Our love affair with having cats as a pet dates back many years. As the owner of a cat, you have the special responsibility to provide adequate attention, care and grooming to this ensure a healthy life. Read these tips to get the most enjoyment out of your cat.
When considering a new pet, make sure you visit the area shelter first. Shelters have tons of great cats and their adoption fee will generally cover necessary vet care. When a cat is adopted from an animal shelter it saves its life and it helps control the cat population.
You should not use products designed for other animals. Cats usually react negatively to items made especially for dogs. Flea products can be especially harmful. Dog flea prevention products will kill your cat. Keep your cat away from your puppy after treating it with some flea products.
You can also consider outfitting your cat with a chip so you can monitor its whereabouts. Even cats who live completely indoors may someday decide to bolt out the door or escape out of a window. A collar with tags increases your chances of getting your cat back if it gets lost but it can also be a risk, for instance if it gets snagged in some branches. Microchips are minuscule, but can hold all the essential information about your cat and its hope. All shelters and vets have scanners to ensure your cat gets home safely.
Litter Box
Location is key when placing a litter box. The litter box should not be kept in an area with a lot of traffic. In addition, it does not need to be near the cat’s food. To help control odors place the litter box in a well ventilated area. Your cat will be more comfortable and you will too.
Male felines tend to get crystals in the urine that can be prevented with proper diet. These crystals can cause your cat pain to pass, and your vet bill can be expensive. Feed your cat food that is low in magnesium. Read the label. Fish-based foods usually contain more magnesium than poultry-based foods.
Be careful as small kids may treat kittens too roughly. Guide your kids in handling a feline. Demonstrate how to pick up the animal and how to play with it as well. Cats have weaker bones than dogs so should be treated carefully.
Set boundaries for your children when it comes to having a cat as a pet. Let your kids know where the cat can go. Make sure that your children know if the cat is strictly an indoor cat. Setting the rules in advance will ensure your children understand.
Try to figure out the cause if you find your cat meowing excessively. After living with your cat for long, it’s easier to interpret its meows. This could mean that your cat needs to go out or is hungry. Know what your cats cries mean so that you’re able to understand the cat more.
Seek Advice
If you are experiencing an issue with your feline friend, seek advice from others. Although you may want to go it alone, it can be helpful to seek advice from other people that have experience owning cats. There are many online cat forums that will help you get questions answered. You could also try asking your vet.
When your cat makes a mess somewhere other than their litter box, don’t get mad. Check out the box instead and see if it has been neglected; this is often a cause of accidents. If you punish your cat for this, it will fear you later in the future.
Feed your cat several different kinds of food if you want to the lower the chances of them becoming finicky. If you feed them the same cat food every day, they may not accept anything else. This makes it difficult to find food they’ll eat when a store runs out of a certain brand, or you are traveling.
If your cat begins defecating or urinating too frequently, it’s time to see the vet. Many cats develop these behaviors in response to a health problem, such as urinary tract infections. Affordable antibiotics can solve concerns that may otherwise be quite serious.
As previously mentioned, cats are great pets. However, in order to enjoy your cat, you need to educate yourself on how to best care for it. Read this article several times to make sure that you glean all of the information you can from it. Kitty will be thankful!
