How to please a cat: 3 simple tips

Buy your cat a puzzle

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Cats love riddles, which is probably why these animals themselves are so mysterious. That's why it's so important for our purring friends to purchase the right toys, like the one you see in the gif above.

Simple design, but so much functionality. Throw down a ball, ball or other ringing, glowing toy - and consider that your pet is busy for the next hour. He will need a lot of ingenuity to figure out how to get all these items out of there.

What's the best way to train a cat to groom?

Not all cats like to be brushed. Some are hostile towards grooming tools and try to grab or bite them, others mistake what is happening for a game, and still others get scared just when they see a brush in a person’s hands and try to quickly hide.

Photo: It is very important to train a cat to groom

The following tips will help you quickly achieve a calm animal response to care:

It is best to train a cat to brush from an early age (you can use a clicker or a system of treats);
Before combing, stroke and calm your pet;
talk to the animal;
work slowly and smoothly.

Get a drinking fountain for cats

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If you have noticed that your cat constantly strives to drink water straight from the tap, you are witnessing another strong natural instinct of cats. In the wild, running water is clean and safe to drink (there are exceptions, but these are just coincidences).

For this reason, to make life more comfortable for your mustachioed companion, grab a drinking fountain and see what happens.

It is recommended to have a couple of trays for cats in a large apartment

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They say that there should be one main tray for a cat and one additional one, especially if there are several cats in the apartment. This is supposed to keep them from showing dominance (cats won't pee past it, showing their rival that it's their property) and vandalism from an angry animal. The upholstery and floors will thank you later.

Massage technique

But in any case, the massage technique is the same and is divided into several stages.

Preparation

First of all, the owner and the cat must be calm; nervousness will ruin the mood and make the animal angry. A person needs to be confident in the benefits of the procedure and his manipulations.

You need to start the massage with one or two light strokes, and the procedures themselves from your favorite place.

Tactics for cat massage procedures

The average duration of one session is 10-15 minutes, and approximately the same amount of time should be spent on each part of the body.
All manipulations are carried out with the palm of one or two hands. Kneading with your fingertips will be weak and not even pleasant.
On the head, special attention is paid to the crown, the area of skin around the ears and behind them, and the temples. It is better to massage it last.
The neck should be massaged very carefully, without pressure or pressing. It is better to finger it easily.
Then you need to confidently rub it a couple of times along the entire length of the cat’s body, without highlighting areas with pressure.
The shoulders require careful work in a circular motion, possibly grasping the top of the paws.
Afterwards, using the same movements, the back is smoothed to the hips.
Most cats' thighs are very sensitive and require gentle massage.
Abdominal massage is possible only if the animal is completely relaxed. Then he willingly allows himself to be turned over onto his back. Cats benefit from rubbing their pectoral muscles. Also, stroking the belly from head to tail will improve bowel function.
The tail can and should be massaged from the hips to the tip and only if the cat does not twitch it.

Using hidden trays

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The advice is quite strange, but we’ll voice it too - maybe it will be useful to someone. So: it is advised to use “secluded trays”, hidden from prying eyes. For example, this one: a girl sits and smiles, not knowing that she is sitting, in fact, on a cat's litter box.

As an experienced cat lover, it is not clear to me how the owner combats the smell in the hallway. Even if you quickly clean everything up, the smell will still remain, and not in the restroom, but, in fact, in the living room. Not a very pleasant neighborhood...

How do you know if a massage has helped?

Since it is very easy to massage a cat with constipation, feel free to use this measure - often it is enough to help the animal. If you are afraid to carry out any manipulations yourself, it is better to seek help from a specialist. The same should be done if the condition worsens or there are no results after the massage.

Conclusions about whether a massage will help your pet can be made while it is being performed: if you hear rumbling or gurgling in the cat’s stomach during the procedure, this means that peristalsis has improved and the intestines are about to resume their work. If you did everything correctly and the problem is not obstruction, the processes of the digestive system should return to normal within 2-3 days.

Remove everything unnecessary from the table

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Or your cat will do everything for you! It is almost impossible to train your four-legged friend not to jump on the table. Even if he does not break the established rules in front of you, when you are not looking, it is quite possible that he will wander around the tables. And if he gets his hands on something interesting, he will definitely try to throw it off.

Try to avoid citrus scents in your home

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Cats hate the smell of citrus fruits. This may be an excellent option for keeping your cat away from the sofa or other piece of furniture that he is partial to for some reason, but still try not to spread the smell of citrus fruits throughout the apartment. Otherwise, the green-eyed monster will start hating you 24/7.

If your cat is curious and not afraid, take her for a walk

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This is not for every cat, but if you see that the kitten is brave and not afraid of strangers, it might be worth a try. It is clear that the cat must be on a leash (so as not to run away: the city is full of irritants that frighten animals), and not just on a leash, but on a harness - a special harness for cats that will not damage its neck or cause discomfort.

It is naturally better to walk in the park, on the grass or in the forest, if they are nearby. Before walks, it is necessary to have all vaccinations for walking cats (vaccination against panleukopenia viruses, herpesvirus (viral rhinotracheitis), calicivirus and rabies, and others, if necessary), as well as courses against the appearance of worms.

At the dacha, the cat is more at ease; there you can do without harnesses. Cats are very smart and have excellent spatial awareness. It is unlikely that your pet will get lost or disappear, even if it jumps over a fence. But it’s better to make sure that the cat walks only on its six hundred square meters. This way, risks are minimized, and all that remains is a good mood, exercise and health for the pet.

