Many cat owners have found that their pets are most content when they are able to spend time outside of their homes on an at-will basis. Although veterinarians relay many valid precautions to outdoor-cat owners, your outdoor-cat care routine needn't be excessively burdensome. Follow these five basic animal medical care tips to keep your outdoor cat friendly, active, and ready to play.

1. Give Your Cat Routine Flea Treatments - Normally, indoor cats only need preventative flea treatments that can be administered at animal medical care clinics or at home. Outdoor cats will have many more opportunities to come in contact with fleas and have their fur infested with the pesky, biting creatures. Your outdoor cat should be visually inspected for fleas as often as possible, because each trip outdoors brings about the possibility of fleas being carried into your home.

2. Check Your Outdoor Cat for Worms - Cats can be affected by worms that live in their digestive tracts or even their lungs. You can take a glance at your cat's litter box to check for outward signs of worms, but the best way to protect your pet is scheduling preventative appointments with a local animal medical care clinic. A veterinarian can check your cat's weight and determine if de-worming is necessary.

3. Get Your Cat Micro-chipped - If your cat is going to be allowed to roam the neighborhood, and come in and out of your home via a cat door, micro-chipping your pet will help to keep your furry friend safer. In the event that your cat becomes injured, or it somehow wanders into a different town, micro-chipping will enable you to find your pet swiftly, safe and sound.

4. Provide Your Cat with Routine Meals - Although outdoor cats may be superb natural hunters, your pet shouldn't be reliant on getting its meals from anywhere but home. Avoid having your cat digging in the garbage for scraps by setting out all meals indoors at the same set times. You cat will not need emergency animal medical care for poisoning or undernourishment if you feed your pet regularly.

5. Have Your Pet Neutered or Spayed Early On - Pets that roam free are likely to socialize and interact with other animals freely, including those who are in heat. Have your animal spayed or neutered, so you don't wake up to a litter of newborn kittens under your front step. Your outdoor cat can take care of itself much more efficiently than trying to fend for a litter of kittens.