Your cat may not be a picky eater, but that’s no excuse for feeding it processed can foods during each meal. Focus on setting up a customized diet with your veterinarian that works well with your cats individual physical needs. This guide was written to help organize this diet along with other health-conscious activities that you should be apart of.
Make sure to keep your cat’s litter box clean at all times. Most cats do not like to use a dirty litter box, much like you would not want to use a dirty toilet. Scoop it at least once a day. Empty and give it a good cleaning once a week or more if needed.
Avoid being kept awake by your cat romping through the house at night. When you first get your kitten, establish a habit of putting it to bed in a comfortable crate with a nice bed, litter box, food and water at night. If you start this early, your cat will appreciate having its own safe, cozy room.
To keep your cat healthy and strengthen its bond with you, always set aside lots of play time. Kittens especially need lots of attention, which you can easily give to them through play. Pull a piece of string around for a fun and gentle way to keep a cat entertained for hours!
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.
Male cats may develop crystals in the urine, which usually occur as a result of a poor diet. A cat passing the crystals can be very hurtful with an expensive vet bill to boot. Choose a cat food low in magnesium. Consult the ingredient list. Fish is often high in magnesium compared to chicken.
It is important to only feed your kitten food specifically made for kittens. Kitten food contains more fat and protein to help keep your growing cats body healthy. Adult cat food is leaner and is not specially formulated the same way as the kitten food. Your kitten will grow really fast in a short time-frame, so it is important that they eat right.
Do not flush clumpable litter in your toilet. This can lead to problems with your plumbing. Instead just lift the clumps and dispose of them in a trash bag. Don’t forget, moisture is what makes the litter clump in the first place! Avoid doing that to your pipes and just dispose of it properly.
Cats are great pets, but their litter boxes can be unsightly and have an odor. If you can’t stand the sight of your litter box, then it is time to go shopping. There are many different styles of litter boxes on the market. Some are even disguised as fake potted plants. Not only does it look better, it controls the smell as well.
If your cat goes outdoors a lot, the chances are good that they come home filthy once in a while. When your cat is especially dirty or smelling like a skunk, you should make an appointment with the local groomer. Groomers will be gentle with your cat, resulting in a less traumatic experience.
Keep old, worn scratching posts. Cats love them! If you replace it with something new, your pet might seek out something a little more worn to scratch – like your furniture.
As soon as you adopt your cat, fit him with identification tags attached to a collar. This is very important for indoor cats. Cats are naturally curious and a door or window that’s open invites exploration. They should wear a tag with your vet’s info as well as your telephone number. This is very important if your pet is likely to get lost or has some medical needs.
If you have more than one cat, it is a good idea for you to give them each their own food bowls. Place them far apart so that each cat has their space. If you provide just one bowl for the cats to share, it may cause larger cats to bully the smaller ones.
If your cat or kitten begins to urinate frequently or in places other than his litter box, a trip to the vet may be in order. This behavior may be indicative of an infection of the urinary tract or some other issue. A quick course of antibiotics can head off dangerous complications if you get your cat diagnosed and treated early enough.
Most cats are prone to wax build up and ear mites. You can purchase a solution at the pet store that will clean out your cats ears. You put a couple drops in each of your cats ears and then hold them closed while massaging them for a minute. When you let go, stand back or you will get covered in the liquid when your cat shakes its head.
If there is a place where your cat likes to use the bathroom other than the litter box, there is a simple way to deal with this. There are sprays formulated to be very offensive to cats. If you apply this spray in these areas, the cat will stay away from there.
When choosing what type of cat to bring home, consider your lifestyle. Do you travel often? How long are you at home? If you will not spend a good deal of time in the company of your new pet, adopt a more mature cat. Kittens require considerable care and are easily frightened when alone. A mature cat requires care as well, but should fare well when you aren’t at home.
Cats have their own body-types much like humans and they face their own problems while whipping that body into shape. Make a point to take your cat outside every day and practice a few of these activities to help burn the fat away. Once your cat is lean and healthy, you can turn your focus towards keeping it at that stage.
