Cats are nearly everywhere, including feral cats that wander the streets all of the time. Cats come with many issues from health issues to overpopulation. Dealing with this issue costs businesses a lot of money due to lost customers.

Shop at your local pet shelter for your next cat. There are tons of loving cats there, and the fees often cover the needed vet care. Besides, adopting a cat from an animal shelter means you are saving this cat’s life.

TIP! If you own a female cat, you should have her spayed when she is old enough. You may not think it’s necessary if you have an indoor cat, but your cat may escape.

Ensure that you groom your cat regularly and properly. A cat requires regularly brushing and combing. This will help them maintain a clean and healthy coat. It also stops hairballs. Keeping your cat nicely groomed will keep him and your home looking their best.

Small places are spots cats love to get into. Cats that wear collars are at risk should they become stuck somewhere cramped. Put a breakaway collar on instead. This can save all “nine” of your cat’s lives.

Making sure your cat doesn’t jump on the counters is hard to do. If your cat is high, he can see everything that is going on. Therefore, you should create high areas for resting. A carefully placed cat tower in the kitchen will keep cats away from the counter.

TIP! Your home furnishings can fall victim to your cat’s sharp claws. If you want to prevent or stop your cat from scratching up your furniture, the best thing to do is buy a scratching post or kitty tower for them to climb in.

If you’re taking kitty on a road trip, don’t play loud music. You cat is used to being at home and it might shock him to hear you singing at the top of your lungs. To ensure your cat’s trip is pleasant, turn off the music or keep the volume low.

A tablecloth should be made for your cats. A lot of time cats will take their food from their bowls to eat it on the food bowl’s side. This makes quite a mess. Put a placemat under the bowl, or even some fabric so cleaning up is a snap.

When you buy a small kitty for your children, set the boundaries ahead of time. Make sure your children know what rooms the cat can go into and what rooms it can’t. If your cat is going to be one that stays inside, let the kids know that it’s not allowed outside. Setting rules in advances ensures understanding.

TIP! The litter box for your cat needs to be in a good location. Try to keep it away from areas of household traffic and away from your cat’s eating areas.

You should think before allowing your cat to go outside. This can put your cat in an unsafe position. 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 must let your cat outside, do so in a very small area of your backyard or lawn.

You should brush your cat on a regular basis. This will help spread the natural oils within their fur while stimulating their skin’s blood flow. It also gets rid of shedding hair. This keeps hairballs at bay, which may cause choking and build up inside their stomach from self-grooming.

Vary your cat’s diet just a tiny bit to keep them from being picky. If you feed them the same thing day in and day out, it will be the only thing that they are able to eat later on down the road.

TIP! Do all you can to figure out what’s causing your cat to meow. Over time, you will pick up on the reasons why your cat is making this gesture.

It is important that your cat always where a collar that identifies them. This is essential, even for indoor pets. Cats are curious by nature, and an open window or door invites exploration. The tag should have your phone number on it. This is also essential if they have specific medical needs.

Let your cat take its time when you add a new cat to your home. They may still hiss and growl when they are in the same room together. If you give them enough time though, chances are good they will befriend each other and enjoy the extra company.

Cats need to have play in their life. All mammals love to play. While older cats aren’t near as energetic, they still enjoy playing often. Spend some time enjoying your cat.

Litter Box

Make sure that the litter box placement is easy for your cat to get to. It is temping to put it someplace where the odor will not be noticed. Make sure your cat can easily reach the litter box at all times. Cats can be picky, so you should be sure that you put its litter box in a spot that isn’t difficult to access or unpleasant in some other way. Instead of just keeping the box on cold cement, add a rug or mat beneath it.

If you have a cat who is pregnant, make sure that you give her a private spot that is closed away from other animals and has room for her to move in easily. The birth will take place over the span of several hours. If the birth takes an excessively long time or you believe a kitten is stuck inside, an immediate visit to the veterinary hospital is essential.

TIP! You should never punish your cat for not using the litter box. The major cause of such accidents is usually because the litter box hasn’t been given the proper care.

Have your cat sport a collar that includes information regarding the owner’s name, address and telephone number. Even an indoor cat can get out. If this occurs, you must be sure that your animal can find its way home.

Some human foods you enjoy often are not good for your cat. Some of these foods are green tomatoes, grapes, onions and garlic. If your cat eats these, it may cause him to get really sick or even worse. Milk is something that can hurt your cat’s stomach, so beware of that too.

Cats have a great sense of smell, which helps them easily grasp changes to their environment. This is good but can cause issues when you introduce something new to the home, like a new cat bed or scratching post. Don’t worry if the cat isn’t happy with the items when you first bring them home. As your cat starts to smell new things in the home, it will get into them sooner or later.

TIP! Make sure your cat gets plenty of opportunities to play. Of course, all mammals like to play, regardless of age or species.

Hopefully, this article has prepared you to treat cats a bit better and deal with them in an appropriate manner. Cats often attack other pets and tear up your gardens if you don’t watch out. Therefore, give your cat as much love as possible. Perhaps you will fall in love with a feral cat.