Cats are one of the leading choices for family pets in America. Their popularity isn’t there for no reason at all, people love to raise cats and enjoy the experience associated with owning a feline. You are probably ready for a cat yourself, but you shouldn’t rush out and adopt one without reading these tips first.
Before acquiring a cat, be sure that you have the wherewithal to take care of all necessary vet care. Cats reproduce at an alarming rate, and spaying or neutering is essential to keeping cat population under control. Check spay, neuter and vaccination costs and packages with local vets and clinics and be sure you can afford to give your cat proper medical care.
An indoor cat who gets a taste of the outdoors will forever want to go outside. If you know your cat will always be an indoor cat, do your best to keep them from sneaking out. You can try to train your cat to stay in your yard when you are outside.
Deter your cat from chewing on inappropriate things by using bitter apple. Cords should be covered, especially if your cat tends to chew on them. You can bundle loose cords together and place them inside paper towel rolls. Put away electronics that have tempting, thin cords when you’re not using them.
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.
Make sure to keep chemicals and dangerous substances away from your cat. Chemicals like antifreeze have a sweet taste. This encourages the cat to drink it, most often resulting in fatal consequences. Keeping your chemicals locked up in a cabinet will help to ensure that your curious cat does not end up ingesting poison.
Whenever you take your cat anywhere, use a cat carrier. No matter how gentle your cat is, it could become frightened. If this happens, it could bolt off and be quickly lost, injured or killed. At the vet’s office, your cat will be safe from unpredictable animals if you use a pet carrier.
Use your cat to teach your children responsibilities. A pet demands care that the whole family can participate in. Each child can take different day to feed the cat, for instance. Same thing for litterbox care. You can make a schedule and post it on the refrigerator. Then, everyone knows what they are responsible for.
Put the right amount of cat litter in the litter box. Some people try to get out of cleaning the box by putting too much litter in there. Cats don’t like walking on sand dunes! Two inches or so should be sufficient for the cat’s needs, and you just have to be vigilant about cleaning the box out.
It is important to make sure that your cat always has fresh water available. You should refill your cats water dish everyday with clean water. There are drinking fountains that provide your cat with a constant stream of fresh water, so you do not have to worry about changing it as often.
The chances are good that your cat will come running for their favorite treat. There are many different recipes out there specifically for homemade cat treats. This is a fun way to spoil your cat. There is also the benefit of knowing what exactly your cat is consuming, to ensure that it is healthy for them.
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.
Cats love to climb trees. This is a natural tendency, that can be hard for some indoor cats to control. If you find that your cat is literally climbing up your curtains, it is time to invest in a cat tower. This will provide your cat a place to climb, in a safer and less destructive way.
Clean your cat’s eyes as frequently as possible because their vision is extremely important and extremely sensitive. Cats interpret five times as much visual stimuli during their day and the smallest particle can become stuck and cause damage. A pair of thumbs and a damp cloth are perfect for clearing the eyes and keeping your cat clean.
If you’re tempted to load up on litter to cut back on cleanings, think again. Some people believe that the more cat litter they use, the longer they can go between emptying the litter box. Actually, this is a waste of your litter! Many cats refuse to use a litter box with more than 2 inches of litter on the bottom. Some prefer to dig to the bottom of the box before doing their business.
Turn out the lights and use a black-light to identify the source of that mystery cat urine smell. Cat pee contains phosphorus, which glows brightly under this type of light bulb. This is especially useful because otherwise you might not be able to see the exact area to be treated. Use a piece of chalk to lightly trace the outline of the stain so you can see it when you turn the regular lights back on.
This is only enough to help you get started with raising your new kittens. From here forward, you will need to seek advice from your friends, family, and other proud parents. The internet is also a great source of feline facts that come from every source and every walk of life.
