If you want to own a good pet, a cat is a great choice. Those new to cat ownership or just interested in cat care should read the following tips. The tips that follow regarding owning a cat are truly priceless.
When looking for a new cat for your home, contact a local animal shelter. Shelters have lots of great cats available, and your adoption fee often covers key veterinary services. When you adopt a cat from a shelter, you save a life and help keep the cat population under control.
Make sure your cat is always groomed. You can regularly brush or comb your cat. If you brush cats on a regular basis, it will keep their coats clean and attractive. It also reduces their shedding and hairballs. Keeping a cat groomed properly can help them and your home look great.
If your cat is female, it is very important that she be spayed when the vet feels she is old enough. Even if your cat is an indoor cat, if she escapes while she is in heat you might end up with a lot of kittens on your hands. If you want to prevent this, spay your cat.
Products Designed
You should not use products designed for other animals. Products designed for dogs or other animals could cause a negative reaction from your cat. This is especially true of flea products. Your cat may die if you use dog flea products on it. Your cat needs to be away from the dog after your dog has received a flea treatment.
Microchip your cat. Indoor cats could run out your door or jump out the window. Cat collars are a great thing to have in case your cat gets lost, but they also pose a risk if they get caught on something. Your important information can all fit nicely on a rice grain sized microchip. All shelters and vets have scanners to ensure your cat gets home safely.
You can often find better deals for cat medicine online rather than buying them from the veterinarian. Sometimes, you may need the medicine immediately though. However, if your pet gets regular prescriptions for a chronic or ongoing issue, you can often save up to 50 percent by shopping online.
Be careful when leaving your cat with your children. Children under five years old should always be supervised when interacting with a pet. They aren’t mature enough in order to handle the potential dangers of a kitten. As kids age, you can then determine whether they are mature enough for small pets.
Your cat should be acclimated to a carrier as a kitten. Cats don’t react to punishment like dogs do. Encouragement is usually a much better option. Give your cat a treat every time it does something well. Soon, your cat will naturally enter the carrier. This takes the hassle out of traveling with your cat in its carrier.
Mix up the food you feed your cat to avoid them becoming a picky eater. If you feed them the same cat food every day, they may not accept anything else. This makes it difficult to find food they’ll eat when a store runs out of a certain brand, or you are traveling.
Make canned food the mainstay of your cat’s diet. While dry food is less expensive, canned food is healthier. They have more water, protein and fat too. It’s also much softer on older teeth if your cat is getting up there in years. Talk to your vet, but canned food is generally superior for your cat.
Make sure your cat always wears identification tags on their collar. This is essential even for indoor cats. Cats are inquisitive and will explore an open door or window if it is presented to them. Those tags can help if someone finds your kitty. Make sure your info and your vets info is on it. This is also essential if they have specific medical needs.
Play is essential to your cat’s life. It is pretty normal for all different types of species to have an inner desire to play. Even older cats like to play. Make sure you play with your cat at least once a day.
There are certain human foods that you should never feed to cats. Examples include garlic, grapes, green tomatoes and onions. Even a little taste of these foods can make your cat seriously sick. Milk also often upsets your cat’s stomach.
Health Problems
One easy way to prevent a lot of potential feline health problems down the road is to refrain from over-feeding your cat. Overeating can cause your cat to become obese and susceptible to health problems. Know how much your cat is eating and be sure the cat has a diet that is balanced well.
Ensure you place a tag collar on your cat. Cats can escape. When they have a collar on with a tag, or a microchip, they’ll easily be returned to you.
Spaying or neutering your cat is your job as a pet owner that takes care of their responsibilities. Cats just get around sometimes. Indoor cats do get out occasionally. If your cat ventures outside even for a little bit, she can get pregnant. Unchecked breeding leads to the unnecessary euthanization of thousands of cats every year.
A cat can make a great pet. The can offer comfort and stress relief. However, in order to get this satisfaction you must first understand how to care for the cat. Apply what you’ve just learned, and you and your cat will enjoy each other for years to come.