Have A Healthy Cat With These Suggestions

Cats are incredibly fun-loving creatures and you will soon find yourself losing track of time playing a part in their feline games. It isn’t a bad idea to make an activity or game for you and your cat. You don’t need to spend any money to enjoy some playtime with your cat. Use these ideas and you will have good times ahead.

Spay your cat as soon as she is old enough. Even though your cat stays indoors all the time, there might be that one time she slips through the door when she goes into heat, which results in a litter of unexpected kittens. The best method of stopping this is to have your cat spayed.

Keep your cat away from your drapery cords. Cats can potentially strangle themselves on these cords so it is important to protect your cat from this potential danger. This could seriously injure or even kill them. To prevent this from happening, keep any drape cords pinned away from any eyes.

Never use any product intended for dogs on a cat. Cats have very strong, negative reactions to products formulated for dogs. Flea products should not be used on cats in any circumstance. Your cat can die when exposed to flea prevention items made for dogs. After your dog receives a flea treatment, keep your cat away for at least a few hours.

Make sure that your cat is well groomed. Brush your cat’s fur often to help it be shiny and healthy. This leads to a cleaner cat. Having a clean fur coat helps reduce the amount of hairballs that get spit up around the house. Regularly grooming your cat will help keep it and your home looking great.

Your cat’s claws can wreck havoc on your furniture. If you find your cat shredding your furniture, consider purchasing a scratching post or cat tower. Teach your cat to scratch this instead of the legs of a couch or sofa. It might take a little while, but eventually it should stop the problem.

Make sure your cat sees a vet regularly to maintain their good health. They should go at least once yearly for a check-up, and more often if they need any shots. If there are obvious issues with your cat, it needs to see the vet immediately. Don’t wait!

Cats love to be clean. Your cat’s long hair can cause hair balls. If your cat has this issue, try changing his food. Some foods are in fact formulated specifically to reduce hairballs, and that is a good idea for your cat and you too.

Your house can really get torn apart by a cat’s claws. If your beloved feline friend is shredding and damaging parts of your home, try investing in a cat tower or a scratching post. Entice them to scratch those items rather than your belongings. They may not take to it overnight, but they should eventually.

Cover the area around your cat’s bowl with a cloth. Some cats prefer to remove their food from the dish and eat it off to the side. If this happens, you’ll have to clear away any excess food that’s left outside. Put a placemat under the bowl, or even some fabric so cleaning up is a snap.

Keeping your cat off of the counter can be difficult. After all, cats prefer to stay high so that they can keep an eye out on everything. Therefore, you should create high areas for resting. A cat tower near the kitchen will ensure that cats won’t lay on your counter.

Be careful if you leave a kitten with a young child. If children are younger than five years old, pets ought not be left with them. They aren’t mature enough in order to handle the potential dangers of a kitten. As your child matures, carefully consider whether a small pet is safe with them.

Cats and small children may not always mix. Teach your children how to handle a cat. Help them learn how to pick up a cat and care for it. Cats don’t have strong bones like dogs do, so they need to be treated gently.

If you’re having an issue with your cat, try to get some input from other cat owners. It is possible to work out the problem yourself, but help from others can be invaluable. There are many online forums that discuss cats. Most vets will also be happy to help you with some advice.

You should think before allowing your cat to go outside. Going outdoors isn’t very safe for a domesticated cat. There is a chance your cat can contract fleas or perhaps something much worse. There is the possibility they may get injured by another animal, even people and cars too. If you’ve just got to have the cat outdoors, limit it to an enclosed area.

When your cat makes a mess somewhere other than their litter box, don’t get mad. When this occurs, it tends to be because the box is not being maintained properly. If the cat is punished for this, they may become afraid of being around you.

Understand that cats enjoy being elevated. A happy cat is one that has a safe living environment. If you’d rather not invest in a cat tree, simply use a large shelf or bookcase without any breakable items. To complete the package, add a cat bed or blanket.

Vary your cat’s diet just a tiny bit to keep them from being picky. By giving them one kind of food all the time, it will be all they want to eat.

Be sure to carrier train your cat. Dogs and cats will respond differently to punishment. Positive reinforcement is a better training tool for cats. Leave your cat carrier open and put a few special toys inside. Your cat will want to inspect the carrier and probably enjoy hiding inside. Transporting the carrier with your cat inside makes your next trip out much easier.

