A new cat is very similar to a new child. One of the hardest parts of raising a new kitten is keeping them entertained whenever they want to play. A young kitten isn’t afraid to wake you up while tangling themselves in your hair. Still, there are better ways to keep these little felines entertained.
Make sure that your cat is well groomed. Cats have to be brushed or combed on a regular basis. This can keep them clean. This will also reduce things like shedding and hairballs because it keeps them from having extra hair. Regularly grooming your cat will help keep it and your home looking great.
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.
Get a pet water fountain. Cats can be prone to dehydration, and running water entices them to drink. It is an evolutionary habit that developed because in the wild, running water is less likely to be contaminated than a stagnant pool. Your pet will enjoy the water more, and will drink more often.
Don’t be pushy when you are getting to know your new cat. Cats prefer to be in control and take things at their own pace. Make sure your new cat is comfortable and safe. Let your cat take its time exploring its new environment. When your cat feels at home, it will be more likely to try to make friends with you.
Keep your cat’s coat healthy by giving them a supplement of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is an inexpensive supplement that can be found in most health food stores. Simply sprinkle a little bit on your cat’s dry food, or mix it in with their wet food. Not only do they love how it tastes, but it’s full of protein and vitamins that will keep them looking their best!
Make sure you have a good pet carrier or basket for transporting your cats from one location to the next. A proper carrier or basket should have enough room for them to turn around in comfortably. It should also be easy to clean. Make sure that it is lined with a blanket, cushion, or towel to help it stay comfortable and cozy for them when traveling.
Whenever you take your cat anywhere, use a cat carrier. No matter how gentle your cat is, it could become frightened. If this happens, it could bolt off and be quickly lost, injured or killed. At the vet’s office, your cat will be safe from unpredictable animals if you use a pet carrier.
You may want to have a microchip implanted in your cat. Your pet may be an indoor cat, but that doesn’t mean it’ll never dash through your door or slide outside via an open window. Tags and collars can help you cat return home, but cats can wiggle out of them or risk injury by snagging them on a tree branch or bush. Microchips are as small as a rice grain and have all of your important contact information. These days, pretty much all shelters and vet offices have scanners that can read these chips, and because they’re beneath your pet’s skin, they won’t ever get lost.
Should you leave the house with your cat, make sure that she is wearing a collar with tags. This way, if anything happens and you two become separated, anyone can find her and know how to reach you. Your cat may not like the collar all the time, but when she’s out of the house it can save her.
There’s always a chance that you cat can slip outside your home and become lost. This can be prevented with a breakaway collar. The collar includes an ID, featuring your name, phone number, and address. If the cat is found, anyone can easily contact you and return the cat to you thanks to the information on the collar.
Be careful when leaving your cat with your children. If children are younger than five years old, pets ought not be left with them. Little children do not have the necessary skills yet to handle a pet by themselves. Find your child’s age of maturity when it comes to handling pets.
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.
Is your pet’s scratching post starting to look beat up? Don’t toss it out! Cats typically like older posts compared to newer posts. Even if you throw it away and buy a new one, your cat may opt for tearing up your upholstery instead.
You need to buy some quality food for your cat. Scrutinize the ingredients closely, and make sure that quality protein sources like chicken, fish and beef are first on the list. Try avoiding foods that have non-protein elements like corn. Cats are carnivores, so if you want them to be as healthy as possible, you need to be sure they’re eating enough animal protein.
The key to entertaining kittens is simplicity. Most cats love some of the same little games and gestures, while other cats are incredibly unique with their own ideas for fun. If you don’t want your kitty to grow into a grumpy, old furball, then let it have fun and play around like a kitten should.
