Feral cats are cats that live their lives wandering loose on the streets or in the wild. These cats are overpopulated and can be a nuisance. Dealing with the problem of feral cats can cost a great deal of money.
Local rescue organizations are a great place to look for a new pet cat. Shelters all over the country are crowded with marvelous cats, and most provide veterinarian care with the adoption fee. When you adopt a cat from a shelter, you save a life and help keep the cat population under control.
Make frequent checkups with your vet to keep your cat healthy. They should get their vaccinations and have a full check up. Try to stay with the same veterinarian throughout your pet’s life. This will ensure they know the history of your cat well.
Don’t use items on a cat that are meant for a dog. Cats usually react negatively to items made especially for dogs. Flea products are a prime example. Canine flea products can be lethal to a cat. Once you use flea prevention products on your dog, it should be kept separately from the cat for hours.
Cats love to squeeze into tiny spaces. A collar can be a dangerous thing to wear in such a place. Therefore, use a breakaway collar that will come undone whenever it’s being pulled very tightly. This will help you save your cat’s life.
Generally, cats love to stay on the counter. Cats have a natural predilection for staking out a nice elevated place where they have a good view of their surroundings. One way to nip this problem in the bud is to give your cat a dedicated perch of their own as an alternative to using your space. Putting a cat tower in or near the kitchen can help keep the cats from laying on the counter.
If you’d like to make an elderly cat’s bed more comfy, stick a heated tile beneath its bed. Allow a terra cotta tile to heat in an oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an old towel to wrap around it, then place it beneath the cat’s blanket or bed. Change every few hours if you like.
You might find that your cat sleeps all day and wants to be active at night. In other words, they’ll be up and about late into the night. Close the door to prevent the noise from getting to you. This will ensure you sleep much better, without cats jumping into bed with you.
If you own a female cat, you should have her spayed when she is old enough. If an indoor cat gets out, you may soon have kittens. The best method of preventing your cat from pregnancy is to get her spayed.
Though cats make great pets for kids, younger kids may be too rough with them. Tell them how to be gentle. Demonstrate how the cat should be petted and handled and encourage your children to be very gentle. Cats have weaker bones than dogs so should be treated carefully.
It can be hard to make your cat stay off the counter. They love to be able to look around from up high. You can get your cat to quit doing this if you make areas that it can climb up to. An excellent tool for preventing your cat from jumping on the counter is a cat tower that is in the kitchen.
Make a tablecloth for your cats. Cats often take food from their bowls to eat on the side. This habit means you will end up with cat food on the floor to clean up. An easy solution to this problem is a placemat underneath the food dish, or a piece of fabric you can easily wash.
Litter Box
Don’t leave a kitten with small kids. Children under five years old should always be supervised when interacting with a pet. Kids of this age aren’t old enough to know how dangerous a cat can be. Find your child’s age of maturity when it comes to handling pets.
Pick a good spot for the cat’s litter box. Put the litter box in a secluded area, and make sure that it is not near the cat’s food. The area should also be well ventilated so that it doesn’t smell too badly. Your cat will appreciate it and so will you.
If you are experiencing an issue with your feline friend, seek advice from others. Although you might want to attempt to handle the problem yourself, other cat owners can provide you with excellent advice that may help you to resolve it. There are also forums on the Internet which cater to cat parents.
Your cat probably spends a lot of time grooming himself to perfection. If your kitty is a long-haired breed, the result of this might be hairballs. To assist your cat if it has this problem, you should get food that’s special. Some cat food out there has a special formula in it that reduces hairballs. This benefits your pet and you.
Cats may make a small mess outside their litter box. It might be happening because you aren’t caring for the box good enough. The cat will be fearful of you if you punish it.
Be careful as small kids may treat kittens too roughly. It is important that you teach children how to properly interact with a new cat. Help them learn how to pick up a cat and care for it. Cats have weaker bones than dogs do, and must be treated accordingly.
