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Playing is fun, right? So why do we need to know anything else about it, surely that’s is all there is to it. Well it’s true that the main reason we might play with our cat is because it is something fun to do, but for your cat it has a far more important role and is key to their general mental and physical well being. This means that it should be something that all cat owners should spend a little more time thinking about and incorporating into their every day cat care routine, rather than as an occasional playtime.

Hunting is a instinct that is in bred into every cat, even for our domesticated feline friends, who do not need to hunt for their food, will still have a strong desire to hunt for prey. But hunting plays another important role for cats other than for finding food; it also helps to build their confidence, their agility and keeps them fit. It also would occupy a cat for most of the day out in the wild and so a cat that no longer has the opportunity to hunt every day will find itself with a lot of unfilled hours. Many cat owners will have experienced a bored or depressed cat that shows their frustration through aggressive behaviour, such as chewing or scratching the furniture or one who hides them selves a way and becomes a very shy and timid cat.

A good substitute to hunting is therefore energetic chasing, stalking and pouncing playtimes, where the cat can engage all their natural instincts into the game and feel stimulated by the play. Unfortunately just leaving a motionless cat toy lying around just doesn’t meet those requirements, so it is important for cat owners to interact with their cats during playtimes.

Ideally you should play with your cat at least a couple of times a day for about 10 to 15 minutes each time. Of course this may not always be possible but at least one playtime a day is required to keep your cat healthy and happy. Playing with your cat an hour before bedtime is a good habit to get into, especially if you have a very alert nighttime cat that frequently tries to wake you up at night. This will help to use some of that energy and encourage them to sleep afterwards. The length of playtime will very much be dictated by the cat, some may be quite happy to play for 15 minutes while others prefer shorter more frequent games.

The secret to playing with your cat is to think like your cat, do they like to stalk and pounce onto small ground creatures like mice or do they prefer to climb trees to hunt flying creatures. Your cats preference will help you to decide which sort of toys would suit them better, such as furry mice and balls for the ground hunter and feathery, colourful toys which can be dangled and simulate flight for your bird hunter.

It is also important that we make the game as realistic for your pet, simply rolling a ball along the floor will soon become boring and uninteresting. Instead make sure that the playroom is interesting, placing open paper bags around is a good way to provide plenty of hiding places to pounce from. Also vary how you manipulate the toys, for instance make some movements fast, others slow, hide the toy behind or under something. This will make the game far more realistic and exciting for your cat, who can utilise all their hunting skills like stealth, speed, agility and cunning.

Keep the toys you use with the cat hidden away after use so that they do not become to over familiar with them and lose interest. Providing new toys from time to time will help to stimulate your cat’s interest in the games and encourage more energetic play. It is also advisable not to use treats too often during playtime as this may cause weight gain over time. Treats may be helpful at first to encourage a shy or timed cat to come out and play but as their confidence grows, treats should be removed from the games.

Playing with your cat as you can see is much more than just a fun thing to do, it will promote confidence, fitness, reduce boredom and aggression and generally help in your cats over all mental and physical health. As an added bonus, regular play between you and your cat will strengthen the bond you have with each other. Your cat will associate you with fun and excitement and will seek your company out more often than with someone who just feeds them. Over all playtime will benefit everyone involved and should be encouraged throughout a cat lifetime.

Cat lovers who own cats in their houses usually look after their grooming, feeding, or the training part. However, understanding the metabolism of the cats is equally imperative, because it enables pet owners to know the temperament, nature and the habits of their cats. Metabolism means ongoing of the physical as well as chemical changes, which take place in the cat’s body.

The metabolism of a healthy cat can be found by checking the glucose level in its blood. It has to be between 80 to 120 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).

Hence, cats need to take rest and tend to sleep a lot. Their sleeping durations are usually of 12 to 16 hours. They do not sleep continuously for these many hours, instead they take short naps which together sum to 12 hours. It helps them to conserve energy. Some cats sleep for much longer duration for about 20 hours in 24 hours. Perhaps, this might be the reason why people refer to individuals who sleep more often as “having a cat nap”.

Factors Of Metabolism:

Body temperature is the main factor of the cat’s metabolism. The layer of fat beneath the skin protects it from harsh winters. A body temperature of a typically healthy cat is within 38 to 39 degree Celsius. A cat is assumed feverish if its body temperature is equal to 39.5 degree Celsius or greater than that. Moreover, if the body temperature of the cat is lower than 37.5 degree Celsius, that cat is hypothermic.

