Cats are very pleasant and loving animals if you take good care of them. Every owner should learn the ways to care for a cat. This article has lots of great information about cat care.
Keep your cat properly groomed. Just like dogs, cats require regular brushing and de-tangling. This will help them maintain a clean and healthy coat. It also stops hairballs. Keep your cat looking at its best by grooming it well.
Make sure you keep all the recommended appointments with your cat’s veterinarian. Your vet will provide your cat with the shots it needs to prevent disease. Your vet can also check the overall health of your cat. Your cat will be more comfortable if you continue using the same vet. This also allows the vet to become more familiar with your cat’s unique health needs and personality.
Older cats will appreciate a heated bed; you can use a heated tile to create one! Simply heat a terra-cotta tile in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. Put it inside a cloth and place underneath your feline’s blanket or bed. Change every few hours if you like.
If your kitty is a female, make sure to plan a spaying once she is of age to breed. Whether or not she typically goes outside, she may escape while in heat and you might have kittens! Unless you want the hassle of getting rid of kittens, spaying is the best option for your cat.
Be sure your cat gets regular checkups at the vet. Your cat should have a health check yearly, but should go in more if your cat needs shots. If a condition, illness, or injury happens, your cat should be taken to the vet immediately.
Microchips are an increasingly popular form of pet protection. Indoor cats can slip out an open door. Even if you put a collar or tag on your cat, be careful as they can wiggle out of these very easily and can be dangerous if they get caught on a foreign object like a tree branch. A microchip, on the other hand, is inserted near your cat’s shoulder blades, takes only a second to do, and all of your current contact info can be read through the chip. Many vets and shelters have scanners that can read these chips and since they lie under their skin, they won’t get lost.
Make sure your cat is not too bored. Cats need to exercise and play. But, too many cat owners fail to realize this. If your cat is bored, it might develop a depression, obsessive compulsive behaviors or ruin some of your furniture. Provide your cats with the toys and space it needs. If you have an indoor cat, provide a kitty gym for them to climb on or a scratching post.
Try not to let your cat go outside. Being outside all the time is not safe for a cat. You cat can get fleas and contract diseases. There is the possibility they may get injured by another animal, even people and cars too. If you think your pet needs to go outside, think about enclosing a back patio with metal mesh or some type of heavy screen to keep your cat inside, yet allow them to experience the outdoors.
Do you have both a dog and a cat? Dogs will generally try to eat the cat’s food whenever the opportunity comes along. For this reason, you need to place your cat’s bowl in an area that is to high for a dog to reach. This can also prevent unnecessary arguments between your pets over the water supply, once the food has been consumed.
Does it seem like your cat’s hairs are everywhere you look? Since cats shed so much, they need to be frequently brushed. You should brush your cat quite a bit of they are prone to shedding. This will make your cat’s coat nice and smooth.
Litter Box
Your cat’s choice to potty outside the litter box could signal something more worrisome than misbehavior. A common sign that a cat has a medical condition is failure to use the bathroom in the litter box. For example, the behavior may be caused by an infection of the kidneys or bladder. Be sure to go see your vet if your cat stops using its box.
It is important to designate a big and comfortable area for your cat to deliver her kittens. It will take about three to four hours for all of the kittens to come out, so be patient. Should the time run to six hours, and you think more kittens are due, get the cat to the vet immedietely
If you notice your cat is not using the litter box, try moving it to a new location. A cat’s instinct tells him that eliminating puts him in a vulnerable state, so try putting his litter box in a safe, quiet area of the house. Basement areas and laundry rooms make perfect areas, as they have little traffic.
Some foods are not permissible to serve to your cat. Onions, garlic, grapes and green tomatoes are among these foods. Your cat can get sick after eating these foods. Milk upsets a cat’s stomach, too.
Cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell which makes it difficult to change anything in their environment without their knowing about it. This is why it is sometimes difficult to get them to use something new, like a bowl or cat toy. You should give your cat time to adjust to new items in his world. Once your cat becomes accustomed to this smell, he or she will begin to like it.
Cats are popular pets but they need to be cared for properly. If you’re going to own a cat and be responsible about it you should reread this article and use the information that is in it. Applying the insight learned in these tips will help to ensure that your pet has a happy life and provides wonderful companionship.