A cat can be a pet an also a friend. If you want the feline to be with you for the long term, it pays to know proper cat care.

Things you need to know about cat care:

Before getting one from the pet store or animal shelter, be sure to have a bed, dish bowl and litter box ready.

By giving them their own space, they will be able to adapt to the new environment that you have made for them.

Since the cat will explore around the house and might even go out, it is advisable to put a collar around its neck which has your name, contact number and address so in case it wanders off, one of your neighbors will be able to return it.

Another option you have in proper cat care is to insert a microchip under their skin. Putting this device into the feline is very similar to giving it a vaccination. Aside from using it merely to identify the cat if it gets lost, it also has another purpose, which is a flea deterrent because it has a chemical that helps keep these parasites away.

Cats are cute creatures that can take care of themselves. But if you were to have one as a pet, you should know certain things about how to take care of your cat. It is different when you got this as a kitten to a full grown cat.

Knowing certain things about how to take care of your cat:

If you got this as a kitten, it will easily be able to adapt itself to the environment because it will allow itself to be ruled by other pets. This means there will be fewer incidents of fighting among themselves.

Lucky for you, kittens that often sold to owners are already litter trained. The only thing you have to do now is teach it where to go when nature calls.

Your kitten will follow you wherever you go and at times jump or climb up to the kitchen counter or table. This isn’t good if you have food there so discourage this habit by having a bottle full of water around so you can squirt it into their face.

It will also be a good idea to install a scratching post since this is their way of sharpening their nails. If they do this elsewhere, spray them again in the face.

You do not have to wait for the month of February to remember about cat teeth care. Cat teeth care is a part of your responsibility as a pet owner to be mindful about cleaning your pet’s oral hygiene.

Why February, you may ask. The American Veterinary Medicine Association or the AVMA and the American Veterinary Dental Society or the AVDS join forces each February to give this month a different meaning. Yes, it is still about love. But now it is love for pets and their teeth.

These two groups tagged what used to be the love month as the pet dental health month. They both aim and do steps in educating pet owners like you about cat teeth care for your pets every day.

But these groups know how important the cat teeth care is for the pets and their owners. They actually would want all those who are caring for any pets to consider each month as the dental health month for pets.

Did You Know?

Did you know that about 85 percent of the old pets have dental diseases? Did you know that this is one of the most common causes of health related problems with cats? And did you know that if you didn’t pay any attention to those periodontal diseases, more problems may surface?

Cats are playful animals. If you are planning to get one, you should know the basics about house cat care.

Most important things about house cat care:

The following are some of the most important things you should know about house care.

The moment the cat is brought into the house, you should give it his or her own room for the time being with food, water and a bed. If it has not yet been toilet trained, then you should start teaching it so there are no stains in the carpet.

In house cat care, teaching the cat how to use the litter box can initially be done by carrying it to the box when nature calls. When you see the cat is able to do it, praise and reward your pet so, they know that this is the right to do.

The exact dimension of the litter box depends on the size of the cat. This must be cleaned naturally using soap and water not disinfectant.

If ever they do something wrong like climb up on the table or scratch the furniture, you must never scold them as they are very sensitive animals, which is an essential thing about house cat care. You can enforce discipline without causing any harm by squirting water on their face.

It may be hard for a pet owner to notice a pet cat getting older. Outside, pet cats may show the same things- playing with toys around the home, taking naps sprawled on a favorite spot inside the home, snuggle up with you on the sofa.

But inside, it might be a whole different thing. And cat health care as they get old may change a little bit.

Here are some things that a concerned pet owner should know about pet cat health care:

When a pet cat approaches somewhere between the ages of eight or twelve years, this is the equivalent of a human being approaching middle age. This will be the time that your pet cat may need a bit of extra cat health care.

Most veterinarians generally estimate that pet cats start their geriatric years when they reach twelve years. This will be the time that cat health care for your pet cat would have to change to accommodate the needs that aging brings.

A major part of cat health care for older pet cats involves feeding them. As pet cats get older, their digestive systems do not function as efficiently as before. Aging pet cats may need to eat smaller and easily digestible meals in a day rather than just two square meals.

