Taking care of a pet cat goes a lot further than just feeding it every day. You have to consider things like it’s litter box, vet appointments and many other important facets. The following article will teach you everything you need to know about how to properly take care of your pet cat.
Choose a high quality food. The key to a healthy cat starts with nutrition. Take a look at the ingredients label. If you look at most “popular” commercial cat foods, you may be surprised to see the top ingredient listed is corn. Cats are carnivores, so look for a food with a real meat as the top ingredient. You may pay more up front, but these foods are often more nutritionally dense, meaning your cat eats less and the bag lasts longer.
If your cat is misbehaving, you can influence its behavior in a safe and humane way by using water. Fill a small squirt gun or a spray water bottle with plain water. Give your cat a few light squirts of water when you catch it misbehaving and it will soon learn to stop doing the unwanted behavior.
Avoid eye contact to make friends with a cat. Ever wonder why cats seem drawn to the person who likes cats the least? The answer lies in cat body language. To cats, staring is “rude” and can be considered a challenge. Looking away shows that you respect their space and are not going to be a threat. So next time you are looking to meet a new feline friend, look away and let them approach you.
Make sure your cat is properly hydrated. Like humans, cats need to drink lots of water. If they don’t get enough water, they can get dehydrated, develop various health problems, or die. Make sure they always have a bowl of fresh and clean water. The bowl itself also needs to be cleaned and refilled every day. You should also keep this bowl in one location.
Make your own enclosed litter box from a large tote box with a lid. Use a coffee can lid as a pattern to cut a door in one side of the tote. Place the coffee can lid fairly high up on the side of the tote. Trace around it with a permanent marker. Cut out the circle with tin snips or a box cutter. Add litter. Put on the lid.
A cat’s nails can grow really quickly. They sharpen their nails by scratching on different surfaces like a scratching post. You can help avoid your cat destroying your furniture by clipping their nails often. This will help to discourage your cat from scratching at different things around your house.
If you want a cat that is well-behaved and not prone to biting and scratching, make sure that you do not try to adopt one when it is too young. It takes 12-16 weeks for a kitten to learn proper cat behavior from their mom and all of their siblings.
Don’t get mad at your cat if it urinates outside the litter box. Many times, this is caused by failure to properly clean or place the litter box. If you get mad, they’ll never use the box again.
It is important for a cat to have play time. Just like playtime is important for other types of pets, the same holds true for your cat, despite whatever their age happens to be. An older cat may not be as energetic as when it was younger, but still enjoys light play. Have as much fun time with your cat as possible.
Understand the difference between cat play and real aggression. Both activities can look the same to an untrained eye, but there are differences. When two cats are playing, they will bat each other around with claws retracted. They will “bite” with their jaws loose. Real aggression will involve hisses, squeals and hard biting.
Put a breakaway collar on a cat with an engraved tag. Even a cat you plan to keep indoors can sometimes get out or get lost. Fitting your cat with a tag and collar greatly increases the chance that your cat will make it home safely.
To keep your cat using the litter box, always keep it clean. No matter what kind of scented or special formula litters you may use, nothing is a substitute for removing clumps and used litter several times a day. Keep your litter box in a quiet area of your home.
Cats can contract many illnesses that you do. Your cat is an important family member, so it is up to you to know when he/she is not feeling well. Take your cat to the vet at the first sign of a problem. A well-informed vet can tell you exactly what’s wrong and if immediate care is necessary.
Don’t offer table scraps to your cat as a treat. Your cat may want human food, but most of it is not healthy for any cat. If you really want to treat your cat, try a tablespoon or so of cooked chicken or beef, or a little egg. If you go by the feeding instructions that are on your cat’s food based on their weight and age, then they have a complete diet.
Many people want their cat to be groomed and clean, so they bathe them. Bathing your cat is generally not necessary unless they’re really dirty or a mishap has occurred. Cats are self groomers, with barbed tongues that make for excellent cleaning utensils to rid themselves of any dirt. Cats actually care about the way they look!
Owning a cat is not easy. There are a number of things you need to be responsible for. Luckily, the advice in this article has taught you many of those important things. Be sure and implement what you have learned so that your cat will live a long and happy life.
