Cats make wonderful pets, but they are expensive to take care of properly. After paying for shots, toys, cat food, litter and grooming, you may feel like reconsidering your choice to own a cat. You should keep reading to learn more about properly caring for your cat.
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.
To help prevent tapeworm infestation in cats, feed a small amount of food grade diatomaceous earth for two weeks out of each month. About a quarter of a teaspoon per cat per day is adequate. Food grade diatomaceous earth kills internal parasites and causes them to be expelled from the system.
Though things may appear to be fine, you should always schedule regular medical checkups for your feline pet. Cats require special shots to prevent illness and the vet can check their overall health. Try using one veterinarian consistently. They will learn your cat’s history best.
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.
An inexpensive rubber welcome mat helps keep cat food off your floor. This is also a great tool to keep your cat from tracking litter out of the box. Black rubber mats cost about three dollars at dollar stores. Put your cat food dish on one and your litter box on another.
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.
If your cat takes all the ornaments off the Christmas tree, don’t fight it. Begin collecting attractive cat toys and unbreakable ornaments to decorate the tree next year. Be sure not to decorate with potentially dangerous items like tinsel and garlands. Tinsel is a choking hazard for cats and garlands can cause strangulation.
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.
You can sometimes find better prices for cat medication online than getting it from your veterinarian. Online prescriptions are not the best choice if you do not have the time to wait on a mail order, such as in a medical emergency. However, for standard medications, like flea medications or heart worm pills, online sources offer a substantial savings to pet owners.
Cover the area around your cat’s bowl with a cloth. A lot of time cats will take their food from their bowls to eat it on the food bowl’s side. This leaves food on the floor outside their bowl that must be cleaned. Think about putting a placemat underneath the bowl or make your own tablecloth out of fabric.
Be cautious when leaving a kitten with children. Under five, the child needs to be watched. Younger children cannot fully understand how to properly handle a small pet. When they mature, they can spend alone time with the kitty.
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 want a cat to come your way, it may be a good idea for you to refrain from looking at them. Cats do not like it when people look them directly in the eye, so they tend to go the other way. This is why it seems as if cats always gravitate toward people who are not really fond of animals.
Moist, canned food can be a very good option for your cat. Dry food is usually cheaper, but canned food boasts a number of benefits. They have more water, protein and fat too. Aging cats find it makes it much easier to chew. Talk to the veterinarian prior to making any big changes; but, usually, canned food is best for your cat.
If your feline friend is having kittens, make sure to give her lots of room to birth in. Giving birth to all the kittens can take hours, so you shouldn’t expect things to be over and done with quickly. You should take your cat to the vet if deliveries lasts for more than five or six hours.
Any chemicals that have phenol should be kept away from your cat. This chemical is present in many household cleaners, such as Pine-Sol and Lysol. Cats hate the smell of phenol and continuously exposing them to it could cause liver problems later in their lives.
Pets can be pricy to care for and cats aren’t an exception. It can feel as though you’re actually caring for a child. Fortunately, you have many options for providing essential care to your cat.
