The poet T.S Eliot T.S. Eliot once said that households depend on cats, and there may be some truth to this. A home can benefit from a healthy, good cat. Sadly, cats can be difficult to live with sometimes. Consider these tips for how you can coexist with your pet.

If you have drape cords in your home, keep them away from your cats. The cats will start playing with the cords and they can easily wrap around their necks. This could cause injury or death. Pin back drape cords to avoid this type of issue.

TIP! Make sure you don’t allow your cat to be around drape cords. The cats will start playing with the cords and they can easily wrap around their necks.

Check your local animal shelter if you have plans to get a cat. Shelters have lots of great cats available, and your adoption fee often covers key veterinary services. Adopting your cat at a shelter allows you to save a cat’s life while also helping mitigate overpopulation.

Spay your cat as soon as she is old enough. This is true even if you think your cat is indoors only. One escape can lead to a lot of small kittens around! The best method of preventing your cat from pregnancy is to get her spayed.

Consider having your cat fitted with a microchip. Even an indoor cat could someday jump through an open window. Cats can get out of a collar or, worse, have that collar choke them to death. Microchips are tiny and contain all your contact information. Most shelters and veterinarians can scan your pet to read the information on the chip, and the chip cannot be lost since it is beneath the skin.

TIP! You should take your cat to the vet on a regular basis to maintain optimum health. A routine check-up should happen annually, and more often if necessary shots are due.

Put your cats’ litter box where it is most acceptable to him. Do not place it in a busy area or close to where your cat eats meals. Additionally, don’t make the mistake of putting it in a poorly-ventilated area, or the smell will become overpowering. Your kitty will thank you.

Cats spend a ton of time grooming themselves. If your cat has hair that’s long it could get hairballs. If your cat needs assistance with this problem, consider a special diet. Certain cat foods are made just for decreasing hairballs, benefiting both your cat and yourself.

Use a tablecloth underneath your cat’s dish. Sometimes cats prefer to remove food from their bowls and eat it from the floor. If this occurs, you will have a mess on your hands. There are two ways to do this. You can either put a placemat under the food bowl or use some stray fabric that you have lying around. Either way, you can easily get rid of debris by dumping them in the garbage.

TIP! It is likely that your feline friend enjoys grooming his fur. Hairballs are very common for long-haired cats.

Do you have both a dog and a cat? Dogs are known for eating other pet’s food. Therefore, your cat’s food bowl should be placed in a high location that is out of your dog’s reach. This will prevent the two from fighting over the water when the food dishes are empty.

Loose Hair

Brush your cat’s coat often. This will help spread the natural oils within their fur while stimulating their skin’s blood flow. Furthermore, it helps reduce all the loose hair. Loose hair causes hairballs, a common problem for cats. The hair enters the pet’s stomach and they later cough it up.

TIP! If you’re getting a kitten for your children, discuss this with them before bringing the cat home. Make sure your children know where in the house the cat is permitted to be.

Where did you put the litter box? Do not hide the box simply to reduce the smell. However, your cat’s litter box needs to stay in an easily accessible place so that he can find it. Cats tend to be finicky so you need to give them an environment that isn’t off-putting or inconvenient. Keep this in mind when deciding on the permanent placement for your best friend’s potty.

There are great benefits which come from owning a cat. You need to get to know your cat better so you can focus on the kind of attention it needs the most. You’ll hear less meowing and more purring then.