If you are considering adopting a pet and consider that your new family member is a cat, you should know the basics of how to care for a cat.
People with busy lifestyles may prefer a cat over a dog because they require less attention than dogs.
However, all animals need proper care to be healthy and happy, and before bringing their new kitten home, you must learn what the cat will need.
Here is some helpful information on how to take care of a cat.
General cat care
First, once you have adopted a cat, you must first make an appointment with your veterinarian.
And if you have other cats in your home, you should separate your new cat from other cats until your veterinarian can examine your new cat. Cats can contract several diseases that can be transmitted to their other cats by biting or scratching.
Your veterinarian can perform simple and relatively inexpensive tests to make sure your new cat is healthy and does not have any disease.
Once your new kitten has been checked and in good health and there is no disease, you can allow contact with your other cats.
Until then, you should keep your new cat away from others to avoid personal contact with your other cats.
Your cat will also need a sample of poop to determine if it contains worms and if so, will be given medication to eliminate them.
Because the infections are contagious to other cats, a separate litter box is needed to avoid exposing them.
Cat care tips
Cats need some of their belongings. They will need a litter box, and you should buy one that is large enough for your kitten to use once they are adults.
Prefer closed sandboxes, those with a lid, for several reasons.
First of all, it prevents the residues from being scratched on the ground. Second, a closed sandbox helps reduce unwanted odors.
And, third, cats prefer privacy when they go to the bathroom, and a box with a lid will provide your cat with a private place to go.
You must clean your garbage daily. That will keep it free of odors and will also keep your cat happy and prevent you from removing the outside of the litter box.
Cats do not like to use dirty litter boxes, and if you do not clean them regularly, you may find unwanted damage to your floor.
You will see that it is not very difficult to learn how to care for a cat.
Cats also need toys for stimulation and trees or furniture for cats where they can play, climb and use to scratch.
If you do not provide your cat with furniture and cat claws, you may find them scraping their furniture.
You cannot prevent a cat from scratching, but it can give you the right places to scratch it, which will reduce the chances of the cat spoiling its furniture. Cat toys are essential for playing and exercising.
Cat health care
If you are interested or plan to care for cats at home, here are some things you can learn and some tips that may be useful to care for your cats.
Home training for your cats as soon as they get home is another thing for which you should be responsible.
When you train your cats at home, there are many techniques and strategies you can follow, but of course, do not punish your animals when sometimes they cannot support your instructions.
You must be patient with them.
Another thing you should know about how to care for your cats is to feed your cats with good food and avoid foods that could harm them.
Of course, you can always go and ask your veterinarian about good cat food available in the market, but also make sure that other family members do not give your cat food that could harm your health.
Learning to care for cats involves making preparation one of your responsibilities.
You can train your cat to love the water and bathe it regularly. You should also make sure that your pet is free of fleas and other pests so that it is happy and healthy, and that your home is also free of such pests.
How to take care of a cat for the first time
While its cost is not as high as that of other pets, you will still have to pay for items such as food and veterinary bills.
Your cat will also need a bunk if you plan to keep it inside your home most of the time.
And, of course, you will have to buy cat toys not only for the pleasure of your pet but also for yours.
If you are thinking of having a kitten, you may want to consider how you will train your cat to live in your home.
Make sure you have a mailbox or scratch box when you bring your kitten home, this will help you keep your furniture.
Cats are usually easy to train. Be sure to take the necessary time. Encourage your pet to use not only the scratch post but also the sandbox.
Be sure to clean the litter box at least once a week.
Annual visits to the veterinarian should be a priority to check your cat’s health and detect problems as soon as possible.
You should also keep your eyes open for early signs of diseases that appear in older cats, such as heart disease and feline diabetes.
How to take care of cats and kittens
The typical domestic cat will go through three main stages of life.
The exact duration of each step varies between cats and breeds, but delays are generally very similar among cats.
Cats begin their kitten lives, and during this process, they grow and develop continuously.
It is essential to ensure that they receive proper nutrition and care during this time, as they are particularly vulnerable to diseases and elements when they are young.
