Although cats can be great pets, they can be quite expensive to take care of. Between toys, litter, food, and vet visits, the costs of having a cat can make a person hesitant about owning one. You should keep reading to learn more about properly caring for your cat.
Keep your cat groomed. You can regularly brush or comb your cat. This helps them keep their precious coat properly clean at all times. Having a clean fur coat helps reduce the amount of hairballs that get spit up around the house. In order to keep shed hair down to a minimum, plus have a beautiful cat, you must groom your cat regularly.
Keep your cat from having a shocking experience by spraying electrical cords with bitter apple. Cats who love to chew need to be kept away from cords. Use some paper towel rolls to tuck loose cords. Electronic items with tasty-looking, thin cords (video game controllers, phone chargers, and so on) should be stored securely when you’re not using them.
Kitty claws can be quite destructive to fabric and furnishings. You need to get a scratching post or a cat tower to prevent your cat from ruining your furniture. Give them some encouragement and let them know it is okay to scratch that. Sooner or later, they’ll love to use it.
Make sure your cat is not too bored. Cats need stimulation. Many owners just don’t have time. A bored cat runs the risk of developing depression and obsessive compulsive disorders that may harm them or something in your home. Provide them with space to exercise and lots of toys to play with. If your cats are kept inside, set up a carpet lined scratching pad or post. There are many climbing structures that can be purchased or made for cats who enjoy heights.
When traveling on the road with your cat, understand that they are sensitive to sounds. They don’t want to hear you singing at the top of your lungs. Therefore, try lowering your music or turning it off in order for your cat to enjoy the trip more.
A tablecloth for the feeding area can be quite useful. Often, a cat will remove food from his bowl to eat on the side. This habit means you will end up with cat food on the floor to clean up. Place a piece of fabric or a place-mat under your cat’s bowl and then simply shake it over a garbage can for quick and easy clean up.
There needs to be set boundaries with your children and a new kitty. Make sure your children know where in the house the cat is permitted to be. It’s also important to let them know that outside doors must be kept closed so that the cat doesn’t escape. Setting up rules ahead of time can help your kids understand better.
Do you own a dog and cat? Keep in mind that the two animals have separate dietary needs, and dogs will try cat food if given the chance. This makes it a good idea to have a cat feeding place high up enough that your dog can’t get to it. In doing so, you prevent spats and spitting over competition for water.
Don’t stress yourself out about instructing your cat on proper litter box usage. Cats instinctively understand what to do and teaching is not required. You may have heard that rubbing your cat;s paws in litter will help them learn, but that may have a traumatizing effect.
Long haired cats take extra grooming time, so think about that before choosing one. Even though that nice coat of beautiful silky fur looks great, it can leave a mess on your floors, furniture and clothing. If you don’t mind cleaning, get a long-haired cat. Also, cats with long hair tend to have frequent hairball issues.
If your cat is ready to give birth, give her an area to do it in that has plenty of space. Giving birth to all the kittens can take hours, so you shouldn’t expect things to be over and done with quickly. If more than five or six hours have passed, and you think that kittens still remain inside, then you must get in touch with your vet.
Never use chemicals that have phenol in it near your cat. This chemical is often found in cleaning products such as Pine-Sol and Lysol. The smell is pretty offensive to cats, and prolonged exposure can lead to liver damage.
Pet cats should not be allowed to spend time outdoors or away from its home for long periods of time. Studies have proven that cats who live most of their life indoors live longer than outdoor cats. Daily exercise with you doesn’t need to create risks for other cat attacks or diseases from the wild.
If your cat’s been declawed, you should never let them outside. Without claws, the cat cannot defend against other animals, which can lead to real issues. Cats should only be declawed if they’re going to be inside fulltime. It is important to note that if you are declawing a cat, only the front claws on the cat should be removed. The back claws are left because these won’t scratch your furniture or floors.
Cats, like all pets, can be expensive. They need a lot of help, and it can be just like caring for a small child at times. Now that you read this article, you know what it takes to properly care for your feline.
