Cat scratching is a natural behavior for cats, no matter how it might impact the fabric on your $5,000 new sofa.  You cat isn’t scratching to defy you – but he is sending you a message. That message is, “give me something to scratch!”

When his urge to scratch hits, he isn’t too picky about what to scratch. In the wild, everything is fair game. Your cat isn’t trying to damage your belongings. He’s trying to sharpen his claws.

In the wild, a cat might use a tree trunk or fence post for scratching. But since your living room probably lacks those things, the next best thing is something wooden, like the legs on your expensive new coffee table.

Declawing your cat isn’t the only way to protect your furniture.  Instead of going to this extreme, set up a few standing scratch posts around your house for your cat to scratch. He’ll be happy to have his own cat scratching place – which is better suited to his needs anyway.

Scratching means more to your cat than just a way to tend his claws. Declawing your cat won’t stop the other natural reasons for scratching, like being playful. A scratching post is also a great stress reliever for your cat.

Some cats use the post as a pretend playmate. They also have a need to conquer perceived foes. Your cat may take on the scratching post, gripping it with his claws and wrestling it into submission.

Make sure the post is anchored solidly. If the post is too easy to tip over, your cat may ignore it in favor of that nice, stable dining room table leg. If your cat plays with the scratching post when you’re home, but returns to the chair when you’re not around, you may have to resort to a trick.

Knowing that your cat has very keen sense of smell, hang bold fragrance room deodorizer or commercial cat repellant near the chair. Your cat will not enjoy scratching in that location anymore.

Place the approved cat scratching post in a location where the smell factor is neutral and where there’s some privacy so your cat can sneak up on the post as a pretend prey. When the scratching post looks worn out, don’t be so quick to toss it.

Instead, put the new post beside the old post until your cat starts to use it. After you see some wear on the new post, then you can throw away the old one.

They look like handfuls of cuddly, adorable helplessness. But be warned. Those irresistible, seemingly innocent eyes are hiding some diabolical secrets.

1. Kittens are stubborn.

Their bodies are all cuddly and fragile, but mentally and emotionally, they are made of steel. Nudging a kitten that does not want to move is an exercise in futility. However, contrary to popular belief, kittens should not be lifted by the scruff of their neck. Lifting a kitten in this way can cause serious injury. To move a stubborn kitten away, blow a quick, short puff of air in its face. To move a kitten toward a particular spot, toss some kitten treats or a crumpled piece of paper to the desired spot.

2. Kittens are destructive.

When you are preparing to bring a kitten into your home, make a list of your three most treasured possessions. Then destroy them. It just saves time. A kitten will unerringly determine which objects mean the most to you and immediately set out to eliminate the competition. Clothing and curtains will be shredded. Lamps will be toppled. Don’t even think about keeping plants in the house. Alternatively, you can try some of the following counter-strategies:

• Provide a scratching post or board. Corrugated cardboard sprinkled with catnip works best. A carpeted post just whets a kitten’s appetite for more carpeting.
• Use museum putty to secure items on tabletops and shelves.
• Hang plants in baskets. Do not keep any plants that are poisonous to cats in the home. Ingesting even one dropped leaf can be fatal to a kitten. A list of poisonous plants and additional kitten care tips can be found on the ASPCA website: www.aspca.org.

3. Kittens can be trained.

It takes longer to train a kitten to do a trick than it takes to train a dog, but it can be done. Stock up on treats for kittens, patience and low expectations. Consider it a wild success when you train your kitten to come when called.

4. Kittens do not always instinctively use the litter box.

Fortunately, they figure it out pretty fast. Show your kitten the litter box. Encourage him to scratch. If the kitten has an accident, do not punish. Pick up (or wipe up) the accident with a paper towel and put the wet or soiled towel in the litter box. The scent will draw the kitten to the litter box the next time he needs to eliminate. Clean the location of the accident with an odor eliminating cleaner.

5. Kittens will steal your heart.

The good news is, they fill it with love and give it back to you.

It can be hard to resist the overwhelming cuteness of cats. Sure, sometimes they need an attitude adjustment, but when a cat chooses to bestow its love on you, you melt right through the floor. Cats nurture our spirits: they lift us up when we’re feeling low and give us something to look forward to when we come home every day. Cats make us laugh. Their simple minds are entertained by simple things: a cat will play for hours on end with a string or piece of fluff from the dryer as if it was a gift directly from cat toy heaven. Cats also relax us; there is something soothing about watching your cat drift all day from one nap spot to another without a care in the world. It is if he is saying, “Why worry? There are always more nap spots. If you don’t like the one where you are, get up and shuffle over to another.”

