Cat

Keeping your cat healthy helps to keep you and your family healthy. We highlight what you should consider before getting a new cat, how to provide a comfortable home for your new cat, and how to maintain your cats health long term.

Cats have an innate need to scratch. They scratch because they need to clear off the old sheath to expose the new sharper claw that is underneath. They scratch as a way of stretching and toning their muscles. Cats get declawed because we humans have failed to teach them to use the scratching post.

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.

Here are some guidelines for selecting a veterinarian for your pet. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but we hope it will help you to pinpoint the right person for you and for your animal. Our pets give us so much that the least we can do for them is to find the best doctor around.

Teaching newborn kitten to use a litter box is fairly straight forward. They have an instinctual knowledge that bowel and bladder elimination must be deposited in a hole dug in the earth and then covered up. If you have just adopted an adult cat and want to train her to use the litter box, patiently start from the beginning.

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.

Pet and livestock owners should take extra precautions when the weather turns cold to ensure their animals are safe. During cold weather, be sure to provide animals with access to water (unfrozen), adequate food, and adequate shelter.

Lili Chin's cat behavior infographics have become a popular tool for cat training professionals, veterinarians, behaviorists, and welfare groups who advocate for humane animal training methods. Since 2008, she has been providing custom illustration and a catalog of art products for sale.

A cat can live for twenty years or more but the average is probably closer to fifteen years. Signs of advancing years are decreased activity, gray hair, hearing loss, decaying teeth, lethargic movements, clouded eyes, bad breath, a craving for warmth, inactivity, and a demand for more attention.

If you've noticed a sudden change in your cat's behavior that includes changes toward your other cat(s), it's important to make an appointment with your vet. Any change in an animal's behavior could indicate a medical problem that only a veterinarian can diagnose and treat.