Cats can be tough to please at times. You may not fully understand their preferences for years after you adopt them. Fortunately, if you educate yourself, you can better care for them. Read on for ideas and insights for caring for your feline friend.
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.
Regular visits to the vet will make sure that you cat is as healthy as he can be. Cats should go to a vet at least once each year for a check up, and more frequently for required shots. When the cat seems to be acting abnormally, take it to the vet immediately.
To keep your cat happy and healthy, its important to schedule regular visits to the vet. Not only are regular checkups good for catching problems early, but regular visits can insure that your cat keeps up to date on its vaccinations. If you don’t know when the last time your cat had its shots, schedule an appointment for booster shots as soon as possible.
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.
Save your furniture with scratching posts and pads. It is natural for cats to want to stretch their claws out and scratch. This does not mean that a cat owner must have damaged furniture. Provide your cat with places that it is okay to scratch and redirect them there if they decide to try out your sofa. Cat scratching posts come in many shapes and materials and some cats prefer a particular type so it may take some trial and error before you find the right combination for your kitty.
Get a scratching post to keep your cat from tearing up your carpet. If you can, get a post that does not have the same type of carpet that is on the floor of your home, so your cat doesn’t associate the two. Instead, get a post that is covered in cardboard, sisal, or thick rope.
Attend cat shows for tips about your cat. A cat show only costs a few dollars to attend. But when you attend one, you see vendors selling cat items, and show pet owners that give their cats the best of everything. You can get ideas for best brands to feed your cat, as well as ideas for grooming and caring for your cat.
Use short words when you want to express displeasure with your cat. A short ‘no’ will be remembered, even if not always followed. A lot of people think that cats don’t listen to anything, but short word commands are certainly understood by cats, and they will respond to those commands if you are consistent with them.
Cats are great family pets, but small children might be too rough. Show your kids the proper way to handle cats. Demonstrate the appropriate way to pick the cat up and how to play with them. The bones of a cat are weaker than a dogs, therefore, they should be handled with care.
Give serious thought to spaying or neutering your cat. Your vet can give you the pros and cons of both, but if you plan to keep your cat for a long period of time you should consider this operation. Cat overpopulation is a real problem, and you can do your part.
Play with your cat. A lot of cat owners don’t do this. They are happy to let their cat entertain themselves. However, playing with your cat can help to mentally stimulate him and give him the physical activity he needs. Use small balls, paper bags and any number of small toys to get your cat moving.
Speak to other people if you’re having cat troubles. You won’t have the knowledge to handle every cat issue properly, so take advantage of the experiences of others. There are a number of message boards for cat owners on the Internet, or you can go to your vet with problems.
You should never punish your cat for not using the litter box. It might be happening because you aren’t caring for the box good enough. Punishing your cat may cause him to become afraid of you or their litter box.
Understand that your cat is easily influenced by its surroundings. Cats have superior memories and will usually retain training for a lifetime. Conversely, they also retain frightening experiences and it takes them a long time to get over their fears. Be encouraging with your cat and avoid situations that scare them.
Cats need to have play in their life. As a matter of fact, exercise is crucial for all animals. Although older cats won’t be as active as younger cats, they still need a little exercise. Play with your cat, and you’ll both have fun.
If your cat has been scratching things that they should not have, do not think of declawing them as a good way to deal with the issue. While this surgical procedure would stop them from causing any more damage, it is a very painful procedure and it is pretty difficult to recover from.
You may not be able to impress your cat, but proper care will certainly not go unnoticed. These tips can also keep your cat healthy and strong at all times. Your cat just might start playing nice! Hopefully.
