After getting their first cat, many families encounter unexpected issues. If you don’t prepare for your cat in advance, you will be in trouble. Of course, it’s impossible to avoid each and every little bump in the road during pet ownership. All you can do is research as much as you can and hope for the best.

It’s crucial that your pet gets checkups from your vet regularly. Cats need vaccinations to keep them healthy, and your vet can keep an eye out for any other health issues. Try to keep the same vet during the life of your pet. This helps make sure your vet knows your cat’s history.

Female cats need to be spayed as soon as they reach the proper age. Even if she is an inside cat, you need to spay her because she could get out. Unless you want the hassle of getting rid of kittens, spaying is the best option for your cat.

Cats can tend to be more nocturnal than not. This means their behavior is quite active during the night. If your cats keep you up late at night, you should close the bedroom door. This will ensure they don’t pounce on you at nighttime, or wake you up in other ways.

Often, the best cat medicine deals are found online. Online prescriptions are not the best choice if you do not have the time to wait on a mail order, such as in a medical emergency. If you regularly need to buy pet medication, you can get a savings of up to 50 percent online.

Be careful if you leave a kitten with a young child. If the child is younger than 5, don’t leave them alone with a kitten. They’re not really mature enough to know how dangerous a kitten can be. As your children get older, you can decide when to teach them about handling a pet.

If your cat’s scratching post looks old and worn, don’t throw it away immediately. This is the time when your cats actually most prefer it. If you throw it away, you may find your cat scratching on other surfaces.

Buy your cat a fountain to drink from. Cats like their water to move. Normally, cats much prefer water that comes out in a stream. In fact, the running water in a sink garnishes more attention from a cat than their water bowl usually does. Fountains keep the water cool and clean.

You want your cat to be wearing a collar with ID tags on a full-time basis. This is crucial even if the cat lives inside. Cats can slip out a door in a flash. You should use a tag with your contact information and the address of your veterinarian. This is also important if your cat has special medical needs.

Expect it to take several weeks for your current cat to accept a new cat in the home. Do not expect an instant friendship. Instead, look for them to hide frequently, hiss and possibly even become physical with each other. After a bit of time, you’ll have two cats that will tolerate, and possibly enjoy, each other.

Litter Box

You need to carefully consider where you put the litter box for your cat. Your first instinct may be to hide it away out of sight and out of smelling range. However, your cat’s litter box needs to stay in an easily accessible place so that he can find it. Cats can be picky, so you should be sure that you put its litter box in a spot that isn’t difficult to access or unpleasant in some other way. If the box is placed on a cold floor, place a mat under it.

Take notice if and when your cat ever stops conducting their business in their litter box. Using the bathroom outside of the litter box is linked to a number of cat health issues. These conditions include kidney and bladder problems. Talk to the vet when your cat goes to the bathroom where they shouldn’t.

Make sure you provide adequate space to a cat that is about to give birth. Delivery can take between three and four hours. If your cat has still not given birth to all her kittens after six hours, get her to a vet right away.

If you’re dealing with a cat that won’t use the litter box, you should place it somewhere else. A cat will be more inclined to use the litter box if it is placed in a quiet and safe area in your home. Basement areas and laundry rooms make perfect areas, as they have little traffic.

Do not use cleaning supplies with phenol in them if you have a cat. Lysol and Pine-Sol are two examples of products that contain this chemical. The smell offends them and being exposed to it for several hours can cause liver problems.

If hairballs are a problem that brushing won’t solve, there are some other things you can try. Consider mixing a little pumpkin into your cat’s food. In addition, you could use one teaspoon of water for packing tuna and mix it with the pumpkin. Anti-hairball foods are available commercially as well.

Cats do best on a diet high in dry food. Kittens need wet food due to the size of their teeth. When they get older, their teeth benefit from harder dry foods. If you have an extremely finicky cat, you could mix dry and wet food together.

The tips given to you are great for all types of cats. You have learned basic information that makes raising a cat much easier. Remember though, everyone’s cat and circumstances are different requiring certain adjustments. Enjoy your new cat!