Whether you are someone who believes in vaccinations or not, they are extremely important to the health and well being of your cat. Just as with humans, there are certain viruses that can attack a cat's system if they are not properly protected. Even if your cat never goes outside, they still interact with whoever comes into your home and whatever germs that they are carrying. It is really easier to take your cat to the veterinarian for their vaccinations instead of dealing with all of the bills that come from a sick cat. Ask your doctor about any vaccinations that your cat may need and have them explain them to you if you have any concerns.

Another major decision when having a cat is the question of whether or not you are going to have your cat spayed or neutered. For those who plan on breeding their cats, this is not a major concern, but for those who don't have any plans on breeding should strongly consider these options in order to avoid a lot of complications down the road.

Not only are you protecting your cat from contributing to a litter of kittens that weren't exactly in the cards, but you might avoid a lot of behaviors that occur when a male or female is fertile. As mentioned in an earlier article, when a male or female cat is not spayed or neutered they may demonstrate such behaviors as urination, spraying their spent, and having to deal with a females heat cycles.

Spaying refers to a female cat in which the cat's reproductive organs are removed in order to eliminate any chance of having kittens. By spaying your female cat you will have a more relaxed, active, and happy cat. Neutering refers to the removal of a male cat's reproductive organs. Again, they will not be able to reproduce but you will find that are not as aggressive as when they are unneutered.

Part of having a cat involves keeping an eye on their general health and well being. This is why it's important to have a good veterinarian that you can go to when you have any questions or concerns. You need to be able to ask questions and receive helpful answers; after all you need to keep in mind that your cat's health is at stake.

After many question and answer sessions with your veterinarian as you become accustomed to your cat, you will begin to be able to decipher when something is wrong with your cat. It won't hurt if your make it a regular habit to check out your cat for any indicators that they may have a health problem. Below are the main characteristics you need to look for.

•Eyes: a healthy cat has bright and clear eyes. If you notice any irritation such as discoloration or discharge, you might want to ask your veterinarian.

•Ears: a healthy cat has clean ears that don't stink or have anything icky coming out of them. If you notice that there is any discharge or discoloration your cat might have ear mites. Refer to your veterinarian for questions or how to clean their ears.

•Mouth: a healthy cat has pink and healthy looking gums. Indicators that there might be a problem are stinky breath, swollen gums, or sores.

•Body and Fur: a healthy cat has a thick and lustrous coat. If your cat's coat is not shiny and thick, there might be a health problem that you should check into such as lumps, ticks, dandruff, and fleas.

•Nose: a healthy cat should have a clean nose.

If there is any cause for concern you should speak to your veterinarian immediately.

Even if you keep your cat clean, well fed, and vaccinated there is a good chance that your cat is going to be sick at one time or another in their life. This is similar to people, no matter how hard you try, eventually you get sick.