Mistakes when raising a cat at home

Cat staring

We like cats and we adore those who live with us, but sometimes we make mistakes that can prevent the animal from being happy. And it is that for a long time it has been believed that they were very surly, independent, lonely, or that even when they did something wrong it was because they wanted to offend the human.

Fortunately, little by little we are realizing that there are better ways to treat them. Still, I think it's still very important to know what are the mistakes when raising a cat at home. In this way, you will be able to avoid committing them.

Separating him from his mother when he is still very young

I know. A baby cat is a precious ball of fur. But that "ball of fur" needs its mother and siblings for its first two months of life (and even better if it's three). In that time, it will learn to behave like a cat, to play, and even to eat and drink from a feeder/drinker by watching its parent.

If you break up too soon, you may very well end up having behavioral problems.. For example, if we take him home with a month or less, he will not know how to be a feline because he will not be with anyone to teach him. In fact, it is for this reason that it is advisable to adopt two siblings rather than just one, but only if they are two months old or older.

In the event that we meet a orphan kitten, the ideal would be to look at getting him an adoptive mother, but since this is often very difficult, we will always have the option of taking in another to keep each other company.

Don't let him be a cat

Ailurophilia is not to be confused with Noah's syndrome

When we take him home we have to be very clear about his needs. That is to say, we have to know that a cat scratches, bites, jumps, meows, and that it has its own character. The biggest mistake for me is trying to modify their behavior to fit ours.

If we don't want him to destroy the furniture, for example, what we can do is provide him with scratchers or objects that he can scratch. We must give him alternatives so that he can be and develop as what he is: a feline. No more no less.

Humanize him

This is related to the previous point, but let's talk about it. We love the cat, and we want to protect it. When he is a puppy it is inevitable to think that he is a baby, with his sweet face and his touching gestures. And when he grows up, we continue to see him as "our child." And he's fine, but it becomes a mistake as soon as we wear it, or as soon as we think it does something to make us angry. The feline does not need clothes (unless he is a hairless cat living in a cold area, of course).

If he's cold, the best we can do is let him snuggle up next to us, or lie under the covers. But wearing it does not make any sense, since it will also make you feel very uncomfortable. On the other hand, the cat is unable to do things to hurt us. If, for example, he urinates on the bed, or bites us, it is our obligation to find out why. El Stress, anxiety, and depression, are also typical of cats, especially those that live in places where they are not provided with the care they need.

Not giving you the care you need

From the first moment we welcome you, we are committed to caring for you throughout your life. This means that we have to take him to the vet every time it is necessary to vaccinate him, deworm him, castrate him and every time we suspect that he is sick or that something hurts. In addition, we have to give him quality cat food, as well as provide him with clean water on a daily basis. But this is not all.

A happy cat not only needs to have their physical needs met, but also their mental ones. and for that We must spend time getting to know him. to know when and how he wants to be caressed, what his favorite toy is, where and with whom he wants to sleep... All these details will be of great help to build a healthy and precious relationship with our beloved feline.

welcome him on a whim

The person with ailurophilia is usually not conscious

Last but not least, a very serious mistake is when we welcome a cat on a whim. »My son wants one», »I would like to have one of this breed», »I am going to give it to my sister for her birthday»,... Surely some of this sounds familiar to you. It is very sad, but many of these "gift cats" or "whim cats" end up on the street as soon as they are no longer sweet little balls of fur.

It's great when you give one to someone you know is going to take care of it and care about it for the rest of its life, but let's really avoid this. Let's stop the abandonment of animals. If you want to live with a feline, first weigh the pros and cons, because it entails a responsibility and a commitment that will change your life. I just hope it's for the best.


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