honest, I get a B+. I better be pretty good after 60 years with cats. I’m in a rescue and trained to be a vet tech. Just couldn’t handle the euthanasia aspect. I NEVER leave food out all the time. Besides, dry food, no matter how good, is bad for cats for many reasons. You already know that though. I do brush their teeth but it’s not a popular event as both my girls were adopted as young adults. Best way is starting them as kittens. Same with leash training. Anyway, great advice
Great tips! I admit, we only have one litter box. But it’s a small, one story house, and gets scooped after every use, so it’s never been a problem with any of my cats.
Many people don’t realize you need more than one litter box. I can’t tell you how many homes I have been in where their single litter box looks like it should have been scooped two days ago.
Great post. We have lots of litter boxes, but I need to start brushing their teeth and brushing them more. XO
Good info, Summer!
When Da Boyz had their dentals a few months ago, the vet said that even with brushing, these problems will happen anyhow.
Just sayin’… Freya is two and had to have over half her teeth pulled last month because she’s got tooth resorption… so don’t think your kitties are too young for dental problems! She came to me two years ago (I think her gotcha day is tomorrow) with bad teeth; she was nine months old.
We have 4 litter boxes inside, but we do some of our “business” outside and he cleans then daily (no “his dinner” until he does).
He brushes us with a zoom-groom. But we don’t have much loose furs. Marley does. TBT can get handfuls with the wire-brush every day (and Marley purrs during it). For a DSH, he sure makes a lot of furs!
TBT cant even clip our claws, so he wont even TRYy the teef-brush on us. But we visit the vet every 6 months and they do that. TBT should visit his own vet that often. MOL! Though we DO get teef-chewies once a week.