Taking The Difficulty Out Of Raising A Cat

TIP! Properly groom your cat. Brush your cat’s fur often to help it be shiny and healthy.

Cats are interesting creatures that are great pets. If you own a cat, it’s important that you know as much as possible about caring for your pet. The following article will help you with this.

TIP! Check-ups are an absolute must for any pet cat. Cats need yearly shots and overall health assessments.

Cats need a certain amount of grooming to stay healthy and presentable. A cat requires regularly brushing and combing. If you do this frequently you’ll be able to help the cat have clean fur. It can cut down on shedding and spitting up hairballs, too. A well-groomed feline looks great on their own, but also helps keep a home well-groomed too.

TIP! If you have a female cat it is important to have her spayed once she becomes old enough. It is best to spay your cat, even if you want to keep it as an indoor pet.

Don’t use dog portions for your cat. Your cat will have a bad reaction to anything that has been specifically formulated for a dog. This particularly applies to flea products. Dog products that are flea related can kill a cat. Once you use flea prevention products on your dog, it should be kept separately from the cat for hours.

TIP! Keep your cat active and entertained to avoid boredom. Your cat needs plenty of exercise.

Microchip your cat. Indoor cats could run out your door or jump out the window. Tags and collars are great, but they don’t always stay on your cat. They can also be a risk, should they get snagged on something. Microchips are very small, and you can note your name, address and phone number in there. Scanners to read pet microchips are available in every town and they will not come out from under the skin.

TIP! Be considerate of your cat’s preferences while traveling. You may love belting out your favorite tunes as you drive on the freeway, but your cat probably enjoys softer sounds.

Keep your cat amused. Cats require plenty of exercise. Unfortunately, many owners do not realize this important part of ownership. Bored cats will quickly wreck your home or become obese. Give them plenty of space to roam and provide them with toys to give them some exercise. If they’re inside kitties, get them a post or something else that they can scratch and climb.

Litter Box

TIP! Think over whether or not you should let your cat go outdoors. This can put your cat in an unsafe position.

Put the litter box in an ideal location. Put the litter box in a secluded area, and make sure that it is not near the cat’s food. In addition, you should ensure you place the litter box in a well-ventilated area to minimize the smell. You and your cat will greatly appreciate this.

TIP! Be careful when leaving your cat with your children. If the child is younger than 5, don’t leave them alone with a kitten.

Male cats may develop crystals in the urine, which usually occur as a result of a poor diet. These are very painful and expensive to treat. Your cat needs food low in magnesium. Always read labels. You will notice that fish-based foods and products are higher in levels of magnesium than anything sourced from poultry.

TIP! Don’t get mad at your cat if it urinates outside the litter box. Check out the box instead and see if it has been neglected; this is often a cause of accidents.

Create a tablecloth that your cats can use. Often, a cat will remove food from his bowl to eat on the side. That means you will have to tidy up the food left beside the cat bowl. There are two ways to do this. You can either put a placemat under the food bowl or use some stray fabric that you have lying around. Either way, you can easily get rid of debris by dumping them in the garbage.

TIP! A battered appearance isn’t a good reason to discard a beloved cat condo or scratching post. It’s in this condition that cats tend to love it the most.

Cats generally will meow for a reason. You need to learn what their meows mean. She may be hungry, or she may want you to let her outside. Look for the cues and you’ll be much more in tune with your pet.

TIP! You cat should get cat food that is of a good quality. Carefully look over ingredients, and be sure that a quality protein source like chicken, fish, or beef is at the beginning of the list.

Think over whether or not you should let your cat go outdoors. Being outside all the time is not safe for a cat. Your cat could get parasites, or worse. Cats can be harmed by cars, people and other animals. If you must let your cat outside, do so in a very small area of your backyard or lawn.

TIP! Buy your cat a fountain it can drink from. Cats who are in the wild prefer to drink from running water, and this holds true for domestic cats, as well.

Your cat should be acclimated to a carrier as a kitten. Cats can’t be punished like dogs. They need positive reinforcement. Put a favorite blanket and toy in the carrier and leave it open somewhere the cat frequents. In time, the cat will head inside and be happy. It’s a much easier way to get the cat in.

Cat Owner

TIP! Think carefully about where you put the litter box for your cat. Many cat owners feel inclined to hide the litter box.

As you know already, it can be very rewarding to be a cat owner. You should always keep educating yourself about the different things you can do to care for your cat. Take these suggestions to heart so you can learn to be a great cat owner. Your furry friend will say thank you in his own special way when you reward him with all your new knowledge!