Caring For A Cat While Living On A Budget

Cats are known for great curiosity. They are independent but love to love. They can be confusing sometimes, but there is nothing like a purring cat on your lap. The following article offers some excellent tips about life with this fuzzy companion.

When looking for a new cat for your home, contact a local animal shelter. Shelters usually have many cats who need a home, and the fees typically include their shots and spaying or neutering. When you bring home a shelter cat, you will be saving its life and you will be doing your part to help out.

Putting a warm tile beneath the bed of an older cat will help it rest comfortably. You should heat a terra cotta tile with your oven, at about 200 degrees, for around fifteen minutes. Wrap it tightly in a towel and place it under the cat bed. Change it out every few hours if you feel the need.

Make sure your cat sees a vet regularly to maintain their good health. Cats need routine annual check-ups and possibly additional ones as well for vaccinations. When the cat seems to be acting abnormally, take it to the vet immediately.

Do not use dog products on your cat. They can have very strong and possibly negative reactions to dog products. One product in particular to pay close attention to is any remedy for fleas and ticks. Your cat can die if you use a dog flea product on it. Actually, it is best to separate the cat from the dog once the flea problem has been treated.

Your cat can devastate your furniture with its claws. If your beloved feline friend is shredding and damaging parts of your home, try investing in a cat tower or a scratching post. They can scratch this instead. It might take a little while, but eventually it should stop the problem.

You should be sure to place your pet's litter box in a good location. Try to keep it away from areas of household traffic and away from your cat's eating areas. Also, minimize the smell by making sure it is a well ventilated area. Your cat will be more comfortable and you will too.

If you get a cat for your kids, make sure to set clear boundaries in advance. Make sure your children know what rooms the cat can go into and what rooms it can't. Make sure the kids know if your cat is indoors only. Setting up rules ahead of time can help your kids understand better.

Just because your family did it when you were a child, does not mean allowing your cat to go outside is a wise decision. This can be very unsafe for your cat. The cat can get fleas or something much worse. It could be injured via a vehicle or another animal. If the cat must go outside, set aside a small part of the backyard or front lawn as a place where they can go.

If adding an additional cat to your home, give the cats a couple of weeks to get comfortable with each other. Two cats may fight, hiss, or hide from each other until they become more comfortable. However, if you allow them to slowly get used to each other, they will eventually become friends.

If your cat or kitten begins to urinate frequently or in places other than his litter box, a trip to the vet may be in order. Many cats develop these behaviors in response to a health problem, such as urinary tract infections. Take the cat to the vet if it stops using the litter-box and let the vet diagnose the problem.

Cats are really hard to decipher, but they are definitely loyal pets. Work with these tips found here to make their everyday lives as good as they can be. Caring for a cat is one of life's great pleasures.