Cats are wondrous creatures and are fantastic pets. Felines are highly independent, making them perfect for homes where you are not always in the house. Of course, they’re just as wonderful if you’re able to be with them at all times. Use the information in this article about caring for your cat properly and ensuring it has an enjoyable and healthy life.
Be sure to have your pet cat spayed or neutered by the time it is six months old. A spayed or neutered cat is a more satisfactory pet because it is calmer, quieter and more likely to stay home. Neutered male cats do not spray urine to mark their territory. This is definitely a plus when it comes to cat ownership.
Let kittens and cat-friendly pet dogs get to know each other slowly. Put up a baby gate to keep dogs in one room while your new kitten gets used to its surroundings. Supervise carefully when the kitten ventures to the gate to meet the dogs. When the kitten feels safe, it will climb the gate. If it feels threatened, it will pop right back out to safety.
To help your old cat feel comfy, keep a tile that’s heated under their bed. Use a 12″ terra cotta tile and heat it by putting it in a 200ºF oven for 20 minutes. Keep this underneath your cat’s resting space for extra warmth. Switch towels every few hours if you need to.
If your cat is a female, you’ll want to spay her once she reaches the proper age. This is true even if you think your cat is indoors only. One escape can lead to a lot of small kittens around! If your cat has been spayed, however, you won’t have to worry about this happening.
It can be hard to make your cat stay off the counter. They love to be able to look around from up high. One way to combat this behavior is to proved your cat with an elevated place it is okay to climb on. Sometimes strategically placing a tall cat tower near your kitchen will help.
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.
Get your cat sprayed and neutered to prevent diseases and infections that form in the reproductive system. This can also help reduce the chance for overpopulation in the country, as just one male who is not neutered can produce up to half a million offspring over the course of his life.
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.
There’s always a chance that you cat can slip outside your home and become lost. This can be prevented with a breakaway collar. The collar includes an ID, featuring your name, phone number, and address. If the cat is found, anyone can easily contact you and return the cat to you thanks to the information on the collar.
Animal Control
Keep track of your feline friend by having the animal microchipped. This small device is implanted beneath the skin between your cat’s shoulder blades. Microchip implantation may sting for a few seconds, but the implant is otherwise unnoticeable and will not cause your pet any discomfort. This chip makes it easier for animal control to locate your cat if it goes missing.
Cats are perfect pets for houses and condos. You must responsibly care for your cat in all the ways that it needs. Take a careful look at the tips presented above so that you can expand your knowledge of quality cat care. Doing so will mean your cat lives a fulfilling, enjoyable life.