Although cats can be great pets, they can be quite expensive to take care of. Caring for a cat properly means providing it with proper nutrition, adequate stimulation, health care, and many other necessities; this can become expensive. With the solid advice below, you will find ways to keep your pet and save some money too.
Contact local shelters if you want to adopt a cat. Many shelters have more cats than they can handle and the fees associated with adoption take care of vet visits. By adopting a cat from your local shelter, you will preserve a life and will do your part in controlling the cat population.
If your cat is a female, be sure to get her spayed when she is old enough. It does not matter if you an indoor cat; if she gets out when in heat, you can end up with many kittens. Spray your cat so that this does not occur.
Flea Treatments
It is not safe to use dog products for your feline friend. It is possible that a dog’s product could cause a serious adverse effect on a cat. This is particularly true when it comes to flea treatments. Flea treatments made for a dog can be fatal to a cat. After getting the dog treated, keep the cat away for many hours.
Microchip your cat. You never know when your cat could get away from you. Collars or tags can identify your cat, but cats can wiggle out of those, and they are also at risk of getting hung up on something. Microchips are very small, and you can note your name, address and phone number in there. Every shelter and most veterinarian offices have microchip scanners that can read the chips, and best of all, they chips can’t be lost.
Cats are partially nocturnal. Your cat will probably be very active during the night. One way to deal with a kitten’s playful activity at night is just to shut your door. This way, they can’t disturb you while you sleep.
Keep your cat’s litter box in the right location. Don’t put it close to your cat’s food or in an area that gets too much traffic. Make sure it’s properly ventilated to keep smell down. Your kitty will thank you.
Make sure your cat gets lots of love. Think of all the friendship and comfort cats provide to us. Like humans, cats want to feel wanted and needed. They want to feel like a contented and satisfied member of the family.
Many times, cat meds can be purchased on the internet for less than they’d cost if you got them from your vet. There are some times when this isn’t a good idea, like when you’re dealing with a pet related emergency. Most of the time, you will get great discounts if you purchase on the web.
Don’t leave a kitten with small kids. A cat should not be left alone with a child under five years of age. These children just do not possess the maturity to handle a kitten. They aren’t aware of the danger that they can cause to it. Once the child is older and more mature, decide if they are ready for the responsibility of handling animals.
Feed your cat top quality food. Check out the ingredients, and make sure meat tops the list. Any foods with non-protein sources, such as corn, should be avoided. Understand that your cat needs a lot of animal protein to stay healthy.
If you wish to add another cat to your home, give it a couple weeks for your old cat and your new cat to grow accustomed to each other. They will probably hide from each other, hiss or even attack each other. Eventually, they become used to each other and are comfortable together.
Is cat hair getting into everything you own? Cats shed a lot, so it is important to brush them often. Cats that shed a lot need to be brushed more frequently. Brushing is a good way to keep your cat’s coat from getting matted and tangled.
If you have a cat who is pregnant, make sure that you give her a private spot that is closed away from other animals and has room for her to move in easily. The kittens will arrive within three or four hours, so try to be patient. Should the time run to six hours, and you think more kittens are due, get the cat to the vet immedietely
Put a collar on the cat that lists your name, address, and phone number on it. Your indoor pet might even get out if you leave a window open. If that happens, you want to be sure that there is a way for them to make it back home.
Many foods that are fine for humans are not good to give to your cat. These foods include grapes, onions green tomatoes and garlic. Your cat can get very sick from eating these foods. Even a commonly fed food, milk, can make your kitty ill.
Never have a declawed cat to spend time outdoors. Cats without claws cannot stand up for themselves if they encounter another animal. The result could be injuries or death. Cats that are declawed should be indoor cats only. However, you should still only remove the cat’s front claws. The back claws are left because these won’t scratch your furniture or floors.
You should never medicate a cat with something that was meant for humans. Go to a vet if there are problems, don’t self diagnose. Giving your pet medication that was meant for you can hurt them pretty seriously and it may even cause death.
Any pet can cost a lot to properly care for, and that is also true of cats. There are a lot of responsibilities that you will have. You should apply the tips you just read, and do your best to be a responsible cat owner.
