A lot of new cat owners are not sure about what they should expect. Learning about cats can help make your time together more productive. Even when you are prepared you might run into some issues. But to lessen the issues early on, use the advice shared here!
Check-ups are an absolute must for any pet cat. Cats need yearly shots and overall health assessments. Try keeping the same vet throughout your cat’s life. This will ensure they know the history of your cat well.
Female cats need to be spayed as soon as they reach the proper age. Even if she is an inside cat, you need to spay her because she could get out. Spaying your cat is the best way to prevent this from happening.
Make sure your cat has a collar and tag if outside. Cats love to roam, so you need to give someone who finds your cat a way to contact you. The tag should contain your name and number for contact purposes.
Your cat can devastate your furniture with its claws. If your beloved feline friend is shredding and damaging parts of your home, try investing in a cat tower or a scratching post. They can scratch this instead. It might take a little while, but eventually it should stop the problem.
Don’t allow your cat to get bored too often. Every cat needs exercise time and play! But, too many cat owners fail to realize this. Bored cats are more prone to depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as many other behavioral issues. Make sure you give them lots of toys and room to play. If they’re an indoor cat, get them an object to climb on or a scratching post.
Crystals form in urine from male cats. This can be prevented with good food choices. Passing these crystals is painful and the vet bill to have this corrected is expensive. Your cat’s food should be low in magnesium. This means you should pay attention to labels on food. Fish-based foods usually contain more magnesium than poultry-based foods.
Put your cat’s food on a tablecloth. Sometimes cats like to take food out of the bowl and eat it to the side of the bowl. This can result in a mess that needs to be cleaned up. 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.
If your cat constantly meows, you need to try to figure out why. After some time, you’ll understand why your cat purs or meows based on what she wants. The cat may want something to eat or to get let out. By giving her the proper amount of attention you can better attend to her needs.
Do you have dogs and cats? A dog will probably end up eating the cat’s food if it gets the chance. That’s why you should place your cat’s food in a place which is hard for your dog to reach. This can prevent squabbles over water when their food is gone.
Talk to others when you have a problem with your cat. You won’t have the knowledge to handle every cat issue properly, so take advantage of the experiences of others. Your local veterinarian can be a valuable source of information, but there is also help available online by joining user forums geared toward cat owners.
If you are considering a long-haired cat breed then you should also consider the extra maintenance required. That hair will truly get everywhere! These breeds are best left to those with the time and energy to do a lot of cleaning. There will be hairball issues as well.
Put a collar your cat with your contact information on it. Even a house cat may get outside. If your cat were to escape, it’s important for them to get back home safely.
Outdoor Cats
Keep cats inside as much as you can, or at least close to you or your home. Cats who live indoors live longer and are healthier than outdoor cats. Outdoor cats face numerous predators and are at a higher risk of disease.
If you are planning to go back to work after being home with your cat all the time, it’s possible he may get quite lonely there without you. It can be a good idea to get a companion cat to keep yours company when you are at work.
Placing sticky tape on your furnishings can be a helpful trick. If they scratch the upholstery up, place some tape on it to keep them from doing it. Your local pet store may carry tape for this. You can put this tape on your furniture and get a scratching post to get your cat out of this habit.
The above advice is helpful for cats of all ages and breeds. The concepts you just went over are the basics and can help you to raise a cat so that it’s a happy and healthy animal the rest of its life. More important than anything else is to enjoy every precious moment with you new little kitten.
