Excellent Strategies On Ensuring Your Cat Is Properly Cared For

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.

If you have multiple cats, save money on cat dishes by checking your local dollar store for salsa dishes. You can usually get a package of three for a dollar. These are sturdy and come in pretty colors. They look nice in your kitchen, and they are just the right size for cat food.

Make sure your cat is always groomed. A cat requires regularly brushing and combing. This will help them maintain a clean and healthy coat. It can cut down on shedding and spitting up hairballs, too. Keeping a cat groomed properly can help them and your home look great.

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.

Exercise

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.

Never let a cat become bored. Play is important to the health and vitality of your cat. Unfortunately, a lot of cat owners neglect this. Boredom can beget illness. You need to give it new toys regularly and make sure your cat has plenty of space to run and play. If you have an indoor cat, provide a kitty gym for them to climb on or a scratching post.

Let your cat exercise their hunting instinct. Cats are natural born hunters; however, this does not mean you need to allow mice to invade your home. Hide treats and toys throughout your home, and your cat will have a blast hunting down their treats. You can also find feather and laser toys that your cat can chase and pounce on.

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.

Dont buy cheap cat food. Look over the ingredients in the food, and be sure there is some kind of a protein source in the food. Dont give your cat foods that have corn or other elements that have no protein. Cats in the wild are meat eaters, and domestic cats need meat to ensure optimum health.

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!