Purrfectly Easy Ways to Show Your Cat Respect

Fluffy has a special day coming up: Respect Your Cat Day is March 28th! Of course, if you were to ask your feline overlord about the best ways to show her respect, she would most likely request massive temples, sculptures, stocked aviaries and fishponds, and, of course, catnip gardens, complete with catwalks and lounging platforms. While our feline companions may have inspired many ancient peoples to literally worship them, you don’t have to go that far. In fact, understanding your furball’s specific needs and personality is actually the best way to show her respect. In this post, a local Hyattsville, MD veterinarian goes over how to treat Fluffy properly.

Keep Your Furry Friend Inside

If Fluffy had the chance, she might disagree with this one. Many kitties enjoy going outside. To be fair, the exercise and stimulation cats get outside can be beneficial. However, once your daring little pet ventures out into the world, she is exposed to a wide range of dangers.

Here are some of the more common ones:

• Cars
• Weather
• Chemical exposure.
• Predators
• Stray dogs
• Parasites
• Other cats
• Infection from cuts, scratches, etc.

Additionally, your kitty could become lost, trapped, stolen, or even killed! This is not just hearsay. Around eighteen percent of cats go missing at least once in their lifetime.

Maintain A Proper Litter Box Setup

Cats make their own care easier for us by using litter boxes. Keep your furry friend’s powder room clean! Kitties loathe dirty litter boxes, and who can blame them? We recommend scooping once daily and changing the litter every week or so.

If you have more than one feline companion, you will need a few litter boxes. Unlike dogs, cats do not enjoy sharing restrooms! (Fluffy may follow you into the bathroom, but that’s another topic.)

Make certain that the box is in an easily accessible area for your adorable pet, away from drafts and direct sunshine. It should also offer some seclusion.

Have Your Furry Companion Fixed

If your feline buddy has not been spayed or neutered, we strongly advise you to schedule an appointment with the animal clinic as soon as possible. This will ultimately benefit both you and your furry friend. Fluffy will be safer, healthier, and less inclined to engage in spraying or yowling. (These things are reason enough to get your pet fixed in and of themselves.) 

You’ll also be promoting good animal welfare. There are already millions of homeless cats around the world. As a responsible pet owner, it’s important to guarantee that your pet does not add to the problem!

Play With Your Cat

Kitties are really entertaining pets. Fluffy has the remarkable capacity to make us laugh just by being her quirky, adorable self. These tiny balls of fur are very lively and feisty, which is one of the reasons they are such fun companions. Your feline buddy may look silly chasing that paper ball or catnip mouse around, but it is serious business for her.

In the wild, our feline friends act as both predators and prey. This creates an intriguing (and highly entertaining) blend of qualities. Fluffy may be lovely, spoiled, and, well, a touch lazy, but she is still a hunter at heart. In the wild, she would hunt by pouncing, springing, and swatting at her prey. It’s important for her to indulge her inner lioness, and engage in those natural behaviors. Let your feline buddy exhibit her inner lioness! (Plus, it’s adorable to watch.)

Give your tiny companion a variety of entertaining toys and spend a few minutes each day playing with her. This does not have to be time-demanding. Simply have a laser pointer or cat toy nearby where you enjoy relaxing and watching TV.

Playing offers other advantages as well. It’s great for bonding, and gives your pet a safe, suitable method to release extra energy. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face as well.

Allow Your Furball To Snuggle With You

It’s always cute how Fluffy begins her motor as soon as she gets in for some snuggling time. Like people, cats just want to feel loved and safe. 

Cuddling with your furry friend benefits both of you. When you snuggle with your animal companion, you both release a hormone called oxytocin. This promotes feelings of love, safety, and contentment.

Allowing your feline companion to sleep with you at night is optional. Fluffy can be purrfectly healthy and content, even if you don’t allow her to sleep in your room. Many kitties like cuddling with their owners at night. Having a purring cat curled up beside you can be really pleasant and relaxing! Then again, a boisterous feline pouncing on your toes in the middle of the night isn’t probably very soothing. (Tip: if your kitty is particularly playful at night, tire her out with a fun play session before bedtime.)

Give Your Cat Good Food

Giving your feline buddy nourishing food is a crucial part of good cat care. You don’t have to shell out lots of money, but you should provide something that is appropriate for her physical condition and age. Ask your Hyattsville, MD veterinarian for specific advice.

Provide Small Luxuries

Our feline friends are pretty easy to keep. However, while good food, a clean litterbox, and regular medical care will cover the fundamentals, it is also critical to make your pet’s habitat enjoyable and comfortable.

Simply providing Fluffy bedding and scratching posts will go a long way. Your feline friend will also appreciate a cozy window seat. Cat towers are also excellent options, since they function as vantage points, nail care stations, and jungle gyms for our furry overlords.

Don’t forget to give your furry friend the occasional empty box!

Bring Fluffy To Your Animal Hospital

We advise that all cats be microchipped, spayed, or neutered, and kept up-to-date on vaccines and parasite management. Regular checkups and screenings are also essential, as these can detect changes and abnormalities, which often allows us to spot medical problems before symptoms appear. Follow your Hyattsville, MD veterinarian’s appointment scheduling guidelines.

We realize Fluffy would probably rather take a nap than visit us. We understand! Most cats are homebodies that do not enjoy automobile rides. In fact, the trip to the veterinarian’s office can be more traumatic for cats than the appointments themselves. However, proper veterinary care is critical to Fluffy’s health and well-being.

 At home, watch for signs of illness or disease. These include vomiting, fever, diarrhea, weight changes, loss of appetite, exhaustion, and respiratory difficulties. 

Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary for your pet, and contact us straight away if you see anything unusual. (We mean something peculiar for your feline friend, not unusual in general. Kitties have lots of peculiar quirks!)

Make Sure Your Kitty Feels Loved

Last but certainly not least, keep that little motor running! Chat with your furry friend, pet her, and play with her. Our feline friends are actually very emotional and can form very close bonds with their owners. Fluffy’s love is a special gift, and one to be truly treasured.

Make Fluffy A Furever Pledge

When you adopt an animal, you pledge to care for it for the remainder of its natural life. Don’t take Fluffy in until you’re ready, willing, and able to care for her no matter what. Adoption is forever! 

Do you have any questions about caring for your cat? Please contact us at your Hyattsville, MD pet hospital today!