You might have already raised a pet in the past. You might have even said that you would never raise another pet, but it’s never too late to look towards the future and adopt a lonely kitten. Adopting cats at the local shelter helps get them off of the streets and back in a healthy home. You should keep a few key questions in mind while visiting your local shelters.
Watch the amount of treats that you give your cat. Like humans, cats can easily overeat junk food. This can cause them to gain weight and may lead to some health problems like heart issues and diabetes. If you do give your cat treats, give them a small amount and make it a special thing instead of a regular routine.
Keep a clean litter box. Like you, a cat will generally not use a bathroom that is filthy. Find a quiet area out of the way that the box can stay in, and don’t move it unless absolutely necessary. Scoop solids out a couple time of day. Make sure to dump the whole box, wash it with a gentle detergent, and refill it once a week.
You should take your cat to the vet on a regular basis to maintain optimum health. Cats should go to a vet at least once each year for a check up, and more frequently for required shots. Don’t hesitate to take your cat to the vet immediately if you notice anything unusual about their health or if they are injured.
If you find you cat is harming furniture or other objects, it may be bored. Keep a few safe toys around for your cat to play with. Scratching posts can also deter your cat from scratching your furniture. Or, build a small cat house out of cardboard. Your cat will love having a place to hide, and the cardboard can also be used to scratch on!
Feed your cat a proper diet. Cats are carnivores and have specific dietary needs. Feed them quality cat food that has been approved by AAFCO or the Association of American Feed Control Officials. If you wish to make your cat’s food yourself, make sure you speak with a vet about necessary supplements or specific recipes that your cat needs to eat.
Make sure you are cautious about leaving a young child alone with a small kitten. A child less than five years old should not be left alone with a small pet. They simply lack the maturity to comprehend the harm they can potentially do to kittens. When children get a little older, they develop the skills needed to be around small animals.
Do not try to bathe a kitten that is less than four weeks old. It is not very easy for a young kitten to regulate the temperature of their body. This may result in the kitten getting a chill. To be on the safe side you should wait between 12 and 16 weeks after they are born to bathe them for the first time.
There is no need to spend hours trying to litter train your cat. This should come naturally for your cat. You cannot teach it to do this. Don’t force your cat into the box or you will traumatize them.
If you’ve just met a cat, don’t look at them in their eyes. Cats do not like being stared at by people they don’t know. That’s why they are more comfortable if you are not looking at them. They are more likely to approach you that way, and more likely to kindly regard you in the future.
Keep a breakaway collar and tag on your cat. This is important even if your pet lives indoors. Cats are curious by nature, and an open window or door invites exploration. Tags should include contact information for you and your vet. This is also important if your cat has special medical needs.
If you live in an area that is populated by wild animals, such as coyote and fox, you may need to make you cat an indoor cat. Wild animals pose a real threat to cats, and to avoid the loss of a beloved pet, it is sometimes best to keep them indoors for the course of their lives.
Sometime a second cat will calm a single destructive cat. This seems counter-intuitive, asking for twice the destruction, but a second cat can give them both something to do. Introduce them slowly and expect some initial squabbles. After a while, though, the cats will usually get along and the destructive behavior will subside.
While cats can be finicky, you should not encourage this behavior. A cat will eat the exact same cat food their whole life if it is tasty and nutritious. You do not need to mix up the flavors. Doing this can encourage the cat to skip certain foods they previously ate and wait for another.
Sometimes it seems as if your cat is sleeping all of his 9 lives away, however, this is perfectly normal. It is not unusual for cats to sleep up to 16 hours per day, and even more. Much of their sleep is light sleep, an instinct that keeps them ready in the event that a predator is nearby. About 25 percent of their sleep is deep sleep, where they dream and conserve energy. Cats love to sleep-a lot!
It is a misconception that cats should drink milk or cream after they are weaned. Once a kitten is weaned from its mother’s milk, it no longer needs milk of any kind. In fact, milk or cream can cause digestive problems when given to an adult cat. So, to be on the safe side, skip the milk, and offer your pets lots of clean water instead.
Shelters are not the only source of local pet adoptions. You can find classifieds in the papers or online where citizens are offering cats, kittens, and everything else in between for little-to-no cost.. Many times, these people are giving these pets away for free in hopes of giving them a good home.
