Playing with your cat probably is not something you think about very often. We all enjoy playing with kittens. But once those little bundles of energy grow up, cat owners tend to stop playing with them. Maybe that’s because they think cats are independent and prefer being left alone. And to a certain extent that is true about a cat.

But playing with your cat is actually an important part of responsible cat care. Besides being fun, playing with your cat is an excellent way to give your pampered pet some exercise. And the cat will not even realize it!

Playing with your cat helps keep your cat from becoming bored, too. That is really important because a bored cat is more likely to develop behavioral problems. Chewing or scratching furniture, aggressiveness, and a tendency to shy away from others are just a few of the problems bored cats develop. A well-established cat care routine can keep this from happening.

Believe it or not, playing with your cat benefits you, too. It is a great way to relieve stress. Throwing a small ball or fuzzy mouse around or dangling some string to see how high your cat will jump is all it takes to start relaxing. Give it a try tonight and you’ll see.

Don’t be surprised if one result of playing with your cat is a closer bond between the two of you. Cats might be independent, but they need love and attention.

How much time should you spend playing with your cat? A few minutes a day, a couple times each day is sufficient. Even if you are busy, it should not be hard to work that amount of time into your daily cat care routine. And don’t worry. When your cat is ready to stop, it will let you know by simply walking away.

• Don’t put kitty’s litter box next to its bed or food. You want a clear separation in kitty’s mind: bed for sleeping, food bowl for eating, and litter box for doing its business. Besides, would you want to eat and sleep in your toilet? The same goes for your kitten.
• Use a spray to attract kitty to its litter box. There are some commercial sprays which can attract cats to a certain spot to defecate and urinate. You can use this spray, for greater convenience.
• Use a “pet behave spray” to prevent kitty from defecating or urinating in corners and other undesirable places. This spray basically produces smells which are unpleasant to your kitten. For example, if your kitten frequently urinates or defecates in the corner behind your settee, then you should spray that area regularly. Kitty will then avoid that area.
• Don’t use litter which clumps together (for kittens). A common recommendation for litter training cats is to use a litter which easily clumps together. While this is very convenient for adult cats, this cannot be recommended for kittens. Litters like these are usually treated to a chemical which to kittens may be sensitive. It is safer to use a different kind of litter. Check with your vet for advice on a suitable type of litter.
• When kitty hunches up or crouches, this is a common sign that it is about to do its business. Quickly put your kitten in its litter box and scratch its front paws in it. Eventually, this will help to associate the idea that kitty should do its business here.
• Put kitty in litter tray when it wakes up, and after eating. Many cats and kittens tend to pee and shit around these times. If you put your kitten in its litter box during these times, you will have fewer messes to clean up.
• Whenever kitty defecates/urinates elsewhere, clean up the poop and place it and kitty in the litter box. Don’t rub your kitten’s nose in the poop. Just sprinkle some litter over the poop or pee and clean it up. Then put this mess together with kitty in the litter box. The intention is simply to associate the action of shitting and peeing with the litter box. Kitty will probably not understand at first, so you need to be patient and do it over and over again.
• Feed kitty on a regular schedule. Part of litter training your kitten is to create fixed habits which are convenient to you. Regular feeding will help lead to regular shitting and peeing. This definitely makes your life easier.
• Clean the litter box regularly. Scoop away the poo after your kitten defecates. Replace the litter every week. If the litter is dirty and messy, your kitten will refuse to use the litter box. This is very bad for you.
• Don’t move the litter box around. This is part of forming good habits in your kitten. Keep the litter box in the same place. This makes it easier to associate the litter box with the act of elimination. Don’t confuse your kitten by changing the location of the litter box everyday.

However, a cat doesn’t just meow to hear themselves. They are trying to get a message across. What is your cat trying to tell you? Well, here are a few things that could be going through their head.

Why Do Cats Meow?

