Cat care: Feline care tips in your apartment

How can you satisfy your need for the companionship that pet offers, while assuring that your pet is having a happy, fulfilled life? How do you keep your living space attractive, clean and human-friendly while also being an animal habitat? And if you have a cuddly little kitten as your pet, who loves to explore and often end up in places they shouldn’t be,  then some ‘kitty proofing’ measures will help to keep your kitten safe from harm as well. To welcome your little kitty home, follow these tips to prepare your house for your new arrival.

Firstly, clear whatever pet you intend to get with your landlord first. There’s nothing worse than getting a kitten or puppy only to find out that they aren’t allowed.

Preparing Your Home

Kittens need plenty of toys and activities to keep them from getting into trouble. Invest in plenty of balls, stuffed play animals, and other toys that will keep your kitten busy. A scratching post will help your kitten to learn appropriate places to sharpen claws. For the crème de la crème in kitten preparedness, purchase a cat condo pole. Your new kitten will love this ‘kitty jungle gym,’ and when your kitten grows into a cat the condo will still be there for scratching, climbing, and play times.

Additional items you will need for your new kitten include:

• Litter box
• Water dish
• Food dish
• Comb or brush
• Nail trimmeTry to decide first where you want the litter box, food, and water dishes to be. Keeping these items in a permanent spot will help your kitty to remember where they are. In addition, choose your kitten food that you want to use before the kitten comes home. Do your research, and pick the food that you think is best. Figuring out which food you want to feed first can reduce any unnecessary changes in diet that can cause stomach upset and diarrhea in the kitten.‘Kitty proofing’ your home will help to keep your kitten out of possibly dangerous areas. If you have any tiny holes around your home, plug these holes up; kittens are notorious for their curiosity, and if there are any small holes that lead to the inside walls, or anywhere else, the kitten could become trapped.

   Avoid using chemical based cleansers or any other chemicals for pest control. Your cat might swallow them. Also have a safer grill if you are staying on a top floored apartment. Do not place sharp objects or strings near your cat and keep your cat away from flammable objects.

Keep clean litter all the time – Some first-time cat owners discover to their dismay that Garfield leaves little “presents” for them – everywhere, if their litter is not kept clean. Soon, you will feel like you’re living in a kitty litter box. A corner of your own bathroom or a storage closet make good spots for a litter box, as does an area near the front door. Some people put litter boxes in the kitchen, but try to keep your cat’s waste away from food and clothes, as the airborne litter and fecal matter can be dangerous to ingest and can make fabrics smell. A covered litter box that serves as a bathroom vanity is a perfect way to maximize space and keep the litter confined to the bathroom and attractively out of sight.

Food and water bowls – Find a spot to keep your cat’s food and water bowls on a spill-resistant mat. The spot should be easily accessible but out of the way so you don’t keep kicking and spilling the food and water. The furthest corner of your kitchen is a prime spot. Avoid your cat from following bad eating habits and ensure that you follow a regular feeding timetable for the happiness of your pet. Most of us believe that cats should be fed with milk perhaps; most of the cats find it a little difficult to digest the lactose which is present in the milk. Ensure that your cat is fed with high protein rich diet with vitamin A.  Avoid feeding your pet people food; stick to kibble or canned pet food. Feeding your pet people food encourages begging and bad behavior. Feed your pet a good quality kibble on a set schedule. Cats don’t always drink water and may need canned food to help prevent dehydration.

 Bed – Even if you intend to let your cat sleep on your bed, you should provide a cat bed in your apartment. Find a quiet corner of your apartment away from TVs and stereos, such the corner of your bedroom.

Scratching post – Unless your cat is declawed, you need to provide your cat with an outlet for her natural instinct to sharpen her claws (otherwise she might damage your apartment and furnishings). Put a scratching post or toy somewhere easily accessible, like the corner of the living room. If it’s tall enough to reach a window, even better, as this will provide your cat with a seat to look outside and this can entertain a cat for hours.

Vacuum often – Cats continually shed hair, and they also lick themselves (it’s that cleaning thing) often. The protein in their saliva binds to the skin dander or hair bits, dries, and then gets airborne with every little whiff of air that passes over it.

Keep your pet healthier and happier with some safe access to playing outside, whether it’s a small patio or a dog park. And you going along with them makes it so much more fun for both of you!

Avoid getting annoyed at your pet and instead teach your cat on how to behave well when it disobeys. You can also encourage your cat by giving freebies like an extra piece of meat or extra attention to cuddle. Instruct your cat about the general commands like movements and seating places. Also it is very important that you teach your cat about the litter training. Although this process takes quite some time, you will be relieved once you know that your cat is well trained while littering. You can also train your cat for regular training. If your cat is too playful you can buy your cat a few toys which will be safer for her to play with.

Make regular visits to the vet and keep up immunizations. Keeping your pet healthy also insures that any messes they make are just mischief or lack of training and not illness.

Confused on how to choose a cat according to its personality? Here’s a link that can help you;
http://www.ehow.com/how_2102615_choose-cat-personality.html

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