Cats make for great companions. A mere purr can help us forget all the stressful events transpiring in our lives. But not everyone may view cats the same way as we do. Your guest could be allergic to cat hair, or may not like the odor cats have. Similarly, it is best to maintain tidiness in your house, making it indeterminable for visitors if you have a pet or not. Here are a few everyday cleaning tips for cat owners.
Brushing Regularly
A problem all cat owners can agree upon is the endless stream of hair cats bring. It tends to settle into your clothes, carpet, furniture, even your food. Cleaning is an option but a very tedious one. Therefore, brushing your kitty’s hair routinely will enable you to control the hair fall effortlessly.
Brushing has several other advantages as well. It removes excess dead hair, resulting in far lesser hair to clean up. Grooming your cat can also prevent it from swallowing hairballs, averting the chances of suffering constipation. Moreover, it also cleans the dirt and debris off the cat’s fur, decreasing the filth amount in your house.
Litter Box
Litter changing is part of every cat owner’s daily routine. To minimize the odor of the litter box, changing the litter is crucial. Most owners scoop the litter box once a day. Professionals advise replacing the waste on the observation of a repulsive odor. Choosing the right litter box is of due importance. Hence, a large litter box with a certain depth is considered the best litter box for cats.
Moreover, not maintaining the cleanliness of the litter box may result in several other problems. Cats are sensitive creatures; they prefer a sanitary environment even to litter in. The inability to provide such a setting will force the cat to litter anywhere it may see fit. Similar to humans, cats desire privacy whenever they use the litter box. A great tip would be to contain the litter box to avoid the kitty from feeling uncomfortable.
Cleaning up
Cats are notorious for spraying urine outside the litter box. The occurrence of such incidents is common among non-neutered cats. Initially, getting your cat spayed is highly recommended, provided you aren’t interested in having kittens.
Other than urinating and littering, cats tend to vomit quite often, the culprit being hairballs. Thus, removal of the substance and cleansing it with a cleaning fluid is firmly endorsed. It will help contain the odor, as well as removing any stains in your carpet or rug. Consider using a knife to scrape off the mess if it has some rigidity to it.
Bathing and washing
Bathing a cat is always a bizarre experience; they despise contact with water. But as loving and caring owners, washing our cats is a necessity. More importantly, though, is cleaning their nest and washing their collar. Owners often overlook these aspects, not knowing how important it is to clean them.
Not washing a collar for an extended period can result in dead hair to accumulate. One of the reasons why your cat may have been irritable lately might be because of this. Additionally, washing the spot your cat rests in is also vital. Despite being litter trained, cats can unavoidably urinate in their beds as well. Conduct routine inspection and rush the vet if any indications appear. Not only will this help you, but your kitty will be grateful as well.
Accidents
Just like us, animals are prone to making mistakes as well. Accidents are a common occurrence with pets at home, but sometimes these accidents have a reason. The reasoning can vary from health issues to some minor changes in your household.
Living beings are susceptible to a variety of illnesses and diseases. Your cat could be suffering from a serious ailment such as kidney disease or an infection. Therefore, yelling or punishing your kitty right away is not advised, at least not harshly. As mentioned before, cats are sensitive beings. They require far more love and care than the average pet.
Scratching and declawing
Declawing a cat is similar to stripping a car of its wheels. It involves the removal of its claw bones from its paw, causing devastating problems soon to follow. Why put your beloved cat through such torture when there are other alternatives?
Declawing may require you to invest a fair sum of money while putting your cat’s well-being at risk. An inexpensive way of dealing with your kitty’s scratching issues is to get some toys or a scratching post. If need be, discipline it with a squirt gun whenever it scratches your rug or couch. Yelling or snapping at your cat will aggravate it, resulting in more problems than solutions.
Conclusion
The intelligence and sensitive nature of cats are known to most. However, as strong and authoritative as cats may portray themselves as, they are very delicate creatures. Nurture and cherish them, and they will gain your trust, which is not easy to achieve. The loyalty of cats can transcend even dogs’ fidelity, but only with love, care, and patience. Moreover, catering to their needs and keeping your household clean and hygienic is of significance.