Heart beat of the cat ranges from 140 -220 beats/minute. If the cat is on the hunting spree, its heart rate becomes higher. Whereas, the heart beat of the cat in resting position is within 150-180 beats/minute.

Due to their frequent nocturnal nature, they often enter a stage of greater hyperactivity and liveliness. It happens mostly in the evening times and, hence pet lovers refer to this phase as happy hour or mad hour or evening craziness.

The temperament of the cats varies and depends on their breeds. Short and haired cats are usually skinnier and, hence more energetic, whereas longhaired cats and taller cats are heavier and inactive.

Overview:

Cats are carnivorous, so they have this unique capacity to metabolize protein in meat to sugar and carbohydrate. Most people feed cats with dry feline diet, which is widely available in the market. Nevertheless, cat’s metabolism is such that, it converts the dry diet into carbohydrate, which is not good for their health.

Give them high protein diet such as meat-based food to make them active and healthy. One of the common problems faced by many cat owners is, their cats eat a lot sometimes and at times, they do not eat at all. In such case, people need to know that, it is just natural because cat’s metabolism is equipped to “treat and crisis” cycle.

Therefore, if felines go without food for many days, people need not have to worry. Simply wait and the cats will start eating, when hungry. Hence, this is all about cat metabolism.

If you have decided to keep a cat as a pet, be prepared for long-term cat care. If you are settled on having cat as pet then you must get off to a good start and everything must be planned in order to avoid future mistakes. Cats are nice companions but you have to understand their needs, one of which is your cat has to eat but you can’t feed your feline friend your leftovers. It is better to look for the best cat food that can give your pal energy boost as well as good health. To save some money for the best cat food, you might have to give up some luxuries to be able to afford them. It is your primary responsibility to keep your cat in a safe environment, so make sure that there is nothing around your cat, which could prove to be potentially harmful or fatal for the pet.

When it concerns tidiness, you have chosen the best pet, as cats are very particular about their grooming standards and keep themselves clean all the time. Of course, this grooming habit needs to be monitored as they might just injure themselves while grooming. If you notice the over grooming habit of the cat, remember that this could be early symptoms of flea invasion, so take your cat to the vet for adequate treatment. It is important to remember that cats are proud and egoistical animals, so as an owner you too have to conform to its tastes and habits and keep all your litter bins clean and well kept.

Did you know that the cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than yours? You may not smell a thing but your cat will. You would not find a cat using the litter bin for the purpose you have kept it, in case they find it malodorous. Cats can easily use the belly of your clean carpet for depositing their poops or a basket of clean clothes perhaps would be just right for them. Let not such issues compel you to let off the cat to wander into the wilderness, just give them what they want, a clean and non-smelling litter bin.

You also have to find a good veterinarian for your cats so the moment that you get a pet, start making friends with your local veterinarians. Long-term cat care is all about remaining vigilant of early signs and symptoms, which show up, and if you just observe them critically, you would know if there is something that needs attention.

If you are settled at the thought that you want the cat to be with you for long, then you may really be the rightful owner of one. You can never indulge in flip-flop ways of doing things, wanting something now and then rejecting the idea as this would be harmful for the cat and you too. So before you bring the cat home, consider the various pros and cons and then make an informed choice. Do not act on your impulse because once you are there, you must be able to carry out the responsibilities of being a pet owner. Long-term care is a decision, which you would never regret as you get the opportunity to give those affectionate animals a good home and in turn have a good time too.

When it comes to cat care, playtime is just as important to the overall wellbeing of felines as a trip to the vet. There is no need to spend a lot of money on cat toys. Most of the time, your cat will find many things in your house to play with.

The toy can be as simple as the plastic ring from the milk jug or a crumpled receipt from that day’s groceries. Cats will throw their toys in the air, bat them around on the floor, pounce on them, hug them close with their front paws and kick at them with their back paws, having a blast shredding the toy to pieces.

Whether you spent a lot of money on the toy or not won’t make a difference. Why buy an expensive toy when you have so many free options readily available?

Cats love to climb and rest in places where they can see a lay of the land. When one couple decided to renovate their home office, they discovered they had to throw out their cat’s favorite perch, an old bookcase near a sunny window.

Since the office had to be redesigned, they built the desks and bookshelves in such a way they led to an additional shelf above each window in the office. Now the cat would have both a sunny spot to snooze and keep an eye on the front and back yards – and the cat gets some well-needed exercise jumping from shelf to shelf.

