Cats are amazing and make great pets. Your cat deserves a happy and healthy life and it is up to you to provide it. The following article will help you with this.
If you’re thinking of getting a cat for a pet, you should look to the local shelter. Many shelters are overcrowded with lovable and adoptable cats. When adopting a shelter cat, you’re saving a life and aiding in controlling the cat population.
Cats love to get into tight, small spaces. If they have a collar, this can be a safety issue if they get stuck. Therefore, use a breakaway collar that will come undone whenever it’s being pulled very tightly. This kind of collar can turn a potentially-dangerous situation into a merely exasperating one.
Have your cat chipped so you can find him if he runs away. Even indoor cats get out sometimes. Tags and collars may be able to help you get your cat back, but cats can sometimes take these things off or they could get hung up on a tree or something. Your important information can all fit nicely on a rice grain sized microchip. Most vets and all shelters can scan these chips to get your contact information and there is no risk of losing the chip.
If you cat is overly vocal, try to figure out exactly why he or she is making so much noise. You need to learn what their meows mean. A meow could signal anything from hunger to a desire for affection. Make sure you are paying attention in order to better understand your cat.
Avoid leaving a kitten alone with small children. If children are younger than five years old, pets ought not be left with them. A child of that age doesn’t realize when they are being too rough with a pet. As they grow, you will be able to decide when it is the right time for them to handle a cat or kitten without supervision.
You should brush your cat on a regular basis. Brushing spreads natural oils through the fur and also stimulates circulation. Brushing will also help to remove loose hair. This prevents hairballs, which can cause choking, and builds up in the cat’s stomach from self grooming.
Feeding your cat different types of food helps ensure they don’t get finicky. If you raise your kitten with the same food for their entire life, this can become the only type of food they will willingly eat.
It is important for a cat to have play time. After all, everyone likes to play. Even a mature cat that isn’t as spry anymore it still loves to play around. Make sure you spend time doing fun things with your cat.
Litter Box
Place the litter box for your cat in an open area. It is tempting to place it out of sight, in order to avoid the image of it or smells that go along with dirty litter. However, it is important to keep their litter box in an area they can easily get to. To satisfy a cat’s demanding requirements, the litter box needs to be sited somewhere convenient and comfortable. If the box is placed on a cold floor, place a mat under it.
Your cat’s choice to potty outside the litter box could signal something more worrisome than misbehavior. Using the bathroom outside of the litter box is linked to a number of cat health issues. A variety of infections and kidney disease can cause your cat to stay away from the box when they suddenly associate it with pain due to their medical condition. If your cat stops going in the litter box, a call to the vet is in order.
If your cat is pregnant, make sure she has plenty of room to give birth. It can take as much as about 4 hours for all the kittens to be born after labor starts. If, after six hours, you think there are still kittens stuck inside your pet, a trip to the vet is in order.
The foods you eat might not be very healthy for your pet. Examples include garlic, grapes, green tomatoes and onions. Even a little taste of these foods can make your cat seriously sick. In addition, milk can also upset your cat’s stomach.
Don’t have an outdoor cat declawed. The cat is defenseless against other animals, which may lead to injury or possibly death. Cats that are declawed should be indoor cats only. It is still best to just remove the front claws. Allow your cat to retain their back claws which are less damaging to indoor surfaces.
As you are no doubt aware, cats can be wonderful pets. To ensure that your cat stays healthy and happy it is imperative that you educate yourself on proper cat care-taking. Be sure you thoroughly read over the advice found here in order to do this. Your cat will show you gratitude.