I've been a Registered Veterinary Technician for 53 years. I must tell you, this is probably the best video on cats on the internet!! There was not one detail I could argue against. You were precise on what not to do, and explained why very clearly so that even new cat owners would understand. I have to give you a big five (10) Paws up for this!! 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
My Vet told me it was okay to pick up my tuxedo cat by the scruff of the neck because she refuses to let anyone pick her up normally. She was a homeless kitten that I found in my backyard. I gave her a forever home & got her fixed when she was old enough. She is very loveable, but SHE WILL NOT LET YOU PICK HER UP! I don't have to pick her up by the scruff of the neck very often, but when I do, it comes in handy!
This was very helpful! Thank you. I recently got adopted by a cat and I wasn’t prepared. She taught me to buy food, get a litterbox and don’t play to rough. It’s quite a beautiful challenge but as we fell in love at first sight, I wanted to make it work. This really helps.
@TheSleepingonit They get it dirty by using it as a face cleaning source. After eating, you might see them going straight for the water bowl, not to drink (at first) but to wash off any remaining food bits. That's why most fountains have a filter pack on them, it catches these bits so they don't return to fresh water. You DO have to clean those fountains at a frequency that doesn't overload the filter.
Interesting about the fresh water!!! I believe this goes for giving water for all your pets and children. I think it's good to scrub that water bowl every day or two with a little bit of soap to remove that slimy feeling that you feel after the bowls been used for a couple of days.
I have always made sure to clean out my cats' bowls and replace the water twice per week. After this video I will make sure to do it more often. I grew up with dogs but in my later years I have been adopted by several cats. I have 2 inside. One since she was a kitten and the other I took in from the street at about 10 yrs old. That one is my shadow and goes everywhere I do. I also have 3 ferals outside I take care of. They are getting braver by the day as now 2 of them will come in my door with I open it to go out and feed them. I am now a certified cat lady and love every minute of it.
Changing water in bowls is usually done everyday.. Everyday is the norm and that's what we do for our cats and figus as well as the water we keep for the street kitties outside..
I remember being about 10 years old when I saw a neighbor's young child (4-5 years) picking up a cat totally wrong. I went over and taught her to support kitty's butt and chest while picking up the cat. I'm not even sure how I knew, but I was so proud of myself and her for listening. 😂😂😂
This is an excellent video. As a cat owner for over for over 30 years, I have learned most of this already! But I am going to share, as everyone should know this. Huge paws up!
@@marlenelindsey7638 the best idea - also has a filter so water us clean, filtered constantly - and moving! Which cats prefer. I have one ib my bedroom and it gives off a gentle light at night too. Win win! 😼💕
I feed my cats at any time they want to eat, and that's pretty often, but since they feed from the same plate, it's really small meals each time. However, twice a day, they get some roast chicken, cat treats, sticks, and biscuits. They know once I've had my morning coffee and go into the bedroom to get dressed, its treat time. They are sitting waiting for me outside the door. When 5 pm. comes around, they will get restless, and if I'm not aware of the time, they will tap me with their paws because its treat time again
This is something that new cat owners need to listen to, but I leave food out for my cats constantly, but if I ever see that they're getting fat that will stop. My cats hardly ever meow to me, they talk to me in Cat talk, the best I can describe it is chirping. Love on your Cat and your Cat will love you. And yes, do not, I repeat, do not rough play with your Kitty, because you will regret it, this is one reason why men hate Cats, they want to get rough with them, and then wind up with the cat whooping their ass.
NO NO NO. Free feeding is so bad and not just cuz they can get fat. Cats aren’t grazing animals, at least get a timed auto feeder since you use dry food plz.
My neighbor played rough with his kitten, basically mishandling her. Now, when he wants someone to cat sit, she plays aggressively, and this makes them want to avoid her.