Make sure your cat gets plenty of opportunities to play. Play is necessary for all mammals no matter the age or species. While older cats aren’t near as energetic, they still enjoy playing often. Make sure you spend time doing fun things with your cat.

Don’t toss your cat’s scratching post just because it’s starting to look haggard. This is the condition that cats most appreciate. If you toss it away in favor of something newer, your cat may look for something older to scratch, and that may end up being your furniture.

Are you having a hard time getting rid of cat hair? You need to brush your cat regularly, especially if she sheds a lot. You should brush your cat quite a bit of they are prone to shedding. This will lessen the amount of hair around your home and it will keep them from getting knots in their hair if they have medium or long hair.

There is a lot of responsibility involved with a long-haired cat. The hair looks good, except when it’s all over your furniture. Only choose a cat with long hair if you can clean up after it consistently. You should keep in mind that long haired cats are more prone to hairballs.

Think about where you want to put the litter box. You may really want to hide that box from everyday life. The litter box should be somewhere that is easy for your cat to get to, however. It has to be a quiet area with little traffic. If your litter box is on a cold surface, place a rug or mater underneath it.

Do you feel like everywhere you turn you are surrounded by your cats hair? Cats can shed quite a bit; therefore, it’s important that you maintain proper grooming habits by brushing them often. The more hair you see on the ground, the more you should pull out the brush. It’s also a great aid to keeping the cat’s coat as pristine as possible.

It is important to designate a big and comfortable area for your cat to deliver her kittens. Giving birth to all the kittens can take hours, so you shouldn’t expect things to be over and done with quickly. If it has been more than six hours and you believe more kittens are still inside your cat, you need to get her to the vet right away.

Do not use chemicals around your cat that contain phenol. Pine-Sol and Lysol contain this ingredient. Not only is the smell offensive to cats, but exposing them to this chemical for prolonged periods of time can lead to problems with their liver.

Do not use chemicals around your cat that contain phenol. This chemical is usually in Pine-sol, Lysol, and other house cleaners. Cats hate the smell of phenol and continuously exposing them to it could cause liver problems later in their lives.

Keep an eye out for panting. Dogs love to pant. While panting can be a sign that your cat is overheated or anxious, it can also be a sign of something much more serious. Be sure you get in touch with a vet, especially if your animal has had problems with breathing before.

If your cat is spitting up hairballs frequently, and extra grooming does not help, these handy tips may help. Adding in just 1 teaspoon of pumpkin mixed in with their food bowl can help with prevention. Flavor the pumpkin with a teaspoon of the water from a can of tuna. Find a cat food with some extra fibers or another anti-hairball ingredient to get rid of this problem.

If possible, have your cat eat dry food. As kittens, cats need moist food to accommodate small teeth. As the adult teeth grow in, hard food can help to clean and strengthen the teeth. If you have an extremely finicky cat, you could mix dry and wet food together.

Cats can often get the same illnesses as you can. Because your cat is always around you, you should know whenever your cat is sick. Take your cat to the vet at the first sign of a problem. The vet can then rule out serious conditions.

Cats can get sick, too. You need to pay attention to your cat and make sure they are in good health. A trip to the vet is worth the time and money in these cases. That way the vet can rule out other more serious conditions.

Watch out for holes near your home that you don’t want your cat to hide in. Cats can get through minuscule gaps. This especially applies to kittens. Keep this in mind when adopting a new cat. Make sure to cover any easily accessible holes or repair them if at all possible.

Since cats can catch many diseases outside, such as rabies or fungal infections, plan on keeping your pet cat inside. This is not saying indoor cats cannot be affected by some of the same things, but outdoor cats are more susceptible.

Think about keeping your cat entirely indoors. Outdoor cats usually have shorter lives and can catch many diseases. Some diseases may be passed to human family members. Let your cat hop up into windows and watch the birds outside safely.

You and your cat are on your way to happy and healthy lives. The techniques provided here will bring much joy to life with your cat. Your cat will live much longer when they are healthy, happy and active.

Use flea medicines on your cat. Monthly medication drops are very good at preventing flea and tick problems. Insect parasites will feed on your cat’s blood, and most species have the potential to spread infectious diseases; that’s why medication that inhibits them is extremely important. Get a brand that’s specifically for cat use to keep them safe.