Cats are terrific, but are quite particular. Whether your cat needs a special diet or hates to be groomed, you’ll encounter a number of issues while caring for your pet. In the paragraphs below, you’ll find suggestions on how to provide your pet with all it needs.

Prevent your cats from playing with drapery cords. Do not allow your cat to play with these. The cords may be looped and a cat may get them wound around their neck. This could seriously injure or even kill them. To stop this from happening, pin your drapes and hide them out of sight.

Groomed Properly

You should make sure your cat stays groomed properly. Cats should have regular combings. Such practices help keep cats’ coats clean. It can cut down on shedding and spitting up hairballs, too. Keeping a cat groomed properly can help them and your home look great.

Check-ups are an absolute must for any pet cat. In addition to checking the health of your cat, a vet can give him any needed shots. Try to stay with the same veterinarian throughout your pet’s life. This one vet will be aware of the cat’s history.

Put a heated tile beneath the bed of an older cat. Allow a terra cotta tile to heat in an oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap it tightly in a towel and place it under the cat bed. If necessary, change this out every few hours.

If your kitty is a female, make sure to plan a spaying once she is of age to breed. Even if you have an indoor female cat, if it escapes when it’s in heat it could get you a bunch of kittens you weren’t planning on having. You can prevent this by spaying or neutering your cat.

It may prove quite a challenge to make your cat stay off counter tops. After all, cats prefer to stay high so that they can keep an eye out on everything. One way to nip this problem in the bud is to give your cat a dedicated perch of their own as an alternative to using your space. If you place a cat tower around the kitchen area, they may be less likely to lay on your counters.

Consider having your cat fitted with a microchip. One day, your indoor cat might leave through an open door or get outside through an open window. A collar with tags increases your chances of getting your cat back if it gets lost but it can also be a risk, for instance if it gets snagged in some branches. A microchip will hold the contact information to reach you and it’s only about as big as a piece of rice. Every shelter and most veterinarian offices have microchip scanners that can read the chips, and best of all, they chips can’t be lost.

Don’t allow your cat to get bored too often. Just like dogs, cats need playtime and physical exercise, too. Unfortunately, lots of people who own cats neglect this. Bored cats can suffer from depression, extreme compulsive disorders, and other harmful issues that can negatively impact their overall health and well-being. Give them plenty of room to exercise and a wide selections of toys. If your cat is an indoor cat, a cat tower or scratching post makes an ideal source of fun and exercise.

Be sure you show your cat lots of love. Think of all the friendship and comfort cats provide to us. Cats need a social life with people just like you do with other people. They want nothing more than to be an integral part of your family.

Chances are, your feline spends many hours grooming himself. However, if it has a lot of hair, hairballs can occur. To assist your cat if it has this problem, you should get food that’s special. The are specially formulated cat foods that help reduce the instances of hairballs, which is not only good for your cat, but also good for you and your feet in the middle of the night.

When your cat accompanies you on a trip, remember to consider the health of their ears. You cat is used to being at home and it might shock him to hear you singing at the top of your lungs. Therefore, the volume of your music should be minimized, and turn it off completely if necessary.

If you cat is overly vocal, try to figure out exactly why he or she is making so much noise. After a while, you’ll start to recognize what some of the noises your cats makes mean. The cat might want something to eat, or just to go outside. You should pay attention to these cues and you will eventually learn to decipher them.

Long-haired breeds are pretty, but understand how much work they are before you get one. The hair looks good, except when it’s all over your furniture. Do not choose a long-haired cat unless you can commit to the added cleanup. Long-haired cats are also more prone to hairballs.

Litter Box

If your feline just won’t use the litter box, try moving it to a different location. Cats feel vulnerable when relieving themselves, so make sure the litter box is in a secluded spot. Some good places would be basements, laundry rooms, and any other place that doesn’t have a lot of noise and people going in and out.

Owning a cat means a fair amount of work on your part. Take what you have learned here and apply it to being a successful and happy pet owner. The research you have done will pay off in a big way, for both you and your cat!