Cats are very pleasant and loving animals if you take good care of them. It pays to learn all you can about proper cat care. The following cat advice will be of great help.
Check your local animal shelter if you have plans to get a cat. Shelters have lots of great cats available, and your adoption fee often covers key veterinary services. When you adopt a cat from a shelter, you save a life and help keep the cat population under control.
Keep your cat groomed. A cat requires regularly brushing and combing. This leads to a cleaner cat. It can cut down on shedding and spitting up hairballs, too. Regularly grooming your cat will help keep it and your home looking great.
Regular veterinary checkups are important for the health of your cat. Cats require special shots to prevent illness and the vet can check their overall health. Do your best to keep the same vet for your pet’s entire life. They’ll understand what your cat has been through.
Cats enjoy getting into small spaces. If they have a collar, this can be a safety issue if they get stuck. A breakaway style collar will literally “break away” if pulled too tight. Your cat can preserve a few of his nine lives with this.
If you want a cat to feel like it’s more comfortable, a heated tile may be able to help. Heat a fabric covered heating pad in the microwave for a couple of minutes, making sure that is not too hot to the touch. Wrap it tightly in a towel and place it under the cat bed. If necessary, you can change out the tile after a few hours to provide continued warmth.
If a cat is outdoors frequently, they need a collar that has a tag. Cats can get lost, and they need a tag to be found. At the very least, you should include your contact info and the name of your cat on the tag.
If your cat is male, understand that he could develop crystals inside his urine, which can be very painful to him. Therefore, prevent this issue from occurring in the first place by feeding your cat the right type of food. If they have to pass the crystals it can cause the cat a lot of pain and paying a vet to help with this can cost you a lot of money. Make sure your cat’s food is not high in magnesium. Read the label. Poultry-based foods are generally lower in magnesium than fish.
Cat medications can be bought affordable online. When an emergency strikes, however, you may not have the option of buying medications on the Internet. If you regularly need to buy pet medication, you can get a savings of up to 50 percent online.
Cats and small children may not always mix. You need to show your children how the cat should be treated. Demonstrate how to pick up the animal and how to play with it as well. Because cats are more delicate than dogs, they need to be handled more carefully.
Create a little tablecloth for your cat. Cats often like to remove food from their bowl to eat it off to the side. That can mean a bigger mess for you to clean. Simply place a cloth placemat that will grab at the food under their plate and then shaken out over the trash. You can put a vinyl one underneath that can be picked up wiped down easily if you prefer.
You can tap fellow cat owners for advice if you’re having problems with your pet. Although you may feel like you don’t need help, other owners may be able to give you good advice. You can find online cat forums to ask questions, or you can speak with your vet.
As long as you commit to giving it the proper care, a cat can be a terrific pet. If you want your cat to thrive, take the advice here to heart. Keep the tips most important to you in a place you can find later. As long as you put this knowledge to you, your cat will love you every day.
