Do you know what your kitty is saying? A cat uses her posture, tail, ears and expression to convey what she feels. Feline body language can be subtle, making it easy to misinterpret their signals. Read on for a guide to your cat’s body language.

Happy cat – Tail up, alert eyes, brisk movements.

Aggressive cat – Arched back, ears pointed up, movements are more forward and direct.

Playful cat – Fast and energetic movements, engages other cats or people in play.

Insecure cat – Avoids contact, grooms nervously, more common in smaller/younger cats.

Confident cat – Tail with a curved tip, ears forward, alert eyes.

Scared cat – Tail down or tucked under, slinks away, retreats from contact.

Curious cat – Alert, tail in the air, eager to investigate.

Affectionate cat – Blinks eyes slowly (a sign of trust).

What is your cat telling you? The next time she curls her tail around your legs (a friendly greeting) or slowly blinks at you, you know you’re getting signs of affection from a happy cat.

If you’ve ever watched your cat groom herself, you know how carefully she keeps her coat clean. But as fastidious as she is with her grooming, sometimes her coat or skin change in appearance. If this happens, check for signs that could point to health issues. A few to watch for include:

• Dandruff – A variety of issues can lead to dandruff. Senior cats may develop it as they get older. It can also be caused by a low level of fatty acids in the diet or by Cheyletiella mites.
• Skin rash or itching – If your cat constantly grooms one area, seems to have an itching problem or a rash on her skin, she may have a food or flea allergy.
• Acne – This is usually caused by poor grooming, stress, an allergy, a reaction to medication or an underlying infection.
• Shedding or bald spots – It’s natural for cats to shed fur and indoor cats can shed year round. But if you notice she’s shedding excessively or has bald spots, have her checked for allergies, ringworm, hyperthyroidism, poor diet and other conditions.
• Hair loss or lesions on the tail – Also called “stud tail,” this is caused by overactive glands on the tail, leading to hair loss and lesions.
• Excessive grooming – Compulsive grooming may be due to an underlying problem, ranging from stress or an allergy to a more serious health issue.
• Dull coat – Is her coat losing its usual shine? It may be that your cat can’t groom herself well because she’s overweight, arthritic or less flexible due to age. Other reasons include poor nutrition or being bathed too often.

To keep your cat in the best health, have any changes in her fur or skin checked out by a veterinarian. Look for unusual behavior as well. If her skin looks normal, but she’s licking, scratching or biting herself excessively, a vet visit is recommended.

Stop by your local store for cat care products that support good cat health.

Your adorable cat or kitten likes to play with her favorite toys… your hands and fingers. What do you do? You discourage rough play and offer substitute toys instead. Here’s how:

• Have playtime with your cat every day. Instead of using your hands, encourage her to play with toys.
• Offer her a variety of toys. Also experiment with different toys to see which she likes best. Try toys she can chase like those with feathers or danglers. Cats also enjoy toys they can bat at, like fake mice.
• Help your cat avoid boredom and give her new items to investigate as well, like cardboard boxes, paper bags, etc.
• If your cat pounces on your feet or ankles as you walk by, get her to focus on toys instead. Carry toys with you and toss them at her before she pounces on you.
• If your cat doesn’t have a feline playmate, consider adopting another playful cat.
• Develop the indoor play area for your cat. Get her posts for scratching, shelves perching, high areas for climbing and a window ledge for visual stimulation.

If your cat does play rough, give her a time out. Leave the room or put her in another room for some quiet time. You can also interrupt rough play by clapping your hands to startle her or by spraying her with a water bottle.

Once you teach your cat that hands aren’t toys, you’ll have far more enjoyable play sessions. For cat toy suggestions, visit Pet Supermarket.

Is your cat drinking enough water? Depending on her weight and diet, your cat should be drinking two to four ounces a day.

