Fabulous Suggestions For Taking Care Of A Cat

If youre a cat owner or you want to get a cat in the near future, youre probably wondering how you can care for it properly. Cats make great pets but they can take a little work to take care of. Read through this article for some solid advice, and this will be something you can do.

Be sure to have your pet cat spayed or neutered by the time it is six months old. A spayed or neutered cat is a more satisfactory pet because it is calmer, quieter and more likely to stay home. Neutered male cats do not spray urine to mark their territory. This is definitely a plus when it comes to cat ownership.

Cats are constantly grooming themselves, and this is why they rarely need a bath. If your cat gets into something particularly stinky, a bath will not hurt them. If your cat does not like water you might want to wear gloves so that you do not get scratched. You might also want to enlist the help of a friend or family member.

Exercise

Cats love to play so make sure that you provide them with lots of toys. Cats enjoy batting around a fake mouse or little ball around the room. Some cats even develop a favorite toy. Playing with your cat is not only fun, it helps them to get exercise too.

A great toy for your cat is a laser pointer. Cats love to chase the laser around and try to catch it. This will help you give your cat some exercise, while your cat is having fun at the same time. It will also help to fine-tune their hunting skills.

Keep your cat active and entertained to avoid boredom. Cats need play and exercise. Unfortunately, lots of people who own cats neglect this. Cats who become bored often have issues that can affect them in a big way. Some of these issues are obesity due to eating out of boredom, OCD issues, fighting with other pets and depression. Give them toys they can play with, play with them yourself, or at the least give them room to exercise. An indoor cat needs a good scratching post.

Nutrition

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.

Although depicted in countless movies and cartoons, milk is not the best source of nutrition for your cat. Once cats have grown, they do not need milk as a regular part of their diet. Milk can cause stomach distress and bloating. Instead of giving your cat milk, always have fresh, clean water available to them instead.

Feed your cat high-quality cat food. Pay attention to the ingredient list on any food you feed them. Protein needs to be one of the very first items on the list, while fillers like corn and other grains should be avoided. Any foods with non-protein sources, such as corn, should be avoided. Cats are naturally carnivorous. If you want to keep them healthy and happy, you need to feed them plenty of animal protein.

As you can see now, its not terribly difficult to care for a cat. You just have to be patient and everything will fall into place for you. Take the things that you have learned here and youll be well equipped to deal with cats. Enjoy your feline friends and good luck!