Invest in a scratching post and train your cat to use it. This will help save your drapes, furniture, and other "scratchable" items. Know that this won't keep your cat from scratching on other things altogether, but it will help. If they have a designated place to scratch, they'll be less likely to scratch elsewhere.

Get your cat spayed or neutered. It is proven to curb bad behavior (especially in male cats). It also reduces yowling, fighting, and the chance of disease.

Just like humans, cats need to stay slim to avoid health problems. Be careful not to overfeed your cat and make sure it's getting enough exercise.

Your veterinarian may recommend a specific weight-management cat food, which can be bought either at the vet's office or at your favorite grocery or pet supply store. Check with him or her before starting a diet plan for your cat!

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!

Most people think there's nothing better than giving a cat a bowl of milk, but don't do it too often!

Cats cannot tolerate large quantities of milk, and, if it goes sour, milk can become a powerful laxative! (I learned this the hard way yesterday when I gave my cat the milk from my breakfast cereal. Sometime later I was cleaning up the mess!)

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!

Keep your cat indoors. It keeps them safe from communicable diseases and it keeps them from fighting other cats in the neighborhood, and they will not get hit by cars.

To keep your cat out of the potting soil in your plants, dampen a small cloth with oil of clove and place it just under the soil.

Be sure your cat gets plenty of exercise indoors. Buy cat toys such as rubber mice and string. Drag the string around the house and watch them chase it!

Cat Grooming Tips - It is a good practice to chip away at the tartar on your cat's teeth simply by using your fingernail.

Want to make bathing your cat a bit more tolerable? Take an old window screen and put it on the bottom of the bathtub. Your cat will dig its claws in it and stay in one spot!

Another thing to do is to start the cat when they are young in about an inch of water. As they get accustomed to it add a little more water each time. Read the kitty shampoo lable to determine how young to start using soap. By the time they are fully grown adult cats, you will have a cat that will stand still while being bathed.

It is not advisable to change a cat's litter too frequently. Cat's get used to the smell and the texture of the litter in their litter box. When you change it, they may stop using the litter box.

Be sure the cord of your drapes isn't looped. Cats love to climb drapes and they can actually hang themselves from that cord unless it's cut.

If you own a cat (or cats) and you are about to become a parent, your cat or cats may experience jealousy issues when you bring the new baby into the house. To minimize this problem, before you introduce the baby into the house, bring home a blanket that the baby has been wrapped in, so the cats may take in the scents on the blanket and become familiar with them. You may also wish to shut the cats off from the portion of the house where the baby will be arriving for a few minutes so that everyone may get acclimated. The cats will also be curious as to where the baby sleeps, and while it is best to keep that door shut and the cats away from that room, sometimes this cannot always be done. I would suggest installing a screen door on the baby's room, so that the cats may see into the baby's room, or possibly a tent (or dome) for the crib, so that the cats can see in but won't be tempted to jump into the crib themselves!

Trimming claws should be done often to minimize damage to furniture, as well as your arms and legs. It is best to start trimming when your cat is young so they are accustomed to it. The more relaxed the cat is about the process, the less chance you have of cutting into the quick. If you do hit the quick, have styptic powder on hand. This can be purchased at your local pet store.

When you get a new cat or kitten – cat proof your house. Do this by making sure all of you windows have screens, removing plants that may be poisonous (ask your vet for a list of plants), moving anything off of places they can get that may be breakable, hide wires, keeping toilet lids down, and storing plastic bags where your kitty cant get to them.

Cats can be very agile and nimble animals. They can climb into places that you may not think they can. Do not be surprised if you happen to find your cat on top of the refrigerator someday! But, contrary to popular opinion, cats do NOT always land on their feet. So, if they climb somewhere high, don't panic, but do what you can to coax them down and make sure there are things the cat can jump down onto as he or she goes instead of having to make a direct leap back to the floor.

With litter boxes, cats don’t really like to share. For every cat you have you should have a litter box for them. Some people say that the ratio is a box for every cat plus one extra.

Don’t move your cats litter box unless it is absolutely necessary. Cats are creatures of habit. Once they know where the box is they will expect it to be there.

Traveling with cats can be an interesting experience. Some do better then others. Have a well ventilated cat carrier that your cat will be comfortable in. Get them used to going into it before you have to take them somewhere. If you cat is a bad traveler talk to your vet about medications.