Cats are one of those animals that you will want to train indoors for most of the time. This means protecting your important valuables and moving the breakables to the top-shelf before they arrive. There are several different approaches shown to have great results, but this is a choice left up to the intuition of the owner.
Avoid being kept awake by your cat romping through the house at night. When you first get your kitten, establish a habit of putting it to bed in a comfortable crate with a nice bed, litter box, food and water at night. If you start this early, your cat will appreciate having its own safe, cozy room.
Make your own enclosed litter box from a large tote box with a lid. Use a coffee can lid as a pattern to cut a door in one side of the tote. Place the coffee can lid fairly high up on the side of the tote. Trace around it with a permanent marker. Cut out the circle with tin snips or a box cutter. Add litter. Put on the lid.
Do not feed your cat any kind of human food that contains bones in it. If you are giving your cat chicken or fish, be sure to remove the bones beforehand to prevent a choking hazard. Chop the food that you serve into small bits to make it easier to digest for your cat.
Be especially mindful of your cat’s ears when you take them on a trip. You may enjoy it, but it could be hurting your cat’s ears. So, keep your volume down, or turn it off to give your cat a better travel experience.
If you going to be gone for more than a day, you should have someone look in on your cat. Leave out plenty of food, but have someone come to make sure it doesn’t run out. If you do not have a neighbor or family to look in on your cat, you can usually find a cat sitter for a few dollars each day.
When you purchase a kitten for your child, set rules and boundaries beforehand. Let your kids know which rooms your cat is allowed in. If you want your cat to stay indoors, then the children must understand the seriousness of never letting it out. Knowing the rules ahead will help your child understand.
Consider adopting multiple cats, especially it will be spending a significant amount of time alone. One cat can do fine alone, however two are not much more work or expense than one, and can keep each other company and entertain each other. This will stave off boredom, especially if you work long hours.
When bringing a new kitten home, take it slow. It is tempting for children to want to play with the new addition to your home immediately. But the young cat will likely be scared. Give the cat time to acclimate itself to your home and to get comfortable with everyone.
Cats enjoy climbing on things. For a happy cat, make sure you establish a safe environment for them to scan their surroundings. If a big cat tree is not something that can easily fit in your home, get a sturdy shelf that can be used as a perch. Additionally, you can place a bed or blanket in this space.
Get your cat used to a carrier. While punishment is a good strategy to train dogs, it is not adapted to cats. Positive reinforcement is a better training tool for cats. Place a blanket or favorite toy inside the carrier to make your cat more acclimated to the carrier. Cats are natural explorers and sooner or later he will check it out. Then, you will have no problem using the carrier.
If you have more than one cat, you should have as many litter boxes as you have cats. If too many cats have to share the same litter box, it can mean disaster! The cats may choose not to share their eliminating space, instead, using other areas, such as clean laundry or hidden corners of the home to do their business.
Feed a kitten proper food. A developing kitten survives exclusively on their mother’s milk for the first four weeks, a commercial formula if the mother isn’t around. When moving to regular food, feed them specially formulated kitten food until they reach maturity at the age of one. Kittens need plenty of protein while they are developing.
Ensure that your new cat is spayed or neutered. This is important even if your cat will not be outdoors or around cats of the opposite gender. Studies show that spayed cats are less vulnerable to uterine, mammary, and ovarian cancer. Neutering your male cat decreases his risk of developing prostate cancer. Another benefit of neutering is that your cat will not feel compelled to mark his territory by spraying.
When taking your cat or kitten to the vet, or to other places that involve a car ride, it is wise to socialize him to this situation. Try taking your cat, always in a carrier, on short rides, adding time to the ride every so often. Getting your pet used to the car can mean the end of his fear and frustration, as well as yours.
Do not place the cat litter box in the same area where you place the bowl your cat eats from. Cats want a clear separation between the two areas, so make sure you give it to them. It is not likely you would want to eat in the same place where you use the bathroom, so give your cat the same courtesy.
You will surely make the right choices while training your cat and will never be forced to deal with a misbehaving cat tearing your furniture apart. Don’t forget to let your kittens outside at times because they are animals and do love the sunlight. Regular activities keep the pet healthy and entertained.
