The ancient Egyptians viewed cats as gods. If you glance over at your cat, that isn’t difficult to understand. These creatures are beautiful and elegant, mysterious and fascinating. You can never truly understand a cat, but you can do your best to care for them. Here are some cat tips to assist you in caring for this wonderful animal.
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.
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.
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.
Give your new cat some space. Moving to a new home can be stressful on a cat, especially one who is no longer a kitten. To help them adjust, give them a quiet place that they can call their own, such as a spare bathroom or laundry room. This gives them a safe space they can retreat to until they have become comfortable with exploring the whole house. Depending on the cat, this process may take a few days up to a month or more.
Keep the litter box clean. Cats are naturally very clean animals, and a dirty litter box will have your cat looking for alternative places to relieve himself. Cats also value their privacy, so try to locate the box in an area that does not get a lot of foot traffic.
If your cat has a tendency to eat your plants, you can stop him. You can either purchase bitter apple spray and spray the pot, or you can put a bit of clove oil on a cotton ball and bury it a bit in the soil. Your cat will avoid both.
Try figuring out why the cat is purring. If you live with a cat for any amount of time, you will soon start to understand what your cat wants when she meows. A meow could signal anything from hunger to a desire for affection. Listen to what’s she’s trying to tell you, and you’ll begin to understand her cues.
Do you have more than one cat? If so, then you should have more than one litter box as well. Having one for each of your cats will give them multiple spots to go. If the odor gets too much you can add a little baking soda to the litter to freshen it up.
Be cautious when leaving a kitten with children. Up until your child is five, children shouldn’t be alone with your pet. Younger children cannot fully understand how to properly handle a small pet. As they grow, you will be able to decide when it is the right time for them to handle a cat or kitten without supervision.
Sometimes you need to give your cat a pill. Some cats are harder than others, but you should trim their nails first. Then hold the head, open the mouth, and put the pill in. Then blow on the cats face. This will likely make the cat lick its nose, and the pill will go down naturally.
Entertain your cat with simple “toys” made from household objects. Many cats enjoy exploring boxes, such as those that hold 12-packs, small appliances, or other products. Before allowing your pet to play with a box, you should be sure that the animal cannot get stuck in small openings or tight spaces. This would be dangerous and very frightening to your pet!
Make sure that you change your cat’s food and water on a regular basis. Just like humans, cats want to eat fresh food and drink water that is clean. Feed them at the same time each and every day if you want them to get into a regular feeding routine.
A declawed cat should not be outdoors. Without claws, the cat cannot defend against other animals, which can lead to real issues. Indoor cats are the only ones who should be considered for declawing. Even so, you will only want to get the claws up front removed. Keep the back claws intact, since they can’t do damage to your furnishings and flooring.
Keep your cat on a diet of dry food if at all possible. Kittens need wet food due to having small teeth. When adult teeth come in, the harder foods maintain the strength of their teeth. If your cat happens to be a picky eater, mix up the dry food with wet food.
You may not think your cat is a god, but he probably does! The best you can do is to take care of his health and care for him. Use the advice in this article to take care of your cat in the way he is used to. Even if you never get a thank you, he appreciates it.