Some animals have been abandoned by their owners. They end up in animal shelters hoping that someone will come along and given them a good home. If you are thinking of owning a feline, you better learn a thing or two about foster cat care.

What are the things you need to learn about foster cat care?

When you bring home the cat from the foster home, this should first be left inside the cat carrier until they are already ready to be isolated in a small room.

This will give them time to adjust to their new environment and one of the most ideal places in the house is the bathroom that must have a cat bed, litter pan, water and food.

If there are children in the house, they must be slowly introduced to the feline one at a time with adult supervision. They must be taught to treat it gently and speak to it softly but if you have infants or toddlers, you should wait till they grow older.

In case there is already a cat in the house and the one you adopted will add to the number of pets, you must plan a 2 week introductory period between them.

Cats just like humans are prone to sicknesses. In fact, cats succumb to two cat viral infections that will be discussed shortly. The good news is that you can cure these viral infections.

Two common cat viral infections:

These two common viral infections are Feline Herpes 1 virus known as rhinotracheitis virus and infection with the organisms called Chlamydia psittaci and mycoplasma.

When a cat is infected, they will experience a fever, have weepy eyes, a crusty nose and sneeze a lot. This can go away with or without treatment but this can come back.

When this happens, the condition is called Feline Keratoconjunctivitis the virus settles in the nerves around their face. Corneal scars can be seen to a little over a centimeter in diameter. This makes it hard for the cat to see and it usually happens due to stresses associated with boarding, weather change, a new pet in the house or as mentioned earlier other diseases.

Things are going to get worse as the outer coating of the cornea will be lost to the invading virus. Secondary bacterial and mycoplasmal infection of these areas may cause deep ulcers around the eye and in some cases damage the surrounding areas as well.

Cat dandruff is common among diabetic cats. A study shows that happens in 1 in 200 cats have what is known as diabetes mellitus (DM) and if you want your pet to get better, here are some things you can do to control cat dandruff.

Here are some things you can do in controlling cat dandruff:

The cause of cat dandruff is associated with poor nutrition. So, instead of buying one of those generic brands of cat food, maybe you should change it and go for one of those that are of good quality even if it may cost a little more.

You can also give food supplements that contain fish oil, which have proven to correct the cat dandruff problem. This may also come from canned tuna since it is rich in Omega 43 fatty acids that will improve their hair in about a week and helps to control cat dandruff.

Symptoms that will tell you if your cat has a skin care problem like cat dandruff:

The symptoms that will tell you if your cat has a skin care problem like cat dandruff includes an increase in their appetite, excessive thirst or urination, dehydration, depression, muscle wasting, lethargy, weight loss and an umkempt hair coat that is a direct result of poor grooming. It gets worse when the cat displays weak rear legs.

Dental care for cats is important to make sure that your pet enjoys a clean bill of health among other things. Proper dental care for cats is needed because it can lead them to a lot of other problems concerning their general health.

For instance, if your cats have periodontal problems, it might not eat well and experience poor health due to lack of the proper nutrients in the body. That’s why dental care for cats is important.

Most cats may suffer from a wide range of dental conditions if they are not properly cared for. That is why it is the responsibility of the pet owner to make sure that his or her pet cat follows a regimen of good dental care hygiene. Dental care for cats serves both of you well in the long run.

One problem that cats experience with their teeth:

One of the problems that cats experience with their teeth is plaque. Just like humans, cats also have tartar buildup in their own teeth called plaque. This is due to many types of food that cats eat with some of the substances accumulating in their teeth that may further lead to the tartar buildup.

When we experience pain in our bodies, we can easily tell someone that there is something wrong and that person will be able to bring you to the hospital.

Pets cannot do that but watching them can tell you a lot of things which is why owners should practice cat care and be aware of the symptoms.

Here are a few diseases you should watch out for and their symptoms:

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most feared cat disease and in fact is the leading cause of death among cats. This cat disease is caused by a coronavirus infection and the worse part is that the symptoms are very common with other ailments so it is really hard to tell.

There is also Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) that is similar to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Just like the human version, it is a life long infection that progresses slowly and kills the cat.

Cats can also infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). It is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non-cancerous cat diseases. Fortunately, this cat disease can be treated using some household detergents and bleach as well as warmth and drying.