Cat - Inside Or Outside Cats? Safe Outdoor Cat Play Enclosures

Save 5% on orders over $75 at Only Natural Pet Store! Use coupon code CJ75. It is curious that many cat owners believe that it is safe to allow their cats to roam their neighborhoods unattended. It is unlikely that the owner of any other type of pet would feel the same about allowing their pet to roam. It is unusual to find a dog owner who would allow their dog to roam unsupervised, yet many cat owners feel that they should allow their cats this freedom. If you are a cat owner who keeps your cat indoors, or the owner of an outdoor cat who would like to change your pets wondering ways, here is a great solution. You can give your cats a way to enjoy the outdoors and keep them safe at the same time by building your cats an outdoor play enclosure. Some cat owners are fortunate to have a screened in porch where their cats can play outdoors safely. For those who don't have a home with an enclosed patio or sun room an outdoor cat play enclosure is the answer for allowing your cat outdoors while keeping them safe. A great way to build an outdoor cat play enclosure is to use a chain link dog run. For cat owners who live in areas where wild animals could harm your cats, a chain link dog run can provide the most protection. To ensure that predators can not harm your cats while they play, be sure that the run is solidly constructed and covered with a chain link panel on the top . You should also re-enforce the ground beneath the edges of the run with concrete or flagstone to prevent outside animals from digging into the run. Be sure to add a roof to the run for shade and to add extra protection. If you are handy you can build platforms inside the run at different heights for you cat to climb on. You could even use a thick branch as a climbing toy if you secure it well. Hanging toys in the cat enclosure gives cats a fun way to get exercise. Don't forget to always keep fresh water in your outdoor cat play enclosure and be aware of the outdoor temperature. Don't leave your cat outdoors in extreme hot or cold temperatures. If you build your cat run against your home you could install a cat door so that your cat can go in or out as he pleases. I have also seen cat enclosures built where the cat could get access to the enclosure through a window. If predatory animals are not a problem where you live, you could build a more affordable cat enclosure using less expensive materials. There are also some smaller versions of outdoor cat enclosures available from pet supplies for those that are looking for an easier solution. I hope that this idea inspires everyone to pamper and protect their cats with a safe and fun outdoor play area. For free helathy pet recipes, pet tips and pet fun visit http://LittlePawsPetClub.blogspot.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Jones Cat - Cat Declawing, Should I do it? As an owner of 6 cats (only 2 aggressive) and even more expensive furniture I know exactly how you feel. I wanted my cat declawed (onychectomy), but I heard so many awful things that turned me to so many confusing places. Through my successful experience I outlined everything here to save you the time and get straight to the answers. So lets begin, well first of all we can right off the bat say the declawing is a painful procedure and should be looked at as a last resort to control the cat's (normal) behavior to scratch. The purpose of the actual cat scratching is to remove old, worn fragments of nails. This piece will help you to eliminate the root cause of the cat's behavior to scratch furniture and/or people, and will save you time and money. money. * scratching is a natural cat behavior This is a natural cat behavior and there are many ways and methods to turn cats away from the furniture and closer to more "scratch-friendly" areas, which we will discuss later in this informative piece. To find the solution we first have to find out and personalize a plan for your specific cat (what works for one cat many not always work for another) and we will talk about this more very soon. We can also say that we would take away the cat's primary means of defense, which for some cats biting takes over being the secondary defense (rarely happens). We can also say for certain the best age to declaw a cat is between 3-5 months while it is still younger. This is because at this age the recovery period would be the shortest and it would be safest around the time they are neutered or spayed. * cat declawing is a critical decision to make Can a cat's behavior change after the declaw? Numerous scientific studies have been unable to document any behavior changes post-declaw. However a lot of research also points out a lot of this depends on the cat's treatment long before the actual declawing. We can also point out declawing does not affect the cat's walking ability or balance after the recovery, but be sure your dedicated to being able to keep your cat indoors due to the removal of it's primary defense. Although some cats can survive outside there have been numerous reports of cats being injured outdoors due to not being able to defend themselves well enough with their teeth. Let's also say that if the cat has an infection it cannot spread it around. So lets move to the more important part, how do I fix my cat's behavior of scratching at furniture and/or people. There are a vast number of alternatives of declawing. Although some are more expensive and convenient then others we will list them all here then later in detail explain which are more expensive and convenient. Also as I said before some cats work better with some alternatives. Some alternatives to really look into are scratching posts, cardboard scratchers, cat tree construction, cat-friendly end tables and furniture, soft paws, nail trimming, training cats, and simply more exercise. There are many ways to improve the chances of each of these alternatives to work. For scratching posts, cardboard scratchers, cat trees, and cat-friendly furniture, it is recommended to sprinkle catnip on these areas to make them more attractive and to add unfriendly scratching material on the furniture usually scratched. Also remember to keep these items close to the family active areas, and to feed and play beside them so the cats enjoy using them, while slowly moving them to the areas where the cat would be alone most of the time.