There are a number of reasons why cats meow. Usually it is either when they are hungry or when they want to be let in or out of the home. However, other common reasons include:

1. Attention

2. They are in distress

Depending upon what is wrong with your cat, the meow will be slightly different. If they would like to go out for example, then the pitch of the meow will be lower usually than it would if your cat would like to be fed. The pitch of the meow will also depend entirely upon how badly the cat wants something. The more impatient they become, the louder the meow will be. By listening to your cat you will soon learn to distinguish between the different types of meow. That will then help you to determine what your cat actually wants.

How to Stop Constant Meowing

It doesn’t matter why your cat is meowing; all meowing is done to gain your attention. So don’t ignore your cat if you want to sort the problem out. Look at what you think they may need. Is it feeding time? If so then try to feed them before they remind you. It is always better to have a set routine as that way your cat will know what feeding time is and you will have the food ready and waiting for them; reducing their need to meow for food!

If you know that your cat isn’t hungry, try playing with them. Perhaps they are simply feeling a little lonely and they would like your attention? By stroking them little and often you will be giving them the attention that they need.

Another excellent way to stop constant meowing is installing a cat flap. Most of the time your cat is likely to want to come in, or go out of your home. They often want to go out and then come back in almost straight away. So to save yourself from having to get up every two minutes, installing a cat flap would really help. That way your cat could come and go as it pleases and the meowing would stop.

Overall, there are a large number of reasons why your cat might be trying to get your attention. If all else fails then it would be a good idea to take your cat to the vets. It could be that your pet has an hidden illness that is causing them pain. Your vet will be able to look them over and give you advice on what could be the problem. If you follow these tips then you should easily be able to solve your cats meowing problem.

These battles are really no more than spats. A quick paw and a hefty growl may well let the invader know “this is no time for revolution”. Fights seem to be more apparent if there is a change in the weather. We have always felt that Louies’ territory is the garden. He loves to hunt and he spends a lot of time out there. Ellie, our blue Burmese on the other hand, spends time in the house where she is close to people. When it rains Lou gets pretty melancholy. Hr cant go out so now he’s also got to share the house with Ellie. This means those territory boundaries have got to be fought over all over again.

Another time fights started was when our patterns of behaviour changed. It can have an effect on the cats. For example, the main bedroom had always been Ellie’s territory. This is probably because as a Burmese Ellie always needs to be where the people of the house are. This didn’t bother Lou so much. Also Ellie enjoyed the warmth of the bed. Lou on the other hand had a thick fur coat to keep him warm so was not enticed. However for some reason we started giving them treats last thing at night. Treats which Lou was absolutely bonkers about. Suddenly the bedroom was the place to be. We then began to notice fights breaking out (instigated by Lou) just as we were going to bed. Again, a case of “this town aint big enough for the both of us.” Don’t get me wrong these fights are infrequent but what I want to emphasize is, if you look close enough you will see patterns that you can remedy. We started to give them their treats in a separate room. This did the trick nicely.

It is difficult to know when they are fighting or playing. Most of the time play is obvious. They will chase each other around the house; thunder up and down the stairs; and even play hide and seek behind the furniture. This is great to see and a reflection of how they get on most of the time. But there are times when tempers seem strained and there is more than just play in the air.

These times we have found are usually accompanied by low, long fearsome growls, tails erect and bushy, bodies confrontative in the prone position, ears flat and back on their heads. Where tussles which started out as roly poly turn fighting which creates a frightened squeal from one or the other. Simple chasing turns to stalking with an ulterior and aggressive motive.

We were advised by our breeder that this fighting was usually over territory and dominance and therefore they had to work it out for themselves. The philosophy being the loser will submit, the victor will gain dominance, and the fighting will cease quite quickly. Which it does tend to do. If you intervene you prevent the natural progression taking place and it will only start again (as Mother Nature says it must).

But it is difficult sometimes to listen to one of the cat when she sounds frightened or either in pain. We were advised that the time to intervene was when one of the cats is cornered. So this is what we do.