{"topic_id":"companion_cat_grooming","category":"companion-grooming","context":"---\ntopic_id: companion_cat_grooming\ncategory: companion-grooming\ntitle: \"Cat — grooming (grooming is part of routine care; dental care: brush teeth + regular vet cleanings)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version (merckvetmanual.com). First-hand consumer text saved to source_file; C1 substring-verified. Pulled/extracted 2026-08-01.\"\nsource_file: /home/cai/notes/knowledge/side-projects/petfood-data-station/pdf-raw/companion-care/cat_owner_combined.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-01\ntokens_estimated: 520\nverification:\n  method: substring_match\n  claims: 12\n  passed: 12\n  date: 2026-08-01\nrecovered: false\npath: companion-grooming/companion_cat_grooming/01_companion_cat_grooming.md\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), pet owner version\"\n  title: \"Cat — grooming (grooming is part of routine care; dental care: brush teeth + regular vet cleanings)\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/caring-for-cats/routine-health-care-of-cats\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-08-01\"\n  ref: \"Routine Health Care of Cats (Merck pet-owner version)\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary manual (consumer version)\"\n  needs_review: false\n---\n\n# Cat — grooming (grooming is part of routine care; dental care: brush teeth + regular vet cleanings)\n\nSource: first-hand Merck Veterinary Manual pet-owner text, saved to `source_file`; every claim below is a C1 byte-substring of it.\n\n## Claims\n\n- `This includes visits to the vet for vaccinations, controlling parasites, proper dental care, providing good nutrition, grooming, and keeping your cat safe from dangers in the home.`\n- `Cats need dental care throughout their lives.`\n- `You can help keep their teeth and gums healthy by brushing their teeth and scheduling regular dental cleanings with the vet.`\n- `Good dental care helps prevent plaque buildup, which can lead to gum disease and tooth loss.`\n- `Your veterinarian can advise you on how to brush your cat's teeth and whether other oral care is needed.`\n- `Does My Cat Need a Water Bowl? Always provide multiple bowls of fresh, clean water for your cat, and be sure to clean them daily.`\n- `However, you must keep the litter box clean, or your cat might refuse to use it and soil outside the box.`\n- `You should scoop every day and clean the entire box at least once a week.`\n- `The more cats that are using the litter box, the more frequently it needs to be cleaned out and the litter replaced.`\n- `How Can I Make My Home Safe for a Cat? Follow these guidelines to make sure your home is safe for your cat: Keep harmful items that are easy to eat, such as cleaning supplies, electrical cords, and small items (like sewing needles and dental floss), out of reach.`\n- `The American Animal Hospital Association and the Feline Veterinary Medical Association have published guidelines for vaccinating cats.`\n- `You can help keep their teeth and gums healthy by brushing their teeth and scheduling regular dental cleanings with the vet.`\n\n---\n\n**Source:** `pdf-raw/companion-care/cat_routine_health.txt` · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/caring-for-cats/routine-health-care-of-cats\n","sources":["companion-grooming — Cat — grooming (grooming is part of routine care; dental care: brush teeth + regular vet cleanings) (retrieved 2026-08-01)"],"source":{"authority":"companion-grooming","title":"Cat — grooming (grooming is part of routine care; dental care: brush teeth + regular vet cleanings)","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/caring-for-cats/routine-health-care-of-cats","retrieved":"2026-08-01","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version","verification_file":"/home/cai/notes/knowledge/side-projects/petfood-data-station/pdf-raw/companion-care/cat_owner_combined.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version","source_file":"/home/cai/notes/knowledge/side-projects/petfood-data-station/pdf-raw/companion-care/cat_owner_combined.txt","tokens_estimated":566,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}