How to Take Care of Cats

Taking care of cats is much easier than taking care of dogs. Cats generally do not require as much affection as a dog, use their litter box most of the time and may or may not shred your favorite couch. This article will show you easy ways of taking care of cats and having a nice pet that is great for small homes and apartments.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   Cats are very sensitive to food.

   Cats are pretty easy to feed. Basically, they need fresh water, kibble and wet cat food daily. I change my cats' water twice a day (morning and night), fill their kibble bowl in the mornings and give them some wet food in the evening. Your cat will tell YOU what he will and won't eat so you will eventually find a good food for him. If he is an indoor cat, I suggest buying a food that assists with hair balls to reduce the amount of hair balls in your house. Be aware though, that if you suddenly change your cat's food (maybe buying a cheaper brand because it's on sale), you may pay for those few cents when your cat throws up all over the house. They have a really hard time with changes in their diets and it can cause them to throw up. Keeping some sort of grassy plant around that they can chew on will help calm their stomach but it won't reduce the throw up.

2. 
    
   Keep their litter boxes clean to avoid smell.

   Choosing the type of litter to use with your cats is dependant upon the type of litter you would like. The cheapest litter (and grossest to clean up) just lays in their litter box and fills up with their urine and feces. Scoopable litter, which I recommend especially for multiple cats, takes the urine and puts it into clumps. There are also more organic litters to choose from as well. Use a disposable bag for your litter box that has the holes in the bottom of the bag. It is designed so that when you lift the bag, unused litter slips through to the bag below it and you just throw away the urine and feces. Scoop out the litter box once a day and once a week, change the bag. Give them a little fresh litter every day. If you are pregnant, do not change the litter as there could be health complications.

3. 
    
   ... zzz ... zzz ...

   Being a nocturnal animal, cats sleep much of the day and are awake most of the night. They hunt at night so they generally wake up as you are heading to bed. If you have indoor cats they might change their schedule to go with yours since they will not be hunting. They feel safest in high places so don't be surprised to find them sleeping on top of your refrigerator, book case or the top of a tall cat scratching apparatus.

4. 
    
   Curiosity killed the cat!

   Cats are naturally curious. They just love to explore around the house, inside of confined areas like boxes, tubes, shirt sleeves and under the blankets of a bed. It's very cute to see them playing like kittens in a box. God must have known these little creatures would be curious because He gave them a little safety feature. A cat's whiskers are the width of the widest point of his body. He knows if he can push his face through an opening and his whiskers fit, his whole body will fit. Never cut his whiskers.

5. 
    
   Whether you decide to declaw or not, keep your kitty safe.

   Make sure your cat is vaccinated and spayed. Cats can contract Leukemia and also feline AIDS. Make sure they get their yearly booster shots. Having your cat spayed is one of the kindest things you can do. Get it done early to avoid having the cat begin spraying. Cat spray is a mixture of saliva, urine and semen. They spray to mark their territory and its disgusting. Get them spayed before they go into heat. There are so many unwanted cats out there that wind up full of disease. Spay your cats and keep them healthy. Also, it is your personal choice whether to declaw your cats. Some states won't even do it anymore. Some people will really give you grief about doing this, but I can understand the need to save your furniture. Just remember that you never declaw their back claws (or you leave them utterly defenseless) and once they are declawed their days outside are a thing of the past.

6. 
    
   Kitties are born blind and search for their mommy's nipple by touch.

   Finally, if your kitty has babies, she will want to have them in a dark secluded place, like the corner of a closet. Set her up a blanket with food and water in their a couple weeks prior to her giving birth so she can get used to it. She will clean her babies. Some cats go crazy after giving birth and can do strange things like hiding the kitties from one place to the next, peeing on top of the litter box and becoming mean. This is rare, but it does happen.
   
   
   Give your little kitties a lot of love too - well as much as they will allow! :) Rub their head, behind their ears, down their back and maybe on their stomachs. If they knead on you, they are reverting back to kitten hood when they would nurse on their mother and associating you with their mother. They may also bump heads with you and do a little love bite on your nose, and maybe even, lick your hair in an attempt to clean it. I hope this article helps you care for your cats! Best of luck to you!

[dthere]

on 6/8/2009 Good information about cats...5

[predd8193]

on 6/6/2009 good article.... 5 *****'s