Cats are absolutely wonderful. They provide a lot of entertainment for you and your family. Understand that a cat requires a lot of care, but entertaining them doesn’t cost a lot. Use this advice and enjoy the days ahead with your cat.

You must always take your cat for regular vet check-ups. Cats require special shots to prevent illness and the vet can check their overall health. Make sure you keep the same veterinarian for your pet throughout its life. This is because this person will know your cat and the history of the animal.

Get your cat to a vet on a regular basis for the best health possible. They need a check-up one time a year, or more if they require certain shots. Cats should visit the vet right away if they are having any issues.

Consider having your cat fitted with a microchip. Even indoor cats may get out of your home at some point. Tags and collars may be able to help you get your cat back, but cats can sometimes take these things off or they could get hung up on a tree or something. A microchip about as big as a grain of rice and holds all the contact information your cat needs. The majority of veterinarians possess scanners that can read your chips. Because these chips are placed underneath your cat’s skin, they won’t get lost.

Cats can have nocturnal tendencies. This means their behavior is quite active during the night. If your cat is keeping you up at night, you should close the door to your bedroom. Your cat will not bother you in the middle of the night if this area is off limit.

You can often find better deals for cat medicine online rather than buying them from the veterinarian. Sometimes, you may need the medicine immediately though. It is possible to save up to 50% on certain medications by purchasing them online.

Make sure that you have a good tablecloth for your kitten. Certain cats prefer removing their food from their bowl and putting it on the side to eat it. That means you will have to tidy up the food left beside the cat bowl. You can get a pet mat or use a piece of old fabric to put under it for easy cleanup.

Take care if you leave a kitten with youngsters. Children under 5 years of age should not be alone with the pet. Younger children cannot fully understand how to properly handle a small pet. As kids age, you can then determine whether they are mature enough for small pets.

You should brush your cat on a regular basis. This can help spread their fur’s natural oils around and stimulate blood flow to their skin. It is also a good way to reduce shedding. This is a good way to avoid hairballs, which are a serious health problem since they can cause choking.

If your cats create messes near the litter box, don’t punish them. They’re doing it because the box is too dirty, or they may be sick. Punishing your cat will make it afraid of being close to you.

Reduce the chances of raising a finicky cat by feeding them several brands of food while they are young. If you start them off eating the same type of food all of the time and you never change it up, this will most likely be the only food they will eat in the future.

While a torn up scratching post might look unattractive, do not get rid of it. Cats prefer used scratching posts. If you replace it with something new, your pet might seek out something a little more worn to scratch – like your furniture.

Buy your cat a fountain it can drink from. Your cat will prefer drinking from running water since this is a natural behavior. Cats seem to like a water stream better. Really, there are many cats that would much prefer to drink from a running sink faucet as opposed to their own bowl. So a drinking fountain makes a smart investment that’s both environmentally friendly and loved by your feline.

With dogs, tail wagging is a sign they’re in a good mood, or glad their owners are around. Cats also exhibit this tail-wagging behavior, but the message is different. Tail-wagging is usually a sign that your cat is considering attacking or fleeing. If you are petting your cat and its tail begins to wag vigorously, stay away from the cat. It may be ready to attack you.

Chemicals containing phenol shouldn’t be anywhere near your cat. A lot of household cleaners have this in them, so you should read the labels before using them around your cat. Not only is the smell offensive to cats, but exposing them to this chemical for prolonged periods of time can lead to problems with their liver.

Dry food is a good choice for your cat. Small kittens do well on wet food, since their teeth are small. As kittens get their adult teeth, the hard food helps their keep teeth strong. If your cat happens to be a picky eater, mix up the dry food with wet food.

Don’t give table scraps to your cat. The ingredients and preservatives in our food, as well as our cooking methods, are not safe for cats. If you want to make a special treat for your cat, it will like a small amount of eggs, beef or chicken. Giving your cat the recommended amount of cat food provides a complete feline diet.

While reading this article, did you notice any areas for improvement in your own home? If so, it’s time to take action. These are activities and tips that are popular with cats, but you may need to experiment and find out what your cat really enjoys most. If you take good care of your pet and keep it active, it’ll live a happier, longer life.