Cats make great animal friends, but they’re not exactly maintenance-free. Medical expenses, toys, food and cat litter can quickly add up. For ideas to improve your cat’s health and happiness, read on.
If you have a male cat, it is important to have him neutered before he goes into heat. When male cats start maturing, they will begin to spray around the house. It smells like ammonia and is hard to remove. Having your male cat neutered can help to prevent this from happening.
Get a pet water fountain. Cats can be prone to dehydration, and running water entices them to drink. It is an evolutionary habit that developed because in the wild, running water is less likely to be contaminated than a stagnant pool. Your pet will enjoy the water more, and will drink more often.
Protect your cat from choking. Be sure to dispose of poultry and fish bones safely. Wrap them in a paper or plastic bag and put them in your outdoor garbage can with the lid tightly secured. Alternately, place them in a plastic bag and freeze them until garbage pick up day.
Whenever you take your cat anywhere, use a cat carrier. No matter how gentle your cat is, it could become frightened. If this happens, it could bolt off and be quickly lost, injured or killed. At the vet’s office, your cat will be safe from unpredictable animals if you use a pet carrier.
Make sure that you never neglect your cat. Your cat will enjoy your company if you pet and play with her. Similar to people, cats like to socialize and feel as if they are important to their family. They want nothing more than to be an integral part of your family.
When bringing a new kitten home, take it slow. It is tempting for children to want to play with the new addition to your home immediately. But the young cat will likely be scared. Give the cat time to acclimate itself to your home and to get comfortable with everyone.
Cats have a natural instinct to hunt small prey. This can sometimes be a problem if you have other small animals in your home. Make sure that bird cages are hanging from the ceiling. If you have a gerbil or hamster, make sure their cages are secure and up high out of your cats reach.
Understand that your cat is easily influenced by its surroundings. Cats have superior memories and will usually retain training for a lifetime. Conversely, they also retain frightening experiences and it takes them a long time to get over their fears. Be encouraging with your cat and avoid situations that scare them.
If you live in an area that is populated by wild animals, such as coyote and fox, you may need to make you cat an indoor cat. Wild animals pose a real threat to cats, and to avoid the loss of a beloved pet, it is sometimes best to keep them indoors for the course of their lives.
Play is something that all cats need to do. No matter what age, play is common among cats and other animals. An aging cat may not have as much energy as a kitten, however it will still enjoy a little light playtime. Make sure you have fun with the cat whenever you can!
Understand the difference between cat play and real aggression. Both activities can look the same to an untrained eye, but there are differences. When two cats are playing, they will bat each other around with claws retracted. They will “bite” with their jaws loose. Real aggression will involve hisses, squeals and hard biting.
Try relocating your cat’s litter box if it’s refusing to use it. A cat’s instinct tells him that eliminating puts him in a vulnerable state, so try putting his litter box in a safe, quiet area of the house. Some good places would be basements, laundry rooms, and any other place that doesn’t have a lot of noise and people going in and out.
You may often eat things that are quite bad for cats. Never allow your cat to nibble on garlic, onions or green tomatoes. Grapes, which seem harmless enough, are also a no-no. If your cat consumes these particular foods, it can get really sick. Milk can also upset your cats’ stomach.
Switch up cat food flavors. Cats can be notoriously picky eaters. This can be frustrating if a flavor is out of stock or, worse, discontinued. Don’t let your cat get into the habit of eating one food and only one food. Make sure there’s some healthy variety in your cat’s diet.
Avoid overfeeding your cat because this can cause many health issues. The extra weight can directly cause health problems now and in the future. Know how much your cat is eating and be sure the cat has a diet that is balanced well.
If your cat is diabetic, check his blood sugar at least once a day. Having a record of his blood sugars can provide you with helpful information to pass on to your vet. Your vet can then adjust insulin and other medications accordingly. This can also help you to determine how food is effecting your cat’s health condition.
A clean litter box is essential for a healthy cat. Litter training your cat is relatively easy. It is almost an instinct for a cat to use a litter box. Make sure you scoop it every day and every week completely change the litter and wash the litter box with dish soap.
Caring for any pet properly involves a fair amount of effort, and cats are certainly included. There are a lot of responsibilities that you will have. The information here should have helped you see that you can lessen costs, but still give you the ability to give your cat tip top care.