Carriers are great devices for you to have as a cat owner. The same response to punishment that you would expect from a dog does not apply to a cat. Encouragement is a much better strategy. Inside the carrier, put a favorite toy and blanket. Leave it open in an area the cat will see. The cat will enter it on its own. Once the cat is in the carrier, they will be so much easier to transport.
Do you own a dog and cat? Dogs often take advantage of dining on the cat’s food. That’s why you should place your cat’s food in a place which is hard for your dog to reach. The added benefit is that you will prevent fights over the other animals food and water when one of them runs out.
If you offer a variety of foods to your cat, it will be less picky about what it eats. If they only eat the same food, they may never eat another food in the future.
Carriers are great devices for you to have as a cat owner. Cats do not respond in the same way dogs do to punishment. They need positive reinforcement. Put a nice blanket inside the carrier then leave it where the cat is most often. The cat will be drawn to the carrier, where it will feel safe and comfy. Transporting your cat inside the carrier will then become much easier.
While a torn up scratching post might look unattractive, do not get rid of it. This is the condition that cats like the most. If you throw it away too soon, that cat may look to your furniture for some clawing while it slowly breaks in a new scratching post.
Pay attention if you cat does not use the litter box. If your cat refuses to use its litter box, there may be an underlying health concern. These problems are generally related to the kidneys and/or bladder. You should take your cat to the vet if you think there is something wrong with your pet.
Give high quality canned food to your pet cat. Dry food is usually cheaper, but canned food boasts a number of benefits. Your cat will get more water and more vitamins and protein. Older cats also find it easier to chew up. Talk to the veterinarian prior to making any big changes; but, usually, canned food is best for your cat.
You should get a collar with your contact information and make sure your cat wears it all the time. Your indoor pet might even get out if you leave a window open. Do everything possible to make sure your cat is returned safely to you in the event it gets out.
If adding an additional cat to your home, give the cats a couple of weeks to get comfortable with each other. They may hide from one another, hiss, or even swat each other. However, if you allow them to slowly get used to each other, they will eventually become friends.
Any difference in the environment of your home is easily detected by the keen sense of smell that your cat possesses. This can be troublesome sometimes if you’re trying to feed the cat new food or give it new toys. The cat may be leery of the new additions at first. After your cat adjusts to the new scent, they’ll be more interested in the new object.
Take your cat for vaccinations often to make sure he or she is healthy. Not unlike kids, kittens require vaccinations and check ups every so often so that they do not get sick. When you have a cat, it becomes a member of your family, so you’ll want to ensure that it’s as healthy as possible.
Beware of panting. Dogs normally pant on a regular basis. Sometimes when cats are upset or too hot they pant, but there are other reasons they can pant too. Contacting your veterinarian is a good idea, particularly for cats that have built up a history of respiratory difficulties over time.
Never make the choice of giving your cat human medication. If your cat is sick, take it to the veterinarian and use the medication recommended. If you give a pet something that it shouldn’t take, you could injure it or even kill it.
Brushing your cat more frequently is the most common way to combat hairballs. If it doesn’t work, though, you have other options. Mix in a few pinches of pumpkin into your cat’s food. Try also mixing in some water from tuna with the pumpkin. Another solution may be to use a cat food that has anti-hairball properties added.
Put tape that’s sticky onto your furniture. This type of tape helps prevent your cat from scratching your furniture if it does this constantly. Some companies make tape specifically for this purpose. The tape throws the cat off when it starts to scratch the furniture. In addition, buy a scratching post to satisfy the cat’s instinctual need to scratch.
Now you should have no trouble helping your cat to have the best life it possibly can. Cats are very loving creatures, once you get to know them. It takes a certain level of basic preparation and know-how to handle a cat properly. Maybe you’ll find one you fall in love with.
Look around your home for holes that can make a cat become stuck. Cats often fit through small openings. Be especially careful with kittens. Take care of this issue when you have a new cat coming into your home. Repair or cover up any holes.