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Home Categories Pets and Animals Cats Managing Cat BehaviorArticleEditDiscussEdit ArticleHow to Take Care of a CatEdited by JirachiQueen, SilverSparkz, General Jackson, Harri and 29 others

Cats are ideal pets for many people. This may be due to their playful personalities, affectionate behavior or adorable appearance. However, aside from being cute, cats do require proper care in order to stay healthy and content. Here are some general cat care tips that will help you learn how to make your cat happy andhealthy.

EditSteps

1 If you do not have a cat and want to invest time and money in one, find a part

icular breed of cat that suits your lifestyle and your home. Do your research- how much does this breed cost? Does it require special care?

2 House-train your new cat as soon as possible. Do not wait for your cat to getused to committing bad habits around the home. This should be the first thing that you have to keep in mind if you want them to be good members of the family. In house training your cats, there are a lot of techniques and strategies that you can follow, but of course, do not punish your pets when they sometimes cannotfollow your instructions. You have to be patient with them.

3 Feed your cats cat food that is low in added preserves. Avoid feeding cats cho

colate. Chocolate can cause gastrointestinal problems in pets. It is OK to giveyour cat natural treats like apples, pears, bananas only if they are cut down into tiny pieces.

4 Cats will groom themselves frequently, but you will still need to brush long-hair cats daily and short-hair cats weekly. You have to also make sure that yourpet is free from fleas and other parasites to make them happy and healthy as well as make your home free from such parasites as well. To make this not a hasslewhen your cat gets older, try starting young with brushing. For cats that tend to shed (long haired ones especially), use a comb that has fine strands of metal.This gets deep into the undercoat and eliminates shedding. Be careful not to doit too many times during the week, especially in the beginning of fall and winter. Cats tend to build up their undercoats to prepare for the winter months. As

soon as it starts getting warm out in the spring, start brushing your cat x3 weekly. This will help by not having a bunch of fur tumbleweeds all over your floors!Cats may not like it, but it is best to take them to the vet regularly to prevent or address any health problems.5 Take your cat(s) to the vet every year for a checkup. You should also have them wormed, neutered or spayed, and be vaccinated when necessary.Brush the cat's teeth!6 If you want to brush your cats' teeth, you will need a soft-bristled toothbrush and veterinary toothpaste. Start by offering her a taste of the veterinary too

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thpaste. The next time, let her taste the toothpaste, then run your finger alongthe gums of the upper teeth. Repeat the process with the tooth brush. Get the bristles of the brush along the gum line of the upper back teeth and angle slightly up, so the bristles get under the gum line. Work from back to front, making small circles along the gum lines. It should take you less than 30 seconds to brush your pet's teeth. Do not try to brush the entire mouth at first. If all thatyour pet lets you brush is the outside of the upper teeth, you are still addressing the most important area of periodontal disease - prevention. If your pet eventually allows you to brush most of her teeth, so much the better. Even with thebest tooth brushing, some cats may still need an occasional professional cleaning, just like humans. By brushing your pet's teeth daily and curtailing the amount of periodontal disease, you may reduce the frequency and involvement of dental cleanings and provide your pet with a healthier mouth.

EditWarningsDo not abuse cats. If you were a cat, would you like to be mistreated?Be careful with new cats. They might bite you.EditRelated wikiHows

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Take Care of Your Pet

Article InfoCategories: Cat Training | Managing Cat Behavior

Recent edits by: Cam Hovell, Adelaide, Lutherus

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Espaol: Cmo cuidar un gato

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