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| | | | | | Cat Care 101
Cats are quite special creatures, as cat lovers are proud to acknowledge. They have been stigmatized as not being as loving, social or active as dogs, but in fact that’s usually not true.
Cats have as wide a range of personalities as people do. Some are mellow and friendly, some are boisterous and sociable. Some are lap-cats, others would rather be held. While cats do not need quite as much attention as dogs, they still need your attention and affection on a daily basis. These loving pets are certainly more independent than dogs, but care about their owners just as much.
One of the most essential things for a cat owner to remember is that if you let your cat roam outdoors, you are drastically shortening its lifespan. An indoor cat has a life expectancy of 15 to 17 years; an indoor/outdoor cat has a life expectancy of five to seven years. Aside from being killed by a car, roaming dog, or wildlife like coyotes or bears, cats can pick up diseases from the very ground on which they walk. In addition, if you have a particularly friendly kitty, someone may think it is wandering as a stray and take it into their home!
Please note that if you find a stray animal, it is best to bring it to the Humane Society to give it a chance of finding its owner again. If you wish to adopt it if the animal isn’t reclaimed, that can easily be arranged with a Choice Hold.
We recommend spending at least one half-hour each day giving your cat love and attention. This may include petting, playing with toys or brushing the cat. It is especially important to brush longhaired cats on a regular basis – at least once each week. If you don’t brush your longhaired cat, it will develop mats in its coat, which are very painful for the cat. Even if your cat has short hair, you’ll love how brushing cuts down on his shedding.
Cats love to play; that’s one of the big reasons so many people love them. But be aware of the hazards some toys can pose. String, ribbons and yarn can get knotted up inside your cat’s stomach if ingested, causing potentially fatal blockage at worst, and at best, expensive surgery to save your best friend. It may be adorable when your kitty plays with tinsel during the holidays, but the sharp edges can tear up her stomach and intestines, and the tinsel can get knotted internally as well. Balls with bells inside are a safe, fun bet for Felix, and many cats love stuffed animals filled with catnip.
It is best to keep your cat at a healthy weight. I know from personal experience that that can be difficult, as my cat simply loves to eat and eat. When I adopted her, she was quite emaciated due to her former owner’s neglect, so she’s very food-oriented now. The best solution with a chronic eater is to not free-feed, but give them portions twice a day. Feeding your cat a combination of wet and dry food is healthiest for them, providing a good mix of nutrients. Most cats are able to be free-fed, because they naturally maintain a healthy weight, but you should use whatever method fits in best with both your lifestyle and the cat’s. Make sure to give it fresh water every single day.
Oftentimes if a cat is unhappy with something in its home life, it expresses its frustration through the litterbox. If your cat is having litterbox problems, first take it to the vet to be sure the problem isn’t medical. Once you’ve ruled that out, look at what has changed in the cat’s living environment during the last couple of weeks. Odds are that Felix is not happy with your guests who are staying for three weeks or your child who has just moved back in. In a case like this, patience and attention are the best policies. Give the cat its own special place where it can retreat from its stressors, where he has his favorite bed and toys as well as water, food and litterbox.
If there’s been no change in the household recently, perhaps your cat had a traumatic experience that it associates with the litterbox. Maybe a loud noise startled it in the vicinity, or the dog jumped at him while he was using his box. We recommend that you buy a new litterbox, put new, fresh litter in it, and put it in a different, quiet location in the home. In some cases, your cat may prefer a different-sized litterbox, or perhaps he prefers a covered box but his current one doesn’t have a lid, or vice versa. Sometimes even just purchasing a larger litterbox can help.
If you are having problems with your pet, please visit us at 610 Abbott Lane, just off of 8th St., or call us at 473-1741 for advice before giving up on it. We may be able to counsel you through dealing with the behavior problem and enable you to keep your loving pet for the rest of its life.
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