Most families encounter a lot of unplanned obstacles shortly after adopting their first cat. Finding a pet without preparing first is a terrible mistake. There are many problems that you will still face even if you do your homework. This will ensure you know all you can for a great relationship.
Cats really enjoy squeezing into any and all small spaces. If they have a collar on, this might prove to be a safety risk if they happen to get stuck. Breakaway collars are made to come off if tugged on vigorously. This kind of collar can turn a potentially-dangerous situation into a merely exasperating one.
Your cat needs a collar and tag if it goes outside. Cats can range far from your home and the tag will help them find their way home. Make sure at a minimum to put your pets name and your phone number on the tag.
Enticing kitty to stay off the kitchen counter is sometimes challenging. One thing they like about it is they enjoy being high up. One way to deal with this issue could be to devote certain high spaces for your feline friend to sit in. Putting a cat tower in or near the kitchen can help keep the cats from laying on the counter.
While cats are good pets for children generally, smaller children may treat them too roughly. Guide your kids in handling a feline. Spend some time showing them how to lift a cat and how they can interact with the cat. Cats should be handled more gently since their bones are more fragile than those of dogs.
Set a tablecloth under your cat’s food bowl. It’s a common practice for cats to eat their food on the side of their bowl. Sometimes, this results in food outside the bowl that you have to clean up. It’s easier to clean up this food by purchasing a placement and inserting it under your cat’s food bowl, or you could simply cut some fabric and make it into a tablecloth so you can easily pick up the food and throw it away.
Do your best to determine why your cat is meowing. After living with your cat for long, it’s easier to interpret its meows. Your cat could be hungry or thirsty, or it may want to leave the house. You should pay attention to these cues and you will eventually learn to decipher them.
Do you have both a dog and a cat? A dog will take any opportunity they have to eat your cats food. Try locating your cat’s food in an area where the dog cannot go. This will ensure they don’t fight over food or water, too.
Use care if you have kids and a cat. Younger children, especially under 5, cannot be left alone with your cat. You may not have noticed a problem when you see them together, but very kids do not really understand they can accidentally harm or kill a kitten. Find your child’s age of maturity when it comes to handling pets.
The above advice is helpful for cats of all ages and breeds. There are raising concepts that are shared among cats, but there can still be some variation. Just remember to offer lots of love and companionship to your cat. This is the key instruction to follow.