If your cat is a picky kitty, you may need to try a few things to keep her properly hydrated. To encourage water drinking, follow these tips…

Sparkling Clean H20

• Refresh your cat’s water every day. Water that sits for a few days can get stale or contaminated.
• Offer filtered water rather than tap water, which has minerals and chlorine.
• If your cat eats dry food, make sure fresh water is always available. Don’t add water to her food though. It could lead to spoilage.
• If your cat is on a wet-food diet, she will need less water, but feel free to add a little to her food bowl.
• Refill her water to the same level daily. This will make it easier to notice any changes in her water intake.

Water Bowl Protocol

• Wash her water bowl often and rinse all traces of dish soap, which can burn her tongue.
• Your cat might not like having her water close to her food source. In this case, a double feeder bowl with food and water next to each other would be a turn off. Try separate bowls instead.
• Glass or stainless steel bowls are preferable as plastic may leave an unpleasant taste.
• Some cats don’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl when they drink. Give her more room with a wide, shallow bowl.
• If your cat prefers to drink running water, get her a water fountain. A water fountain can provide a continuous flow of fresh, filtered water for your cat. It could be a source of water and play!

Keep the fresh water flowing for a healthy cat and be sure to monitor her water intake. If she drinks more or less than normal, she should see a vet to be checked for health issues.

Playing and cuddling are among the joys of owning a cat. Dealing with hairballs? Not so much. While hairballs aren’t exactly fun, they’re a normal occurrence for most cats. Your cat will have them less often though if you follow these tips.

Avoid or reduce hairballs with:

Diet
Cats with frequent hairballs often benefit from special-needs cat food with hairball control. The formula includes fiber to help reduce the shape and regularity of hairballs.

Regular grooming
Whether your cat has short or long hair, it’s important to groom her regularly. Combing and bathing her will reduce the amount of hair she ingests and cut down the buildup in her stomach and intestines.

Fiber supplements
Fiber is known to help clean the intestinal lining and aid in passing hair in the stool. It’s sold in chewable treats, capsules or powder.

Hairball remedies
A variety of cat hairball remedies help eliminate or prevent hairballs. They aid with digestion and include gels, lubricants and even cat grass.

Think of reducing hairballs as a way to increase kitty cuddle time! Visit PetSupermarket.com or your local store for cat supplies and more help.

Is your kitty expecting? As your pregnant cat, or “Queen,” prepares for her little kittens, you should learn what’s ahead. Here are a few facts on what to expect:

• The average feline pregnancy is 9 weeks or 63 days, but it can range from 57 to 69 days.
• Weight gain begins after the fourth week. You’ll also see “pinking” or pinker and enlarged nipples after the third week.
• The litter size can range from 1 to 8 kittens or more. The average is 2 to 5.
• Nesting behavior is common. Your cat will start exploring closets and secluded places, looking for a place to have her kittens. Help her find a safe room away from children, pets and other activity.
• Labor can range from minutes to hours or a full day depending on the size of the litter and whether or not the queen has had kittens before.
• A few signs of impending labor include bigger mammary glands, a drop in the cat’s temperature, a drop in appetite, restlessness, meowing, panting, licking and vomiting. Not all cats show the same signs.
• It’s important that kittens nurse soon after being born to increase immunity through their mother’s milk.
• Kittens usually don’t open their eyes until they’re 10 to 14 days old. They typically nurse for 4 to 6 weeks.
• A queen should eat anything she wants to restore her energy while nursing kittens.
• Control fleas on the queen as they can cause anemia if they jump on her kittens.

Most cats have a smooth birthing process, but call your vet if there are any signs of distress before or during labor.

Your height-loving cat may enjoy looking over her domain from up high, but doing so from a kitchen counter or table may expose her to a few hazards, like a hot stovetop. How do you keep her from cruising the counter or off table tops? After all, she loves to climb and might be rewarded with interesting food smells in the kitchen or water in the sink. You can break that habit by making the area less appealing and giving your cat other alternatives. Here’s how:

Make the area less appealing

• Keep food sealed tight: The first step is to make sure all human food is put away and countertops are clean. Obvious, we know, but this keeps your cat from being rewarded during her countertop adventures.
• Use deterrents: A product like Sticky Paws around the countertop will make it an uncomfortable walking surface for your cat. You can create a similar effect with car floor mats (spiky side up) or aluminum foil, which cats avoid because of the feel and sound. The key is to use a deterrent that will teach her to stay off the counter while you’re away. If you reprimand her, she’ll learn to behave while you’re at home, but will revert to her ways once you leave.

