Do your cats like being in the box? Cat tips!
Why your kitty can’t resist being ‘inside the box’
Have you ever excitedly purchased a snazzy new toy for your cat only to bring it home for your cat to be more enthused with the box than the actual toy? This is a very common occurrence, keep reading as we will explain some of the reasons why our feline friends love curling up in any box they can find.
You buy a new washing machine and no doubt your cat will be sniffing around the box as soon as you turn your back, how about that new pair of shoes? I’m sure your cat is already in said shoe box. It’s when you buy something in a box considerably smaller than your cat and he’s STILL trying to get into it you know cats definitely do have some sort of obsession with boxes.
But why?
Science advisor for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Stephen Zawistowski says “cats like boxes because they are cryptic animals; they like to hide” which makes a lot of sense as we know our cats can get up to some very peculiar things every now and again. I’m sure you have noticed as well that your cat probably doesn’t like being snuck up on from behind or on the side, so this hiding space allows them to keep note of what’s going on around them without (usually) being seen.
A box is also a very cosy and safe place to sleep for a cat which is a crucial element in their day to day life, considering they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day.
So next time your cat runs towards the newest box in the house, don’t forget this information and remember that safety comes first so it is important to remove and staples, tape and handles from the box.
Quick Tips Guide For Cat Lovers!
Cats are difficult to please. Sometimes, it is very difficult to really figure out your pets and their real needs. Fortunately, if you educate yourself, you can better care for them. These simple tips will ensure your cat gets the proper care it needs and deserves.
Health
Use petting to check on your cat’s health. Petting isn’t just a way for you and your cat to spend time together, but it’s a great way to find anything abnormal on their body. You can pet them to feel for bumps, lumps, or sores. This is also a great time for you to check their ears.
Cat Food
Even if you have been feeding your cat the same food for many years, it’s worth checking the labeling and the ingredients in your cats’ food. What are you checking for? Things that are not natural and wouldn’t be found in normal cats food for eg fillers like grains.
Just because your cat likes it or has got used to it, it might not be good for them. This is similar to junk food and humans, we know we love the taste but we are quickly finding out how they can be detrimental to our health.
Training
When training a cat, take the proper approach. Encouragement works better than anger. If you are trying to teach a kitten to use a litterbox, for instance, yelling will only frighten a small cat. When the cat starts to go outside the box, gently place them in the box so they learn.
Cat Toys
Play with your cat using proper cat toys. Cats love toys that help them feel like the predators that they think they are. Try sticking with toys that help them dance around or jump. This can also help them use extra energy by pouncing on toys instead of people’s feet.
Learn more
Attend cat shows for tips about your cat. A cat show only costs a few dollars to attend. But when you attend one, you see vendors selling cat items, and show pet owners that give their cats the best of everything. You can get ideas for best brands to feed your cat, as well as ideas for grooming and caring for your cat.
We hope these simple but quick tips have helped you in taking the best care of the pet you love. Use this article to ensure that you are fulfilling your cat’s most basic needs, as well as its need for love. Your cat just might start playing nice! Maybe not.
How come your cat is picky when it comes to food ?
You generally find that changing your dog’s diet is one of the easiest things to do in the world dogs just seem happy with what is fed to them, the grateful loyalists that they are.
Enter the cat….Try change his or her diet and you will probably be on the receiving end of a rather haughty, arrogant and somewhat insulted response.
Cats seem to have an instinct for what is food and what isn’t, and they also seem to know what nutrients their bodies need as is evidenced by a number of studies on cats and cat nutrition.
Cats from when they are kittens, seem to associate certain shapes and colours, with what is identified as food, this is a survival instinct, but not that necessary for today’s cats in modern homes.
Sometimes it becomes necessary for various reasons to change your cat’s diet, but in doing so, the survival instinct kicks in, and the difficulty of changing the food arises. Your cat thinks you are trying to feed it plastic or something when you offer him or her an alternative type of food.
So what do you do?
The trick is in offering two types of food to your cat, the food you are wanting your cat to switch to and the food that your cat normally eats, the food you are wanting to switch your cat too should be offered first, and left for up to an hour and monitor whether or not the cat eats, if your cat doesn’t then switch back to the food he or she normally eats, generally a few days of doing the switcheroo described above should be good enough, if this does not work, well then we need to switch to plan B.
Plan B is to place the new food on top of the old food and let the cat get used to the smell and look and taste of the new food, it is not advisable to mix the new food in with the old food because this will just create confusion and the cat will never really get used to the look and smell of the new food.
Over time the new food should form a larger portion of the total meal, moving from a topping to half the meal and eventually to the full meal, this takes time and planning and patience.
Swimming cats
Swimming cats
We all know the story, as soon as the water comes, the cat disappears, there are a plethora of cat videos on You Tube showing cats that have fallen into a bath or any water containing vessel and the scrambling hysteria that ensues.
Why is this ? Watching a documentary the other day on an animal channel I noted that the likes of Jaguars and Tigers are excellent swimmers and actually hunt in the water at times and then there is The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia.
Another water loving feline is the Turkish Van cat, who actually loves a good dip in the water, so you should, invest in a little paddling pool if you own one of these lovely creatures.
The above are examples of cats that absolutely are great swimmers and have no problem with water.
What about our beloved pets, why is it that our domestic cats are so anti – water?
Well part of the reason is nature and the other part is nurture. Cat’s in general were desert dwelling creatures, so water in general is foreign to them. On the nurture side….. the answer lies in the way they are raised, we protect our kitties from the water, they have warm dry shelter from the rain and storms and any water sensation is new to them, now and then you get a curious kitty who loves the water and will place their paws into the running tap water out of sheer curiosity.
It’s best to expose your kitty slowly while they are kittens to water, and see the reaction and be sensitive to their response.
If your kitty enjoys the water and seems intrigued then you can progress with water exposure, if not then we don’t suggest progressing with water exposure as you will just stress out your kitty.