Indeed, there is much we can learn from our cats. They can be role models, and if we pay close enough attention to them, they will share the secrets of their seemingly indolent yet remarkably rewarding lives. Those cultures around the world who have adopted the daily siesta seem to already have caught on to how a more catlike existence can actually improve health and help you achieve your ambitions.

How We Can Repay Our Cats for Their Powerful Advice

We owe our cats a debt of gratitude for showing us how to live a happier, more relaxed life. How can we repay them? Cats ask for little, but one thing all cats love is a tasty treat. Cat snacks are one of the best ways we can give our cats a little something in return for all they’ve given us. Even better are natural cat treats, which are made with wholesome ingredients that will keep your cat as healthy as he is happy. These come in an array of appetizing flavors from quality retailers like the Goodlife Recipe. Options include

• Chicken and beef: a rich delight
• Salmon and shrimp: for a taste of the sea
• Catnip: felines’ favorite

Not all treat flavors are created equal: you will quickly find out which flavors your cat most enjoys and which ones he doesn’t care for. Make an effort to truly discover your cat’s favorites, and he will be happy. For a cat, nothing is worse than a bowlful of food or a handful of treats that is in an unappetizing flavor. Most cats simply won’t eat it! Treats for cats are affordable and easy to find. Many retailers offer them online, or your can visit your local pet food store and search their aisles for a snack your cat will truly love.

Bringing a new kitten home may be a very exciting time for you, but it can also be a very traumatic time for the new arrival. Taking a few preparatory steps beforehand and following a slow-and-easy approach after arrival will help smooth transition and ruffled furs for everyone involved.

Pre-Arrival Checklist

Before you bring your new kitten home, make sure you have supplies and toys available. If possible, use the same cat litter the little one has been using. If desired, you can gradually change to a preferred brand, but allow the kitten that familiarity.

Feed the cat the same food for about a week as well. After that, if you prefer a different brand, slowly integrate the new food, displacing the old, until after a week or so, when the kitten will be fully acclimated to the new food.

Have a kitty-safe area reserved. A spare room with food, water, a few small toys, a scratching post, and a litter box that is separate or separated from the rest of the house usually suffices. A roomy pet transporter with a favored blanket or towel may suffice for a few hours at a time; just allow the kitten time out of the carrier for exercise and exploration and for feeding and relieving itself.

Kitten-proof the home. Cats are naturally curious, and most are extremely precocious. Lie on the floor in each room and look around from a cat’s point of view. Note cords, plants, knickknacks, pictures, draperies, and furniture that might intrigue a playful and energetic kitten.

What you’re not willing to risk against damage or accidental destruction, move, remove, or cover. Providing the kitten with a safe climbing and scratching structure can help stem a little of its exuberance, but with a cat, there’s no guaranteeing the kitten will comply with a ‘No Zone’ command any time soon.

Prepare your family members for the new kitten’s arrival. Explain to children that while the kitten is cute and cuddly, visiting hours may be limited and only in the kitten’s safe zone for a few days. Explain to them that this is an adjustment period for the animal and not a punishment for the kids.

Other Animals

Helping a new kitten adjust in a new home is especially important to older cats who have ‘seniority’ in the household, lots of individual but separate attention goes a long way in reassuring the older animal.

Use the adjustment time to familiarize each animal with the other’s smell. For each cat or dog, rub a towel on an animal and place it near the sleeping area of the other. Scent is the greatest recognition factor to an animal, and allowing each to become familiar with the other’s scent prior to any real contact may not completely eliminate adjustment difficulties, but it most certainly can help minimize them.

After a day or two, still don’t allow unlimited mutual access but allow controlled contact. Leave a door open slightly, ensuring it cannot swing open enough for either animal to get through. There may be a bit of territorial behavior, but that’s natural. Always reassure each animal separately and together that neither has lost importance in the household.

After a week or so, the kitten should be able to fully integrate itself into the everyday workings of the household. Keep the safe zone available for naps and quiet time, though, just for reassurance. Fully welcome the kitten into the household and enjoy a lifetime of love.

Choosing the best cat safety collars for your cat does not have to be difficult. If you think about safety it will be easy to choose a safety cat collar.  The small investment will reap large benefits by keeping your pet safe and giving you peace of mind. Plus, with all of the things going on in your life a collar that is safe for your cat will give you one less thing to worry about.  A safe cat collar is one that is either elastic or has a breakaway clasp, or both. A collar with the breakaway clasp is ideal because it will allow your curious kitty to romp and play at its leisure without getting the collar caught or snagged on something risking the chance for choking. Choking is the major concern when picking a collar for your cat.  If you don’t choose a safety collar you have to constantly check to make sure the collar is fitting correctly around your cats neck.

If your pet goes outside, then this type of collar is a must have.  You will not have to worry about your pet as it runs around chasing birds or squirrels up and down trees and through fences.

