Handy Cat Care Reminders

Get your cat desexed
Female cats can become sexually mature as early as 6 months. Get them spayed early. They usually gain a milder temperament once this happens.

Keep windows closed
Contrary to popular belief, cats can and do get injured, get lost or die as a result of jumps from windows. They also do not have great depth perception at height. Unless you live in a house or out on a farm, if you love your cat and don’t want him to get lost, injured or killed, keep your windows closed at all times or install cat proof mesh screens if you do want to open a window.

Chocolate and onions are toxic to cats. Feed them only cat food..
Along with chocolate, onions, onion powder and garlic are also toxic to cats. Since it may not always be clear from a label whether a food made for people contains this, only feed your cat food that is specially made for them. Tuna must also be fed only once in a while as it can cause digestion problems for cats. http://www.peteducation.com/category

Remove all toxic plants from your house
Some cats like to munch on plants. This is an annoyance that must be corrected but if that plant is toxic, it could be fatal. The following are toxic so it’s best to remove them from your home before getting a cat. http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

Cats think vertically. Give them a special viewing spot high up or buy a cat tree.
It seems that just as their ancestors did in the wild, cats feel safe when they are above ground level and can observe things going on below. Let them have a spot on a table close to a CLOSED window, on an empty shelf or in a cat tree. Otherwise, they love cardboard boxes – especially with holes in them so they can climb on it or inside it and hide.

Cat Trees
I recommend getting a cat tree for your cat (try and organise it before your cat(s) moves in). Some cat owners complain that they bought them for their cats and they don't use it, but it's good to try your cats out on one. You can entice them on to the tree by sprinkling on cat nip. If you can get your cat to use one, it keeps them off the furniture and they can file their claws on their "own piece of furniture". Honey Pet have a good range of affordable cat trees which can be made to order. Check that the base of the cat tree is quite sturdy and that the tree can't topple over when your cat jumps onto the top shelf. Visit Honey-Pet Grooming Salon, G/F, 47A Caine Road (T) 2537 2668

Don’t hit – hiss.
Some people think you can’t train cats. This isn’t true. The reason they may feel this is because they’ve been a cat hitter. This is in fact training the cat – to fear you. If you hit a cat it will be afraid of you and may become aggressive, shy or fearful. It may make more noise or hide. Is your cat doing something wrong? If you catch it at the moment it is doing the act, blow air in its face, spray it with water or make a loud noise. I find a loud hissing sound extremely effective. This usually stops them in their tracks. If it doesn’t stop them, repeat or try a different tactic. If you don’t catch them in the act, it is useless to punish them. They will not know why they are being punished and will only learn to fear you.

Get a normal-looking cat carrier
In Hong Kong, animals are not encouraged on public transportation, if you have a large or loud pet it's best to avoid public transport otherwise it's best to get a pet carrier bag, Most pet shops in Hong Kong specialize in these bags so it’s not too hard to find them. Honey-Pet Grooming Salon, G/F, 47A Caine Road to view available bags. They will also order items for you, prices are competitive. (T) 2537 2668

Fighting and Play fighting
Kittens love to play. Much of their play will look like fighting and wrestling. This is natural and it is how they learn and entertain themselves. How do I know if they are really fighting? Among cats that know each other, it doesn’t happen often but if the cats show laid back ears, are growling or hissing or meow in pain while fighting, that means that it is real. You can break it up by throwing a pillow, spraying water on them or making a loud noise. Don’t try to use your hands as you may get scratched or bitten.

Play play play
Kittens love this more than anything. Spend some time at night and if you can, a little time in the morning playing with them, they will be better behaved and healthier pets.

Self Defense
Is there anything you don’t want the kittens to scratch? Put tin foil, double sided tape or citrus peels on it until the cats learn to stay away from it. You can remove them later when the cats have learned not to touch it.

A cat’s day

In many ways, cats are ideal pets for working people as their day generally follows this pattern:

Wake: 6:30-7:00 a.m., eat first meal and play until about 10:00.
Sleep
If you are home at lunchtime, they will wake up, eat and play for a while.
If not, they will wake again in the late afternoon/suppertime. Around 5:00-8:00 p.m. If you won’t be home until later, make sure there is some dry food for them.
Sleep
Wake: 10:30p.m.-12:00 a.m., they eat and play A LOT around 11:00 p.m. It is good to play with them at this time to make them run around and tire them out before bedtime.

Enjoy your new little companions!!

20/7/04

sent in by Maureen Nienaber