What You Need To Know If You Have A Cat

Your cat may not be a picky eater, but thats no excuse for feeding it processed can foods during each meal. Focus on setting up a customized diet with your veterinarian that works well with your cats individual physical needs. This guide was written to help organize this diet along with other health-conscious activities that you should be apart of.

Set up a nice, warm and comfortable area for your cat to rest in your home. It should be lined with a warm towel or blanket. Make sure to wash the bedding regularly since it can acquire dust, dander, and anything from outside if your cat is an outdoor cat.

Be careful when treating your cat for fleas. Be sure to consult with your vet before using natural alternatives to control your cats fleas. Cats are very sensitive to essential oils and many herbs. Your vet will probably recommend you use a prescription flea treatment, which is usually best for cats.

For a healthier, happier cat choose plain litter over scented litter. Cats like nice, clean, clumping cat litter. Scoop your cats litter box daily and change it completely every three days or so. When you change the box, wash it out with water and dish soap. Dont waste your money on liners as cats tend to destroy them.

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.

Dont allow your cat to get bored too often. Cats need play and exercise. Sadly, many cat owners do not understand the importance of this. A bored cat may fall victim to depression, compulsive disorders or issued that can be harmful to their health. Give them lots of space for exercise and plenty of toys they can play with. Provide them with an indoor climbing area or scratching post.

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.

Feed your cat high-quality cat food. You should check the ingredients and make sure the food you give your cat includes a healthy source of protein, such as chicken, fish or beef. Try avoiding foods that have non-protein elements like corn. Cats are carnivores so it is important for them to get enough animal protein in their diet.

Cats have their own body-types much like humans and they face their own problems while whipping that body into shape. Make a point to take your cat outside every day and practice a few of these activities to help burn the fat away. Once your cat is lean and healthy, you can turn your focus towards keeping it at that stage.