Cats may be animals, but so many centuries of serving as domesticated pets has spoiled them. Cats today have become much more sensitive to the wild than the rest of the animal kingdom. Fleas, ticks, and other critters can quickly and quietly become a serious problem if your cat is outside often.
Don’t leave drape cords near your cats. Do not let your cat play with these. If the cords are in loops and the cat jumps into them or plays with them, they could possibly get them caught around their neck. This may seriously injure or kill your cat. To prevent this from happening, keep any drape cords pinned away from any eyes.
Have your kids help you take care of the cat. Assign daily jobs such as feeding the cat and cleaning the litter box. Not only will taking care of the cat teach them responsibility, it also gives you a break from these tasks. This means that you can spend more time cuddling with your cat.
Protect your cat from choking. Be sure to dispose of poultry and fish bones safely. Wrap them in a paper or plastic bag and put them in your outdoor garbage can with the lid tightly secured. Alternately, place them in a plastic bag and freeze them until garbage pick up day.
Making sure your cat doesn’t jump on the counters is hard to do. Cats enjoy heights, as they can monitor events from their perch. To help prevent your cat from doing this, you can establish tall places specifically for your cat. An excellent tool for preventing your cat from jumping on the counter is a cat tower that is in the kitchen.
Feed your cat a proper diet. Cats are carnivores and have specific dietary needs. Feed them quality cat food that has been approved by AAFCO or the Association of American Feed Control Officials. If you wish to make your cat’s food yourself, make sure you speak with a vet about necessary supplements or specific recipes that your cat needs to eat.
Refrain from giving your cat any food that is spoiled. This can lead to indigestion and food poisoning, which can cost you a trip to the veterinarian. Always buy your food fresh from the store and be sure to check the expiration date before you feed it to your cat.
Keep an eye on early warning signs of health issues in cats. Cats usually display warning signs if they are struggling with health issues. Some common signs to look out for include eating habit changes, sleeping habit changes, not being able to groom properly, changes in eating habits, changes in sleeping habits, depression, sneezing, increased thirst, watery eyes, changes in behavior, hiding, and vomiting. If they display these symptoms, take them to a vet right away. The sooner you take, them the better.
You need to establish some boundaries if you are getting a cat for your children. Let your children know which areas of the house are off-limits for the cat. If the cat is to be indoors, tell your children not to allow him outside. Your children will be able to understand the rules more easily if they know them ahead of time.
Try to figure out why your cat meows. After some time, you’ll understand why your cat purs or meows based on what she wants. The meows may indicate hunger, happiness, or a desire to go exploring. By giving her the proper amount of attention you can better attend to her needs.
It’s important to let your cat see where you place the litter box, but it’s not always a good idea to force your cat to learn how to use it. This is a natural instinct for felines, and it need not be taught. A lot of people think that they can take their cat and try to rub their cat’s paws on the litter, but this may just traumatize the cat.
Never punish a cat for a mess outside of its box. The major cause of such accidents is usually because the litter box hasn’t been given the proper care. Punishing your cat will make it afraid of being close to you.
When you are washing a cat litter box, it is a good idea to use basic soap and water. You may think that it would be more sanitary to use a harsh cleaner like bleach or ammonia, but all that will do is create a smell that the cat will find offensive.
Ensure that your new cat is spayed or neutered. This is important even if your cat will not be outdoors or around cats of the opposite gender. Studies show that spayed cats are less vulnerable to uterine, mammary, and ovarian cancer. Neutering your male cat decreases his risk of developing prostate cancer. Another benefit of neutering is that your cat will not feel compelled to mark his territory by spraying.
Really consider where you place the litter box. It’s sometimes tempting to put the box somewhere that you don’t have to smell or see it. However, if you hide it from your pet he might not try very hard to find it when he needs to go to the bathroom. Understand that cats are extremely picky. If its litter box is not in a convenient location, then your cat might not use it. Keeping litter boxes on cement floors that are cold can be remedied by placing a rug or mat under it.
The outside world doesn’t need to be a scary place for you or your cat. These tips should help keep your new pet safe from infections, poisonous wildlife, and other dangerous animals. If your cat can’t seem to escape some constant disturbance outside, it may need to spend more time indoors instead.
