Feeding Your Cat: What You Need To Know

A little furry ball of fluff came into your life, so what are you going to do with it? A cat is a wonderful companion for anyone, but youve got to know how to handle one. They arent dogs, after all! Here are some great tips for dealing with felines.

To keep your cat happy and healthy, its important to schedule regular visits to the vet. Not only are regular checkups good for catching problems early, but regular visits can insure that your cat keeps up to date on its vaccinations. If you dont know when the last time your cat had its shots, schedule an appointment for booster shots as soon as possible.

If you replace an old scratching post, your cat may be unhappy with the new one. Save money on scratching posts. Wrap your old scratching post with some sisal rope to spiff it up. Your cat will be happy not to lose its favorite old post. You will save a little cash.

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.

Never let your cat experience frequent boredom. They need exercise and they get it through play. Unfortunately, many owners do not realize this important part of ownership. Bored cats are more prone to depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as many other behavioral issues. Spend time playing with them, and go through a variety of toys to find ones they like and will play with while youre busy, too. If they stay indoors make sure they have a scratching post for climbing.

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.

Splurge on your cats food. Pay attention to the ingredient list on any food you feed them. Protein needs to be one of the very first items on the list, while fillers like corn and other grains should be avoided. Stay way from cat foods made of corn or any other ingredients that arent based in protein. Cats are carnivores, and they need a good amount of protein in their diet.

Now that youve read this article, you have some ideas for how you can best take care of your cat. These unique creatures can enrich your life, but only when theyre happy. Your cat may never seem satisfied, but if you use the tips in this article, he may purr a few times!