Feral cats are those without a home. A good portion of the domesticated cat population is composed of them and they can sometimes be trouble. Getting to know a cat’s needs and taking great care of it can help your cat to have a fantastic life.

Make sure your cat is regularly visiting the vet for checkups. Understand that cats require vaccinations in order to stay healthy, and the veterinarian needs to regularly check for any health problems. If you can, stick with one vet for your cat’s entire life. This way, the vet will be very familiar with your cat and its history.

TIP! If you want to have the love of a cat, get one from a shelter. Shelters have great pets available for adoption, and the fee isn’t that high.

Cats love to squeeze into tiny spaces. If your cat gets caught on something wearing a traditional collar they could end up hurting their neck trying to break free. Purchase breakaway collars that will give if they are yanked tightly. This can keep your cat alive.

Heated tiles are great to put under a cat bed, especially for the comfort of aging felines. Put a square foot of terra cotta tile into your oven heated to 200 degrees. Keep the tile in the oven for about 15 minutes. Place it in an older towel and place it underneath of the feline’s bed. If possible, re-heat several times throughout the night.

You should never allow your cat to be bored all the time. Cats need play and exercise like other pets. Many owners just don’t have time. Cats who get bored can actually become depressed or display other undesirable behaviors. Make sure your cats have a wide variety of toys and plenty of room for active play. You need to provide your cats with something they can climb and scratch.

TIP! If your cat is a female, be sure to get her spayed when she is old enough. Even if you own an indoor cat, it might produce many kittens if it escapes during mating season.

Watch kittens around kids. This is especially true if your child is less than five years old. Their immaturity prevents them from understanding how easily they could hurt the kitten. When children are over the age of five, then you should decide whether or not they are mature enough to handle a kitten.

Speak to others about your cat problems. Advice from other people can be very beneficial for you. Your vet is a great source of advice, or you can find forums on the Internet to connect with other cat owners.

There is no need to spend hours trying to litter train your cat. Using the litter box will come naturally to your cat. Many people believe that taking your cat to the box and rubbing their paws in the litter is a good idea, but it may actually traumatize them.

TIP! Make sure your cat has a collar and tag if outside. Cats can travel a long way and this will help you get them back easier if they’re lost.

You should brush your cat on a regular basis. This helps to stimulate blood flow and circulation, and it will also help to evenly distribute the natural oil your cat’s fur has. It’ll also remove all that loose hair. Doing so reduces the occurrence of hairballs, which are a choking risk. It also benefits the cat’s stomach by reducing the animal’s need to clean itself.

Canned food is usually the best option for your cat. Although dry food is usually less expensive, canned food is better for your cat. The water content is higher, and there is more protein and fat in the canned food. If your cat is getting older, canned food is easier to chew as well. Ask your vet for more info, bun in general, canned food is much better for a number of reasons.

Defend yourself against cats that are intruding. Cats are very loving creatures, once you get to know them. Cats need to be loved and treated with care. You never know what the future holds, and it could be that you find a certain feral cat your life winds up incomplete without!