Adding a cat to your family can be quite enjoyable. It is a serious mistake to bring a pet home without first preparing yourself and your home. However, even with preparation, you can’t possibly hope to foresee every problem that these cute felines will cause. However, preparing yourself in advance is best, and it helps you be ready for your new pet.
Be sure to have your pet cat spayed or neutered by the time it is six months old. A spayed or neutered cat is a more satisfactory pet because it is calmer, quieter and more likely to stay home. Neutered male cats do not spray urine to mark their territory. This is definitely a plus when it comes to cat ownership.
Do not use dog products on your cat. Cats will have a reaction that’s negative towards a product made for dogs. Flea products for dogs are one of the worst products to give a cat. Your cat can die when exposed to flea prevention items made for dogs. Actually, it is best to separate the cat from the dog once the flea problem has been treated.
Save your furniture with scratching posts and pads. It is natural for cats to want to stretch their claws out and scratch. This does not mean that a cat owner must have damaged furniture. Provide your cat with places that it is okay to scratch and redirect them there if they decide to try out your sofa. Cat scratching posts come in many shapes and materials and some cats prefer a particular type so it may take some trial and error before you find the right combination for your kitty.
Make sure you have a good pet carrier or basket for transporting your cats from one location to the next. A proper carrier or basket should have enough room for them to turn around in comfortably. It should also be easy to clean. Make sure that it is lined with a blanket, cushion, or towel to help it stay comfortable and cozy for them when traveling.
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.
Use petting to check on your cat’s health. Petting isn’t just a way for you and your cat to spend time together, but it’s a great way to find anything abnormal on their body. You can pet them to feel for bumps, lumps, or sores. This is also a great time for you to check their ears.
When traveling on the road with your cat, understand that they are sensitive to sounds. You cat is used to being at home and it might shock him to hear you singing at the top of your lungs. Therefore, try lowering your music or turning it off in order for your cat to enjoy the trip more.
Let your cat exercise their hunting instinct. Cats are natural born hunters; however, this does not mean you need to allow mice to invade your home. Hide treats and toys throughout your home, and your cat will have a blast hunting down their treats. You can also find feather and laser toys that your cat can chase and pounce on.
Train your cat to tolerate a pet carrier. Punishment affects cats differently from dogs. They respond better to encouragement. Place a loved blanket and favorite toy into a carrier and then leave the door open. Make sure it’s in an area that the cat frequents. The cat will feel safe when it enters this carrier after a while. Transporting your cat inside the carrier will then become much easier.
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.
There is no need to bathe a cat since they are able to do most of their cleaning by themselves. The only way that you should bathe a cat is if there is something on their coat that has not come off for a good length of time, like oil and chemicals.
Do not leave the door to your washing machine or dryer open if you have cats. This is a place where cats love to crawl and take a nap, but it can be very dangerous. You don’t want to turn on the machine then find out your cat is in there. It will be very frightening for them and it may cause an injury.
Your diet isn’t necessarily the best thing for your cat; some foods just aren’t good for them. These can include chocolate, grapes, onions and tomatoes. Ingesting these foods can end up making your cat really sick or worse. Refrain from feeding your cat dairy products as well.
If your cat has been scratching things that they should not have, do not think of declawing them as a good way to deal with the issue. While this surgical procedure would stop them from causing any more damage, it is a very painful procedure and it is pretty difficult to recover from.
These tips for training cats can be applied to any breed or age as well as to any location. These are tried and true ideas that have been proven to help raise a cat properly, however there are always individual instances where things change. Remember to have plenty of fun and give your cat plenty of love and attention.
