They say the only certainties in life are taxes and death, perhaps we should add in cat problems as well. This problems don’t have to be major, but if you own a cat, the problems will find you.
Problems With Grooming
It is best to have your cat accustomed to being groomed from when it is a kitten. This is especially important if you have a long hair cat. While cats groom themselves many times a day, is important that they allow you, it to brush them to remove dead skin and fur. The grooming process also gives you a wonderful opportunity to examine your cats body for any unusual lumps that might need further investigation.
Aggression Towards People
Most cats are instinctively friendly towards people, although this will vary between different breeds. However, this does depend on what experiences they had while they were young. If they were born in a home with young children they might have been subjected to some rough play. Like all of this, cats can become aggressive when they are in pain. Please, make sure your cat has not been injured in any way and never smack a cat that is showing aggression. This is a bit like expecting young children when they are angry, you are only teaching them to be afraid. Remember, cats will lash out if they are frightened or cornered.
Aggression Towards Other Cats
Fights between cats is usually either territorial or over mates. These can usually be settled before there is any serious fighting. However, if neither cat backs down, be prepared for a fight. Luckily these fights while violent and frightening, I used to be short lived.
Be prepared for some problems with your cat at some stage. An e-book I have found invaluable is Liz Barton’s Cat Secrets Revealed. At times I swear she is writing about one of my cats. Remember, nothing is ever plain sailing in this life and owning a cat is no different. By having a strong bond with your cat and keeping an eye on what is happening with it, you should be able to get on top of any problems quickly.
Cats are such self sufficient animals that we tend to think they can look after themselves without our help. However cat problems do occur and is up to us, as caring owners, to work out what the problem is and how to deal with it.
Eating Problems Or Loss Of Appetite
Some cats can be very fussy about the food and won’t want to change from one brand to another. While your cat is a kitten, you need to get it used to as many different foods as possible. This isn’t always easy as there is not much variety available that is suitable for kittens. If you are planning on changing the type or brand of cat food, I strongly suggest mixing a little in to the old food and gradually increasing the amounts until the news feed is tolerated.
If Your Cat Starts Hissing
If you find your cat hissing for no reason that you can work out, you need to find out what the problem is. You will need to get down to its level and try and place it in your lap. This way you will be able to gently examine the body to find any injuries or un-usual lumps. You will also be able to feel your cat’s temperature. If there doesn’t appear to be a medical reason for your cat hissing, look for something that might be upsetting it such as noisy neighbours, children playing, washing machine going etc. If you have children, especially young ones, make sure they haven’t been playing too roughly. Is your cat stressed about a new arrival in the house or someone leaving for a new job or college. Have you recently painted or rearrange the furniture. These things can cause stress in your cat and an extremely plausible reason for your cat to start kissing.
Problems With Toilet Training
As cats are naturally very clean creatures, it is unusual for them to soil in the home for no apparent reason. Make sure your cat hasn’t been inadvertently shut into a room. The next thing to investigate is a medical problem. For this you will need to know your cats habits and nature as this will make it easy to pick up when something is not right. If you suspect a medical condition, contact your vet as soon as possible. Many cats will object to having their litter changed to something completely different and they will let you know this by depositing their business anywhere but in the litter tray. If you are going to change the litter, do it gradually.
Cat problems don’t have to be something major or to get overly worried about. By observing your cat and using commonsense, these problems can be easily overcome. Remember the earlier you work on a problem before it becomes a bad habit, the easier it is to fix.