I literally just saw a thread on Facebook and people were arguing the fact that their cats did understand punishment like this One girl admitted that she spanked her cat when it ran across the highway nd I said your cat absolutely does not know. I mean maybe if you catch it in that very second but not even ten seconds later. You cannot control cats. You can keep them indoors.
@@user-pl3vw3cq6w haha cats are the best. I want a maine coon so bad ♡ One of my cats gets highly jealous. Always has since she was a kitten. She glares at me if I dont feed her first, pet her first.
AGREED! Especially, STOP being lazy, using lasers (which irreparably damage all retinas). Animals are observably Frustrated. ALL ARE COMMON MISTAKES of longtime cat lovers, owners and health professionals!
I believe that for most indoor cats (who stay at home alone while their parents work), are much happier and healthier overall with a companion, another cat or dog staying at home also. They communicate with each other, they discuss what's going on in the home and they get to share life's experiences while their parents are away. I believe this is even more true for dogs, particularly certain breeds such as poodles. . Ideally, your pets will be young, under 4 years of age or so, when they meet, where they are more likely to be open-minded and wanting to make friends. But I believe older dogs and cats can also adapt somewhat as long as long as the older pet is not sickly or in pain. You can separate the two sometimes and separate rooms if you're older pet gets fed up with the friskiness and energy of the younger pet. Individual personalities play into this too.
I totally agree with you! When my cat was alive, when I left the house, I left a light for him. But, a Russian "friend" who is overly conceited laughed at me, because she believed that cats could see everything in the darkness. She's so stupid. Cats can see things in a dim environment better than humans, but this doesn't mean that they don't need any light!
I’ve had several cats over my adult years. Almost all these issues I have just naturally adhered to. I get angry when I see ppl who can’t read their cats signals. I had one that wanted to be aggressive toward me. Ironically it was my last of the many I had. He would swipe at me scratch me and bite. I started wearing suede driving gloves at the times and places he did it. Then if he bit or scratched me I’d gently bop him on the forehead and say “you don’t bite your mommy.” Watching cats you will see the head bop is what cats will do to warn other cats. They usually do not extend their claws at first. This worked well. I also did J. Galaxy’s suggestion to slowly close my eyes and wait until the cat copies me. I did this over and over with an aggressive cat of one of my patients that would attack me while making the clients bed. Soon the cat was laying down next to me on the floor and playing with its toys and me. Cats give you so many signs when they are having different feelings.
Hey can you give me some suggestion please? My cat bites me so much at night even in my face. And she becomes too much hyper at night.. My sister is afraid of this behaviour of my cat and I also feel stressed when she acts like that.. What should I do? I'm a new cat owner so I'm asking for help from you
When she becomes crazy, me and my sister cannot help putting her in other room.. But then, she tries to come at our room again and again.. If we allow her to come, she starts biting us and running all over the room.. Sometimes, I feel so frustrated because of her behaviour
Thank you! I had a cat that I loved ❤ her so much! She would put one paw on each of each my shoulders, then would put her head and give me a nudge. She would pure while doing me the whole time. I would give her a little nuge back when she did this, a little Love Nudge ❤
I Have 3 Indoor Kitties Myself 😻😻😻‼️ And Their Name's Are Blizzard Rosie And Coco Kitty! I Love My Precious Little Kitties To Bit's BIG-TIME!!! We Are Very Playful And Affectionate With Each Other! Shalom And Amen!✝️✝️🛐🛐😇🌟🤗🙏🙏🙏🇨🇦🇮🇱♾️🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🗽🦅❤❤❤‼️
I literally leave nightlights on and even cartoons on all day so they don't have to focus on every little sound ♡ I hold my cats in the most loving way. I hold them securely with my hand under their hind paws.. I think. Now I have to check. All I know is its proper, holding their butt. Im a good cat mom.. I have learned some through all the videos I watch but it mainly gives me a pat on the back because im already doing everything naturally correctly ♡ I didn't always though. I only had one cat, one litter box for 8 years. My daughter brought a tiny kitten home and the 2 did share a litter box, no problem.. I clean it every day, often twice. My cats do not mind. I now have 7 cats. 4 were from an abandoned litter under my shed of the house we just moved into. One is a disabled kitten we rescued. We have 3 litter boxes, 7 cats. I know its not enough but they only really use 2 out of 3. I am still going to get more. Im actually looking now.
