Cats and humans have lived together for centuries. There have been poems about them, movies featuring them, and even Broadway show written about them. Cats are the boss, after all. In the article below, you’ll discover great tips to help you control your cat and ensure it lives a good life.

Make sure your cat is always well groomed. Cats should have regular combings. If this is done frequently, your cat’s coat will be much cleaner. 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.

TIP! Check out your local shelter if you are thinking about getting a cat. Many shelters are overcrowded with lovable and adoptable cats.

You must always take your cat for regular vet check-ups. Your vet will provide your cat with the shots it needs to prevent disease. Your vet can also check the overall health of your cat. If you can, stick with one vet for your cat’s entire life. This ensures that your vet will have an excellent understanding of your pet’s medical history.

Cats can really scratch up your home. If you have a cat that is wreaking havoc, buy a scratching post. Give them some encouragement and let them know it is okay to scratch that. It may take some time and some corrections, but it can usually eliminate the problem.

Generally, cats love to stay on the counter. Cats like heights and like to see everything happening around them. To help prevent your cat from doing this, you can establish tall places specifically for your cat. An excellent tool for preventing your cat from jumping on the counter is a cat tower that is in the kitchen.

TIP! Ensure that your cat goes to the vet often so that they are healthy. Most vets recommend yearly check-ups.

Don’t let your cat’s days pass without stimulation and excitement! Every cat needs exercise time and play! Sadly, this can be easily overlooked. Boredom can beget illness. Provide them with space to exercise and lots of toys to play with. Be sure your cat has something they can climb and something they can scratch if they stay inside.

Adore your cat! Most cats crave the same warmth and companionship they give their owners. Cats need a social life with people just like you do with other people. A cat can feel that he is a valuable, cherished part of their household.

Cats may make a small mess outside their litter box. Many times this occurs because the box wasn’t well maintained. The cat will be fearful of you if you punish it.

TIP! Never use a product on your cat that is intended for dogs. Cats usually react negatively to items made especially for dogs.

Your cat should be acclimated to a carrier as a kitten. Cats don’t react to punishment like dogs do. Encouragement is a much better strategy. You should place a toy or a blanket inside the carrier and place it in an area where it will be noticed by your cat. After some time, your cat will respond better to the carrier. Once the cat is comfortable with the carrier, you can transport it easily.

If you just own one cat but are considering obtaining another one, then you should ensure you allow a few weeks for your old cat and new one to become familiar with each other. They may be leery of each other at first and fight. Over time, though, they will learn to tolerate each other and eventually form a close bond.

Frequent urination outside the litter box may indicate a visit to the vet is required. Cats sometimes behave like this if they have a urinary infection or other medical problem. A potentially serious illness may be able to be treated by inexpensive antibiotics.

TIP! Prevent your cat from getting zapped by coating exposed wires with bitter apple. If your cat plays with cords, put them up and out of the way, or you can hide them in old paper towel rolls.

Keep your cat’s vaccinations and checkups up to date with the vet. Cats need to have vaccines and check-ups just like children. This can help to prevent diseases. Please consider your cat as a family member, and take good care of them.

If your pet is expecting kittens, be sure she has a spacious area to give birth in. The process generally takes about three hours, so you must exercise patience. If it’s been over 6 hours and you think there are more kittens inside, they need to see a vet immediately.

If you’re like many cat owners, your pet is the center of your universe, or at least your home. Though with the advice from this article, you can help your cat recognize your rightful place in the relationship. Cats are great pets when they are trained properly.