Easy To Follow Ideas About Taking Care Of Cats

Cats are great animals and intelligent pets. If you own a cat, its important that you know as much as possible about caring for your pet. Read here about some ways to achieve your goals as a good cat owner.

If you have outdoor cats, be sure to discourage pests such as coyotes, possums and raccoons by bringing cat food indoors at night. Feed your cats first thing in the morning, and make sure there is no food left at nightfall. This will keep your cats safe from attack and illness.

Play with your cat using proper cat toys. Cats love toys that help them feel like the predators that they think they are. Try sticking with toys that help them dance around or jump. This can also help them use extra energy by pouncing on toys instead of peoples feet.

Use petting to check on your cats health. Petting isnt just a way for you and your cat to spend time together, but its a great way to find anything abnormal on their body. You can pet them to feel for bumps, lumps, or sores. This is also a great time for you to check their ears.

Exercise

Cats love to play so make sure that you provide them with lots of toys. Cats enjoy batting around a fake mouse or little ball around the room. Some cats even develop a favorite toy. Playing with your cat is not only fun, it helps them to get exercise too.

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.

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.

There are a lot of cats that are overweight. An obese cat can end up developing health problems such as arthritis or diabetes. If your cat could stand to lose a pound or two, try cutting back their food a little bit at each feeding. You can also buy some toys and encourage your cat to play and exercise.

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. Your cat needs a lot of protein from meat, so read the labels before you choose a food. Steer clear of food made primarily of corn and fillers. Understand that your cat needs a lot of animal protein to stay healthy.

Cats are awesome pets, as previously described. If you want to make sure that your cat remains healthy, you need to learn all you can about caring for cats. Keep the tips youve read here in mind and enjoy your feline friend. Kitty will be thankful!