Raising Happy Cats

Cat Pile – Feel the love.

There is more to raising a cat than just providing food, water, and shelter. They’ll survive with the necessities of life.

For a cat to be happy, it needs much more.

Cat rearing is what I love.

The years produced many challenges. From aggressive behavior to peeing in places that were unacceptable.

It hasn’t been easy at times. Heartbreaking. Frustrating. Expensive vet bills.

Is it worth it?

              

Happy cats relaxed in a chair.

Yes, when I hear those happy purrs ringing in my ears. Nothing is as calming as a contented cat. If they purr, flex, and get on my lap, I figure I must be doing something right.

They made me laugh and cry.

They disrupted the house.

Ruined furniture and rugs. Produced many a carpet stain.

Tore up paper towels. Required numerous rolls of paper towels for cleaning up after them.

Even a few bandages for lacerations.

How to Make a Cat Happy

Morning coffee with the cats.

Talk in a quiet voice. They hate loud noises. You don’t want your cat to run and hide.

Don’t allow kids to run after them. Teach children how to be gentle with a cat. How to pet, hold, and pickup without hurting the animal.

I chase my cats, but could only do that after they became comfortable with me. It’s a game, and only if they want to play.

Keep their litter box clean and change it before it smells. You don’t want to sit on a dirty toilet seat, so neither do the cats want to set foot on wet litter.

Give them fresh water daily. I do that, but they want to drink out of my glass of water. Which makes me wonder how much of my 8 glasses a day are they consuming for me?

If your cat enjoys snacking on dry kibble, then leave it out for them. My 2 new cats (Lily and Lucy) won’t eat it. They now get feed breakfast, lunch, dinner. At 8 PM I feed them a couple of broken up (cat cookies, we call them) Stella and Chewys Raw Freeze Dried Dinner Morsels.Find the link to this product over on Feeding Cats.

Lucy wasn’t interested in eating 2 of her meals; I brought out the Morsels, and she ate them fast. Have a variety of foods. When they have an oft day, you can try something different. This may help you avoid a vet bill. They can be finicky as us, when nothing sounds good to eat… but offer me ice cream and now my appetite returns.

You can read more on feeding cats here.

Provide a Cat Friendly Home

6-foot cat tree

Cat tree, scratching post, or floor/wall scratcher. Appropriate cat toys to entertain or challenge them. Another cat to play with, can give them hours of fun chasing each other or snuggling together when they are resting.

Adequate boxes for litter. I had cats who stood up to pee. The box worked for 35 years and then along came Lily. She jumps in the box instead of turning around to the opening; she pees where she lands. Got boxes I thought were tall enough, but she grew taller and sometimes stands on her tip-toes against the back of the box. Ugh… Had to purchase 2 new boxes. Shown on Resources page.

Cat beds for them to cuddle and feel secure. They are not fond of beds on the floor. There’s one on the hearth (fireplace never used) a foot off the floor. Another bed is on the sofa. If company arrives, I will move it for more seating room. They do have a 6-foot cat tree that has ample room for sleeping on top.

Handle with Care

Nail clipping, they may not be thrilled, but necessary for indoor only cats.

Petting them will do wonders for bonding to you. Good for both cat and person.

Lucy being brushed, lots of purring.

Some are happy to be brushed. When they purr and flex, you know they enjoy.

Cats are agile. They can climb and jump to heights, which can get them in trouble. Check out the safety article here.

Healthy happy cats will groom themselves. If they quit grooming, it may be a time to visit your vet.

Spay and neuter cats. They make better pets. It may avoid health issues for them in the future.

Love your cat, treat them with kindness, and they will love you back. My ultimate example is this article here.

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