“Feral” is a term for cats that have no home and wander the streets. When you give one a home, you change it’s life forever. Knowing a bit about the care of cats is a useful skill to have, whether or not you intend to keep one as a pet.
To help your aging cat feel cozy, place a warmed tile under his bed. Put a square foot of terra cotta tile into your oven heated to 200 degrees. Keep the tile in the oven for about 15 minutes. Wrap it tightly in a towel and place it under the cat bed. Change it regularly if you need to.
Regular vet visits are very important for your cat’s health. They should go in for a routine check-up at least once a year, possibly more if they need important shots. If there are more pressing health problems, take your cat to the vet right away.
If you have an outside cat, you need to give it a collar and some identification tags. A lost cat is much easier to locate if they are properly tagged. At the very least, you should include your contact info and the name of your cat on the tag.
A cat’s claws can cause lots of damage to your home. If your kitty is doing this, one way to redirect his behavior is to purchase a scratching post or cat tower. Teach your cat to scratch this instead of the legs of a couch or sofa. They may not take to it overnight, but they should eventually.
It is a good idea to microchip your cat. Even a house cat may end up lost outside, no matter how careful you are. Tags and collars may be able to help you get your cat back, but cats can sometimes take these things off or they could get hung up on a tree or something. Microchips are extremely small, but they can hold all the same information as an identification tag. Most vets and animal shelters will have a microchip scanner and because it’s under the animal’s skin it can never become lost.
Give your kitty lots of love. Cats need companionship as much as we do. Cats are social animals and will thrive when they are included in daily activities and life. Your cat wants to be as much a member of the family as anyone else.
Try and figure out why kitty is meowing. As you develop a relationship with your cat over time, it will become easier to determine why she is meowing. A meow could signal anything from hunger to a desire for affection. When you pay attention to the cat’s actions and cues, then may grow to understand the cat all the more.
Do you have both a cat and dog? Most dogs will not hesitate before munching on your cat’s food. You should create a feeding space for the cat that is much too high for a dog to get to. This will also prevent squabbles between them.
You should now be able to step outside of your residence and defend against stray cats invading your yard. Cats are prone to a number of issues, but with the right knowledge, you’ll be able to handle all of them. It takes a certain level of basic preparation and know-how to handle a cat properly. You may even find your best friend in a cat.