cat care


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.



cat care


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.



cat care


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.



Training a cat to use a human toilet is a process that can take months. Toilet train a cat withtips from a cat behaviorist in this free video on pets and cat care. Expert: Diana Korten Contact: www.thecatbehaviorist.com/ Bio: Diana Korten is certified in Pet First Aid by the American Red Cross, and is a member of The National Association of Pet Sitting Professionals and The Cat Writer’s Association. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

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cat care


Have you ever considered giving your cat a bath? Your dog and cat both require a certain amount of maintenance to keep them happy and healthy. While most cats are self-sufficient, all cats could use a little boost in the bathing department.

When it comes to cat care, very few cat owners think to give their cat a bath. A bath can help get rid of excess fur during the shedding season.

You could take your cat to the veterinarian or a professional groomer and have them give your cat a bath, but giving your cat a bath on your own isn’t all that difficult. As long as you have patience and take things slowly, the two of you can get through the ordeal in one piece.

Before you think of bathing, give your cat a good brushing. Use a soft brush or grooming glove for short haired felines. For cats with longer fur, use a wide-toothed comb. Don’t brush too hard. Cats don’t have very thick skin like their wild cousins, the big cats.

Brush out any tangles and check the cat over for any sores or abscesses. Clean the cat’s ears and trim its nails. If your cat starts to get a little antsy, take everything in stages. Start with one task, then put the cat down and come back to the next task later.

While your cat is off wandering the house and working off stress, you can get the bath ready. Make sure you have a soft towel and shampoos made for your cat at hand. Remember that your cat will be licking himself after the wash, and some soaps might have a residue that could make your cat sick if ingested.

If you can, use your kitchen sink as a tub. The sink is much easier to work with than trying to bend over a tub. Place a towel in the bottom of the sink as a mat to keep your cat from slipping. The most important thing is to give your cat a bath in a warm room so that afterwards, he’ll have a warm place to dry off.

When you’re ready to bathe your cat, put cotton balls in its ears to help keep the water out. Run some lukewarm water into the sink, but don’t fill the sink all the way. You might want to fill the sink first, since the sound of the rushing water could make your cat nervous, especially if he knows what’s coming.

Try not to restrain your cat too much either. If the cat feels like it’s being trapped, you’ll have a harder time holding it through this cat care process.

Keep talking to the cat calmly and reassuringly. Don’t yell or try to scold him if he decides not to cooperate. If you’re nervous, your cat will be nervous, too. Hissing, flattened ears and yowling are all signs that you have a very stressed kitty on your hands.

To wet the coat, pour water over your cat. You can also take a thin towel, wrap it around your cat, and wet its fur through the towel. Once the fur is wet, apply shampoo, and then rinse well. When you rinse your cat, try to avoid using the spray nozzle. If your cat didn’t like the sound of running water, the hiss of the spray won’t be calming at all.

Make sure that you get all the shampoo out of its fur. When you’re done rinsing, dry your cat by blotting instead of scrubbing. Blotting long fur is far more effective than rubbing the towel over the cat’s body.

If your cat will tolerate the noise from this cat care routine, you can use a hair dryer on the lowest setting. If you can’t use the dryer, that’s okay. Dry your cat as much as you can and let it go find a warm place to dry off.

The best advice for bathing a cat is to start while the cat is young so that they become familiar with this form of cat care. If you get your cat used to bathing early in life and make the first experience as enjoyable as you can, your cat will be more cooperative in the future.



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