Cat Q&A

Posts Tagged ‘cat tips’

Cats in the wild can take care of themselves, that’s not the case with household pets.  House cats become completely dependent on humans for their care, feeding, and other attention.  Responsible cat ownership and the proper care of your cat is important. Check local bookstores or the humane society for educational material to help you learn to care for your cat.  Here are some tips for how to care for a cat.

You may not know it, but cats can be trained.  Like other animal training programs gentle, positive training will work best.  Offer your cat a treat when they behave correctly or as you have taught them.  When they misbehave just ignore them.

It’s true that cats keep themselves clean.  They like to clean themselves up a little daily.  Nonetheless, your cat needs a good bath every three weeks.  Products designed just for cats are available at your local pet store, but any mild soap is sufficient.  Some, if not most, cats don’t care for baths. Unless you train your cat from the time it is a kitten to get used to bath water and reward it with a treat following every bath, you will have a scratchy situation on your hands when you try to bath the cat when it gets older.  Start when your cat is a kitten and you should be able to acclimate the cat to bathing.

Do everything you can to make the bath fun and rewarding for your cat.  Don’t hit or punish your cat at bath time.  This will only cause your cat to be more apprehensive about bathing in the future.

Use a q-tip to gently clean and dry your cat’s ears and nails after bathing.   Do not use a hair dryer because your cat’s skin is much too sensitive and can easily be burned.  Not only that, but the noise and strong, hot air will probably cause your cat to freak out and try to run away.  Towel dry your cat and finish with a good, gentle brushing.

It’s a good idea to buy your cat its own bed.  While it is common for cats to sleep with their owner, your cat will be just as satisfied sleeping beside your bed.  This will keep your clothes and bed linens from always being full of cat hair.  Some people are allergic to cat hair, and you don’t want to have to choose between your cat and your sleeping mate.

It’s best to place the litter box where the odor will not bother the family.  Keep the litter box clean or your family may not appreciate you or your cat! Keep some of these tips in mind when it comes to choosing a pet for kids as well.