7 Tips for a Healthy and Happy Cat—and Owner

Kitty First Aid

If you accidentally cut your cat’s claw too short, and it bleeds, fill a small bowl with cinnamon, and dip the paw in really quickly. The cinnamon acts as a coagulant and the cat will clench its paw tighter and help stop the bleeding. Then go to the vet.

Fat Cat?

If you have trouble getting your cat to play with toys for exercise, make him or her work a little for food! First you’ll need a cylindrical container—a yogurt container (with the yogurt and foil removed) that has a top for granola or candy works well. Cut a hole in one or both ends and re-enforce with masking or duct tape to make sure there are no sharp edges in the plastic. Then put some dry food inside and put it in front of your cat. Cats love the noise the food makes when rattling around inside, and will continue to bat at the toy to get the food to come out.

One Cool Cat

Just like humans, cats can suffer in hot temperatures. But unfortunately, cats can’t sweat to keep them cool. Help keep your feline friend comfortable during heat waves by wetting her paws and the tips of her ears.

Make a Cozier Cat Bed

Cats are drawn to warm spots, so if you’d rather yours spend the night in her own bed and not climb on top of you while you sleep, try this tip. Set a heating pad under a towel on the floor or wherever you’d like your pet to sleep. Turn it on low heat and leave it on for 10-15 minutes, or until it seems like your cat has settled in for the night. You’ll create a warm space she loves to cuddle up on.

Pleasant-Smelling Litter

Don’t spend extra money on scented cat litter. To keep cat litter fresh-smelling, simply mix a bit of baby powder into clean litter.

Litter Container

If your cat leaves trails of litter around the house, set a sisal mat just outside her litter box, where she enters and exits the box. The fibers and grooves in the mat will catch any flyaway litter before it hits your floor.

Pick of the Litter (Box)

You may have seen those expensive “mess free” litter boxes that cut down on the amount of litter your cat tracks around your home by making the entrance/exit to the litter box a hole on top of the cover. But did you realize you can make the same thing at home for about a quarter of what you’d pay at a pet store or other big-box retailer? All you need is an 18-gallon plastic storage container with lid. On the box’s lid, trace the outline of a plate, and with a sturdy pair of scissors, cut out the circle you traced. This will be the opening for the cat to enter and exit the box. Now fill the empty storage container with cat litter and put the lid on top. You’re all set with a very private, mess-free, odor-reducing litter box!

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