Cats can seem like simple creatures. They snooze a lot of the day away, watch the world go by from the windowsill for much of the rest of it, and of course they curl up with you for petting and love. But as pet parents know, caring for a cat isn't a simple task, and knowing how to feed them, what to ask their vet, and how to protect them can be complicated.That's why we've pulled together the best web tools for cat owners. Some were created by us here at PetCareRx, some were made by other intrepid and helpful pet enthusiasts. See how these tools can make your job as a pet parent a little bit easier.
How Old is My Cat?Knowing your cat's age and what comes along with it can help you with everything from choosing cat food to noticing issues you might want to talk to your vet about.
Which Side of 7 Is Your Cat?ย โ This tool byย
Hillโs Pet Nutritionย asks you to guess your catโs age in human years to help you compare where your pet is in their own lifespan. The easy-to-read graph will show you your pet's age relative to their lifespan, and be sure to click on the โSnapshotโ to find out your cat's real human-year age equivalent. Take a quick look at the advice the tool serves up on nutrition and care as well.
A Cat's Life Span - While not technically a tool, this chart we found on
Catster.com breaks down a cat's age in human year about as simply as one could want. It even shows what differences exist in the expected lifespans of indoor versus outdoor cats. Find you cat's age in the inner white circle, and you'll see the human age equivalent in the outer circles.
Is My Cat a Healthy Weight?Pet Weight Scoreย - This toolย byย
Hillโs Pet Nutritionย proves that a picture is worth a thousand words. Compare your own cat to images of underweight, healthy weight, and overweight cats, and take the mystery out of assessing your cat's weight. Handy charts show you how to determine if ย your cat is a healthy weight from cues from their spine, waist, cheeks, and more.
What Should I Be Asking My Vet About My Cat?Cat Health Checklistย -ย This handy tool atย
PetParents.com (Bayer Health Care)ย poses a series of simple questions about your cat's health. Fill in your answers, and the tool generates a list of questions you can print out and take straight to the vetโs office. The tool will also give you a few recommendations based on your answers about your catโs health, like reminders about when to see your vet.
What if My Cat Gets Lost?Report a Lost Pet -ย This set of tools fromย
PetParents.com (Bayer Health Care)ย let you create a listing for a missing pet and share the information with local shelters immediately. Anyone who finds your cat can use these listings to return your pet to you. You can also create a missing pet poster to place around your neighborhood.
Petlink -
Petlink.net is an internationalย pet microchip registry. If you enter a found pet's microchip number, you'll be able to safely return the pet to their owner.
Is My Cat Protected from Pests and Infections?Flea and Tick Maps and Alertsย - This interactive map from
PetCareRx will show you the threat level from fleas and ticks in your area right now. Just enter your zip code to get data on your area, and you'll also find recommendations for products to keep your cat protected.
Heartworm Map - In the same personalized vein as the Flea and Tick Maps and Alerts,
PetCareRx's Heartworm Map asks for your zip code and delivers up-to-date information on the risk level of heartworm in your area. Find the products you need instantly to keep your cat protected.
We hope you and your cat find the answers you need in these tools!