Cat Care

Cats find security in their own territory. They establish a special place where they can eat, sleep, and where they can hunt and play with their mates. There are signs which cats use to mark their home base by spraying, leaving urine and feces, scratching, and even rubbing. These marks provide vital information about their age, sex, and health, thus preventing any close encounters with rival cats.

Since cats have high regard for their territory. They make sure that their little home bases are kept well tended so they will get a prospective mate’s attention. Their being keen observers allows them to master each piece of furniture in the house. They would love to be pampered, fed, bathed, and put to sleep in a routinely manner as to maintain anticipation in their minds. Familiar situations make them aware of their activities for the day as well as the sequence of actions of their masters. Once they’ve gotten used to the routine, they will surely give a reminder if someone forgets in the future.

Heard of any deep and long sleepers? Yes, cats! They can spend the whole 15 hours of the day just sleeping. Believe it or not, an eight-year-old feline has only had his eyes open for less than three years. They have three different categories of sleep: the short nap, the long but brief sleep, and the deep full sleep. They have a way of slipping in to a deep full sleep and alternating it with just a short nap.

Be aware that cats spend at least three to four hours cleaning themselves when they are awake. The sequence is as follows:

- licking the lips
- licking the sides of their paws
- rubbing the head, the eyes, the ears, with the wet paw
- licking the front shoulders and legs
- licking the flanks
- licking the genitals
- licking the hinds
- licking the tail
- and lastly, the cat’s most awaited part, sleep.

Cats love to have their nap times in an area where they can actually have a bird’s eye view of what is going on around and below them. In this way they can be quickly awakened if some unusual things happen from afar or beneath them. Work hand in hand with the cat to develop their instincts. Endow them with standard home bases where they can feel the security they need.

Create an environment that is suitable to their needs and wants. It could be for their viewing pleasures or even just for resting. This will give them the sense of feeling important and being cared for and that they are indeed part of household.

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Cats in general are loveable creatures. However, it is possible that some of them get on the bad side of the household. Thus, it is necessary to address the situation when the cats are the problem.

Stray cats are actually the problem. Cats that do not have owners to train them have made the whole neighborhood their home. They ruin the garden. They mess up the trash can. Thus, one should seek for solutions that will keep the cats away. Repel them.

At the same time, repelling cats should be done in the most ‘humane’ way possible. There are several options to consider in keeping those mean cats away, easily and safely.

Cat Powder
Easy to apply to the garden, these cat powders appeal to the instincts of the cats. These contain the scent of a predator, usually a coyote. Cats recognize the territoriality of animals, thus having such scent in the house would keep them away.

One only has to sprinkle this in the desired area. The ones available in the market are usually not harmful to children and to the plants in the garden.

Sound Repellent
This creates sounds that are extremely annoying to a cat but remains undetected to humans.

Cat Scatmats
Some use the scatmats for the more stubborn ones. These are thin mats that can be situated on the floor, garden furniture or window sills. They are battery-charged. Any animal that would walk on it will receive an unpleasant shock. Cats are found to be sensitive to the mild shock, enough to discourage them from returning.

Water Sprayer
The market offers this very helpful repellent. It is connected to the garden hose and has a sensor for movements. Any unwarranted movement of a stray cat will result to a blast of water to fright the cats.

Liquid Repellent
It can be sprayed on any surface that cats may or constantly claw on. It has a terrible taste that would be noticed by the cat when it grooms itself. The cat will automatically avoid such locations.

Air Repellent
Some repellents use a blast of air to keep cats away. Cats will find this scary. The tools come with a distinct sound that will be helpful in scaring cats away.

Odor neutralizer
Cats often leave lingering scent trail on the garden that only attract more cats The odor neutralizer will use enzymes that will rid of the odor and bacteria. Just make sure that this is applied directly to the scent trail.

With these aids and tools at hand, the cat problem is resolved. These defenses are sure way to secure the household and get rid of the headache.

Learn More: Cat Care Compendium

• Pet Temperament: Your cat is just like a human – he will have good and days, but your pet’s overall temperament will be apparent quickly. That is why is it important to pick your cat carefully. Take into consideration all the aspects of your household – the number of people, if any are young, if the cat will be alone or there are other animals, if you have time to spend with your cat, and whether you have patience for a bit of mischief and bad temper.

• Pet Socialization: If you are a one-cat person, then you may not think that cat socialization is very important, but it goes beyond interaction with other pets. You will need to see how your cat reacts to other people, as well. You wouldn’t want your friends to be scared to enter your house, now would you? Be sure to introduce your cat to new people or pets slowly to help minimize problems.

• Playing With Your Pet: Be sure to take plenty of time to play with and love your cat. If you are not home very much, consider another pet for yours to play with or a pet sitter to watch him while you’re gone.

• Behavior Problems: Many cats have behavior problems, but they can usually be worked through with training, time, and perhaps some professional help if needed.

• Training: It is critical that you train your cat to encourage good habits and a great attitude. If you are having problems training your cat yourself, there are many professional options you can investigate.

Learn More with Cat Care Compendium