The decision to own a cat should never be taken lightly. You may think that you are getting an independent animal, but you are getting a lot more. You are getting an opinionated roommate that expects the best! Here are some tips to make sure that you keep your cat happy.
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.
If your cat is getting older, you can increase it’s comfort by placing its bed over a heated tile. You can do this simply with a terra cotta tile measuring a square foot. Heated in your oven around 200 degrees, it can be ready in as little as 15 minutes. Put it inside an old towel, then place it beneath the cat’s bed. When the tile cools down, change it out for a fresh, warm one.
If you have an outdoor kitty, make sure to invest in a break away collar with an identification tag. Cats can roam far, so a tag will ensure you find them quickly when they’re lost. Even if the tag just has your phone number, it can be the difference between your pet coming home and being lost forever.
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.
Cat’s claws can really put a dent in your furniture. If you are having problems with your cat clawing up furniture, then purchase a scratching post or kitty tower. Use catnip or other scents that are attractive to your kitty to encourage him to go there. This will take some time but will be a valuable investment.
Feed your cats proper food. Remember that cats must eat meat. Only give your cats cat food to eat. Do not feed them or let them eat dog food. Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs and some of the ingredients in dog food could harm your cat. Feeding your cat dog food for food could also lead to malnourishment, among other issues.
Is your cat constantly munching on your house plants? If so there is a fix for this. Growing oat grass or catnip yourself can help entice your cats away from your plants. Giving them plants that they can eat and like will help draw them to those plants over and over again.
Wash your cat’s bed at least once a week to remove all of the bacteria from it. Even if the bed looks like it is clean, it will usually have toxins in it that can cause your pet to become sick. Replace the bed every six months to keep your cat in a sanitary environment.
Keeping your cat satisfied is the biggest challenge of any cat owner. A cat is not always easily pleased, so you need to do your best to give them the life they want. The information laid out here can help you to do that, and when your cat is happy you can be happy too.