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How To Be A Responsible Cat Owner
Now that you have a cat or several cats in the house, you need to think
about how you can be a responsible cat owner and provide for the needs
of your cats. This means that you have to think about the cats? living
conditions, feeding, grooming, and clean-up.
Regarding your
cat?s living conditions, this will be largely influenced by your own
lifestyle. If you live in an apartment in a city, then your cat should
live solely indoors. If you live in a farm, then your cat may live
solely outdoors or live both indoors and outdoors. When your cat lives
solely outdoors, it must be provided with some form of shelter, such as
a barn. What you should not do is to keep a cat inside a cage. This
will drive your cat crazy. Cats treasure the freedom to move freely.
When
it comes to the food of your cat, you may give free-choice feedings or
scheduled feedings. If the cat is given free choice, it will feed every
few hours. This is usually for cats who lead active lives. But if the
cat is facing an obesity problem, then scheduled feedings should be
best. You must also remember that cats are genuine carnivores. They are
natural hunters. They will not survive on a diet of grains and
vegetables. In fact, they don?t need these types of food. They only
need meat. Their bodies require a great amount of protein than any
other mammal. You may opt to give your cat canned cat food or dry food.
The canned food tastes a lot better but the dry food is advisable for
the cat?s teeth. You may alternate the use of both types. What you
should avoid is giving your cat cow?s milk. Cow?s milk has proteins
that are too large for the cat to digest. This milk will make your cat
suffer from diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal upset. At all times,
there should be fresh clean water available to your cat.
Cats
usually take care of their own grooming so the owner need not worry
about this aspect. Cats like to clean themselves using their rough
tongue. Although, the owner can help comb his cat when the breed has
long hair. When the cat stops grooming itself, then that is the time
that the owner should worry. The cat may not be feeling well.
Cats
like to eliminate in relatively clean places. In fact, you will find
outdoor cats digging the ground before releasing their waste.
Afterwards, they cover their waste. For indoor cats, the owner should
provide a litter box. This box should be changed and cleaned every week
because when the cat finds that the box is not clean enough, it will
find other places to take care of its waste. This is certainly a bad
and smelly news for the owner.
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