Cats are amazing animals and some of the most interesting domesticated friends humans can have. Cats are also a very common household pet, and they are very populated in many areas. It can be hard learning to live with these animals. These creative, smart, and agile animals can often be stubborn and need special tactics.

Groom your cat. Remember to brush your cat’s fur and comb it regularly. This will keep them sterile and aesthetically pleasing. This will also reduce things like shedding and hairballs because it keeps them from having extra hair. If you groom your cat with care, both your pet and your home will look their best.

TIP! When considering a new pet, make sure you visit the area shelter first. Shelters usually have many cats who need a home, and the fees typically include their shots and spaying or neutering.

Make sure your cat is regularly visiting the vet for checkups. Your cat should have regular well visits, as well as all the recommended vaccinations for his age. It is best to always take your cat to the same veterinarian. This way they will know your cat’s history the best.

Cats can get into even the tiniest of spaces. A collar can become a liability if your cat is especially adventurous. Purchase breakaway collars that will give if they are yanked tightly. This can keep your cat alive.

Microchips are an increasingly popular form of pet protection. Even an indoor cat could someday jump through an open window. Tags and collars can help you cat return home, but cats can wiggle out of them or risk injury by snagging them on a tree branch or bush. A microchip is tiny, similar in size to a single rice grain and capable of holding plenty of information. Most shelters have a scanner that can pick up the facts located inside the chip.

TIP! It’s not easy to keep cats off counters. Cats enjoy high places so they can see what is happening around them.

While cats are good pets for children generally, smaller children may treat them too roughly. It is important to show your child how to approach and handle a cat. Show them what activities are appropriate and how to pick them up. Cat’s bones aren’t quite as strong as dogs, so they must be treated gingerly.

A tablecloth should be made for your cats. Cats sometimes like to eat food outside of their bowl. This leaves food on the floor outside their bowl that must be cleaned. It’s easier to clean up this food by purchasing a placement and inserting it under your cat’s food bowl, or you could simply cut some fabric and make it into a tablecloth so you can easily pick up the food and throw it away.

Make sure your kids know the rules before kitty comes home. Make sure your kids know where the cat can be. If you plan to raise an indoor cat, let your children know that the cat cannot go outside. By making the rules well known to your children, your children will understand what is and is not allowed.

TIP! A microchip for your cat is something that you should really consider. Even indoor cats may get out of your home at some point.

Are you a cat and dog owner? Dogs are known for eating other pet’s food. Thus, you must keep cat food out of the dog’s reach. Separate eating spaces are a must to avoid fights between your pets.

Feeding them lots of different foods can lower their chances of becoming finicky eaters. Cats who eat the same food day after day either grow tired of it, or it becomes the only food that they will eat.

If your cat begins defecating or urinating too frequently, it’s time to see the vet. Sometimes, abnormal urination habits indicate an infection of the urinary tract. A potentially serious illness may be able to be treated by inexpensive antibiotics.

TIP! Crystals form in urine from male cats. This can be prevented with good food choices.

You can outsmart your cat when you keep the tips you read here close by. Soon, they will learn where to go and where to stay away from. They may not be as easy to train as a dog, but cats can be trained to be well-mannered, if not always obedient.