Tips Your Cat Wants You To Follow

Cats are creatures that love fun and can help you lose track of your time if they play games with you. Sometimes it’s a good idea to provide some extra stimulation with a fun toy, unique game or interesting activity. This doesn’t mean spending money to entertain your cat. Use these ideas and you will have good times ahead.

If you have drape cords in your home, keep them away from your cats. It is easy for the cat to get his head caught among the cords when playing with them. This could even choke them to death. Hide the cords for safety sake.

Properly groom your cat. Cats have to be brushed or combed on a regular basis. Brushing rids your cat’s coat of dirt and helps keep them clean. It will also limit shedding and may cut down on hairballs. Keeping your cat nicely groomed will keep him and your home looking their best.

Be cautious about using canine products on your feline friend. They can have very strong and possibly negative reactions to dog products. This happens a lot with flea products. These dog flea products can even cause feline death. In fact, your cat should be kept away from your dog for several hours after the dog has been treated for fleas.

You should be bringing your cat to their vet for a check-up regularly. There are shots and vaccinations that are standard and necessary for your cat. When you find a vet you like, stick with them. This ensures that your vet will have an excellent understanding of your pet’s medical history.

Your cat needs a collar and tag if it goes outside. Cats sometimes travel a bit when outside, and a tag prevents any mishaps due to your cat being lost. The tag should contain at least the cat’s name and your contact information.

If your cat is female, you need to get it spayed at the proper age. You may keep your cat inside, but she could still slip outside and become pregnant. The best method of stopping this is to have your cat spayed.

You need to establish some boundaries if you are getting a cat for your children. Let your children know which areas of the house are off-limits for the cat. If your cat is going to be one that stays inside, let the kids know that it’s not allowed outside. Setting the rules in advance will ensure your children understand.

Make sure your cat sees a vet regularly to maintain their good health. They should have regular check ups annually, and more appointments should be made if they need to get important shots. Cats must see their vet right away if they start having health issues, injuries or other problems.

Try to figure out why your cat makes meowing sounds. When your cat is a member of the family, their sounds start to become familiar to you. This makes it easy to determine what various meows might mean. This could mean that your cat needs to go out or is hungry. You’ll learn her cues quickly.

Flea Products

If your thinking about allowing your cat to go outside, you may want to reconsider. This can be very unsafe for your cat. Cats can attract fleas and other parasites. Cats can also be hunted by other animals, stolen or hit by passing vehicles. Let your cat go out in your backyard and play on your lawn.

Don’t use dog products on your cats ever. Cats can have strong negative reactions to a product that is formulated for a dog. This definitely applies to flea products. When used on your cat, flea products for dogs can be lethal. In truth, your cat needs to be kept a distance from any dog just flea-treated for the first few hours.

Speak to your peers about your cat issues. Advice from other people can be very beneficial for you. You can locate forums about cats online if you search for them. On these forums you can ask for advice, or you can just speak with a vet.

Generally, cats love to stay on the counter. Cats love being up high so that they can see. Provide your cat with a few high places it can uses. One way to keep your cats from continuously jumping on the counter is to install a cat tower near the problem counter.

Brush your cat regularly. This will help stimulate blood flow. Additionally, brushing helps to expedite hair shedding. This is a good way to avoid hairballs, which are a serious health problem since they can cause choking.

If you have to travel with a cat you should remember their ears. You cat is used to being at home and it might shock him to hear you singing at the top of your lungs. Therefore, try lowering your music or turning it off in order for your cat to enjoy the trip more.

Feed your cat a few different varieties of food. This can help him not get too finicky. If you feed your cat the same food all the time, your cat will likely be uninterested any any other brand or flavor.

A tablecloth should be made for your cats. Cats often like to remove food from their bowl to eat it off to the side. That can mean a bigger mess for you to clean. An easy solution to this problem is a placemat underneath the food dish, or a piece of fabric you can easily wash.

If your cat has a scratching post that is beginning to look worn, don’t get rid of it. Your cat will enjoy the post most when it has been well used. 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.

Tell your kids what the rules are about your new kitten. Let them know which rooms and areas your cats should not be in. If the cat is to be indoors, tell your children not to allow him outside. Setting the rules in advance will ensure your children understand.

Make sure your cat always wears identification tags on their collar. Even if yours is an indoor cat, this is still an important safety measure. An adventurous cat can easily slip through an open door or window. Tags that have your vet’s name and phone number are good things to put on the collar. This is crucial if your cat requires special medical attention.

Be very careful about allowing children to be alone with a kitten. If the child is younger than 5, don’t leave them alone with a kitten. They are just not mature enough to understand the danger they can pose for the kitten. As children get older, decide when they show the maturity to handle a small pet.

If you notice that your cat has stopped using its litter box, you’ll want to contact your vet. Many feline health conditions can cause a cat to urinate and defecate in random places outside of their litter box. A potential bladder or kidney infection may be the reason for this. If your cat stops using the litter box suddenly, get him to a vet for a visit.

You should give your cat at least three weeks to grow used to the presence of a new animal. They might hide from each other or hit each other. After the initial period though, they should start to settle and begin to get along like old friends.

If you notice your cat is not using the litter box, try moving it to a new location. The best place for a litter box is in a secure, quiet area. Cats feel vulnerable when they’re using it, so they want it to be in a place where they feel safe. For example, your basement, laundry room or other room away from household activity should suffice.

Think about extra care before you take home a cat with long hair. Silky, long hair can be stunning, but that fur won’t look as pretty when it’s on your sofa, clothes, and carpet. Only choose a cat with long hair if you can clean up after it consistently. Long haired cats often have hairball problems.

Your cat should be kept inside whenever it can be near the person who owns it. Indoor cats live longer and have less illness and pests than outdoor cats. While cats can get their exercise roaming the neighborhood and squaring off against other cats, they can also get diseases and injuries this way. Vigorous indoor play with an owner is a preferable way to get exercise.

Litter Box

If your find that your cat is panting, pay attention. Understand that dogs panting is normal; however, this is not the case for cats. Sometimes when cats are upset or too hot they pant, but there are other reasons they can pant too. Be sure and make an appointment with your vet if you notice any respiratory problems with your cat.

The location of a litter box is very important. It’s tempting to keep it in an inconspicuous place where it won’t be seen or smelled. It is equally important that the litter box is readily accessible to your cat, though. Cats are quite finicky, so it is important to make their bathroom environment appealing them them or risk messes throughout the house. Put a rug under it for cleanliness, too.

Cats can get the same colds you do. Since cats are like family, it’s easy to tell when they’re sick. Take your cat to the vet at the first sign of a problem. The vet will be able to make sure that they are not suffering from anything more serious.

Don’t ever let your declawed cat outdoors. They won’t be able to protect themselves against other animals, and they run the risk of getting seriously injured. Cats should only be declawed if they’re going to be inside fulltime. If you do choose to have your cat declawed, only the front claws should be removed. Allow your cat to retain their back claws which are less damaging to indoor surfaces.

Don’t be tempted to bathe your cat. This is totally unnecessary unless your cat has got into something absolutely filthy. Cats have barbed tongues, and spend a great deal of time using them to clean out their fur. Cats are normally very concerned on their appearance.

If you take advantage of this advice, you can start having happy times with your cat this instant. The more you know about caring for your cat, the healthier and happier it will be. A cat that’s happy and healthy is going to live longer and be more active during his lifespan.

Always make sure to use flea and tick medication on your cat. Monthly drops can be very effective. These medications can help keep away harmful parasites that will leech blood from your pet, causing diseases. Be sure to use something made just for cats to keep your pet safe.