If you want a wonderful pet, look no further than a cat. If you haven’t owned a cat previously, then you definitely need to keep reading. The following contains helpful advice all cat owners should know.
Look a local animal shelters for cats. Shelters usually have many cats who need a home, and the fees typically include their shots and spaying or neutering. Adopting your cat through a shelter means you are helping to control the cat population and saving a life at the same time.
If your cat is female, you need to get it spayed at the proper age. Even if she stays inside all the time, she could get out when in heat and end up pregnant. Unless you want the hassle of getting rid of kittens, spaying is the best option for your cat.
Dog Products
Do not use dog products on your cat. Your cat will have a bad reaction to anything that has been specifically formulated for a dog. One product in particular to pay close attention to is any remedy for fleas and ticks. Dog products that are flea related can kill a cat. In fact, your cat should be kept away from your dog for several hours after the dog has been treated for fleas.
An outdoor cat must always wear a tag on its collar. The collar and tag will make it easier to find the cat if it gets lost. Some required information on the tag would be the cat’s name and your personal phone number.
Most cats spend a large amount of time on grooming themselves. Your cat’s long hair can cause hair balls. Buy your cat specialized food to prevent this problem. Some foods are in fact formulated specifically to reduce hairballs, and that is a good idea for your cat and you too.
Male felines tend to have a build-up of crystals that present in the urine, so you need to avoid this with proper nutrition. If they have to pass the crystals it can cause the cat a lot of pain and paying a vet to help with this can cost you a lot of money. Choose a cat food with low magnesium content. Check the label. Fish products tend to be higher in magnesium than poultry products.
While usually cats make great pets for kids, younger kids may be too rough with them. Make sure that you teach your children the proper way to handle a kitten or cat. Demonstrate the proper way to pick up a cat and what they can do with the cat. Cats have weaker bones than dogs so should be treated carefully.
Try to figure out the cause if you find your cat meowing excessively. You need to learn what their meows mean. She may be hungry, or she may want you to let her outside. Look for the cues and you’ll be much more in tune with your pet.
Don’t think that you can teach a cat to use its litter box. They do this by nature and don’t need to be taught. A lot of people think that they can take their cat and try to rub their cat’s paws on the litter, but this may just traumatize the cat.
Brush your cat’s coat often. It really helps move natural oils around the cat’s fur, and it improves blood flow. It will also remove loose hair. This helps keep those hairballs from building up in your cat’s stomach.
Keep old, worn scratching posts. Your cat will enjoy the post most when it has been well used. When you bring in a new post, the cat may ignore it.
If you are thinking about adding another cat to your home, you need to set aside a couple of weeks where you let the animals get used to being around each other. They may seem like they’re fighting all the time. Eventually they are going to get used to each other, and they may even end up becoming best friends.
Put a collar around your cats neck that contains your name, address, and number. This should be done even with an indoors cat. The animal could get out. Fitting your cat with a tag and collar greatly increases the chance that your cat will make it home safely.
So, you have a cat or you are thinking about getting a cat. This can reduce stress and be comforting. Having said this, in order to actually enjoy your cat, you need to be aware of how to properly care for for your cat. Taking the advice contained in this article means your cat is sure to live out a long lifespan.