Cats are very pleasant and loving animals if you take good care of them. To be a responsible cat owner, you need to educate yourself on the best ways to care for your cat and find the best advice to make sure your little feline friend enjoys many great years with you. Read these tips to be the best cat owner you can be.
Spay your female cat. It is best to spay your cat, even if you want to keep it as an indoor pet. The best method of stopping this is to have your cat spayed.
You should take your cat to the vet on a regular basis to maintain optimum health. They need a check-up and possibly vaccinations. Cats should see a vet right away if any health problems or injuries needing treatment occur.
Flea Products
Avoid using dog products on cats. Cats are not the same as dogs, and products meant for dogs can make cats very ill. Flea products are a prime example. Canine flea products can be lethal to a cat. After your dog receives a flea treatment, keep your cat away for at least a few hours.
Cats are partially nocturnal. They are often active at nighttime. If your cats keep you up at night, kick them out of the bedroom. This will keep them from pouncing on you and trying to play in the middle of the night.
If you want to let your cat outside, think again. Being outside all the time is not safe for a cat. It takes mere minutes for your cats to pick up fleas, be bitten by a tick or something far worse. Your cat may be targeted by another animal, or get injured by a vehicle or another person. If you think your pet needs to go outside, think about enclosing a back patio with metal mesh or some type of heavy screen to keep your cat inside, yet allow them to experience the outdoors.
Are you a cat and dog owner? Dogs often take advantage of dining on the cat’s food. This is why it’s important that the cat’s feeding area is in a spot that’s too high for a dog to get to. This will help prevent any fights that may occur between your animals.
Cats enjoy climbing on things. To make your cat really happy, give it a place to safely survey its area. If you do not want cats making a mess in your house, remove breakable items from your shelves. You can even lay down a blanket to give your kitty some comfort.
Be sure to brush or comb your cat’s fur on a regular basis. This helps spread out the cat’s natural oils in their fur and stimulates blood flow in the skin. As an added bonus, it cuts down on loose fur. This helps to stop hairballs and their associated medical problems.
Be sure to carrier train your cat. Understand that cats don’t react to punishment as well as dogs. They prefer encouragement instead. Leave your cat carrier open and put a few special toys inside. Over time the cat will not be stressed about the carrier and will enter it voluntarily. Transporting your cat inside the carrier will then become much easier.
Go pick yourself up one of those water fountains for cats. A cat will always drink from running water if possible. Streaming water is much easier for your cat to take in. In fact, some cats prefer running sink water to their own water bowls. A fountain will allow your cat to have the happiness of drinking from running water.
Are you overwhelmed by cat hair? Cats shed considerably; therefore, it is very important you brush them frequently. If your cat sheds often, you will need to brush him more often. This will ensure your cat’s coat is tangle-free and not matted.
Keep your cat healthy, and ensure him a longer life, by keeping him up-to-date on his vaccinations and health check-ups. A kitten is not so different from a child. It needs properly-scheduled check-ups and immunizations to prevent medical complications down the road. You need to stay up to date with immunization and booster shots to improve the health of your cat.
You may often eat things that are quite bad for cats. These can include chocolate, grapes, onions and tomatoes. If your cat consumes these particular foods, it can get really sick. Even a commonly fed food, milk, can make your kitty ill.
It is best to keep cats indoors, near you and treated as part of your household. It is shown that cats trained inside that then spend the majority of their lives inside tend to live longer than cats free to roam the neighborhood. Outdoor trips should be made in the company of the owner to keep cats safe from the dangers (like infections and attacks) that free-ranging cats face.
If your cat has been declawed, outdoors should be off-limits. It can’t defend itself with no claws. Indoor cats can be declawed, though. Even with that, only their front claws should be removed. A cat’s back claws are important to his balance.
Don’t give your cat medicine intended for humans. A visit to the veterinarian will ensure that your pet receives the proper medication. Drugs and medicines designed for human consumption can cause serious health problems for cats, and in extreme cases, can even be fatal.
Cats make wonderful pets as long as they are properly cared for. As a good pet owner, read through this whole article several times and use the information for your own cat. With the proper care and love, your cat will live a long, healthy life.