Growing up, we always had cats. It seems that one of us were always finding and bringing home strays. Our cats were indoor/outdoor cats. But a strange thing happened: our cats would often disappear after just a few years with us. We never knew what happened to them. Were they hit by a car? Were they injured in a fight? We never found out.

1. Get to Know Your Cat

   Get to know how much your cat eats, drinks, uses the litter box. Any changes in this behavior can signal a medical problem. When you pet your cat, feel for any unusual lumps or bumps. Peer into those amazing eyes. Look into your cat's mouth and get to know the color of their gums, paw pads, and inside of their ears. Get to know how much your cat sleeps.

2. Know How to Get to the Emergency Vet

   Cats always seem to get sick on weekends, on holidays, and after office hours. You don't want to be hunting up the emergency vet as your cat is getting sick in your car. Make sure you know how to get to your regular vet and an emergency vet.

3. Teach Your Cat to Come When Called

   Not long ago, we had several tornadoes come close to our home. Amazingly, Simba chose that time to sleep in his catbed on the shelf in our back window — not exactly the safest place in a storm. Because he's been trained to come when called, it was easy to get him and get him into the bathroom.

4. Keep Toxic Plants Away

   Cats often seem drawn to plants that aren't good for them. Even if they seem none-the-worse for an encounter with a philodendron or other poisonous plant, it's unclear whether such exposure may eventually lead to terminal diseases such as kidney disease. Find out which plants are toxic to your cat.

5. Get Annual Check-ups

   Cats are extremely good at hiding illnesses. They can lose several pounds, and you may not even notice. An annual check-up will help you to catch disease before they get to a serious state. After 10 years old, it may be a good idea to bring your cat in twice a year.

6. Say No to Yarn

   What's cuter than a kittens with some yarn? Certainly not a kitten with some yarn wrapped around its intestines. Cats have backwards-facing barbs on their tongues that make it almost impossible to stop eating yarn once they've started. Sometimes it just passes through their system, but other times it can do serious damage requiring surgery. This goes for string, dental floss, and rubber bands, too. And if you see anything hanging out your cat's butt, don't pull it! You could make a bad situation worse.

7. Brush Your Cat's Teeth

   The notion that dry food cleans cats' teeth is an urban legend. One of the best thing to clean cats' teeth is raw chicken necks, but I know that many people are squeamish about that sort of thing. At the very least, you should learn to brush your cat's teeth. When teeth are infected, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and do damage to other organs, such as the kidneys.

8. Keep Your Cat Out of the Garage

   The garage is just filled with danger for cats. Especially if you live in a cold climate, a nice warm engine seems like a great place for kitty to curl up. It's not so great when you start the car and kitty is still sleeping inside the engine. Anti-freeze is toxic to cats (and dogs), but unfortunately it tastes sweet.

9. Enjoy Playtime with Your Cat

   You know the saying that pets resemble their owners? Well, there's an obesity epidemic in pets, just as there is in humans. Contrary to popular belief, neutering does not automatically guarantee you a pudgy kitten. Too little movement and too much food does. We don't look at overweight people and think "how cute!" but we do when we look at our furry friends. Extra weight in our cats can predispose them to all the ills we face: cancer, kidney problems, diabetes.

   Not only will playing with your pet help keep the extra pounds at bay, it'll bring a smile to your face. Shoot for at least half an hour a day. Make it routine to play before meal-time.

10. Keep a Collar & Tags on Your Cat

    Even if your cat is an indoor cat, you never know when a cat can get frightened and bolt outside. Or when a petsitter inadvertently lets a cat escape. Or you're talking at the door, and never noticed your furry friend silently walking past you. Many cats that end up in shelters don't have tags. You may also want to consider a microchip, because even if your cat leaves the house with his tags on, they may not stay on. Lastly, make sure you have current pictures of all your cats just in case.

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