Cats and humans have lived together through the ages. There are many different novels and plays that have cats as the main theme. Thus, it isn’t hard to understand why they seem to feel superior. The below article will help you take control over your cat’s care.

Look a local animal shelters for cats. Shelters always have plenty of cats available and adoption fees are usually very affordable. By adopting a cat from your local shelter, you will preserve a life and will do your part in controlling the cat population.

TIP! Shop at your local pet shelter for your next cat. Shelters have lots of great cats available, and your adoption fee often covers key veterinary services.

Cats enjoy getting into small spaces. There are ways to make sure that their collar does not get stuck. The advantage to a breakaway type collar is that if enough pressure is put on it, it will just let go rather than strangle the cat. This could save your cat’s life!

Don’t try using dog food or products for your cat. They can have very strong and possibly negative reactions to dog products. This definitely applies to flea products. Your cat can die if you use a dog flea product on it. After getting the dog treated, keep the cat away for many hours.

A cat can do a lot of damage to your furniture with its 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. Teach your cat to scratch this instead of the legs of a couch or sofa. It might take a little while, but eventually it should stop the problem.

TIP! Receiving plenty of positive, loving attention is important for your cat. Cats need just as much companionship as they give out.

Normally cats are nocturnal animals. This refers to the fact that they are usually more active at night. Shut the door to your bedroom. This helps to muffle the sounds of nighttime play. This will prevent them from entering your sleeping space and awakening you.

Remember to take care of your cat’s ears if you travel with him. You may think it’s a good idea to listen to loud music on your stereo, but cats generally don’t enjoy this. Keep your music off, and talk to your cat instead.

Younger children can be a little rough with cats sometimes. Teach your children how to handle a cat. Teach them which activities are good and how to properly pick your cat up. Cats have weaker bones than dogs and need more gentle treatment.

TIP! Feeding your male cat the proper food can help prevent crystals from forming in his urine. Your cat will experience considerable pain when he has to pass these crystals, and it’s not an easy (or cheap) problem for your veterinarian to fix.

Make sure that you have a good tablecloth for your kitten. Sometimes cats prefer to remove food from their bowls and eat it from the floor. This habit means you will end up with cat food on the floor to clean 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.

Before you consider buying a kitten for your children, make sure clear boundaries are set before you bring the kitten home. Let your children know which areas of the house are off-limits for the cat. If your cat is going to be one that stays inside, let the kids know that it’s not allowed outside. By getting these rules into place before having a cat, you’ll be sure that your children can understand.

Do you have both a cat and dog? Most dogs will not hesitate before munching on your cat’s food. Therefore, your cat’s food bowl should be placed in a high location that is out of your dog’s reach. This also ensures that there are no squabbles over the water between the two, when the food is gone.

TIP! Make sure you are cautious about leaving a young child alone with a small kitten. If a child is under the age of five, you should not leave the pet alone with them.

Be very careful about allowing children to be alone with a kitten. Under five, the child needs to be watched. Young children are not yet mature enough to realize what behaviors are dangerous to a cat. As children get older, decide when they show the maturity to handle a small pet.

Acclimate your cat to a cat carrier. Cats are not as responsive to punishment as dogs are. Cats are better trained by using patient encouragement. Place the open carrier in an area that your cat visits often and outfit it with a favorite toy and blanket. The cat will feel safe when it enters this carrier after a while. This will make getting the cat inside easier later.

Like most cats, your cat probably believes the universe revolves around it. However, it is possible to get a cat to realize that it is actually you who is in charge. Cats are great animals to have around; learn more about them so that you can enjoy them even more.