Cats make great pets, but they can also make expensive pets. After paying for shots, toys, cat food, litter and grooming, you may feel like reconsidering your choice to own a cat. Check out the tips provided below to gain a little insight on being a responsible cat owner.
Keep your cat properly groomed. A cat’s fur must be brushed or combed on a regular basis. Do this often in order to aid in keeping your cat’s outer coat clean and healthy. Having a clean fur coat helps reduce the amount of hairballs that get spit up around the house. Keep your cat looking at its best by grooming it well.
If you’d like to make an elderly cat’s bed more comfy, stick a heated tile beneath its bed. Heat a fabric covered heating pad in the microwave for a couple of minutes, making sure that is not too hot to the touch. Put it inside a cloth and place underneath your feline’s blanket or bed. Change it regularly if you need to.
Electrical Cords
You can keep your cat away from electrical cords by spraying them with some bitter apple. If your cat still insists on chewing your cords, try to cover as many of them as possible. You can do this by bundling them and tucking them in the cardboard rolls that are used for paper towels. If you have electrical cords laying out that are not being used, put them away as cats can play with them and then move on to live electrical cords.
Your cat can devastate your furniture with its claws. If your kitty is doing this, one way to redirect his behavior is to purchase a scratching post or cat tower. Teach your cat to scratch this instead of the legs of a couch or sofa. It may take some time and some corrections, but it can usually eliminate the problem.
It can be hard to prevent your cat from jumping on the counter. They love being above everything so that they can watch it all. To help prevent your cat from doing this, you can establish tall places specifically for your cat. Placing a cat tower by the kitchen can keep cats from getting on counters.
You might find that your cat sleeps all day and wants to be active at night. This means that they will usually be quite active at night. One way to deal with a kitten’s playful activity at night is just to shut your door. You won’t be able to hear their sounds as they walk around in the middle of the night.
If you’re taking a trip with your cat, be sure to protect its ears. You might love blasting your favorite music while driving, but they enjoy softer sounds. Therefore, try lowering your music or turning it off in order for your cat to enjoy the trip more.
Set a tablecloth under your cat’s food bowl. Often cats prefer moving food from a bowl onto the floor to eat. Sometimes this will make the area around the bowl messy, and you’ll have to clean it. An easier way to do that is to either buy a placemat and put it underneath the cat bowl, or to cut a bit of fabric to use as a tablecloth that you can pick up and wash or shake over the garbage can.
Try to figure out the cause if you find your cat meowing excessively. You need to learn what their meows mean. Your cat might need food or might want to go out. Make sure you are paying attention in order to better understand your cat.
Think twice before leaving a child alone with a kitten. Never leave a pet alone with a child who is any younger than five. Their immaturity prevents them from understanding how easily they could hurt the kitten. When your children age, you will realize when they’re able to deal with a pet.
Although you might find its appearance unappealing, don’t toss a scratching post when it’s getting particular worn and frazzled. While it doesn’t appear clean and new, your cat probably thinks otherwise. For a cat, it is comfortable and familiar. There is a good chance if you got rid of it and bought a new one that your cat would start scratching up your furniture.
Give your cat a water fountain. A cat will always drink from running water if possible. Cats respond well to this stream of water. You may have noticed that a dripping sink faucet quickly attracts their attention. A drinking fountain is a more environmentally-friendly way to allow them to drink naturally.
It can be quite expensive to properly care for your beloved cat. You should care for your pet like you would care for a child. As you have learned here, there are ways you can make caring for your cat easier and more fun.