Caring for your Cat with Whatupay.co.uk
Caring for your Cat. Tips and advice from Whatupay.co.uk
Caring for your cat means keeping your cat healthy. A healthy animal makes for a happy pet. If you are a cat owner and you want to make your pet happy, you need to make sure that your cat is groomed properly, fed on time and is given enough love and attention. Why not take a look in our Auction Store for grooming equipment?
Caring for your cat here are some tips on how you can have a healthy and happy cat.
1. Take care of your cat's health.
As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your cat is healthy and free from diseases that may even be transmitted to humans.
Visit the veterinarian if you notice that your cat has become lethargic or less active than usual.
If you see them 'shedding' excessively or has something unusual on their coat, immediately consult a professional. Your cat might have a skin disease, or this could be a symptom of a sickness that you do not know about.
2. Groom your cat properly.
Cats are basically very tidy creatures. They are in the habit of grooming themselves by licking every part of their body clean with their tongue. This habit of tongue-bathing has several benefits to your pet cat:
Although your feline friends groom on their own, you should still do your part in keeping your cat clean and well-groomed. Here are several ways to keep your cat well-groomed:
a. Brushing
Depending on the breed, your cat can either have long or short hair. Make sure that you brush your cat’s coat well enough to promote proper grooming. For cats with short hair, use a brush with soft bristles so that the skin will not be scratched or hurt in the grooming process.
Use soft, gentle strokes while brushing. This should make them purr in pleasure and you will have an easier job of grooming your pet cat. After brushing the coat with a comb, you can finish the job by wiping the fur with a dry, soft and clean piece of cloth. This should maintain the shine on your cat’s coat. As compared to cats with shorter hair, long-haired cats would require more brushing time.
For this, use a comb with wide-teeth that is specially designed for cats. This should initially remove the knots and tangles on their fur. Afterwards, you can use a fine-toothed comb to work the smaller knots on the fur and eliminate the more stubborn knots. Do not forget to brush the hair around the face with a smaller comb or a toothbrush. Avoid the eye and whisker area when brushing.
Brushing your cats’ fur on a regular basis will help keep their coat shiny and healthy, and will also give the owner and the pet some bonding time together.
b. Bathing
Cats do not often require bathing because they basically take good care of themselves when it comes to grooming. However, there are some cases wherein you need to give them a bath no matter how you – and your pet – dread the chore. You need to bathe your cat if the coat has excessive dirt. Sometimes, a substance that can possibly poison them sticks on the fur and it is vital to give them a bath in this case. Another instance where you need to bathe your cat is in case of fleas, ticks and lice clinging to their skin.
When bathing your pet, use a shampoo that is specially made for cats. Prepare the following before bathing:
Adjust the water temperature, and then place your cat in the small tub or sink before filling it up with water. It is better to attach a sprayer in the faucet rather than pouring water directly onto its body. Apply a liberal amount of shampoo on the cat's body, and try to avoid the face, especially the eyes and ears.
After rinsing, towel them dry and comb the coat. Bathing time should build trust and create some quality time between you and your pet cat. This should prevent your cat from making much of a fuss the next time it needs a bath.
c. Cleaning the eyes and ears.
For the eyes and ears which are the most sensitive areas in your cat’s body, there are solutions that you may use. Choose one which is specifically designed to prevent cats with light-colored eyes to develop stains. For the ears, cats collect a considerable amount or wax so you have to take care of it when grooming. Removing this would maintain your cat’s health and help prevent infections. There are also cat wipes that you can use for the ears, eyes and teeth.
d. Keeping the paws clean.
Cats are in the habit of scratching surfaces so it is better to keep them away from the furniture items in the house. It would also help if you keep those paws clean and trim their nails. You can go to a pet store and buy a nail trimmer specially designed for cats. Ask your veterinarian for the proper way to trim your cats nails so as not to hurt them in the process.
If you find that your cat exhibits a not-so-healthy clawing habit, you may go for the option of de-clawing your cat. This is a surgical procedure where the nails are permanently removed so that it will not grow back. See the chapter on de-clawing. However, you should still ask your vets advice if you want to go for de-clawing because with this, cats will lose a natural defense mechanism.
A better and kinder option is to regularly trim the cat’s nails, have them use a wooden post for scratching, or crate-training to prevent them from clawing at your most-treasured possessions. Take a look in our Auction Store for cat accessories.
3. Feed them on time.
Another aspect of keeping your cat happy and healthy is by feeding them well and on time. Your feline friends can learn how to "stick" to a schedule with your guidance and training.
Make time in your busy day to feed them. You can learn which variety of cat food they prefer by serving different brands and variants. Along with cat food, you should give them plenty of clean water to drink. If you have a lot of pet cats, give them individual feeding plates. If there is just one dish, other cats might not be fed well because dominant felines will take the most part of the food that you serve.
4. Shower them with love and attention.
By giving your cats your undivided attention while grooming and feeding them, you are already showering them with love and attention. In addition to this, make their play time a lot more fun by appreciating the things that they do.
By following these tips, you are sure to have a healthy cat and be a contented owner.