Cats combine strength, grace, and intelligence to a superlative degree. Cats grace the homes of people from all walks of life, and fill communities with life and energy. However, it can be a challenge to learn how to live with these creatures. They’re powerful, smart, and agile, which makes them hard-headed. You’ll need advanced techniques to deal with them.
Be sure your cat gets regular checkups at the vet. Cats need routine annual check-ups and possibly additional ones as well for vaccinations. Cats should go to a vet immediately if they have any conditions, health problems, or injuries that need to be tended to right away.
Your cat might not come running when you call, but most cats enjoy cuddling on their terms and time. Cats love to have their heads and backs pet. Not all cats like their tummies rubbed so be careful. Spending quality time with your cat will make lasting memories to look back on someday.
Don’t be pushy when you are getting to know your new cat. Cats prefer to be in control and take things at their own pace. Make sure your new cat is comfortable and safe. Let your cat take its time exploring its new environment. When your cat feels at home, it will be more likely to try to make friends with you.
If you absolutely must bathe a cat, set everything up in advance. Set up two tubs large enough to dunk a cat. Fill them with comfortably warm water. Set your open bottle of cat shampoo, a heavy towel, and a secure pet carrier close by. Wear heavy rubber gloves. Grasp your cat by the scruff of the neck. Dunk, shampoo and scrub quickly in one tub. Dunk to rinse in the second tub. Wrap the cat securely in the towel and place in the carrier to dry.
If your cat kicks litter all over the floor, simply use a bigger container. A large, roomy tote with high sides makes a good litter box. A big round tub also makes a good litter box. A restaurant size bus tub is a capacious litter box. Providing higher sides and more space will solve your cat’s litter kicking problem.
It’s important that you don’t forget your cat and allow them to become bored too easily. Although you may believe that cats just lie around, this isn’t the case. They need their exercise. Unfortunately, many owners do not realize this important part of ownership. Bored cats are more prone to depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as many other behavioral issues. Give them exercise space and a lot of toys. Be sure your cat has something they can climb and something they can scratch if they stay inside.
Use short words when you want to express displeasure with your cat. A short ‘no’ will be remembered, even if not always followed. A lot of people think that cats don’t listen to anything, but short word commands are certainly understood by cats, and they will respond to those commands if you are consistent with them.
If you going to be gone for more than a day, you should have someone look in on your cat. Leave out plenty of food, but have someone come to make sure it doesn’t run out. If you do not have a neighbor or family to look in on your cat, you can usually find a cat sitter for a few dollars each day.
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.
Do you have a cat and a dog? A dog will take any opportunity they have to eat your cats food. You should create a feeding space for the cat that is much too high for a dog to get to. This will help you to be sure that the animals won’t fight over the water either after they’ve eaten all their food.
You shouldn’t leave a young cat with children unattended. If children are younger than five years old, pets ought not be left with them. They are just not mature enough to understand the danger they can pose for the kitten. As children get older, decide when they show the maturity to handle a small pet.
You should do regular checkups of your cat between veterinarian visits. A good time to do this is when you are petting the animal. Check the entire body for things like scabs and lesions. Also look in and around the ears for any discharge, which can be a sign of ear mites. Check the cat from head to tail.
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.
Most cats are prone to wax build up and ear mites. You can purchase a solution at the pet store that will clean out your cats ears. You put a couple drops in each of your cats ears and then hold them closed while massaging them for a minute. When you let go, stand back or you will get covered in the liquid when your cat shakes its head.
By applying the tips that you have read, you’ll be outsmarting your cat before you know it. You’ll teach them where they should go and what areas they should avoid in no time. While they’re not as easy to train as a dog, they can be well-trained and be made into well-mannered companions for their owners.
