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How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You

Olivia Grisham
By Olivia Grisham, Journalist specialized in animal care. Updated: June 28, 2018
How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You
Cats

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Many people think that because of their more independent nature, cats don't need many things to be happy. Not true! Probably everyone who has lived, or coexisted with a feline knows how much they need us, although sometimes it doesn't seem that way.

Do you think that providing water, food and a home is enough? Nothing is further from reality! Cats need a lot more to be really happy. If you love your cat unconditionally and consider them a part of your family, you've probably wondered how to make your cat happy. That is why, AnimalWised have prepared our 10 essential tips on how to make your cat happy and love you!

You may also be interested in: 10 Essential Tips to Make Your Dog Happy

Proper nutrition is key to their well being

Just like us and other animals, cats need to be well nourished to feel good. Adequate food to meet the nutritional needs of the feline is essential to prevent common diseases in this species.

Although it may seem obvious, it is important to remember that if you choose commercial food, you must choose a good quality feed. There are numerous scientific studies that prove that a good diet betters the general state of the cat, the quality of the hair, the skin, etc. However, many are those who think that quality products are too expensive and opt for less beneficial foods. If you have the ability to afford a better product, what can be better than investing in your best friend's health? In addition, thinking about the cost of veterinary visits, in the long term it is possible to save much more if a better feed is selected. However, this does not mean that the most expensive feed is the best on the market, because there are also cheaper products that can be considered good quality. In this way, what should be done is to review the ingredients of the feed and compare the composition of several to choose the one that best suits the needs of the cat.

On the other hand, remember that it is also important to adjust the amount of daily food to the specifications of the cat. One of the main problems in these animals is obesity due to a sendentary lifestyle or overfeeding.

Fresh and clean water, always!

To finish this point, do not forget that the key to preventing the onset of kidney disease is water. Therefore, to provide fresh and clean water at all times it is essential not only to make your cat happy, but also to ensure their good health.

The ideal is to distribute several bowls with water aroudn your home, since cats also tend to be animals with a tendency to drink little. Likewise, some cats are so peculiar that they refuse to drink from their bowl, preferring tap water directly. For them, it is recommended to purchase a source of water for cats, as this will enable your best friend to consume this important liquid without climbing the kitchen.

How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You - Proper nutrition is key to their well being

Do not neglect your cat's health

Another advice to make your cat happy is that this is obvious: regular visits to the veterinarian are essential to prevent and detect the presence of diseases in a timely manner.

In addition to taking the animal to their scheduled visits, it is recommended to follow the vaccination schedule and deworming stipulated by the specialist. Many people choose to deworm their cat with products designed for dogs, because they believe that they serve for both species. This isn't true! In fact, some of the products made exclusively for dogs are highly toxic to cats. Likewise, we do not advise to self-designate the animal without the prior consent of the specialist.

Sterilize a cat, yes or no?

Of course, this is a decision that every cat companion must make taking into account multiple factors, such as economic cost, animal character, sex, lifestyle ... In spite of this, AnimalWised recommend having this option, not only to avoid unwanted pregnancies, but also for all the advantages that this surgery offers. For example, in cats, the probability of breast cancer is reduced by 95%.

Hygiene is the most important thing to a cat

You've probably already noticed how many hours your cat is licking them-self. Cleanliness plays a fundamental role in the life of every feline, and is that without it can not really feel happy. Cats can not stand the dirt on their fur or their surroundings, so a disorganized home, lack of proper hygiene, neglect of their litterbox, etc., seriously disrupts their well-being.

Focusing on the litter box, it should be cleaned daily. A dirty litterbox can lead the animal to avoid using it completely, resulting in urination or defecation in any other corner of the house. To better understand this behavior, consider the following situation: if you go to the bathroom and it is dirty, you will clean it before use, right? The cat can't do this, but also hopes to find their bathroom in perfect condition.

As for the proper hygiene of the animal, it is recommended to brush daily to remove dead hair and thus prevent the formation of hair balls in the stomach.

