Cats need to eat right and exercise, just like you. Without these basic needs, you could have an unhappy and unhealthy cat. Read the following tips to ensure a long life and healthy relationship with your pet cat.
Make sure you don’t allow your cat to be around drape cords. These can cause your cat to choke if they get a hold of it. They could be seriously hurt or even killed. Make sure that the cords are completely out of sight.
Don’t let your cats play with drape cords. It is easy for the cat to get his head caught among the cords when playing with them. This can definitely hurt them, and it could even kill them. To prevent this from happening, keep any drape cords pinned away from any eyes.
Take your cat in for regular vet exams. In addition to checking the health of your cat, a vet can give him any needed shots. Try keeping the same vet throughout your cat’s life. They will understand your cat and its issues better this way.
If you’re thinking of getting a cat for a pet, you should look to the local shelter. Shelters around the country are overflowing, and the cats there need more humans to help. Adoption fees often include things like spaying or neutering them, shots or other vet care. When you bring home a shelter cat, you will be saving its life and you will be doing your part to help out.
If you own a female cat, it’s crucial to spay it at the appropriate age. It is best to spay your cat, even if you want to keep it as an indoor pet. Spaying the feline is really the optimal way of dealing with this.
Being nocturnal is quite normal for cats. This means that they will be the most active at night time. If you find that your nocturnal kitties are waking you up in the middle of the night, the solution may be as simple as closing the door to your bedroom. They should stay away from you at night and then they will not be able to jump on your feet.
If you have an outdoor kitty, make sure to invest in a break away collar with an identification tag. A lost cat is much easier to locate if they are properly tagged. Have your phone number engraved on the tag.
Often, the best cat medicine deals are found online. You can’t always get it online. However, if your pet gets regular prescriptions for a chronic or ongoing issue, you can often save up to 50 percent by shopping online.
Cats are nocturnal animals. Your cat will probably be very active during the night. If your kittens are keeping you awake into the middle of the night, close the door to your bedroom. It also protects your toes from those crafty midnight pounces.
When purchasing a tiny kitty as gift for the kids, it’s best to establish boundaries well ahead of the arrival. Make sure your children know what rooms the cat can go into and what rooms it can’t. If you’re planning to have an indoor cat, explain to your children that the cat is not allowed to be outside. Setting the rules in advance will ensure your children understand.
Feeding your male cat the proper food can help prevent crystals from forming in his urine. Passing crystals is very painful for your cat, and the vet’s bill will be painful for you. Choose a cat food low in magnesium. Go over the label carefully. Fish is often high in magnesium compared to chicken.
If your cat constantly meows, you need to try to figure out why. You need to learn what their meows mean. Maybe she wants to go out, or maybe she wants to eat. When you pay attention to the cat’s actions and cues, then may grow to understand the cat all the more.
Cats are usually great for kids, but smaller kids may be too rough with them. Guide your kids in handling a feline. Teach them what are appropriate activities and how to gently touch it. Cats have more fragile bones than dogs so it is important to treat them with care.
Do you own a dog and cat? Dogs are known for eating other pet’s food. Because of this, you should make the place that your cat food is in higher up so that the dog cannot reach it. This also has the effect of stopping fights over the water before they start.
Try and figure out why kitty is meowing. After living with your cat for long, it’s easier to interpret its meows. Possibilities include that she is hungry or wants to be let outside. Understand your cat’s preferences, and you’ll be that much better off.
Keep you cat’s old scratching post even if it is beginning to look worn. This is the time when your cats actually most prefer it. If you replace it with something new, your pet might seek out something a little more worn to scratch – like your furniture.
Make sure you are cautious about leaving a young child alone with a small kitten. Particularly if the children are younger than five, they need supervision. They are just not mature enough to understand the danger they can pose for the kitten. As your children get older, you can decide when to teach them about handling a pet.
You need to buy some quality food for your cat. Your cat needs a lot of protein from meat, so read the labels before you choose a food. Try omitting non-protein based foods such as corn from your regular diet. You have a carnivorous cat, and a diet consisting of animal proteins is essential.
Cats feel safest in an elevated location. A cat will only be happy if you give it a safe spot to look over everything. If a big cat tree is not something that can easily fit in your home, get a sturdy shelf that can be used as a perch. Providing a blanket or bed for your cat is an extra treat for them.
If you’re adding an additional cat to your home, give the cats a few weeks to get to know each other. Do not expect an instant friendship. Instead, look for them to hide frequently, hiss and possibly even become physical with each other. Eventually, they will come to tolerate and actually enjoy being together.
Feed your cat several different kinds of food if you want to the lower the chances of them becoming finicky. This will ensure that your cat gets a taste of many different foods.
Litter Box
Buy your cat a fountain it can drink from. Your cat will prefer drinking from running water since this is a natural behavior. Cats seem to like a water stream better. Really, there are many cats that would much prefer to drink from a running sink faucet as opposed to their own bowl. A drinking fountain is a more environmentally-friendly way to allow them to drink naturally.
Make sure you consider where you are going to place the cat’s litter box. You may really want to hide that box from everyday life. Make sure your cat can easily reach the litter box at all times. Cats can be finicky; that’s why you should give them space for their litter box that is familiar and does not put them off. The area around the litter box should be comfortable and warm to walk on, so make adjustments as needed.
Think about extra care before you take home a cat with long hair. Shedding is a major issue that you will have to face. Unless you have time to dedicate to cleaning up their fur, don’t get long haired cats. Additionally, consider that longer-haired cats are more likely to have issues with hairballs.
Relocating the litter box can often help curb a problem with cats that refuse to use it. The cat instinctively feels vulnerable when using the litter box, so make sure it’s in a location that’s totally quiet and safe. Some great examples of such locations are basements, laundry rooms or any other less frequently used room in your home.
Does it feel like your home is overrun with your cat’s hair? Cats do a lot of shedding, and it helps to brush them. When you see them shedding more than normal, that’s a great time to brush them. This can also prevent their coat from becoming matted or tangled.
If you can, keep your cat inside and close to you. It has been proven that indoor cats have a much longer life span than cats that live outdoors. Outdoor cats face numerous predators and are at a higher risk of disease.
If you notice that your cat isn’t using its’ litter box anymore, you need to take note. Some feline health problems may cause your cat to refuse to use their litter box. Infections and problems with the kidneys and bladder may be the culprit. Consult with your veterinarian when your cat refuses to use its litter box.
A good diet is crucial to your cat’s health. Eating too much of the wrong foods, or too little of the right foods can put your cat in terrible shape, and even cut their life span. Do your cat right, and feed him or her the best food you can afford.
Feed dry food to your cat. Kittens need wet food more than adult cats because it’s easier to chew. As they grow older, dry foods ensure that their teeth are strong. If you have an extremely finicky cat, you could mix dry and wet food together.