Words travel faster than we think and are believed even faster than they are spread. We never think twice before believing anything that comes across us, especially when it is about our pets. Whenever we hear something that is titled as good, or bad for pets, we instantly change our course of direction and follow words blindly. This is the reason that misconceptions prevail among us. Following are 8 myths that are strongly believed to be true about cats. It’s time to do a reality check!

Myths vs. Facts- Let’s help our felines live a better life!

Myth#1 The process of declawing is not painful.

Fact: Declawing is very painful for cats. The claws are attached to the bones of toes. Therefore, to remove the claws, surgeons remove the tip of toe bones which is extremely painful for felines. If you still believe that it is not painful then you just need to do one thing- imagine your toe tips cut off!

Myth#2 Whiskers help in balancing OR No whiskers = No balance

Fact: Whiskers have nothing to do with balancing! Whiskers in cats work as touch receptors. They are used as feelers that are used to feel the environment by cats. In fact they are rooted deep inside the skin around nerve endings to help cats feel the surrounding objects without touching them.


Myth#3 Neutering cats make them obese.

Fact: Neutering is not responsible for feline’s weight gain. Cats don’t need as much calories after neutering as they need without being fixed. Thus it is necessary to cut down their calories or food intake after neutering them which we fail to do and as a result our felines gain weight.

Myth#4 Milk is cat’s staple diet.

Fact: Most of the cats are lactose intolerant and cannot digest milk. Although cats are often portrayed drinking milk in films and ads, that may not be that good an idea. Veterinarians do not recommend feeding milk to cats as it disturbs their digestive system and causes diarrhea.

Myth#5 Cats do not need exercise.

Fact: Almost more than 50% of cats are found obese just because of this myth that cats do not need exercise. Although in lesser intensity than the canines, felines do need physical as well as mental stimulation for better health. Try different products available for cat’s entertainment and keep her healthy.

Myth#6 Purring kitties are happy kitties.

Fact: Cats purr to express any of the strong emotions. This may include happiness, smile, crying, pain, etc. Thus, purring does not signify happiness in cats.

Myth#7 Felines can be dangerous for pregnant women

Fact: The real threat to pregnant women is the litter box and not cats. Kitties may get toxoplasmosis through intake of infected birds and rodents. Humans can catch this disease through cat feces and it may cause serious defects to the unborn child. Thus it is recommended for pregnant women to stay away from the litter box or take extreme care about cleanliness after dealing with it.

Myth#8 Cats cannot be trained.
Fact: Cats can be trained as well as dogs. You may need to use more positive approach and this thing is absolutely possible. So start with your kitty right now and enjoy!
 
Surprising facts under cover of myths, aren’t they? Now you know much more truth about your purr queens. Correct your friends if they too believe in any of these myths.

If you know your kitty well then you must be aware of the difficulties that changing his regular things might bring. Isn’t it? Admit it or not, cats are a little snobbish when it comes to their personal things. Litter is one of the things that your cat might resist change in. When we have got various options such as clumping, non-clumping, clay, silica, biodegradable, flushable etc. we tend to change it someday, isn’t it?

Well, if that change is any day soon then you may want to know how to introduce new litter to your feline successfully, isn’t it? Here are a few steps that you follow to change your cat’s litter without her resistance:

1. The first step would be to choose new litter for your kitty and not to be impatient, change always takes time.
2. If you ran out of your old litter when you decide to change it then do not forget to buy a bag of old litter too.
3. When it is time to change the entire litter, fill 90% of the tray with the old litter and add only 10% of the new.
4. Never miss out on cleaning the litter. Make sure you remove your cat’s excreta every day.
5. When you remove the spoiled litter, instead of adding the old litter, put in some new litter.
6. Repeat step#5 whenever you change the spoiled litter until the tray is full of new litter. This may take a few weeks and it is recommended to stay patient all this while.
7. In case of cats still going outside, make the process of changing litter even slower. Let time do its job!
8. And it’s done!

 
It is easy, isn’t it? With this step-by-step guideline you may find it easy to change the cat litter. Try to take it as smoothly as possible if you want your precious kitty to get along with the change. Find more stuff about cat care and cat health as preventative alternative and recommendation.