How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You - Hygiene is the most important thing to a cat

Respect and get to know your cat

Cats have different personalities. Thus, there are more sociable cats and others are more solitary that, for example, they hide when people visit. This way, you should not force your cat to do something they do not want, especially when they are afraid. Respecting their space and privacy is essential to making your cat happy.

Some cats do not want to be caught, for example, then why do? The more you force your cat, the less they will want to stay by your side, since they will begin to associate you with negative experiences. Cats have an excellent memory, both for the good and bad!

After all of the above, it is essential to detect what your cat likes and what they don't, to enhance everything that pleases them and avoid what they dislike. Some felines love caresses, while others are content kneading their humans. With time, patience and observation you will get to know the character your furry friend, their tastes and, most importantly, gain their trust.

Learn to understand a cat's body language

Cats have specific body language that they use to communicate with each other and with humans. Unfortunately, we still do not know how to speak like them and, therefore, it is so important to know how to interpret this language.

For this, we recommend you consult our article on the body language of cats, in which we explain all the details related to feline communication. As in any relationship, communication is the basis for mutual trust and happiness for your cat.

Environmental enrichment

Environmental enrichment is very important to ensure the psychological well-being of your cat. That is, if your cat lives in a flat or apartment, you need to have toys that stimulate them physically and mentall.

Cats, hunters by nature, need to be able to express this behavior and natural instinct through the game. To do this, you need not invest a lot of money, since you can make your cat happy working on making homemade toys or games at home that keep you entertained. You do not know how? Do not miss these items!

How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You - Environmental enrichment

Choose the appropriate litter box

Most people choose any litter box and any kind of litter without thinking about how important it is to choose the right type of each product. Cats are selective animals, with tastes and preferences, so it is essential to select products that are to their liking to get them to use them.

Does your cat do their needs in the litterbox? Maybe they do not like it! Unfortunately, there is no single litter box that is better than another, since, we repeat, every cat is unique! What is universal is that the litterbox should be twice as large as the animal so the cat can move freely and not feel uncomfortable. So, to make your cat happy, we advise you to try with several types of boxes until you find the right one for them.

As for choosing types of litter, it is practically the same as with the litter box. However, in general, felines often prefer sand of finer grain. So, if you do not know where to start, this may be a good choice.

Adapt number of litter boxes to number of cats

Do you live with more than one cat? If so, did you know that it would be ideal to have more than one box? According to experts in feline behavior, it is advisable to have one sandbox per cat, plus one extra. So, if you live with two cats, you should have three litter boxes!

Cats are territorial animals, very neat and possessive with their belongings, so sharing something as important to them as their bathroom, may mean not using it at all and even start a war with their fellow cat. For more information, do not miss our article " Can two cats use the same sandbox?"

Use positive reinforcement

Cats can also be educated! Positive reinforcement is the ideal place to guide your cat to have certain behaviors and even to train them and teach them some tricks, like sit. This method of feline training consists of rewarding the animal with treats or affection whenever they act as we want them to, or show positive behavior. In this way, the animal interacts with something good and tends to repeat it to receive their reward again. Little by little, you must remove the treats to give place only to strokes or words.

On the other hand, especially for those active and curious cats, training is a good way to make your cat happy, since with this they can keep their mind well stimulated. Likewise, through education and positive reinforcement, the link between both is improved and contributes to the psychological well-being of the animal.

How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You - Use positive reinforcement

Don't hold back your love!

Many cats are independent animals, yes, but they all need love, affection and attention from their human companions. So, spoil your cat every time they show positive attitudes and do not ignore them when they look for you. They are very sensitive animals, observant and with a good memory. So, inappropriate attitude on your part will not go unnoticed and will cause the relationship between you both to turn sour.

Sometimes we are so busy with our problems that we inadvertently neglect the most basic needs of our pets and even scold them when they try to demand our affection. Most cats, unlike dogs, will not look for us all the time, but when they do, they will do it because they really need it.

How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You - Don't hold back your love!

If you want to read similar articles to How to Make Your Cat Happy and Love You, we recommend you visit our Basic care category.

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Olivia Brown
It's absolutely right, lost's of people thought like that. But we have to do lots of things to make our cats happy. New cat lovers should follow all of them. Thanks for your tips.
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