Wash your cat's ears ever week, or even more often. Keeping his/her ears clean will prevent ear infections, ear mites, and a host of other potential problems. An average vet bill for treating ear mites runs between $60 - $120. You can pickup a tube of ear mite treatment for less than $10 on sites like Amazon.com. Just follow the directions on the package. As a precaution, I swab my dogs ears out often. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure!

2. Deworm your cat on a regular basis

If your cat spends time outside often, which we hope he or she does, you need to keep on top of deworming them. This is as easy as giving them a pill to eat, or sprinkling some liquid on their food. This can be picked up at your local pet store, and Wal-Mart also carries it. I prefer the liquid kind, as you can easily add it to their food.

3. Don't forget supplements

Just like you and me, cats need vitamins and minerals. The best way to get them what they need is a good cat food, however it is a good idea to supplement any cat food with vitamins.

4. And keep the teeth clean!

There are many products available to keep your cat's teeth in tip top shape. Don't forget, your cat can get cavities too!

5. Give your kitty baths on a regular basis

Giving your cat baths provides a number of benefits, the most obvious one being he or she will not stink up your house. However, there are some other good reasons too. Baths keep fleas and ticks under control, and help keep the skin in good shape. I personally like to alternate between several types of shampoos, a flea and tick shampoo one bath time, and then a medicated shampoo anther time, and finally, a good smelling all purpose shampoo. I feel by alternating between the three types I get the best of both worlds. (please check with your vet first) Be careful though, do not use all three at one time, or they may react with each other. Only use one shampoo type per bathtime.