There is a common misconception that cats can "take care of themselves." Consequently, they are taken to the veterinarian far less frequently than dogs, statistically about half as often. Like all companion animals, though, cats require ongoing veterinary care to live happy, healthy lives.

The well-fed house cat is an unmotivated and clumsy hunter. However, your cat still has the skills and instincts of a born predator. This shows up as play – stalking, pouncing, chasing anything that moves, and ambushing you or other companion animals are all feline ways of having a good time.

The well-fed house cat is an unmotivated and clumsy hunter. However, your cat still has the skills and instincts of a born predator. This shows up as play – stalking, pouncing, chasing anything that moves, and ambushing you or other companion animals are all feline ways of having a good time.

Litter box issues are a common problem, and they are the number one reason why guardians relinquish their cats to shelters. Although litter box issues can be very frustrating, they usually can be solved if you are patient and willing to explore the problem and the various possible solutions.

Your cat hears, sees, smells, tastes, and feels the world differently than you do (and processes it all through a very different brain), so it should be no surprise that there are often miscommunications between humans and cats! To understand and to ultimately change your cat's behavior, it is essential that you understand how your cat interprets the world.

Overstimulation is the swatting or biting behavior that cats exhibit in response to too much petting. Oftentimes, cats who are easily overstimulated are friendly cats who will seek attention from people, but then strike out after a short period of petting. The cause of overstimulation is not known, but there are ways to reduce the incidences of biting and swatting.

Many people believe that cats are too independent or apathetic to respond to people's attempts to modify their behavior. But the failures people have experienced when attempting to alter their cat's behavior are not the fault of the cat. Rather, they are misunderstandings between humans and felines.

In order to integrate your new cat into your home you need to be committed to helping your cat get comfortable with both you and it's new environment. Cats in general will eventually get accustomed to their physical environment and those who live with them, however, a shy cat will usually hide when first introduced to a new environment.

Once your adopted cat has acclimated to her new home (see the Bringing Home a New Cat article), she's ready to meet the resident dog. As with any introduction (house, people, resident cat), the meeting process should be done slowly, calmly, and with lots of positive reinforcement.

As described in Adopting the Right Cat for You, set up a room as a home base for your new cat—this will allow for a gradual introduction to the family. For the first 72 hours, do nothing. It is important to allow your new cat to become accustomed to her surroundings. Your new cat is not only acclimating to home base, she also is using her fine-tuned senses to discover what is beyond the closed door of her home base, including resident cats.