Our cats can almost look after themselves. They still need to be loved though so here are some basic cat care tips.

Most cats are very clean creatures and know when to bath themselves. With this in mind, you don’t need to bath your cat unless something major happens. The cat will have a shiny coat if you take the time to brush them every day. By doing this will lessen the chance of fur balls and shedding fur.
Do you know the correct way to pick up a cat? In the wild, the big cats pick up the little ones by the scruff of the neck.

However, this should not be copied by you. The best way to pick up your cat is to use one hand to support the rear and the other hand under the chest. Be careful as some cats don’t like to be picked up and will let you know by hissing.

The cat likes to have its own special place in your home. Somewhere cozy and warm like an old fluffy towel in a basket or box will make a nice place for the cat to rest. Just like your own bed sheets, make sure you change the bedding very regular for your cat.

If your cat is indoors more than outdoors, they will need a litter tray. Try to put the litter tray in a place where your cat can reach it easily with no problems. Nice places to put the litter tray includes the cellar, laundry room or any place where your personal hygiene won’t be affected. If you place has more than one floor, it’s a good idea to have a litter tray on each floor. Your cat will get used to the place you put the litter tray so try not to move it too often as you may find kitty mess on the floor. Cats are clean creatures so try to keep the litter box as clean as possible. Change the contents of the tray on a daily basis and clean with hot water.

As everyone knows, a cat will want to chase mice. A good toy for your cat are the toys that look like mice or any other creature it may want to chase, especially if the toy moves, giving it more realism and more fun for kitty. With toys like this, your cat will love to exercise its natural predator side. Laser pointers are good fun too. Just make sure you don’t point it into the eyes of kitty. With a laser pointer, you can make quick movements on walls and floors which the cat will love to chase.

A catnip plant will stimulate your cat. You can get them from pet shops inside toys or as a stand alone plant. The catnip plant gives many cats a natural high feeling but will not harm your cat in any way. Be sure that you only let cats older than 12 weeks near a cat nip plant.
Basic cat care is easy, just be sure to build it into your daily routines.

Trying to find the best health care for your cat?

There are so many medications and advice available so how do you decide what is for your cat?

For more free advice, tips and suggestions, visit felinehealthcare.net Feline Heath Care

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Tags: cat care, cat care tips

The literal meaning of feral is “gone wild” and when used to describe a cat usually means that they have either been born in the wild or have once been domesticated but have been lost or abandoned and have reverted to the wild. Feral Cats are usually found living in groups or colonies where there is an easy and plentiful supply of food.

Feral cats may have very limited experience of human contact and so will generally keep away from people and run away if you try to approach them. However, as long as the cat is not too old, it is perfectly possible that they eventually could become very loving pets, if approached correctly. But be warned it can be a very long process of gentle persuasion and patience on your part. It can take weeks, even months before a feral cat may feel comfortable enough to be a part of your family.

It is essential that anyone considering re-homing a feral cat that they have a good understanding of cat behaviour and be prepared to take things at the cats pace. Cats generally learn by experience and so making the whole socialisation process a pleasant one will help to teach the cat not to be afraid of people and domestic life.

There are several steps to take to socialise your feral cat and each one can take weeks or months to complete and may even have to be repeated if a set back occurs. The first step is to provide the cat with a small room or pen where the cat cannot escape from and that does not have any hiding places. It should be a quiet area and be equipped with bedding, fresh water and food and a litter tray. Let them become accustomed to this area for a while before you attempt to introduce yourself to them. It is important that they feel safe.

Next spend some time with them, talking quietly to them but not attempting to touch them. After a while you may even be able to tempt them to take treats from your hand. Repeat this process daily until you sense that the cat is becoming less afraid of you. Only then try to stroke their head and back. If they back away, don’t worry; just repeat the hand treat regime for a few days more. A useful tip is not to look at your cat directly as they find this a threat. Instead either look away or half close your eyes.

Over time the cat will become used to you and realise that you are not a threat to them. At this stage let them wander around the rest of the house and become accustomed to the whole house. Make sure other people in the house approach the cat in the same way as yourself by offering treats. It can take some feral cats quite some time to accept the whole family.

If you have other cats around make sure your new feral cat has become use to their scent before he meets them, do this by rubbing their bedding around his living area, do the same for your existing cats. Feral cats usually respond well to domesticated cats and it can even help speed up the socialisation process, as they will learn from their behaviour.

Finally when you notice the cat grooming itself and happily using the litter tray, it is safe to let them explore the outside world. By this time they will have become use to you and your home and have probably made it part of their territory and so will return for that free dinner and comfy bed. Many feral cats have become very loving pets and have settled down to domestic life very well.

More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site our-happy-cat.com our-happy-cat.com
A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.

Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth

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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.

Mike Selvon owns a number of niche portal. Please visit our cats.trustprofitableniche.com/ cats portal for more great tips on cats.trustprofitableniche.com/cat-care-toys.php cat care, and leave a comment at our mynicheportal.com/pets-animals/caring-for-your-cat-with-playtime cats blog.

