By: Craig Elliott
While you've certainly come across many a stray cat who seem to be making it on their own, the truth is that cats are meant to be pets, cared for by humans. In fact, if you think about it, you'll realize that the majority of those stray cats you've encountered have likely appeared thin, weak, hungry, dirty, unkempt, and ill-looking.
If you have just acquired your first cat or are thinking about buying or adopting one-or even if you've been a cat owner for awhile now-you'll need to become aware of proper cat-care techniques and tips and acquire a general understanding of how to best look after your kitty in order for him to live a happier, healthier, and longer life. Each individual cat does not come with its own instruction manual; however, there are a few basics of proper cat care that are generally inclusive of all cats, regardless of sex, age, breed, and temperament.
Here are the top five tips for properly and thoroughly caring for your cat on a regular and everyday basis in order to maintain his health and keep him happy in your home:
1. Cat essentials
After you've decided to give your new feline friend a permanent home in your abode, you'll quickly discover that cats can become quite expensive, particularly, at first, with the sheer amount of "stuff" they require. While you don't have to buy your kitty everything, and while you certainly don't need to buy the most expensive products around, you will want to make sure your cat has the essentials. These include a food dish, water dish, cat food, water (which you don't need to pay for), a litter box, litter, a litter scoop, a cat bed, a few basic toys (need not be expensive and you won't need a lot of them), a scratching post if your cat has his nails and you want to protect your upholstery, and perhaps an ID collar and a cat carrier.
2. Feeding and watering
Feeding your cat is a major component of proper and complete cat care. Don't look for the cheapest option-look for good-quality cat food that offers the nutritional and health benefits your cat needs, and purchase the appropriate cat food based on your cat's age and weight. For example, buy kitten food for kittens, adult cat food for adults, hairball control food for a cat prone to hairballs, picky-eater cat food for finicky cats, weight-control cat food for indoor, overweight cats, and so on. Ask your cat's veterinarian if you're not sure, as well as for information on how much and how often to feed your cat. Generally speaking, adult cats of normal size and activity level require two small feedings or one large feeding per day.
It's also better to stick with dry cat food rather than wet (canned food). Dry food offers dental benefits not found in canned food, is cheaper, and lasts longer.
Don't forget to provide plenty of fresh water to your cat on a daily basis. It's not enough to simply wait until his water dish is empty to refill it; you'll want to empty it and refill it daily so he has continual access to fresh water.
Craig Elliott is a writer for VetRx Direct. VetRx Direct is a leading supplier of Pet Medicine
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Dealing With Furniture Scratching
By Maria Markella
Does your cat scratches your favorite beautiful furniture? Well, scratch is part of your cats life. Your Cat's instict commands the pet to scratch in order to be comfortable and feel good. Is there any house cat training method to prevent or reduce scratching?
First lets see why cats need to scratch on furniture or objects. It's because they need to replace the outer sheath of their claws with a newer claw. And a brand new claw is one of the most importand things for your cat.
So how to you train your house cat to prevent scratching?
1. One method suggests that the cat's claws should be tipped with small plastic caps which are glued to the claws. Of course the cat will never stop scratching but using caps is a good house cat training method to prevent damage when your cat scratches something.
2. Another good practise would be to make use of scratching posts. You can buy a scratching post from any pet store. Put the post near the place where the cat usually takes a nap. All cats love to scratch after a good sleep.
3. Do not yell at your cat or punish it in any way. Never hit your cat! As I said earlier the cat scratches by instict and cannot associate your punishment or hitting with the fact of scratching. There are people who perform de-clawing for aesthetic or shelfish reasons. Of course I would never recommend such a violent method. This has nothing to do with house cat training.
4. Another not so nice house cat training method to prevent scratching is to use repellants. You can buy them in any pet store. Spray the repellant strategically on places that are likely to be scratched by your cat.
5. A similar method is the use of double sided sticky tapes. Stick pieces of the tape on the furniture and your cat will stop scratching. But would you like your furniture covered with sticky tapes?
6. It's a fact that cats don't like the smell of citrus. In fact they hate it. So a good house cat training practise would be to spray some lemon juice on certain targeted areas where your cat is about to scratch.
These are some of the house cat training methods to prevent your cat from scratching your favorite furniture or objects. I hope you found the information worth reading.
About the author:
Is your cat still scratching your beautiful furniture? Would you like to turn your cat into an obedient, independent and lovely pussycat? Then have a look at this Cat Training and Cat Aggression Guide and take your cat and your house back! You can also enlist to their Free Cat Training E-Course.
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
Does your cat scratches your favorite beautiful furniture? Well, scratch is part of your cats life. Your Cat's instict commands the pet to scratch in order to be comfortable and feel good. Is there any house cat training method to prevent or reduce scratching?
First lets see why cats need to scratch on furniture or objects. It's because they need to replace the outer sheath of their claws with a newer claw. And a brand new claw is one of the most importand things for your cat.
So how to you train your house cat to prevent scratching?
