Learn More About Cats With These Simple Tips

Only other cat owners know how strange and wonderful it can be to have a pet like a cat. Cats can present unique challenges and unique rewards. As their owner, you have special responsibilities to your cat, even though they seem as if they can get along without you. Here are some ideas for taking care of them.

Protecting your cat from household chemicals is something that you may already know, but did you know that protecting them from medications is just as important? Common over the counter medicines such as ibuprofen can be toxic to your cat, even in small doses. Keep your medication safely out of the reach of your cat.

Feeding your male cat the proper food can help prevent crystals from forming in his urine. Passing crystals is very painful for your cat, and the vets bill will be painful for you. Choose a low magnesium food. Take a look at the foods label. Foods that contain fish usually have more magnesium.

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 let your cat get frequently bored. Cats require plenty of exercise. Sometimes, cat owners dont realize this. Bored cats tend to develop emotional and mental disorders that may negatively impact their health. Provide your cats with the toys and space it needs. A scratching post is a valuable toy to put in your home.

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.

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 top quality food. Check out the ingredients, and make sure meat tops the list. If the food uses fillers like corn and other things that are not protein, thats not a sign of the good nutrition a cat needs. This type of food should be avoided. Cats are carnivores and need animal protein to stay healthy.

Taking care of cats can be an interesting pasttime. The ideas in this article can help make things easier for you. It is not always easy being a cat owner, but if you are like most cat owners you wouldnt have it any other way. Try the information in this article and see how well you do with your cat.