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You’ve finally made the decision to adopt a cat, you’ve dreamt about it for quite some time. Visualising your cute new little kitten playing around the floor and looking up at you with those big baby blues. What could possibly go wrong, after all it’s only a tiny kitten. But have your really thought about how much time, effort and trouble a kitten really is. A kitten is packed full of energy and curiosity and will cry for attention, scratch the furniture, bite and urinate everywhere until it is litter box trained, and will run around the house getting into all sorts of scrapes and trouble. And it’s up to you to look after them 24/7. If you’ve got the time and dedication to look after a kitten, great, but if not, why not think about adopting an adult cat.

A lot of potential adopters seem to think of an adult cat as second best, as if they are defective or worn out like a second hand car. That’s just not the case. Most adult cats have found themselves in animal shelters from no fault of their own. They may have out lived their owner, their owners may have moved to somewhere that doesn’t allow pets, become lost or someone in the family may have become allergic to them. The reasons are far to numerous to list them all. The cats themselves are perfectly healthy animals, bristling with fun and energy and simply looking for a caring loving home.

Adopting an adult cat has many advantages. Remember an older cat has already developed its personality. So you will know what kind of pet they will be and whether or not they will suit your family. Many people go for the cute little kitten; only to find out that they grow into a very shy and non-playful cat that likes to spend all it’s time away from the family. That’s fine if that’s what you want, but too many people decide that this is not for them and returns the cat to the shelter. Rejection is a very harsh punishment for the cat just because you didn’t take the time to think about what sort of cat would be the right pet for your family.

An older cat will also be less demanding of your time than a kitten and will require less supervision, well after the first few weeks anyway. They will be able to spend time alone when you are out of the house without getting into too much trouble and hopefully will already be litter trained.

There are also many benefits for older owners in adopting an adult cat. Adult cats are much calmer and more likely to want to spend some quiet time sitting on your lap for strokes and purring. Studies have shown that cats can have a real health benefit for humans in reducing their stress levels and blood pressure. I can’t image an energetic curious kitten being as good for your stress levels somehow.

Many worry about health problems and vet bills for the older cat. Usually when you are adopting a cat from an animal shelter they will be able to let you know if the cat has any underlining medical conditions and what it is likely to cost. Many will even provide you with free medical treatment for your cat if they over 10 years old as an incentive for more of the older cats to be re-homed.

Cats can live well into their late teens and even early twenties with all the advances in food nutrition and medical treatments. So that 12 year old cat waiting in the animal shelter for a good home is still a good bet and will still be able to provide you with many years of fun and love. Our own cat is now 14 years old and still behaves like a playful youngster and keeps us entertained for hours.

It can be a very rewarding experience to adopt an older cat, not only because of the pleasure they will give you over the years but also in the knowledge that you have provided a loving home for what was probably a very frightened and confused cat, who had no idea why he had lost his family.

More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site our-happy-cat.com our-happy-cat.com
A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.

Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth

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You may be the proud owner of a lovely pet cat. In such case you would consider caring for the cat and looking after its health to be your responsibility. It is important for you to provide little time and extend a bit of effort on your part to ensure that your pet cat stays healthy, fit and fine. You may, if you wish, get hold of some good pet cat care books that are available in local bookstores for reference. You can get some useful cat care tips from there.

Awareness about cat health needs to be made beforehand if you are planning to get a pet cat. This does not require much learning though. A bit of learning about the normal habits, behavior and temperament of a cat is what is required of you. This will enable you to detect when there is any sudden change in habits of the cat so as to take care of it. Behavioral changes, changes in eating and sleeping habits etc. need to be taken note of to decide whether some health problem has arisen. Usually it is the vet who takes the final decision about health concerns of the pet cat though you can provide preliminary attendance.

Problems with cat’s health are quite common and cat owners can appropriately control such problems by gaining knowledge about cat health. This can go a long way to ensure that your pet cat stays healthy and playful. Isn’t it a rewarding experience to cuddle and have fun with a healthy pet cat?

Taking the pet cat to the veterinary specialist on a regular basis is of crucial importance. The vet needs to conduct checkups on a yearly or half yearly basis even if apparently no problems are there. Only then can you remain sure that the health condition of your loved feline pet is sound. At other times during the year if it comes to notice that there has been the development of behavior or mood changes in your cat then the vet needs to be approached at the earliest possible.

Common problems that cats usually develop are lumps, ticks, black specs in the ears, eye gunk or rashes. These can generally be detected pretty easily and upon detection of these problems the vet is to be immediately consulted. Medical attention can thus be provided quickly, remedial action measures adopted and relief from the problem obtained soon.

Grooming of the pet cat frequently is an important health endowing measure. A lot of dead hair gets removed in the process. Getting hold of the special combs available that can help extract ticks and fleas from the fur of the cat provides further help. A trim of the claws of the pet cat may be needed to from time to time to promote cat health. It must be noted, however, that the nails of the cat are not cut too short.

Tania Penwell is a contributor for The Cat’s Meow - where you can find information on cats-meow.net/ cats, cats-meow.net/cat-health.htm cat health, and more on our feline friends.

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Tags: cat care, cat care tips, groom