If you’re thinking of adopting a pet and considering making a cat your new family member, you need to know the basics of how to care for a cat. People who have busy lifestyles may prefer a cat over a dog because they require less attention than dogs. However, all animals need a certain amount of proper care to be healthy and happy and before you bring your new kitten home, you need to learn what the cat will need.
First of all, once you have adopted a cat, the first thing you should do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. And if you have other cats in your home, you’ll need to keep your new cat separate from other cats until your vet can examine him. Cats can pick up a variety of diseases that can be spread to other cats by biting or scratching. Your vet will be able to perform some simple and relatively inexpensive tests to make sure your new cat is healthy and disease-free. Once your new kitten has been checked out and is healthy and disease free, you can allow contact with your other cats. Until then, you should keep your new cat away from others to avoid any personal contact with your other cats. Your cat will also require a poop sample to determine if she has worms, and if so, she will be given medication to kill the worms. The worms are contagious to other cats, so a separate litter box is necessary to avoid exposing your other cats.
Cats require some of their own personal belongings. They will need a litter box, and you should buy one that is large enough for your kitten to use once it is fully grown. I prefer closed litter boxes, the ones with lids, for several reasons. First of all, it helps to reduce the mess of garbage that is thrown on the ground. Second, a closed litter box helps reduce unwanted odors. And third, cats prefer privacy when going to the bathroom and a lidded box will provide your cat with a private place to go. You should clean your litter box daily. This will keep it odor free and will also keep your cat happy and prevent her from going to the bathroom outside the litter box. Cats don’t like to use dirty litter boxes, and if you don’t clean them regularly, chances are you’ll find unwanted masses on the floor. You will find that learning to care for a cat is not very difficult.
Cats also need toys for stimulation and cat trees or cat furniture that they can play on, climb on and scratch on. If you don’t provide your cat with cat furniture and scratching posts, you may find them scratching your furniture. You can’t stop a cat from scratching, but you can provide appropriate scratching spots, which will lessen the chance of the cat ruining your furniture. Cat toys are important for playing and exercising. Choose toys carefully and make sure each toy has no small parts that could break off. This poses a choking hazard to your cat. If you find that any part of a toy has small parts, remove them yourself and avoid possible danger to your animal. Catnip toys are great because your cat will love them. Catnip is a natural herb that drives cats crazy, and they are very entertaining when “high” on this herb. If you find that your cat doesn’t respond to catnip but once did, simply remove the catnip toys for a while and then reintroduce them in a few days. Cats develop a tolerance to the effect of catnip over time.
When choosing a diet for your cat, I recommend talking to your vet about what they recommend. Some cats prefer dry cat food, while others prefer wet food. You will have to determine by trial and error what your cat will prefer. I provide both for my cats. It gives them a choice and prevents the cat from getting bored with food. Cats require taurine in their diet, with which all cat foods are fortified, so if you feed your cat table scraps, make sure she’s still getting enough cat food for the essential nutrients she needs. Always provide your cat with clean, fresh water. Some cats prefer a watering system that runs water constantly. They are attracted to running water and may be more inclined to drink more of the running water. However, that type of system is not necessary, just make sure to clean the water bowl and provide fresh water every day. Once you learn the basics of caring for a cat, the training you want to do with your cat will come in time.
Always stay in contact with your veterinarian with any other questions you have, especially if your cat begins to behave differently, or goes to the bathroom outside of the litter box, or if there are changes in stool, or changes in appetite or energy levels. If your cat has behavioral changes, talk to your vet as soon as possible to rule out any illness as a possible cause. There are many training books available for cat owners and I recommend what I think are the best books available on my blog.
