Cat Care

Aside from dogs, cats are the next best pets for the home. In fact, 34.7 million households in the United States own at least one cat. Unfortunately, most of these homes rely on their cats to entertain themselves, not realizing the benefits obtained by walking your cat.

However, the benefits of owning a cat are not constrained to having them as mere pets because cats, like dogs, can be trained to do tricks as well. Even if they are known as “house cats,” it is important for them to be given the taste of the outdoor environment. This can be done through walking.

Yes, it is important to engage a cat in outdoor activities such as walking, just like the dog. This is because cats need further stimulation by having a taste of the activities gained by being outside. Walking them outdoors makes them feel entertained and stimulated.

Studies show that cats that are constrained inside the house show a significant sign of boredom and depression. These are not likely to be noticed since cats cannot verbally or even physically tell their owners that they are bored and depressed.

However, there were signs that were noted in a study that projects the negative effects of not having occasional walks outside the house. Scratching the furniture was noted to have a direct association with depression that the cat is experiencing.

The problem with most cat owners is that they tend to pamper their cats and they forget to give them the benefits of enjoying the environment. Hence, a growing health problem arises because most cats are found to be obese.

What people do not know is that even if they are known to be domestic animals and have been in “close contact” with people for more than 3,500 years, cats are known to be born hunters. In fact, most zoologists contend that cats are the “most graceful hunters” in this world.

For this reason, walking a cat is extremely important. Proper use of materials should be observed when walking your cat. Walking does not necessarily mean it is okay to leave your cats outside. They can encounter danger such as getting a disease or being hurt by neighbors or vehicles..

Try to train your cat to walk with a leash and a harness on. It is best to use a jacket as well so that your cat will be comfortable while walking.

Walking your cat is not a hard work. You just have to use the right tools and the proper training of your cat and you can be assured of a happy and stress-free feline at home.

There are many cat breeds available and one should do some research on the behavior of each kind before getting any as a pet. Cats in general are not like dogs, who want to please the owner. When this creature wants to perform a trick or play, it is because the animal finds it amusing and will continue to do so as long as it is having fun.

The best way to start training a cat is getting it associated with a certain sound. When the animal responds immediately to it, the signal could mean it is time to eat or to go to the owner when the pet is being called.

The owner should call out the name of the cat first then make the distinctive sound. Since this may take some time to practice, this should be done quite often and reinforced with some kind of reward to make the animal know what will happen when hearing it.

One good way of training a cat is with constant observation. This works well when training a cat to sharpen its claws on the scratching pad and not on the furniture. The owner should gently pick up the animal, bring it to the scratching post then hold the pet by the paws and start the action.

Since not all cats are toilet trained, one will have to watch over the cat. When it is time for the cat to go, the person should carry the cat to the litter box for the “deed” to be done there.

Should the cat dump its waste before reaching the litter box or when the owner suddenly finds some in the house, this should be picked up and placed in the box. Afterwards, the cat should be placed in that box to make it get used with the smell, which will help the cat learn where to go should it happen again. When this happens, the cat should be rewarded with a little treat.

Cats, regardless of breed, can be trained to do tricks. Though some do not perform the tricks in the presence of strangers or other people, it does not mean the creature has forgotten the trick. It just means it is not comfortable in the presence of other people.

For all of this to happen, it just takes some time and patience for the owner to train and reward the pet for its efforts. Training a cat is basically the same for all breeds.

Learn more on training a cat and cat health care

The phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” didn’t come up as someone’s idea of a joke just for cartoons (Tom and Jerry comes into mind). Dogs are often territorial and will fight not just new cats but other new dogs as well. They tend to mark their territory and will fight anyone who invades their space. Cats have the same tendencies and even if they are smaller than to dogs, they will scratch and fight for their territory.

Most pet lovers who have both a cat and dog have a hard time making their pets coexist with each other. The usual response to this is separating the two pets and making sure they won’t meet. This is not really a practical solution to this problem as both pets tend to wander around the house and there will come a time when they will meet. This will also cause a lot of wasted time if you have to allot twice the time for playing with your pets. Another response would be to cage both pets but this method is frowned upon by most pet lovers. The best thing to do is to train both cat and dog to coexist peacefully. In this article is a series of steps to finding harmony between cats and dogs.

Perhaps the hardest thing for pet lovers to do is the introduction. Introducing a new pet requires both time and patience as both cats and dogs requires time to adjust to something new. Both cats and dogs take up to 30 days to adjust. It is even longer if you have older pet, but with proper retraining you can teach your old dogs and cat’s new tricks.

The first step is obedience. This is necessary especially for the dog which is usually the aggressor in this kind of situation. You have to train your dog to obey when you say “no”. This can be done by showing him some treat and every time he looks at it you say “no” you stop him from eating it. Do this every day and reward him every time he obeys.

While doing this with your dog, make sure the cat and dog are isolated from each other, allowing your cat to wander around the house. Cats love to roam and this will make her scent scattered in your home. After doing this, lock your cat in one room and let your dog wander around the house sniffing for the cat’s scent. This will make your dog acquainted to your cats smell and train the dog that the cat is part of the household.

Once you’ve done this for about a week, it’s time for them to see each other physically. This part requires that you have someone to help you. Have someone who can hold your cat safely and that knows how to react quickly and get your cat to safety if the dog is showing aggressiveness. Your part is to be able to restrain your dog and making sure that if he starts lunging for your cat, you’ll be there to stop him.

Dogs usually start barking whenever they see some other animals in their territory, hoping to scare them away. They won’t really lunge at something immediately. Once he starts barking, this is where the obedience part starts to come in. Say “no” and make him realize that the cat is also a pet.

If your dog starts to calm down when in the presence of the cat, then it’s the time to let him sniff the cat. Once your dog starts to decide not to bark at your cat you know that you’ve done the introduction part successfully.

The final step is making sure that both pets have the time to coexist. This part is usually the cat’s fault. Cats have the tendency to be aloof and stay away from the dog and other people. It’s not because they are afraid of the dog but more because it’s their nature to be alone. Be sure that your dog sees your cat as often as possible. You can allot some time nightly where you can do some activities with both your cat and dog. This will allow them to play with each other and you’ll have the confidence that they won’t start fighting when they’re unsupervised.