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5 common mistakes cat owners make

by Jessica Britt

To err is human- even for the greatest pet owners. Unfortunately, it’s not in my cat’s nature to be forgiving. Or forgetful. In fact, right now her big amber eyes are fixed on me and she’s giving me that judgmental look “You’ll pay for this”. The unforgivable thing I did to my cat was giving her a bath and apparently that’s a mistake.

Truth is, in my cat parenting journey I made some mistakes that might have caused a lot of trouble both for me and for my lovely (but judgmental) furbaby. What can I say? Knowledge comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement and mistakes, so now I know better.

So here’s a list of widespread cat care mistakes that you should avoid making:

1. Declawing your cat. It’s in a cat’s nature to scratch things, but declawing is not ok, unless there’s a valid medical reason. In fact, this procedure has been already banned in some countries. Contrary to the common beliefs, declawing is not similar to a simple nail trim. It involves removing the bones at the tip of cat’s toes. It is a painful process that can result in long-term problems for your feline friend. They might experience problems with their balance at walking or climbing. Moreover, the lack of their main defence mechanism (the claws) makes the cats more aggressive and they might tend to bite more often.

2. Giving them milk. You may want to think twice next time you give your cat cow's milk. It may be tasty to them, but it is bad for their stomach and digestive system, because they don’t have the necessary enzymes for digesting lactose. So basically, most cats are lactose intolerant and drinking milk might result into diarrhea, vomiting, stomach ache. You may be wondering why kittens can and need to drink their mother’s milk. This is only time in a cat’s life when milk is a nutritional necessity for growth.

3. Punishing your cat for not using the litter box. If your cat stops using the litter tray all of a sudden, applying corrective treatment won’t solve the problem. You might think you can “re-train” your cat in that way, but trust me, it doesn’t really work! You should rather try finding out the reason behind this change in their behavior. When your cat refuses to use the litter box, they might be ill, in pain, or might be suffering from anxiety, so no need for punishment.

Source: Unsplash

4. Letting your cat sleep on radiators or other heat sources. It’s a well-known fact that cats love warmth, but it’s also a fact that they have fewer pain receptors than humans when it comes to heat. This is why their fur and skin might get easily burnt because of the overexposure to a heat source, without them even knowing. So pay attention if your cat likes napping too close from a heater, because they might get injured.

5. Shutting interior doors. Cats are curious creatures, with a natural instinct to explore. Containing your cat in a small area of your house might be a source of stress and anxiety to them. Leave the doors open and allow your furry friend to explore the whole place on their own. But before doing that, make sure your home is cat-safe and check if there are any escape holes where the cat might get stuck, or areas where it can be exposed to wires and cables.

Compared to dogs, cats are relatively low maintenance and can easily fit into our hectic lifestyles. They are quite independent and more suitable for smaller houses. However, they do need care, companionship and love, just like any other pet and you need to pay attention to their needs.

Have you made any of these mistakes when taking care of your cat?