Grooming

An adult cat in good health cleans its own fur, sometimes licking itself for several hours a day. However, the owner’s task is to help her get rid of fallen hairs and emerging impurities. This will require brushing and bathing procedures.

Combing helps solve 3 problems at once:

Improve skin blood circulation and coat appearance.
Prevent the formation of tangles - matted dense lumps of hairs that have fallen out and become entangled in the fur.
Relieve your cat from having to swallow and then excrete a large amount of hair.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the breed.

Short-haired cats with or without undercoat (Abyssinian, Siamese, Burmese, British) are brushed several times a week using brushes or a special mitten.
Long-haired cats are combed daily or once every 2 days, devoting up to 1 hour to the procedure. At the end, the wool is lightly fluffed with a brush, and combed upward on the neck to form a beautiful collar.

For combing, you need brushes with natural bristles or slicker brushes, combs with sparse, non-sharp teeth, tangle cutters (if necessary), a “stroker” - a wide flat brush for combing the tail of long-haired cats, a special mitten, a piece of silk or suede. Combs are used as the tooth frequency increases. That is, you need to start the procedure with a sparse comb and end with a thick brush.

First, the sides, neck and back are combed, then the “pants”, belly, and tail. Finally, you can pet the cat with hands moistened with water to collect any remaining uncombed hairs. Short-haired cats can also be wiped with a piece of silk or suede cloth - this will add shine to your pet's coat.

You should wash your cat as needed, taking into account the characteristics of the breed. For example, hairless cats are washed once every 1-2 weeks, while smooth-haired cats can be bathed once every six months during shedding. For the procedure you will need:

towel;
basin with warm water. Some owners prefer to bathe their cat in a bathtub or sink;
shampoo for cats.

It is better to choose shampoos from professional series adapted for home use. For example, “Elite” for deep cleaning of wool. The product combines a mild detergent complex and an exclusive composition of amino acids, vitamins, proteins and natural plant extracts. The shampoo gently but thoroughly cleanses the coat, makes it easier to comb, helps prevent dandruff, brittleness and tangling of the coat, and adds shine and silkiness.

When swimming, follow a few rules.

The water should be at a comfortable temperature for the cat (36–38 °C).
Bathing is carried out before meals or no earlier than 4 hours after meals.
You don't need to immediately put your cat in a basin or bathtub of water, because it may get scared. It is better to wet the wool gradually from the ladle.
Rinse off the shampoo thoroughly.
While washing, talk to your pet in a gentle and encouraging voice and stroke it.
Keep shampoo and water away from your cat's eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
When drying wool, do not allow the temperature in the room to drop or drafts.

A cat must have a shelter, and more than one

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Cats consider the entire apartment to be their territory. If strangers come (your friends whom the cat has not seen before), most cats are frightened by uninvited guests, treat them with caution and try in every possible way to hide from them.

They hide anywhere in secluded places: under the bed, behind a thick curtain, under the bathroom, they crawl into any cracks and sometimes try to get into places where it is physically impossible to squeeze in. Give them this chance!

Many cat owners feel sad when they think about how much their pet is missing without the outdoors. But most cats can be happy living indoors. True, this requires time, patience and some effort.

How to make your domestic cat's life happier and safer? We'll tell you about several effective ways.

Create a place of power for your cat

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Most cats need a safe and quiet place where they can de-stress and stay away from household noise, commotion, children, dogs... Ideally, this safe haven should be soft and comfortable. It’s not bad if the cat can climb up there to watch everyone from above.

Make sure your cat always has water

Wet food is not always enough, especially on hot days. Some cats do not like to drink from a bowl, but they are happy to lap from the tap. The fact is that cats are attracted to running water. In this case, you can try a drinking fountain.

Use a large enough tray

This will allow the cat to engage in natural behavior, including digging and burying. Do not place the litter box near her food or water bowl. Keep it clean: Cats are clean and very sensitive to odors.

Don't force your animal to communicate with you

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To gain your cat's trust, let her choose when and how to interact with you. There are introverted cats and extroverted cats.

Buy a scratching post

To prevent your cat from scratching the furniture and everything around, place the scratching post where she likes to rest; it is in those places that cats usually sharpen their claws.

Set up a play area

Cats love boxes, but to be safe, let your pet climb in them while you're around.

Provide your cat with non-toxic plants

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Inspect all the plants in your home. Some, quite safe in appearance, may turn out to be poisonous, such as spathiphyllum. To prevent your cat from biting off a piece of his favorite tradescantia, buy special grass at the pet store. It will be useful and pleasant for your cat to chew on it. There is another plant that cats love - catnip. It relieves stress in animals and even soothes itchy skin.

Encourage your cat to hunt

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To keep your pet physically active and healthy, keep her moving with prey toys. By the way, scientists recommend giving your cat a treat after playing with a light pointer or a sunbeam. So that she feels like a hunter who has received a well-deserved reward!

Do not use your own body parts to play

Small kittens are fun to play with using your own hand as bait, but the kitten will quickly learn that the hand is the ideal target. You should not teach your pet to be aggressive towards people.

Create an observation post

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Cats are curious animals. To prevent your pet from getting bored, place a rug on the windowsill. Make it convenient for your cat to observe everything that happens outside.

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Cats are allergic

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Cats can have persistent allergies to flowers, plants and fruits. To know what your four-legged friend can sneeze on, follow the following link and, by translating the site using the translator built into your browser, read which plants can be dangerous or harmful to your cat: www.aspca.org

To detoxify, don't forget to purchase cat grass. It is also useful for removing hair and other impurities from the cat's stomach.