Cat care articles.
Factors to consider include purebred or mixed breed, male or female, quiet or talkative, affectionate vs independent, kitten or adult. All of these are important to decide ahead of time. Some cats are quite happy to be alone and snooze while their human family is at work, other cats need more companionship and interaction and do not do well if left for extended periods. In which case, two cats are recommended so they are not alone for hours.
A tattoo in the ear is a way to identify if a cat has been desexed, not all desexed cats have a tattoo but there are other ways to identify a desexed cat. Do all veterinarians and rescue centres tattoo cat ears? Not all cats who have been desexed will have a tattoo, only one … Read more
Bottle feeding is necessary for kittens under five weeks who are orphaned, have been rejected by their mother, the mother has a medical condition that makes her unable to nurse, or if the litter is large. It is both rewarding and challenging to bottle feed a kitten and requires knowledge to do it safely.
Deciding to hand-raise a kitten takes time and commitment. Neonates will need to be fed, cleaned and helped to go to the toilet every 2-3 hours, around the clock until the kitten is old enough to start solid food.
The Internet is awash with alternative treatments for fleas, most of which are ineffective. One common remedy is Dawn detergent to kill fleas on kittens who are too young for traditional flea treatments.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has popularity as a natural alternative for several health-related issues, and it does have some proven health benefits, it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, reduces blood sugar levels and boosts weight loss. But is it an effective treatment for cat fleas?
Ants are a common and prevalent pest in the home, especially in the warmer months. The cat’s food bowl can be a popular target to ants because, in most houses, pet bowls contain food or traces of food which can sit around for hours.
Cats can’t tell us when they don’t like something, but they can, and they will show us. Litter trays are a constant source of stress for both cats and their humans. We look at common signs a cat is unhappy with the litter tray and what you can do to remedy the situation.
Related: Five steps to litter tray success
Play therapy is a way pet owners can interact with their cats and has several positive benefits to both cat and owner. Most pet behaviourists recommend play therapy as a way to combat common cat issues. This kind of interactive play involves you interacting in a game of hunt with the use of a wand toy (fishing pole-type toy), and the cat as the hunter.
Cats are predators and interactive play taps into this natural behaviour which in the wild consists of:
hunt > catch > kill > eat > groom > sleep
As a cat moves into his or her senior needs, it will slow down and in many cases, stiffen up due to the onset of arthritis. Arthritis is a painful condition in which the shock-absorbing cartilage which cushions the joints wears down and is eventually lost. Hearing and eyesight can also decline, all of which means small changes we can make around the home can make a big difference to a senior cat.
At a glance
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One of the many reasons cats are so popular is their cleanliness. When their needs are met, the overwhelming majority of them will use a litter tray and not your new rug. The key to success is creating an environment where the litter tray is the preferred option.