Give her other alternatives

• Give her good climbing areas: Does she have a multi-level cat tree or tower that satisfies her need to climb? You may also want to designate other furniture pieces as allowed climbing areas, while keeping the kitchen counter off limits.
• Provide a window ledge: If she doesn’t have a window seat allowing her to gaze outside, think about making one for her. There are cat shelves that attach to windows. An existing piece of furniture can be moved as well.

Change her food or water

• Allow food access: Is she constantly searching the counters for food? Try leaving her food bowl available for constant access. Take care to monitor her weight and see if this will change her behavior. Also consider feeding her in a few small meals instead.
• Provide running water: Some cats are attracted to drinking running water in the sink. If this seems to be the main attraction for your kitty, replace her water bowl with an automatic water fountain instead.

Follow these different techniques and reinforce them consistently to keep your cat from cruising the counters!

Do you have a curious cat? Help your feline avoid holiday mischief by keeping certain dangers to a minimum. Use these tips for a cat-friendly holiday.

• Christmas trees: Beware the hazards of live Christmas trees, including toxic sap, sharp pine needles and harmful preservatives in the tree water. Also, don’t use ribbons on gifts under the tree. They can be harmful if ingested by your kitty.
• Holiday plants: You may love kissing under the mistletoe, but chewing on it can cause an upset stomach for your cat. Keep mistletoe, holly and other holiday plants at a safe distance or better yet, use artificial varieties.
• Holiday leftovers: Holiday food is too fatty and spicy for your kitty and may affect her diet. We suggest a cat treat instead.
• Holiday candles: Fires are caused every year by candles that have been knocked over by pets. Keep lit menorahs and holiday candles out of kitty’s reach.
• Garland and tinsel: Avoid using them as decorations as they can cause choking and intestinal blockage.
• Holiday stress: Don’t let your cat get stressed by the added guests and noise that are part of holiday celebrations. Give her a quiet room or area where she can retreat, get food or water and stay away from the activity.

If your cat is like most kitties, she responds enthusiastically to catnip. It’s not unusual to see a cat show “catnip behavior” like rolling around, playing with it, pawing, sniffing, head butting and chewing it. But how and why does this happen?

Here’s a short primer on why your cat goes crazy for catnip:

• Catnip is an herb that is part of the mint family. It’s also known by its scientific name, nepeta cataria.
• The active chemical that drives cats crazy is nepetalactone, which cats pick up through their sense of smell. It’s an attractant that has been said to mimic the effect of pheromones. It also repels roaches and mosquitoes.
• Reactions to catnip are hereditary. If your cat doesn’t care for it, she’s one of up to 30% of cats who don’t respond to it. Very young kittens and senior cats don’t respond to it either.
• Catnip is nontoxic to cats. Ingesting large quantities of it might lead to vomiting or diarrhea, but this is rare and can be avoided by limiting exposure to fresh catnip.
• If your cat goes crazy for catnip, she’ll love catnip-infused toys, balls, treats and scratching posts.

Your cat is a mini acrobat who can climb high, jump far and nearly always land on her feet. But do you know how? A combination of light bones, strong muscles and fine motor control give your cat her super kitty powers. Read on to learn more.

• Cats can use their muscle power and strong hind legs to jump up to six times their own height!
• Bones matter. A cat has light, yet strong bones built for speed and quickness.
• A flexible back and balancing tail help your cat jump and climb with skill. They’re also vital to helping her land on her feet.
• With seven times more muscle sensors than humans, cats have greater fine motor control.
• Cats are fast, but don’t have the endurance to run long distances. They’d rather jump or climb to escape.
• Big cats are big jumpers too. A snow leopard, which can grow to six or seven feet (with a two- to three-foot tail), can jump 35 feet!