Popular poet T.S. T.S. Eliot, the famed poet, once likened cats to creatures that a household depends on, the there is some truth behind his words. A cat is often a valuable member of the family, especially if it is healthy and happy. Unfortunately, cats can be hard to live with sometimes. You should keep reading to learn how you can become a better pet owner.
Contact local shelters if you want to adopt a cat. Shelters around the country are overflowing, and the cats there need more humans to help. Adoption fees often include things like spaying or neutering them, shots or other vet care. Adopting your cat at a shelter allows you to save a cat’s life while also helping mitigate overpopulation.
Cats love to get into tight, small spaces. If you keep a collar on your pet, getting stuck in one of these spaces can be very dangerous. Breakaway collars are made to come off if tugged on vigorously. This can keep your cat alive.
You can make your old cat feel better thanks to a hot tile placed under its bed. Simply heat a terra-cotta tile in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. Put the tile inside a towel and place it under the cat’s bedding. If necessary, you can change out the tile after a few hours to provide continued warmth.
Though a veterinarian will almost always have a supply of medications that your cat needs, it can be more cost-effective to purchase them from online venues. In some cases you may not be able to buy online, in the case of emergencies, for instance. If you regularly need to buy pet medication, you can get a savings of up to 50 percent online.
Create a tablecloth just for your cat. Some cats prefer to remove their food from the dish and eat it off to the side. This may make a big mess that you need to clean up. An easier way to do that is to either buy a placemat and put it underneath the cat bowl, or to cut a bit of fabric to use as a tablecloth that you can pick up and wash or shake over the garbage can.
Cat Outside
Don’t let your cat outside. This isn’t safe for your cat. Fleas can infest your cat, or something worse can happen. Your cat might be injured by people, other animals and even vehicles on the road. If you allow your cat outside, make sure you live in a reasonably safe area.
Do you have both a cat and dog? Dogs often take advantage of dining on the cat’s food. Feed your pets in different areas of the house, and monitor them while they eat. This also ensures that there are no squabbles over the water between the two, when the food is gone.
You must take caution when leaving your cat with any children. If a child is under the age of five, you should not leave the pet alone with them. They’re not really mature enough to know how dangerous a kitten can be. As children get older, decide when they show the maturity to handle a small pet.
Don’t think that you can teach a cat to use its litter box. This comes naturally – you can’t teach it. A lot of people think that rubbing a cat’s paws in its litter box may help them, but in reality, it can be damaging to them.
Acclimate your cat to a cat carrier. The same response to punishment that you would expect from a dog does not apply to a cat. Cats usually respond well to encouragement. Place a blanket or favorite toy inside the carrier to make your cat more acclimated to the carrier. Cats are natural explorers and sooner or later he will check it out. This will make getting the cat inside easier later.
To help avoid a finicky cat, feed your cat different brands of cat food. If they only eat the same food, they may never eat another food in the future.
Don’t get rid of an old scratching post. Cats tend to enjoy a scratching toy more after they’ve gotten comfortable with it and made it their own. Cats may well try scratching something else entirely (like your furniture!) if you replace their beloved toy with something unfamiliar.
High quality cat food is important to your cat. Read the ingredient label, and make sure a protein from meat tops the list. Don’t choose a food which is mainly corn. Because cats are carnivores, their diet need only consist of a good source of protein.
Make sure your cat gets plenty of opportunities to play. Playing is an activity that is very popular with mammals of any age, and this includes cats and people. A cats energy might fade over time, but that does not mean that it no longer likes to play. Make sure you and your cat are thoroughly enjoying each other.
Cat ownership can be challenging at times, but it is always rewarding. The advice above can be beneficial to the owner of a lazy cat, the owner of a hyperactive cat, or the owner of something in between. With any luck, you will hear more purrs and less meows.