If you have a cat, then you’re probably familiar with how much you spend a year on it. There are many expenses associated with cats, including food and medical bills. There are steps you can take to spend less money on the things your cat needs, which you can see in the following article.
Choose a high quality food. The key to a healthy cat starts with nutrition. Take a look at the ingredients label. If you look at most “popular” commercial cat foods, you may be surprised to see the top ingredient listed is corn. Cats are carnivores, so look for a food with a real meat as the top ingredient. You may pay more up front, but these foods are often more nutritionally dense, meaning your cat eats less and the bag lasts longer.
If your cat is misbehaving, you can influence its behavior in a safe and humane way by using water. Fill a small squirt gun or a spray water bottle with plain water. Give your cat a few light squirts of water when you catch it misbehaving and it will soon learn to stop doing the unwanted behavior.
Your cat might not come running when you call, but most cats enjoy cuddling on their terms and time. Cats love to have their heads and backs pet. Not all cats like their tummies rubbed so be careful. Spending quality time with your cat will make lasting memories to look back on someday.
Never have your cat declawed. Many people misunderstand declawing, thinking it is the simple removal of a cat’s nail. This is not true. In fact, the veterinarian must remove the top knuckle along with the claw during the procedure. This can result in arthritis pain later in life and many behavior problems, such as biting. There are many alternatives from scratching posts to glue-on claw caps that can protect your belongings from a cat’s claws without resorting to such a harsh surgical solution.
Cats love to much on grass and plants such as catnip. There are plants however that are poisonous to cats. Chrysanthemums and holly are beautiful and common around the Holidays, but can be very toxic to cats. Other plants that are toxic or lethal include lilies, rhubarb and daffodils.
Take your cat to the vet periodically. A lot of cat owners tend to avoid the vet because it can be harder to get a cat ready to go anywhere she does not want to go! It is also easy to avoid the vet because cats seem so self-reliant. However, it’s smart to get your cat to the vet to avoid any problems.
Play with your cat. A lot of cat owners don’t do this. They are happy to let their cat entertain themselves. However, playing with your cat can help to mentally stimulate him and give him the physical activity he needs. Use small balls, paper bags and any number of small toys to get your cat moving.
You should do regular checkups of your cat between veterinarian visits. A good time to do this is when you are petting the animal. Check the entire body for things like scabs and lesions. Also look in and around the ears for any discharge, which can be a sign of ear mites. Check the cat from head to tail.
Put the right amount of cat litter in the litter box. Some people try to get out of cleaning the box by putting too much litter in there. Cats don’t like walking on sand dunes! Two inches or so should be sufficient for the cat’s needs, and you just have to be vigilant about cleaning the box out.
Cats have a natural instinct to hunt small prey. This can sometimes be a problem if you have other small animals in your home. Make sure that bird cages are hanging from the ceiling. If you have a gerbil or hamster, make sure their cages are secure and up high out of your cats reach.
Make sure that there are enough litter boxes in your home for all of the cats that are staying there. It is optimal to have one litter box for each cat. If you live in a home that has a lot of floors, there should be one on each floor for each cat.
Buy your cat a fountain to drink from. Cats who are in the wild prefer to drink from running water, and this holds true for domestic cats, as well. A constant stream of water will entice them to stay hydrated. You may have noticed that a dripping sink faucet quickly attracts their attention. Installing a drinking fountain for your cat is a more eco-friendly way to provide it with some running water.
Dogs usually wag their tails as a sign of friendly greeting or encouragement. Cats wag their tails for very different reasons than dogs though. Tail-wagging in a cat usually means a conflict or that they’re deciding to flee or pounce regarding a situation. When you hold your cat and he begins to wag his tail, put him down!
Look around your home for holes that can make a cat become stuck. Cats are extremely agile; therefore, they can easily fit into small holes that you thought were impossible for them to fit into. Kittens are especially good at it. Beware of this as you bring a new kitty into your home. Cover all large holes to prevent a hazard for your cat.
Cats aren’t exactly the cheapest pets on the planet. Food bills alone are expensive enough, and when you add medical bills and more, things get even more expensive. If you take this article’s contents into consideration, you won’t have to worry about emptying your wallet in order to make sure your cat has the best.
