Cats are great animals and intelligent pets. Your cat deserves a happy and healthy life and it is up to you to provide it. The following article will help you learn the answers to the most important questions new cat owners have.
Don’t leave drape cords near your cats. Don’t let the cat play with them since they can jump into them or play with them and get them around their neck if they have loops. This is incredibly dangerous as it could be fatal for your cat. Pin back drape cords to avoid this type of issue.
Your home furnishings can fall victim to your cat’s sharp claws. If you want to prevent or stop your cat from scratching up your furniture, the best thing to do is buy a scratching post or kitty tower for them to climb in. Give them some encouragement and let them know it is okay to scratch that. Sooner or later, they’ll love to use it.
Speak to your peers about your cat issues. Although you may feel like you don’t need help, other owners may be able to give you good advice. There are many online cat forums that will help you get questions answered. You could also try asking your vet.
Litter Box
If your cat relieves itself somewhere other than its litter box, it shouldn’t be punished. If your cat makes a mess, it’s probably because their litter box is not properly cared for. It isn’t fair to punish a cat for wanting a clean area to do its business, and you don’t want to make the cat wary of you.
Feed your cat top quality food. Always look at the ingredients first. You want to see either fish, chicken or beef noted. The foods to avoid are those with a large amount of corn and low amounts of protein. Understand that your cat needs a lot of animal protein to stay healthy.
If your cat begins defecating or urinating too frequently, it’s time to see the vet. This sort of behavior is common among cats with UTIs and other health problems. A potentially serious illness may be able to be treated by inexpensive antibiotics.
Your cat needs good play time. As a matter of fact, exercise is crucial for all animals. Even older cats like to play. Make sure you play with your cat at least once a day.
If you want a cat with long hair, be prepared to put in extra time and care. The hair may be a gorgeous thing to behold, but it will require a lot of maintenance. Realize the extra effort needed to keep a long-haired cat. Also, cats with long hair tend to have frequent hairball issues.
Do you feel overwhelmed by cat hair everywhere you look? Cats are known for shedding, so good grooming habits are a must. How often and how much your cat sheds can give you a good idea of how often he need to be brushed. This will ensure your cat’s coat is tangle-free and not matted.
If you’re dealing with a cat that won’t use the litter box, you should place it somewhere else. The best place for a litter box is in a secure, quiet area. Cats feel vulnerable when they’re using it, so they want it to be in a place where they feel safe. Try placing it in a laundry room or a basement, where there is limited traffic in the home.
Dogs will show a lot of enthusiasm through their tail when their owner comes back home. Cats, however, move their tails or sway it side to side for totally different reasons. In cats, wagging of the tail tends to indicate conflict or anxiety. If you happen to be cuddling with your cat when the wagging occurs, be prepared to loosen your grip!
Your cat will thrive if allowed to say indoors. Indoor cats live longer than others allowed to walk around the neighborhood freely. Make sure your cat is trained as an indoor cat if you don’t want it to get diseases or other things that can happen when it’s outdoors.
If your cat is prone to hairballs and additional brushing has no effect, you may be able to resolve the problem in other ways. Use pumpkin in your cat’s food to help with digestion. Try also mixing in some water from tuna with the pumpkin. There are foods that inhibit hairballs which have fiber in them. They might take care of the issue.
Put tape on your furnishings. Whenever your cat scratches any upholstery, sticky tape is a great way to dissuade them from doing it again. You can even find tape specifically designed for this use in many pet stores. With this tape and a well-placed scratching post, your feline should stop the bad behavior quickly.
Do a safety check to make sure there are no places where your cat could potentially get trapped. Cats are able to squeeze into tiny gaps. Kittens are even smaller! Be especially careful about this if you’re bringing a cat home for the first time. Get holes repaired or covered up as you find them.
Don’t give table scraps to your cat. People food is not an appropriate diet for cats, both because of the ingredients and the manner in which food is cooked. You can give your cat a little treat every now and then, such as a tiny bit of egg or beef. However, as long as you follow the instructions for feeding on your choice of cat food, his diet should be nutritionally complete.
Cats are awesome pets, as previously described. You need to know all you can about cat care to ensure the happiness of your pet. You should read over this information a few times in order to care for your cat properly. Your cat will love you more for this!