You sound like an amazing cat mom! 😻 Leaving nightlights and cartoons on is such a sweet idea to keep them comfy. Holding them securely with a hand under their hind paws is perfect. 😊 And wow, seven cats! You're doing a fantastic job managing all of them, especially with the litter boxes. Adding more sounds like a good plan, but it’s clear you’re already doing a great job. ❤️🐾
Thank you for this excellent video ! 😺 You cover so much I think it's possibly the best one I've seen. The clips of different kitties are wonderful, they're all unique and beautiful!😽
Thank you so much for the kind words! 😺 I'm thrilled you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Those kitties sure know how to steal the show with their unique charm! 😽❤
I have three pets, my first cat, my second cat, and the dog. My first cat has been ill recently, and I believe it's partly depression, that I keep adding more animals to our house and it isn't just her and me any more, and I have less time for her. So I have been putting the other animals either outside or in a different room occasionally, so she and I can have some alone time together, so I can focus on her. There was also a medical issue which I'm addressing, and I am making her special raw food no one else gets, and she is improving. 🥰😻
Make sure you get her bloodwork from a vet. There are so many treatable health issues that can become untreatable if you don't catch them early enough.
@@EternalFlightVV Thanks, Yes I've had her bloodwork done and urinalysis. They had to sedate her for these. They used an ultrasound and also did a fecal smear, the whole nine yards! And I paid quite a bit of money (without even blinking). The vet said she has diabetes, brought on by age (she's only 7 out of 14 years!), prednisolone use (for IBD), and stress (from the dog). She is doing better now since I started her on raw food, three times a day, and extra attention. The insulin shots is not something I (personally) can administer, and there's a new oral treatment, but costs a lot. I'm hoping it's a misdiagnosis, as overuse of steroid can produce the same symptoms and she's been on it for 3 years. I requested the test results on paper, and have analyzed them myself and looked up explanations. I have reduced her steroid dosage by half, and she isn't throwing up any more than she did on full size pills, also the blood in the urine is gone. I think she was getting too much steroid. I am also looking into rehoming the poodle. That was a boundary breaker from the beginning: if the new dog threatens the lives of my cats, the dog is out.
@brightphoebus Sounds like your kitty has a great pet parent in you 😄 Can I ask why you can't do insulin injections? Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney disease - an all too common reason many cats lives come to an end. There is no dialysis for cats. Most kitties end up getting kidney disease if they live long enough, but diabetes with definitely accelerate that 😞
When it comes to the laser dot, my Luna knows that I'm releasing the dot and when she sees that I'm taking the laser in my hand, she already knows what's coming.
Mine come running. Tried to sneak the pointer out of the drawer during their nap time to check the batteries. I look up and there are 8 cats surrounding me. I made no noise...mine love it
@geri8666 I use the lazer pointer and Luca loves it. After play with the lazer I throw treats that bounce on the floor and he chases them. He loves it because it helps with the chase and catch.
I learned as a teenager that trapping cats against their wishes, even just to express affection, is the best way to ensure that they hate snuggling. When I got older, I made a point of always allowing my cat to leave when it wanted, and have thus consistently found that cats that know they can leave whenever they wish like to snuggle the most, and are least likely to want to leave.