It’s best to introduce the safety collar for cats to your cat at an early age.  This is also true with any type of cat collar. There will be less resistance from your cat if you introduce a collar while they are about 6-8 weeks old. Otherwise, your cat will have to get accustomed to wearing the collar. Bear in mind this could provide some minor stress for you and your kitty. Have you ever seen a cat trying to get a collar off of its neck?  This is another good reason for you to purchase a safety collar for your cat.  The collar will snap loose before your cat gets too involved in trying to claw the thing from around its neck and cause harm to him or herself.

Most safe cat collars are not aesthetically pleasing.  But, with a little searching you will be able to find one that is purrfect for you and your cat’s personality.

Trying to remove cat urine odor is a very difficult proposition and one of the worst things for your carpet. You may have to call a carpet cleaner if the cat urine in the carpet is quite extensive. Small cat urine problems may be handled by the resident if properly treated. The following steps should help to ensure the cat urine problem is handled in the correct manner.

The subfloor is often affected when cat urine is present in the carpet. When cat urine dries it will form crystals that are almost impossible to remove through the backing of the carpet. There are a variety of products on the market that are specifically designed to deal with pet urine. Normal household cleaners and even standard carpet cleaners will not be able to clean urine out of carpet. Do not be fooled by products that claim to remove cat urine odors from carpet. Many of these products use very heavy fragrances to simply cover the odors for a short period of time.

The urine in your carpet will continue to off-gas odor as they slowly decompose over time. In addition, the crystals are providing a breeding ground for bacteria which will produce waste and make the odor even worse.

It may be an inconvenience, however, the products used to eliminate cat urine usually require at least two days to do their job. The enzymes cannot be rushed and need adequate time to ingest all of the urine crystals to completely remove the odors. The worst thing you can do is to apply the product for a short time and then put a fan on the area to speed up the drying process. The easiest way to ensure the product will have time to work is to cover the treated spots with plastic for a couple of days while the product works.

Do not be embarrassed to have company over because of serious odors in your home. By applying cat urine odor removal by the proper method you can be confident in your success rate.

Probably the most widely used of the cat litter boxes systems is still the old standby of the litter pan that is simply filled with cat litter.  These pans can be stand alone litter boxes, or can sometimes be used with various cabinets or other furniture designed to hide the box from view and provide the cat with privacy.  It is important, when purchasing a litter pan, to get one that is appropriate to the size of your cat and the number of cats you have.  A litter pan that is too small for a large cat, or does not give adequate space for a multiple cat household will need to be changed very frequently.  There will also be a better chance of scattered litter if the pan is too small.

While there are quite a few kinds of litters available for use in a standard litter pan, all of them will have to be changed at some point.  Regardless of how often you clean out wastes, the box will eventually have to have the litter contents removed and disposed of.  The job of changing the cat box can be made much easier and less dirty by using litter box liners.  The liners are made of a very heavy plastic that will resist your cat’s scratching, keeping litter where it belongs and keeping the litter pan free from damage.

Litter box liners make the task of removing soiled litter much easier and safer than the old method of dumping it out.  By just being able to lift the liner out with the litter contained, there is no dust and little chance of spreading infectious disease agents like salmonella or toxoplasmosis.  The litter liner, which often has a drawstring to further contain the litter, can then just be placed in the garbage.  Some of the liners are designed for specific models of cat litter boxes, but there are also liners that can be used with almost any cat litter pan.

Sifting cat litter pan liners are also available, and these can extend the life of the litter in the pan, allowing for more infrequent changes while still keeping the pan clean.  These sifting liners are placed above the regular liner and are used to lift waste from the pan for disposal.  You will be able to decide how many of the sifting liners you want above the liner that will be used to remove the litter.  These liners can significantly extend the life of the litter in your box, while still keeping the box clean.

Choosing The Best Cat Litter

Part of the charm of owning a feline for cat lovers is the easy maintenance of cats. They keep themselves clean, for the most part, they don’t require a lot of time or a lot of attention, again for the most part, and thanks to the litter box you don’t have to housebreak them to be taken outside and then let back inside.
However, the litter box raises the issue of what is the best cat litter to use in your cat’s litter box. This is a decision that should take some key points into consideration; the owner’s preference, what the cat seems to prefer, dust factors and of course ease of clean up.

When you choose your cat litter keep in mind you have two types; scoopable and the old fashioned gravel kind. The scoopable type has it’s obvious advantages such as not needing to change as often and easy cleanup. Although the old fashioned gravel litter tends to be a lot dustier, there are still some cat owners who prefer to continue using it. Some think that thegravel type of litter is less expensive. This is where looking at the bigger picture comes in handy, although initially buying a bag of gravel litter is less expensive than the scoopable granules, the overall cost savings far outweigh the initial purchase. Where one bag of gravel litter might last a week, which means another purchase in a weeks time, the one container of scoopable litter can last you for about a month’s time depending on the number of cats you own. So although a container of scoopable litter might cost twice as much as the gravel it will last you four times longer, meaning you have actually saved more than fifty percent over the gravel litter.

