Tips for Cat Owners

Cats are cuddly, sweet and full of personality. With the right feeding, training and care, cat owners can have the best possible experience. Cats are extremely self-sufficient and can live up to 20 years, but they still need a reasonable amount of pet-owner care. A wide array of traits and personalities among cats can make it tough to discern your particular cat's needs, but proper care always comes first, with love and affection a very close second.

  1. Choose the Right Litter

    • Clumping litter allows for easy waste removal.

      Litter is one of the most important choices a cat owner can make. Cats use litter boxes several times a day. Litters are specially formulated for certain situations. Litters can be formulated to deal with both urine and feces odor, or just urine alone. Some brands account for larger messes with multiple cats. Some have specialized crystals for extra odor-blocking. Some litters, such as those made from recycled newspaper, do not cover the smell as much as they add comfort for a cat.

    Switch a Cat's Food Slowly

    • A cat's diet is just as important as a human's diet.

      When switching a cat from one food to another for any reason, do so slowly. A veterinarian is the best source for discovering a pet's proper food change schedule. The schedule usually requires the new food to be mixed in slowly with the old food for several days at a time, slowly increasing the dose of new food. This will help a cat avoid constipation, diarrhea, vomit, nausea, lethargy and any other possible digestive issues. It gives the sensitive digestive system a chance to respond to the new food formula slowly, creating the smoothest transition to a new food.

    Spay or Neuter a Cat

    • Population control is a major reason for spaying or neutering a cat.

      These surgeries can only be performed by a veterinarian, and are usually best done before a female cat encounters her first "heat" or menstruation cycle or before a male cat reaches his "puberty," which is at about six months. Spaying and neutering can be done after a cat reaches puberty, but must never be done on a female cat in the midst of her menstruating cycle. This can cause harm to the cat and possible health issues later in life, such as urinary tract infections and bladder infections.

    Choose Claw Caps Over Declaw Surgery

    • Get plenty of information before declawing a cat.

      Declawing is not a simple claw-clipping procedure --- it is an actual surgery. The first joint of a cat's toe is surgically removed from each toe. This can be compared to removing each of a human's fingertips from the first knuckle.

      A less risky procedure should always be tried first. Claw caps are an alternative option to surgery. They are inexpensive and simply slip on a cat's claws. They shed off with the claw as the claws grow. They come in all sizes, for brand-new kittens up to adults.