While you don’t have to go to such an extreme as home renovation that caters to felines, you can make things more interesting by stacking boxes and tables for your cat to climb on.

Cats love boxes. Much like children, a cat can occupy itself for hours on end playing with a box. You can cut holes in it, line it with carpeting or old towels, and your new kitten will love it. Take a few boxes, tape them together, and build your cat a fort.

Boxes are cheap and you can get them in all different sizes. When they wear out, you can throw them in the garbage and give the kitten a new one. Add carpeting to the outside for the cat care need of scratching.

Catnip toys are easy to make too. All you need is a little bit of cloth or furry material to sew into a pouch. Fill it with catnip and stitch some Velcro on to hold it closed. You can make it into a size and shape that appeals to your cat.

Some cats like big toys, others like smaller ones that they can carry easily. Try a couple of different sizes. For cat care enthusiasts, don’t worry; catnip is perfectly safe for your cat to enjoy.

Ever see a cat play fetch? Cats will do that. Some cats will start playing fetch without any prompting from you. You might be tossing their toy for them and find that they enjoy bringing it back to you to throw again.

Do you have a cat that likes to play rough? Get yourself a leather work glove and let your cat wrestle with your hand. With a glove, cats can bite and use their claws in a little bit of friendly roughhousing without tearing you up in the process.

Teach your cat care for human hands while allowing him to play, as cats will also learn not to use their claws unless you have the glove on.

If you have one of those laser pointers in your computer bag or briefcase, see what happens when you shine the red dot on the floor. The light from the laser almost looks three-dimensional, and your cat will enjoy chasing it. Just make sure that you don’t shine the laser directly into your cat’s eyes.

Sticks with strings are always a favorite. All you need is a thin stick and a string with an object tied to the end. This could be a small plastic ball with a bell inside or a cluster of feathers.

Your cat can chase the object while you jerk the stick to make the “prey” bounce and jump. Toys don’t have to be fancy or expensive at all and aren’t a reflection of your level of cat care. The only investment required is your time.

Cats have a dry skin just like humans. The fur on their body protects them from exposure to elements such as dirt. For pet cats that have dry skin, it is advisable to use moisturizing or soap-free products. Cats normally develop skin problems such as Seborrhea. The best way to treat this disorder is to use medicated shampoo.

Sensory Organs:

Cats have the great qualities. They are better than human beings in seeing things and hearing sounds around them. They smell and feel the nature very well. Due to these abilities, cats were often mistaken to possess black magic. The current era does not suspect cats of having an influence over the supernatural powers. It is necessary to know cats’ sense, which may help in understanding their behavior much better.

1. Sight: Cats have a good night vision. Where there is no enough light, cats see much better than humans. However, they are not able see in complete darkness. This ability comes at the cost of daytime vision, which is beneficial for nocturnal predators. Actually, cats fail to see distant objects at daytime. People know little about the colors that cats see visibly. Science says that, they can identify some of the colors than humans do. With their eyes, cats detect faster movement of things in their surroundings. On the other hand, it is hard for them to pay attention on slow moving objects.

2. Sound: Cats have very sharp ears. Even when fast asleep, cats trace the noisy sounds of small rodents. Their ability to hear sounds is three times as high as that of human beings. Cats move their large ears sideways to capture the sound more accurately. For this, they first locate the place from where the sound actually comes. While chasing the target, they sometimes pause to listen and determine the location of their prey.

3. Smell: Cats largely depend on their sense of smell. They always sniff their food before eating. Smelling things is the essential part of feline communication. There is a mechanism at the top of their mouth, which makes possible for them to analyze smell. With the help of this mechanism, cats twist their lips, open their mouth, and express disgust over certain things.

4. Taste: Cats use this sense to decide the foods good for them. They are truly carnivores. As such, their sense of taste best lies in recognizing fat and protein. Unlike dogs, cats prefer to stay away from sweets. In addition, cats do not respond well to the taste of salt. Experts suggest the reason behind this as, cats get enough salt from the meat food.

5. Touch: Cats have touch receptors all over their body. These receptors are nerve cells that transfer sensations of pain, pressure and temperature from any point to the brain. The nerve cells are concentrated mainly on their front paws and face. The hair, covering body of cats, help them to stay alert even on the slightest touch of air passing by.