22: laser pointers 21: not spreading territory 20: darkness 19: a lot of toys 18: hunt eat sleep cycle 17: how do you pick up your cat 16: Making vulnerable when eating 15: hurting their most sensible part (whiskers) 14: force 13: what we see as punishment our cats see as aggreasion 12: their water 11: rough play 10: essential oils 9: the amount of litter boxes 8: messing with their sleep 7: what dishes do you feed your cats in 6: how often do you clean the litter box 5: a lap cat 4: mixed signals 3: vertical space 2: social akwardness 1: the biggest mistake: not respecting their nature
I am a dog owner,she is extremely fussy about her drinking water, she asks for fresh tab water for each time she drinks and she wants to see that I fill her water container!!!Entering any new place she tries to find kitchen and the faucet!😂😂😂
Picking them up by the scruff should be avoided. I read an article it may DISLODGE THE MICROCHIP....AND GO INTO ANOTHER AREA WHICH IS NOT GOOD. BE CAREFUL FOLKS.
The rule for litter boxes is one per cat plus 1 extra. Cleaning is simple first thing in the morning I make the rounds and it takes no more than a few minutes. As needed during the day if I walk past and see it has been used and at night before retiring. All waste put in one of those cheap plastic bags 100 per box for food&bread twist ties. Easy disposal. No smelly boxes and no odors that have to be covered with air fresheners.
Never used lazer pointer. Her food spot is right next to the kitchen counter. Her toilet is by the entrance door. Whenever I have to make errands from my sick bed, I always leave on cat-tv for her to watch. Only time she drives me nuts, is during her heat cycles...
Still haven't figured out the balance between wet food and dry food yet. I have a feeling that I'm leaving too much dry food out, where she's not hungry enough to eat an entire meal of wet food in the afternoon.
Kibble is easy but not ideal. If it's not found in nature it's not food. Having said that we always have kibble out but wet is their primary food. Wait until you get a diabetic cat, wet food only.
@@franadkins8095 Somehow, my kittie has gotten used to get her wet food in the afternoon, and dry food up by the window when she feels a bit peckish. She eats with more regularity than me. Got stomach issues, and chronic pains from an old injury on my ribcage that stil hasn't healed. So apetite is often at the botton. In this context and scenario, I wonder if my kittie is trying to teach me to eat less and more often.
at 18:51 you asked if i ever got the sense my cat is checking up on me , while im minding my own business and 5 times already she checked up one me and that its revealing my relationship with my kitty - but which relationship do you mean that its revealing ?
All animals like to drink moving water. It is instinctual. Moving water is living water, still water is dead water. This may be why even a dripping faucet is so attractive to them.
My 2 cats prefer to drink from cups, so much in fact we've made a designated cat cup... they have no problems with their whiskers touching the sides while drinking. 🤷♀️
My wiser cat understands it's a laser pointer I play with her and isn't real, so it doesn't bother her. My more "simple" cat understands it's a laser entity that taunts her and then vanishes, so it doesn't bother her.
My kitty name is Greece. He is a orange cat.I love your video's they are so useful they help me understood Greece without your video's he would have died for bieng misunderstood
Aww, Greece sounds like such a special kitty! 🧡 I'm so glad the videos have helped you understand him better. Thanks for sharing and for your kind words! 😊🐾
It's also really important to know that every cat can have a more unique personality then just how playful they are, some "deeper" things than changing toys often (like even some instincts) can be the exact opposite for your cat
Nice video have had indoor/ outdoors cats for years let your cats be happy. I talk to them using same phrases to communicate they react appropriately 90% of the time. 😊
Very good video! One thing, though, it's fairly common for a cat's eyes to dilate while playing or to swish their tail around during play time. So that's not necessarily a bad sign during play time, but if you're using your hands to play with your cat, you might end up with scratches if you're not reading your cat's emotions correctly. If your cat scratches or bites you during play time, disengage immediately and simply ignore your cat for a few minutes so that they learn that behavior isn't acceptable.
To me a swishing tale has always been a warning sign that I should stop petting the cat and leave he or she alone at that time. I respect the warning sign and don't wait for hissing, swatting to scratch or snapping.
thank you for sharing! I feel terrible after the fact, I didnt know i had such terrible parenting skills. No more!. Thankd goodness i dont have kids, LOL!
