Cats make great pets, but caring for them can be costly. Vaccinations, toys and check-ups can set you back a lot of money. You should keep reading to learn more about properly caring for your cat.
Shop at your local pet shelter for your next cat. There are so many great cats at shelters. The fee you will have to pay typically includes vet care. You're literally saving their life.
Ensure that you groom your cat regularly and properly. Cats must be brushed and groomed frequently. Doing this frequently can help them keep their coat clean. This will also cut down on shedding and can reduce issues with hairballs. A well-groomed feline looks great on their own, but also helps keep a home well-groomed too.
A heated tile can be positioned beneath the bed of a mature cat. Simply heat a terra-cotta tile in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. Put it inside an old towel, then place it beneath the cat's bed. If necessary, change this out every few hours.
Kitty claws can be quite destructive to fabric and furnishings. Buy a scratching post if you need to protect the furniture in your home. Put cat nip on it to attract them to it. This solution might take time to take, but it will help in the end.
Try to avoid your cat from becoming bored each day. Cats need play and exercise. Sadly, this can be easily overlooked. Cats that are bored may develop obsessive compulsive disorders, depression, or other issues that can harm their health. Give them plenty of room to exercise and a wide selections of toys. Provide them with an indoor climbing area or scratching post.
Your kitty's litter box requires strategic placement. Keep the litter from the cat food, and avoid placing it in a busy area. Also make sure the area is well ventilated to keep the smell to a minimum. Your cat will certainly appreciate your efforts, and you will too!
Give your kitty lots of love. Most cats crave the same warmth and companionship they give their owners. Like most people, cats like to socialize and feel that they are included in the family. They need to feel as though they are an important part of the family, as well.
Cats can spend hours keeping themselves and their fur clean. Long hair encourages hairballs. If your cat needs assistance with this problem, consider a special diet. Look for cat food that is designed to minimize hairballs to keep you and your cat happier.
While cats are good pets for children generally, smaller children may treat them too roughly. You need to show your children how the cat should be treated. Teach them which activities are good and how to properly pick your cat up. A cat's bones can be quite fragile and they need to be treated gently.
Brush your cat on a regular basis. This will reduce the amount of bacteria on the fur. It can also get rid of hair that is loose. Loose hair causes hairballs, a common problem for cats. The hair enters the pet's stomach and they later cough it up.
You may want to try different types of cat food. Cats can easily become finicky eaters. If you feed your cat the same food all the time, your cat will likely be uninterested any any other brand or flavor.
Scratching Post
Don't throw away your cat's old scratching post. It may not look as nice, but cats love a scratching post with some wear and tear. Even if you throw it away and buy a new one, your cat may opt for tearing up your upholstery instead.
You should give your cat at least three weeks to grow used to the presence of a new animal. They may swat at each other or hiss; that's nothing to be concerned about. Give them a bit more time to begin to get used to each other face to face, too.
Put some thought into where you place the litter box. You may want to hide it away. Make sure that your cat can get to its litter box very easily. A finicky cat may not use the litter box if the environment is very inconvenient. If the littler box is on cold, hard floor, try placing a rug beneath it.
Use sticky tape to protect your furniture. If you have a cat that scratches your upholstery you need to place tape on that as well. Many pet shops sell this sort of tape. If you place the tape on the furniture and add a scratching pole, your cat should stop scratching your things.
It's best to keep your pet cat indoors. Research has shown that cats who go outside regularly do not live as long. In addition, they are more prone to contracting all kinds of diseases. Your family could get these too. Let your indoor cat have a place where it can look out a window so that they can get the feeling of the outdoors from an indoor location.
Your cat needs to wear a collar and tag all of the time. Cats are intelligent and may escape at any time if you're not careful. If your cat has a tag on its' collar, then you will have a better chance of it coming home to you if it gets out.
It's difficult to deny that owning any type of pet comes with costs and conundrums. There are so many things to do that it is akin to having a child. As you have learned here, there are ways you can make caring for your cat easier and more fun.