Cats are delightful! Their intelligence, combined with their independence and affectionate nature make them a great choice of pet. It takes work to be a good cat owner. Keep reading to find out how to learn more about taking good care of your cat.

Don’t leave drape cords near your cats. Keep the cat away from these cords as they tend to form loops when the cat is playing around, and it could accidentally go around their neck and strangle them. This could hurt or kill them. Make sure that the cords are completely out of sight.

TIP! Shop at your local pet shelter for your next cat. There are so many great cats at shelters.

Regular veterinary checkups are important for the health of your cat. Your cat should receive shots regularly to prevent health issues. Try keeping the same vet throughout your cat’s life. They will understand your cat and its issues better this way.

If you have an old cat, you can help make its bed more comfortable by placing heated tiles underneath it. Simply heat a single foot cotta tile at 200 degrees between 15 and 20 minutes. Wrap it in an old towel and put it under your cat’s bed or blanket. If necessary, you can change out the tile after a few hours to provide continued warmth.

Female cats need to be spayed as soon as they reach the proper age. Even though your cat stays indoors all the time, there might be that one time she slips through the door when she goes into heat, which results in a litter of unexpected kittens. Spray your cat so that this does not occur.

TIP! Cats love to get into tight, small spaces. If they have to wear a collar then there may be a risk because your cat could end up getting stuck.

It can be tough to keep cats off the countertops. They love to be able to look around from up high. You can control this tendency a bit by making high places in the house that you feel comfortable having your cat utilize. Placing a cat tower near the kitchen will help the cats to not lay on the counter.

Often, the best cat medicine deals are found online. Naturally, some stuff won’t be available online. You can save as much as fifty percent on the stuff you regularly use.

While cats are good pets for children generally, smaller children may treat them too roughly. Make sure your child knows how to pet a cat. Children need to know how to hold a cat and what sorts of play a cat likes. Cats have weaker bones than dogs so should be treated carefully.

TIP! Part of caring for your cat is taking it to regular veterinarian checkups. They need a check-up and possibly vaccinations.

Do not punish your cat if they make a mess in the area outside of the litter box. Improper box care on your part causes the mess, not the cat. Punishing your cat may cause him to become afraid of you or their litter box.

If your cat uses the bathroom more than normal, or if they suddenly stop using the litter box, think about taking them to the veterinarian. This sort of behavior is common among cats with UTIs and other health problems. Most of the time, these conditions can be resolved with relatively affordable antibiotic treatments.

Taking your cat to the vet regularly to get proper vaccinations and check-ups will ensure that your pet enjoys a long and healthy life with you. Kittens need proper medical care just like young children, and its best to bring them in every so often for health checks to ensure nothing terrible is going on. Your cat is part of your family, and you should treat him as you would any other well-loved member of your household.

TIP! Never use any product intended for dogs on a cat. It is possible that a dog’s product could cause a serious adverse effect on a cat.

Confine a sanitary area of the house for your cat to give birth. Labor can last as long as four hours, so stay patient. Once 6 hours have passed, if all the kittens have not been delivered you should seek the help of a vet.

Your feline friend should always wear a collar and tags with your name and contact information. Cats who stay indoors could still get out. Do everything possible to make sure your cat is returned safely to you in the event it gets out.

A cat is a great pet for your family, but you need to learn how to take good care of your pet. Carefully read over the advice found in this article. Use this information to take proper care of your cat so that it remains healthy for many years.