by Cecelia Brown

Veterinarians and pet advocates generally agree that your cat should live his or her life indoors. Indoor cats live approximately 7 years longer than cats that live outside. There are many dangers that your cat will face by being outside including:

1. Death or injury from a passing vehicle

2. Accidental poisoning by plants or chemicals on the ground

3. Injury from hunting wildlife

4. Illness from killing wildlife

On the contrary, there are many people who feel that cats need to explore the outdoors. Cats are, by nature, intensely curious animals, and it is cruel to trap them indoors. However, the potential harm that can come to your cat outweighs the benefits he may enjoy exploring the outdoors.

It is possible to teach your cat how to walk on a leash, and then he will be roaming outside safely. There are also a host of outdoor enclosures in which your cat can traverse. Another option is to walk your cat in a pet stroller.

A pet stroller may seem, to some, to be an extravagant accessory. Most stroller owners report that taking their cat outdoors improves his quality of life. There are pet strollers that ride close to the ground and others where your cat can perch up high. Pet strollers have mesh windows on all four sides of the cabin so your cat will have an unobstructed view of the outdoors. Some have privacy compartments, so if you cat prefers, he can take a break from the action. Pet strollers have at least one tether inside the cabin, so you can attach a leash to your cat's collar and leave the mesh windows open. The cabins are roomy enough, so you could take more than one pet for a walk. Pet strollers are generally lightweight and collapsible, making them easy to fold-up and place in your car or store in your home when not in use. Taking your cat for a walk also gives you the benefit of a little exercise.

Getting your cat acquainted with the stroller is usually a quick and easy process. Open up the stroller in a room of your house where your cat spends his time and let him investigate it. Consider placing some toys or catnip in the cabin of the stroller to attract him inside. Chances are good that your cat will quickly get comfortable and the next step is a ride around town or at the park.

More Information:

Cecelia Brown is a licensed mental health professional with an expertise in stress management. She strongly believes that pet ownership leads to having less daily stress. Please visit her website: http://www.PerfectPetStroller.com to find out more about Pet Strollers, Pet Bike Trailers and Wheeled Pet Carriers.

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BySally Endaer

Cats are generally very easy to litter-box train. This is because they like to use sand or dirt to use for the bathroom and love to have something to scratch after going. Therefore, if you are having trouble getting your cat to use the litter box, then there is likely a problem.

The first thing you want to check is the number of litter boxes you have. You should have the same number as the number of cats you have, plus one extra. For example, if I have three cats, then I should have four boxes. This may seem like a lot, but it makes a big difference for cats who are picky, and also for when they are having territorial issues.

Next, you will want to see where you have been keeping your boxes. They should be placed in a fairly private area, which is also easily accessible. If you cannot put it in a private area, then you may wish to get a covered box, so that the cats can get the privacy that they crave. Additionally, do not place the litter box near where they eat or drink. You wouldn't want to be eating next to the toilet and neither do they!

Cats are very picky, finicky, and clean creatures. Generally, if they are not using the box, it is because the box is not as clean as they would like it to be. Make sure that you are thoroughly cleaning the litter box as often as you can. I try to clean it twice a day, and then do a thorough cleaning once a week.

Try to show the cat where to use the box. Simply placing the cat in their will not work. Try to gently hold the cats front paws and scratch them in the litter. This shows them that they are supposed to be scratching in there, and where they scratch, they go.

If you follow all of these tips, then you should be able to get your kitty to use the box. If none of these tips work, then your cat may have a medical condition. Urinary tract infections can cause pain when urinating, causing the cat to blame the pain on the box, and finding other places to go. Also, additional stress from things like moving house can cause the cat to generally misbehave.

I hope these tips have worked for you, they have worked for thousands of cat parents so far!

Sally writes about cat advice on her blog. If you want to know more about training a cat to use the litter box, check out our Litter Box Training page.

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There are numerous cat litter trays on market. The question is, how can you choose a proper one for your kitties? This selecting guide provides you with some information on how to get a right one to make both you and your cats satisfy. It is for sure that you will learn some new knowledge by the end of this article.

It is an essential item for cats to do their everyday business. Cat owners usually seek for litter trays with beautiful design and colour. However, owners should understand that cats have a relatively high standard of their own trays, and it is important for owner to choose a tray which can make cats comfortable base on their perspective.

These are factors that must be considered when choosing trays:

1. Types of trays:

There are different types of cat litter trays on market. In general, litter trays can be categorized into four categories, open trays, covered trays, basic trays and automatic cat litter boxes. Most cats are comfortable to use the open trays. They are relatively user-friendly, which ensures ventilation. While some cats enjoy using open litter trays, some love the privacy that covered trays provide. Owners should observe the reactions of kitties as some might feel being trapped by covered trays. As for automatic cat litter boxes, most owners one or more as they are easy to clean and are hygienic, however, it is possible that cats might get frightened by the motion and sound of this kind of trays, and might refuse to use them. Therefore, it is better to activate automatic litter boxes while the cats are not around.

2. Cat peeing positions:

Cat peeing position is another key factor while choosing proper cat litter trays. Usually, male cats stand up and pee, and in this case, it is better to choose covered trays with door entrance on side in order to prevent urine spreading on ground. Normally, this situation exacerbates in particular with unneutered males. While male cats stand up and pee, female cats tends to squat to pee, which cat owners find it easier to search trays for them. There is a possibility that cat peeing position may change from time to time because of health problems, therefore owners should regularly observe their cats when doing their business. For example, changing peeing position from squatting to standing up might suggest bone pain, therefore cat peeing positions are worth to be observed.

3. Breed Size / Size and Depth:

The breed size of cats is another factor that should put into consideration. Cat owners usually raise kittens and they will get new cat litter trays along cats' development. However, from cats' perspective, a new tray may cause unease, or even distress. It is better to choose choose trays by taking the breed size into account when you first meet your kitties. For example, Bengal cats and Norwegian Forest cats are viewed as large breed, while Siamese and Scottish Fold are considered as medium breeds. Ideally, trays should be at least 24 inches in both width and length, and depth should be at least 3 inches for kittens, and 6 inches for adults.

4. Ease of Cleaning

Basic cat litter trays are easier to clean because of their flat design, but the main issue of this type of trays is that cats may kick out litter frequently, and this may cause additional trouble for owners.

Covered trays can avoid the problem of basic trays, but owners have to remove covers to clean the trays, also, they may become smelly and stinky both for you and your cats because of poor ventilation.

Automatic cat litter boxes requires the least effort to clean although owners still have to empty the receptacle, and waste left over still have to be scooped out.

5. Cost

Basic cat litter trays are the cheapest, while automatic cat litter boxes are relatively expensive with life-span of around 1 to 1.5 years.

It is one of the basic responsibilities of cat owners to select a proper tray. Remember, the cats' satisfaction is in your hands.

Chiu Yu Lee

Chiu Yu Lee is a cat lover, he currently has two Bengal cats and treat them as his best friends. Please visit: http://www.catlittertrayssearch.com for more information on selecting perfect cat litter trays for your beloved cat.

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