I have 9 cats abd I live on a farm. They get all the water they wabt from the spring, they hunt and roam free. Their foid is ínside the house so that birds and mice can't get it. My cats are healthy and i believe, happy
While the number of rod cells in mammals eyes, helps their black & white or night vision. It is not the most significant structure that gives them an advantage in night vision. The structure within the eye of the feline & many other mammalian species that allows them to see more in very low light is called the tapetum Lucidum. This is a reflective layer in the back of their eyes that we often observe in the flash of the camera or while driving at night. We often observe this as a red, green, yellow or white glow or flash along the edges of the road. To avoid hitting critters, especially deer at night I watch for this. I have avoided hitting many critters looking for their reflective eyes. It IS GOOD for them ... also my car!
1:56 I was once feeding my neighborhood street cats and dogs, and there was an electricity outage. When the lights came back, I found out a cat was hit by a passing car while the lights were out when she was trying to cross the street to my side 😢. Lesson is, pause the feeding if the lights went out for some time...
I very much enjoyed your video. Can Kitty cats suffer from depression? I had a male Tabby that passed away from a stroke 2 years ago and my female tabby, well I worry that she gets depressed because Sonny isn't here anymore. Sissy is 8 and I've been thinking about getting a female kitten for her to play with. I just worry about Sissy because I have had cats always since I've been a little girl (I'm 65) and I have never had a cat that sleeps as much as she does. Do you think she may be depressed or she just likes to sleep a lot? ❤❤
I'm so sorry to hear about Sonny. 😔 Yes, cats can experience depression, especially after losing a companion. If Sissy is sleeping more than usual and seems less active, she might be feeling lonely. Getting a new kitten could help, but it’s important to introduce them slowly and see how Sissy responds. Always a good idea to check with your vet too. Sending love to you and Sissy! ❤❤🐱
I use to have a male friend that would rub his hands over my cats face. His ruffness literally made me crazy! Cats need a more gentle approach n not a neck adjustment...needless to say we are not friends any longer.
thankyou SO much for talking about the laser toys - i wish they would get rid of them. my father played with his cat and would wear her out - he thought it was funny that she would jump way up the wall to not get anything. She had a heart attack when she was only 5 years old. I hate the things.
Kibble for breakfast, good quality canned food with water added for dinner. They should not live on kibble. And motion nightlights and all night lights too. My boy has 2 cat boxes, always gets 5 star service. Plenty of scratchers too-preferrable at least 30 inches. They love to stretch up.
The first time I saw someone use a laser pointer with a cat - it was cute at first, and the cat seemed to be having fun - but a very short time into it, I started to perceive it as "teasing" - and I could tell the cat thought so too. She just suddenly stopped and walked into a corner and started agitatedly cleaning her paws with her back to us. I said, "Oh, she's getting frustrated!" and my friend stopped and looked at me and realized it was true. There was no possible follow-through for the cat. She put the laser pointer away and only used it occasionally after that. Pointing it at a toy for the cat to pounce on is a great idea! But, personally, I won't use one at all. It's a game the cat can never win.
I have an airtight container with catnip (well, 2 to be honest) and 1 with valerian. I will circulate the cat toys in those and take out fresh scented cat toys from time to time (have several different toys in different colors so it’s pretty easy to distinguish the one who’s in there the longest)
any game that stirs hunting intstincts and denys catching game leads to disinterest and distrust. if you engage in this kind of gameplay and your cat seems distant to you YOU caused this.
Pffft i hold my cat like a baby and it gets it and likes it. It truts me as im always nice to mr kitty. Also a stern talking to if mr kitty scrstches my new 4k sofa gets it to undrstand not to do this. Dont be a cat simp! Be kind but firm
One thing I realised is that my cats want to come into my room at night when my lights are on, however, when I would turn the lights off to sleep they would leave my room.