One of the decidedly best advantages of the scoopable type of litter is that there is a reduction in the amount of dust as well as scoopable litter’s ability to eliminate the odours associated with a cat litter box. There is also the advantage that you don’t have to clean the mess from a scoopable box as you would from a gravel box. With the gravel box you have to empty the entire contents, clean, sanitize and reline the box. The scoopable cat litteronly requires that you scoop the waste away and refill with litter as needed.

Who Can Benefit from an Automatic Cat Litter Box?

People traditionally all over are fond of cats for the most part.  This is because most cats are fairly loving, they’re playful, and they can give you years of entertainment and companionship.  Although most of us have a fondness for cats, that fondness can rapidly diminish when it comes to the litter box.  Even the person who is a complete and total cat lover can get tired of the regular cleaning of cat litter boxes that is needed.

Most cats are fairly smart, and will instinctively know how to make use of a litter box for cats.  With the normal litter box, after the cat uses the box it needs to be cleaned out by hand with one of those little pooper scoops.  This is the job that no one likes to do and one which often gets procrastinated upon making for a very smelly situation. The job normally doesn’t take very long, but because it is so gross most people prefer not to do it.  Even with cleaning out the box everyday, the letter is still going to need to be changed at least once a week. This is done by tossing out the used cat litter and replacing it with a fresh batch.

If you are one of the people who despise cleaning out a cat litter box, but love your cats, then you should look into investing in one of the best inventions for your cat ever; which is the self cleaning litter box.  These boxes are wonderful because of the fact that they leave no mess and are very simple to clean.  These boxes are equipped with sensors that detect when the cat comes in. After a predetermined period of time, the litter box will activate and clean itself out automatically by either using a shifting mechanism or by using a rake like device.

The other type of automatic cleaning box with the ranking system are most often found in a rectangle or shape.  Shortly after the cat exits the box, the rakes will move across the litter and push out the unwanted material.  These rakes push out all of the clumped up material and leave the good cat litter.  While the rake type systems work very well, it seems that by far the more popular and more commonly bought are the sifting models.

Related Terms: litter box cats

Cats love to play and frolic, and their owners love to encourage them. In fact, many cat owners buy their feline friend a cat tree for just this purpose. Also known as a cat tower, this structure contains many ledges, cabins, and ramps for your cats to play and rest on. There are many different kinds of cat towers available on the market today. This article will describe how the cat owner can go about selecting the perfect cat tree.

The first step is determining how many cats you have and their size and activity levels. If you have one fat cat, you may need to get one kind of tree, and if you have seven energetic, evil cats, you may need a different kind. The main parameters of the cat tree is height, weight, and features. The taller the tree, the more features it will have, like platforms and cubbies. If you have more cats, you may wish to get a taller tree. If you have fewer, but larger, cats, you may want to get a shorter tree to prevent it from tipping over. In general, you will want to get a sturdy tree to ensure your cats’ safety, and safer trees are usually heavier and more solidly built.

You then need to pair the activity levels of your cats with the type of tree you want. If your cat likes to lounge around, you’ll want more places for the cat to sleep and chill out. If you know your cats will be jumping and horseplaying around the tree, you will probably want to select a more varied tower.

Towers can be constructed out of many different types of materials. One thing to consider is what kind of “covering” you want for your tower. Possibilities include fake fur, fleece, or carpet. You may want to sample out the different materials at a store before you purchase (if you are buying online). Cat trees also come with many different accessories, such as scratching posts and hanging toys.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are pleased to announce the release of the AAFP/AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines. Published in the January, 2010 issue of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, the guidelines provide important information promoting appropriate wellness care for cats.

The Feline Life Stage Guidelines have been developed in response to alarming statistics reported in the 2007 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. The Sourcebook showed that the number of cats kept as pets outnumber dogs, yet they receive significantly less veterinary care. Further studies have indicated that an inability to recognize signs of illness or injury is a key factor as to why cat owners are unaware of their cat’s medical needs.

The concern of a stressful veterinary visit for both cat and owner has also been cited as a contributing deterrent to veterinary visits for cats. The guidelines offer practical strategies that veterinary practices can integrate into their daily routines to help alleviate common stressors and work more successfully with an anxious cat. The guidelines address healthcare recommendations specific to the lifestage of the feline patient, and emphasize educating clients about behavior and environmental issues that promote a healthy life style. Acting in partnership with cat owners about this information will further enhance the client – veterinary bond.

Source