Everyday affairs
5.1. Wishes to owners who hold several cats in one apartment
Peace and harmony to reign in your house, don't mark favorites, try to be equally gentle and tender with all animals - the jealousy can become the aggression and untidiness reason, except that, animals who deprive of attention, are very unfortunate.
If in your apartment there is a cat who tyrannizes other members of the cat's family it is better to find another place for it or to castrate it. The castrated animal becomes quieter, except that, its dominant origin dies out gradually .
Don't keep several entire cats in one apartment: as each of them will mark "its" territory for certain and assert itself that can lead to cruel fights. Rivalry leads to the antagonism, open enmity and if you can't leave any of the animals, than at least one of them, but possibly both should be castrated. It is desirable to make the operation under one year before bad habits are not developed with the cats.
5.2. How to organize the life of a cat in its territory correctly ?
The territory of a cat is sacred, and quality of space is more important, than the area. In countryside the territory of a female can reach one hectare, and the territory of the male - 10 hectares. In a city ten cats can divide the third part of a hectare among themselves in case that their territories don't overlap each other.
Depending on type of your dwelling (a country house or a city apartment) the cat will consider its territory the whole site, one room or some meters. The cat will prefer a small, but perfectly organized with many possibilities for games (there is something to climb highly and places to hide) one-room apartment to the whole house of 200 м2 area, but absolutely empty, with no furniture and nooks.
Life of a kitten in your house will be organized round four spheres, and you should respect this order and never try to change it as you risk to provoke bad behavior of a kitten.
- Food sphere
It shouldn't be near the "cleanliness sphere" (the litter box) and your own table. Try to organize it not in the kitchen and not in the dining room that the kitten wouldn't mix up your plate with its bowl and wouldn't try to nuzzle in your food. It can lead to feeding balance damage.
- Rest sphere
It can move depending on solar illumination and heat sources which your kitten likes so much (the radiator, a place at a fireplace, a window on the sunny side...). Put the kitten's basket in one of these places, but try to make it not far from the basic places of your stay: your presence is very important for a kitten.
- Cleanliness sphere
It should be the place constantly available for a kitten, separated from the food sphere and from the sphere of your life. For this purpose the place behind a partition or a quiet corner will be perfect.
- Game sphere
The most extensive sphere is for vital space and for games. It should be a place favoring to games, mad races and high jumps (tables, cases, whatnots, armchairs` backs...). It is very pleasant for a cat to be at the face level with the owner or other member of a family. Then the cat can chafe about you, as about the relative.
All kittens adore high places. If there are no high and steady platforms in your dwelling, try to make such high places which the cat could use: rearrange something or buy "a cats tree".
5.3. How to choose a place for a toilet correctly?
For the cat's toilet it is necessary to choose a secluded, but an accessible place. The most convenient rooms are a toilet and a bathroom. These places are well ventilated, and in case of fluff of your pet it is easy to clean it. It is preferably to make a manhole with folding door at the door or it is necessary to keep it constantly open.
Many cats choose a hall and a place near the entrance door. If you don't mind it, why not to do it a favour.
It is categorically excluded to place a litter box near the rest places and food sphere. Here you should be steadfast and do everything possible and impossible to make a cat never even think about the "pranks" in the kitchen, in bedroom or a dining room.
5.4. How to teach a kitten to use a litter box?
If you buy a kitten ask the former owner, whether the kid is trained to use a litter box. As a rule, the two-month kitten is already accustomed by a cat-mum to cleanliness. You should find out the litter mark which it has got used to, and to buy the same tray. It is possible to take a few litter from the tray which it used before. The familiar smell will help a kitten to orient correctly on a new place.
The kitten is small and inexperienced, and you should watch at first whether it eases nature in the litter box or not. As soon as the kid starts to fuss, twist paws, to squat, dig in the wrong place, carry it to the litter box and make sure that it has used it. Give it a rap, stroke it.
If the kitten "was mistaken", don't abuse it. Carefully wash up the dirty place and wipe it with vinegar (never use ammonia water, clorine, turpentine). Special smell neutralizers are on sale in pets shops, they are very convenient and nontoxic. The kid shouldn't be frightened, it is necessary to show patience and persistence here.
5.5. How to dishabituate a cat to "spoil" in the wrong place
It is necessary to do everything to make the place where the cat spoils unsuitable or inconvenient. Put a sticky object, a foil, a fabric moistened with vinegar, an air freshener with lemon aroma. Temporarily put a bowl with water or meal. Use this place for games.
Sometimes the cat uses your bathroom for the toilet. If you are fastidious and wish to scare it away of this habit, leave some water in a bathroom.
5.6. The reasons of untidiness
Marks and the steady cat's smell in the house is a punishment, this is a big examination not only for owners of the animal, but also for neighbors. If the cat marks, doesn't use the toilet, it is necessary to find out the reason at once and immediately start to correct the situation.
The reasons are often banal enough - an uncomfortable litter box (too deep or flat, small). If the cat throw the litter around, it means, that the litter box is small, there is much litter in it, the litter is unpleasant, the box is not well washed out or stands in a wrong place.
Don't frighten and don't disturb a cat sitting in a litter box, at that moment it feels vulnerable. The animal can misunderstand you and replace the litter box with a corner of a new carpet.
Punishment should follow at once after the offense, otherwise it is useless.
If the cat accurately used the tray and "suddenly" became back-alley it is necessary to visit a veterinary, probably, illness or age is the reason.
Healthy animals ignore the litter box in case if they feel anxiety, fear, melancholy, loneliness, and also at a change of a place and a rivalry - so they express the protest or want to attract your attention. Don't use anything temporary for cat's toilet, don't nuzzle the cat in urine and faeces, it is not an education method, but mockery, it will be afraid of punishment and ease nature in such nook places which you can find only by a smell.
5.7. How to train a kitten to use the scratching post
Bring a kitten to a post several times a day, especially after sleeping. Having woken up, cats first of all stretch themselves and "sharpen" claws. For the same reason put a post closer to sleeping place.
Each time when the kitten starts to scratch a carpet, furniture or a wall, stop it and carry it to a scratching post. Rub a post with nepeta (the cat's mint) - the smell will attract a kitten.
Encourage a kitten for good behavior and if you scold it don't carry it to the post after that. The post should cause only pleasant emotions in a kid.
While training those places which the kitten tries to scratch, should be closed. For this purpose the strong membrane, plastic, a sticky tape (cats don't like sticky objects) will be fine.
It is possible to rub the problem places with an orange peel and if you leave the house tie a peel to a scratching place.
The sharp hailing "Out” or “No!” should be the most severe punishment for a kitten! Be successive and persistent.
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