My cat loves the shallow clam shell bowl I use for his water. He can lap from the edge and so it gives him a good idea where the water is in relation to his face.
#5 I agree with, I NEVER pick them up, I wait for them to jsut climb up on me and if bed time, sleep, or if during regular time, until they want to go elsewhere.
You don't use their food as a reward,that itself is cruel. If any reward should be given,you should give them a cat treat instead. This guy in the video doesn't know what he's talking about. We had a gray and white kitty and even though she had dry food available at all hours,she still hunted and played with us. She would play with her toy mice,feather on a string and the laser pointer. Course we allowed her to go outside as well.
I’ve never liked lasers. It did seem as if it would frustrate the kitty. Mine likes fuzzy worm toys on a fishing pole, and he’s 15 yrs old now. Still plays with his mama, me !
My cat made connections when she did something she shouldn’t have. I used a squirt gun, and then stopped but just made a sound and gesture mimicking a squirt gun, and she knew she wasn’t supposed to jump up on the kitchen counter; she jumped down. At least not in front of me, lol. My sister’s cats HAD to use one litter box. They refused to have separate boxes. Most cats I knew weren’t lap cats. They were chest and stomach kitties.
I just had to put my sophia down on tuesday and my four year old has never been without her even though she was very mean to him. She had IBS and was always sick vomiting. It's very hard on Both of us. He is mourning her. He needs a companion and this time I am gonna find a cat that loves other cats. And it looks like I'll be doing it sooner than later.He does not like to be left alone even though i'm here most of the time. By the way on RU-vid, you can find healing frequency music.Both my cats love it and it stays on for hours.It's very calming.Find a frequency your cat loves.It's good for us too...😊
Also wanted to say the last three sets of cats two of them were siblings used one litter box of course an extra large and the current to use it at the same time so I don't think there's a problem with them wanting an extra litter box but thank you for your wonderful video
Cats also prefer their food and water be separated, as they are in the wild. And they love to find a glass of water somewhere they aren't expecting it. ❤
My cat will only drink water from the tap, someone told me his called a fountain cat never heard of this is this true?😺.. I have a black boy cat 7yrs old the love of my life.❤
Is the rough play thing exactly like the video says? My cat is four (adopted at 3) , and we play kinda rough with one another. It sucks for friends who come over, as the video says he draws blood from them. The scratches don't bother me so much, I have thick skin. I have a strong feeling I can't put this genie back in the bottle, but does it really mess with him? I know if you get too rough with them they lose confidence, so I "let him win" sometimes when we play and act defeated. He often initiates play like this by biting me and trying to pull my down. I make it a point not to hurt him, it might be more accurate to say I play Firm, not rough. I do have "rules" for him, he knows to stay away from my (and anyone else's) head and face, so nobody really gets hurt. Do I need to change my behavior with him? We seem to be fine...
We have 6 cats inside they all are different personalities we know the signs of each one we clean all 3 litter boxes 3 to 4 xs a day we clean the 3 water bowls 2 xs a day we built a screened in porch for our cats to play and get sunshine they chase moths and lizards on the porch however we can not use any rugs in our home for some reason they dont like any kind of rugs they will pee on themm and shredd them up. So we have hard wood floors scratch resistant but we do have post around the house to scratch on but the still scratch my dinner table legs. They do like getting onctop of fridge. So I pretty much have all my cats SPOILED 😅😅😅
We rinse and refill our old girls water about 5 times a day , ,sometimes more ,she is 19 rd old and has always been fed on applause meat ,she doesn’t really get biscuits though does get thrive treats . the litter box is cleaned every time she uses it for whatever solid or liquid ,with a scoop of fresh litter to replace any removed ,once a week it is emptied ,,washed and all fresh litter put in it in. No that she is such an ld lady we have put a little foot stool by the bed ,as we noticed she was struggling to jump up on the bed .