1. One method suggests that the cat's claws should be tipped with small plastic caps which are glued to the claws. Of course the cat will never stop scratching but using caps is a good house cat training method to prevent damage when your cat scratches something.
2. Another good practise would be to make use of scratching posts. You can buy a scratching post from any pet store. Put the post near the place where the cat usually takes a nap. All cats love to scratch after a good sleep.
3. Do not yell at your cat or punish it in any way. Never hit your cat! As I said earlier the cat scratches by instict and cannot associate your punishment or hitting with the fact of scratching. There are people who perform de-clawing for aesthetic or shelfish reasons. Of course I would never recommend such a violent method. This has nothing to do with house cat training.
4. Another not so nice house cat training method to prevent scratching is to use repellants. You can buy them in any pet store. Spray the repellant strategically on places that are likely to be scratched by your cat.
5. A similar method is the use of double sided sticky tapes. Stick pieces of the tape on the furniture and your cat will stop scratching. But would you like your furniture covered with sticky tapes?
6. It's a fact that cats don't like the smell of citrus. In fact they hate it. So a good house cat training practise would be to spray some lemon juice on certain targeted areas where your cat is about to scratch.
These are some of the house cat training methods to prevent your cat from scratching your favorite furniture or objects. I hope you found the information worth reading.
About the author:
Is your cat still scratching your beautiful furniture? Would you like to turn your cat into an obedient, independent and lovely pussycat? Then have a look at this Cat Training and Cat Aggression Guide and take your cat and your house back! You can also enlist to their Free Cat Training E-Course.
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
Truth About Cat Chat - Talking With Your Kitty
by: WinstonHill
Don't know what your cat's cat chat is telling you? This could very well be the case if you haven't been around many cat chats. One of the tricks is to pay attention to the animal's meow. To figure out what they are trying to talk you need to determine what type of meow it is. The Siamese cat is very vocal with their cat chat discussion.
Its In The Purr
Using their "voices" is something you can expect all cats to do. Communicating what they are thinking is done by this animal's Cat Chat. Pay attention to their "talk" to find clues about your pet's feelings. The difference in pitch, intensity,frequency and pace are part of the clues.
A frightened or anxious kitty will have quicker then normal meows. A relaxed and confident kitty will tend to have slower then normal meows. Of course this is only one way they "talk" to you.
One specific way that is unique to the cat family is the purr. When they are content they tend to purr. It is also been supported by studies that cats purr when they are ready to be sociable.
Keep Close Watch
Don't oversimplify the purr talk. It could also signal a kitty that is in great pain, nervous or feeling uneasy about something. It all needs to be taken into the current context.
It's all in how they hold the tail as very accurate indicator of their true mood. Pay attention to how they move their tail as well. If you keep in mind that cats are not dogs then you will easily see that a cat wagging his tail is not the same as a dog doing the same thing. When a cat does this it signals confusion or maybe even annoyance of some type.
Conclusion
After reading this article it should be fairly easy to see why us cat owners feel cats are smart and emotional creatures. It has been stated they have the intelligence of a two year old by some animal behaviorist. Your job is to pay attention and be patient. If you are able to do this then you and your cat's cat chat will be satisfying and most enjoyable.
About the Author
Winston Hill sells a Cat Chat e-book. If the Cat Chat info was helpful, Don't wait. PURCHASE the cat chat info you NEED right NOW. Goto Cat Chat.
Don't know what your cat's cat chat is telling you? This could very well be the case if you haven't been around many cat chats. One of the tricks is to pay attention to the animal's meow. To figure out what they are trying to talk you need to determine what type of meow it is. The Siamese cat is very vocal with their cat chat discussion.
Its In The Purr
Using their "voices" is something you can expect all cats to do. Communicating what they are thinking is done by this animal's Cat Chat. Pay attention to their "talk" to find clues about your pet's feelings. The difference in pitch, intensity,frequency and pace are part of the clues.
A frightened or anxious kitty will have quicker then normal meows. A relaxed and confident kitty will tend to have slower then normal meows. Of course this is only one way they "talk" to you.
One specific way that is unique to the cat family is the purr. When they are content they tend to purr. It is also been supported by studies that cats purr when they are ready to be sociable.
Keep Close Watch
Don't oversimplify the purr talk. It could also signal a kitty that is in great pain, nervous or feeling uneasy about something. It all needs to be taken into the current context.
It's all in how they hold the tail as very accurate indicator of their true mood. Pay attention to how they move their tail as well. If you keep in mind that cats are not dogs then you will easily see that a cat wagging his tail is not the same as a dog doing the same thing. When a cat does this it signals confusion or maybe even annoyance of some type.
Conclusion
After reading this article it should be fairly easy to see why us cat owners feel cats are smart and emotional creatures. It has been stated they have the intelligence of a two year old by some animal behaviorist. Your job is to pay attention and be patient. If you are able to do this then you and your cat's cat chat will be satisfying and most enjoyable.
About the Author
Winston Hill sells a Cat Chat e-book. If the Cat Chat info was helpful, Don't wait. PURCHASE the cat chat info you NEED right NOW. Goto Cat Chat.