Never hit your cats, it is really cruel and accomplishes nothing, so never ever hit your cat. Talk in full sentences to your cats, if the cat will not listen, keep a squirt bottle of plain water handy. Keep that water bottle away from the kids, so that they do not use it as a toy against the cat. You can also toss the keys toward him, so the noise would startle him. You should get the cat neutered or sprayed preferably at the age of 6-7 months.

If you observe increased thirst in your cat, then be cautious it is an indicator of diabetes, kidney or liver problems, and these are important to consider the health care of an elderly cat. However, an older cat requires less calories and more fluids as he ages, it is better to see a veterinarian and go for a regular thorough checkup.

Longhaired cats have a problem of hair balls; these are caused by too much hair in the stomach of cat from their own grooming. You should daily brush your cat, particularly during the warm months of the year for preventing the hairballs. You can take the cat to a vet if the problem still persists.

Ear mites are the highly infectious pests, which feed on the lining of the ear canals. The symptoms include scratching behind the ear and inside the ear, a dark brown wax inside the ear, and the other signs that are not visible without any special equipment that a vet uses. You must take the cat to the vet immediately if you identify that your cat has an ear mite. There is persistent medication that is required for treating the ear mites.