Cats are affectionate and loving creatures that make wonderful pets and companions. For all their good points, one drawback of a having a cat is that sometimes it may spray its urine. While this may be unpleasant or even a real nuisance, it is a problem you can do something about with a little bit of effort.

When a cat sprays he is marking his territory and leaving a message to other cats that this is his territory. While both female and male cats spray, it is more common in males who have not yet been neutered. When a female sprays, it may be due to stress about her territory and she wants to mark the area as “hers”.

One thing you can do to help stop a cat from spraying (or to at least reduce the frequency) is to have them spayed or neutered. Getting your cat “fixed” makes sense for so many reasons, and preventing spraying is an added bonus. The surgery is simple and inexpensive, and the younger the cat is when the surgery is performed, the greater the chance they will not develop the spraying habit.

If, for whatever reason, your cat has not been “fixed”, or if he or she has already developed the spraying habit, there are other steps you can take to help stop them from continuing their spraying habit. One option that you may wish to try is low doses of veterinary anti-anxiety medications. These are especially useful when your cat sprays due to anxiety. Talk to your veterinarian to see if this treatment plan is the right choice for your pet.

If you feel that stress may be the cause of your cat spraying, then finding the source of the stress and addressing it may help your cat feel more relaxed and less likely to spray. Some common causes of stress in a cat include things like: a new baby in the home, a change in your daily schedule, having a new pet in the home, or even illness in the cat. If any of these are an issue, then it’s important to spend lots of extra time with your pet and make them feel comfortable, loved and secure in their place within your home. If the stress is due to illness, then a trip to the vet can take care of this problem.

If your cat always sprays in a particular area, then there are mechanical devices on the market that can help. I have personally used motion sensor device in the past, with a lot of success, the motion sensor detects when the cat is in the area and it will spray a harmless aerosol to repel them. The cat soon learns to avoid the area. This may break the spraying habit. Some people recommend using an aerosol bottle to gently squirt their cat with water should they see them getting ready to spray. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations for what is best for your pet.

Spraying is one of the reasons that so many cats are abandoned each year. With a little effort, you can stop them from developing the spraying habit and you can enjoy a long and happy, spray free life with your cat.

So, you read somewhere that introducing a new kitten into your home could be great for your current cat for companionship. And you remembered how much fun your cat was when she was a kitten, and you might love to re-live those glory days.

It’s generally thought that cats thrive better with the company of one more feline, particularly cats limited indoors. However, before you rush off to your local cat shelter or breeder, here are a few suggestions to make bringing home a new kitten as relaxed as possible.

Choose a time when your home is not too active and you have the time and energy to dedicate to your brand new kitty and your existing pet, avoid holidays, for example, or some other occasions when family and friends tend to visit.

Before bringing home the new kitten, take her to your animal medical practitioner to get her examined in addition to vaccinated, kittens possess fragile immune systems and are generally more likely to pick up something at the shelter or perhaps cattery. Consider adopting a kitty of the opposite gender to your current cat, this will steer clear of same sex competition and also associated issues. For several reasons all your felines should be spayed/neutered.

If possible arrange to bathe your new cat at a friend’s house before you bring it home, this will neutralize kitty’s odor, and go along way in preventing further disturbance with your current cat.

A shorter isolation period is important when presenting a completely new cat. It would be ideal to have a separate room for the brand new kitten; your new kitty will need her own litter box, water and food bowl. A few cats will hide out beneath furniture for a few days, much more adventurous ones will be eager to investigate their new house almost straightaway. Don’t try and pressure your new kitten to leave the area, you’ll know when she is ready.

Give your new kitty time to explore your house while your older cat is in another area. Help make the introduction, slowly, bit by bit, it’s an excellent idea to allow your current cat the opportunity to smell your new kitten’s blanket a couple of times before they actually meet. Help make the preliminary periods of contact short. Progressively increase the time they invest together as they get used to one another. It’s not uncommon for them to end up having a couple of quarrels in these first meetings, therefore do not let them be together unsupervised for long periods until they get along. If a fight should break out, distract the combatants and get them directly into individual rooms as soon as possible, never punish either cat.

The process of introducing a new kitten to an older cat can be relatively relaxed and need not be full of problems. The bottom line is making the introduction slowly, and perhaps the best idea would be to give your more mature cat just as much attention as well as affection as you give the newcomer.

Before long you will have two feline friends that enjoy each others company.

Cats are warm blooded carnivorous mammals and they feed on protein-rich meat. They tend to be predators and generally prey on rats and also other rodents. Cats may also be recognized for their wonderful fighting skills. A few may even win a battle against snakes. Felines can survive in nearly all environments as well as geographical circumstances.

Historians cannot pinpoint nor identify the details of precisely how and when the first cat had been domesticated. What is known, however, is the fact that domesticated cats have been around for more than five thousand years now. In accordance with biologists, the modern domestic cat is either a direct descendant as well as a subspecies of the African Wildcat. This is the reason why the domestic cat is among the genus Felis. Some artifacts indicated that the first domestic cats made an appearance in ancient Egypt. Today, these cats have occupied almost all continents, Asia, Europe, and America, aside from Antarctica and they have evolved into over 50 different breeds.

Being one of the most favored pets on the planet, cats and kittens aren’t listed as endangered species. Female cats are known to provide an average of three kittens about twice yearly. Thus, the spaying and neutering of cats cannot hurt their world population.

A spayed and neutered cat will be a great benefit to your home. Cats that aren’t altered, specially the female ones, might spray their urine in areas that they consider their territory. Cat owners are all too familiar with the obnoxious smell of cat urine and regardless of how much washing one does, the scent can never be completely removed, especially from carpets, beddings, upholstery, and also furniture manufactured from wood. The urine of neutered cats is less smelly and more than likely an altered cats will not even consider marking territory in your home.

When not neutered, a female cat in heat will howl at strange hours of the night, most likely from midnight until dawn. The noises may end up being responded to by male cats that howl outside your door, undoubtedly causing you to lose sleep. Your neighbors might not be too happy either about all the racket. A cat in heat will end up being restless and could possible neglect whatever toilet training you may have taught them and this could last up to 3 weeks and happen three or more times per year.

Some cats that aren’t neutered might roam a long way from home; causing you endless worry and with good reason. Your cat will be dealing with cat fights and also fast-moving cars. When in danger, dogs will run away, but cats stay frozen in place. This is why many cats are run over by automobiles.

Neutered cats, however, will always remain in your home. They’ll be far more content, less restless and will additionally have longer life spans.