Make sure your kitten is warm at all times and eat healthy foods. You should also take your kitten to the veterinarian to get vaccinated against diseases and for sterilization.
Kittens generally reach the adult age of a cat about a year old, although some kittens continue to grow until they are two years old.
Once your cat has reached adulthood, to the point where it has stopped growing, it continues to lead a normal adult life until the age of eight or nine.
As an adult, your cat is stronger and less vulnerable to the dangers of a kitten.
However, your goal should be to keep a healthy adult cat, as well as to protect your cat from possible health risks like an older cat.
Keeping your adult cat at a healthy weight is also essential because an overweight cat is more likely to have other health problems.
Taking care of a cat in an apartment
Once you buy a cat, never scream. Cats are small babies and tend to stay away from you if they do not feel loved. The best way is to spoil them as normal human babies. Love them with all your heart and only then can you find a friend in you.
Once you buy a cat, during the first weeks of your new cat, be at home and be sure to make him talk and take care of the baby, with toys, and with love. Try to have a sweet conversation with your cat. That will encourage you to form a bond with you.
Once you buy a cat, be sure to take it to each room in the house to explore and show you where your novelties are, such as a bowl of food and water, a sandbox. , a stick to scratch. Also rub your paws gently on the sandbox to show you how to use it.
Make sure the area of the litter box is private and not closed by a door, otherwise you may have problems with the bathroom later.
The Basic Of Owning and Caring for a Cat
The basic of owning and caring for a cat is a simple instruction guide for owning and caring for a cat in a good way.
Cats are fantastic companions and they promise to bring many years of fun, joy and unconditional like to your home.
However before you bring home a cat, there are some pieces of stuff you have to take note of.
Preparation before getting a cat at home
First, a piece of stuff prepared for a cat? Are cats allowed where you live?
Can you afford the veterinary care your cat needs to remain healthy?
Can your other pet and human housemates be able to tolerate a cat? Are you willing to sign up for a relationship with your cat, that may last over ten years?
Second, what type or breed of cat do you want?
Would you prefer to rescue a cat from an area animal shelter, or do you need a pure breed?
Do one need a kitten or you are interested in nursing an adult cat? Should the cat be a male or a female?
If you adopt a kitten, make certain he or she is a minimum of eight weeks old.
Kittens aren’t absolutely weaned till they’re eight weeks of age.
A kitten younger than eight weeks would require plenty of additional facilities to grow healthy and powerful.
Before you bring your cat home, make certain you have got all the fundamentals.
Things that you need before getting a cat
You’ll need the following, in preparation for your cat’s arrival: a litter box, cat litter, cat chow and dishes for food and water.
Avoid plastic dishes; they have an inclination to induce scratches that lure food particles and odors.
Stainless-steel or ceramic dishes are best used.
You would need a cat carrier to bring the cat home, also for a safe trip to vet appointments the cat carrier would be useful.
Be sure you have gotten a spread of toys for your cat to play with. Also, a cat bed is important too.
However, cats are quite content with a cardboard box lined with a pillow and a pleasant, soft fleece blanket.
Finding a veterinarian for your cat
Find a veterinary surgeon before you bring your cat home.
Meet cat-owning friends or co-workers, get to know who their vet is and what they like regarding him or her.
Visit the vet clinic yourself to examine out the atmosphere. If you make this decision ahead.
You’ll be able to sit down with the veterinary surgeon for a number of minutes and learn some important tips on how to properly care for your cat.
After bringing a cat at home
Once you bring your cat home, present the cat to your trusted vet for a medical examination.
If you adopt your pet from a shelter, you’ll get a voucher for a free “well cat” examination from a neighborhood veterinary surgeon.
This is often a great chance for your cat to familiarize itself with your vet.
Your vet is that the second most vital person in your cat’s life.
Thus it’s important that you just feel sensible regarding your veterinary surgeon and the way he or she treats your cat.
It’s additionally vital that you raise queries and acquire answers, which your vet would educate you well.
Veterinarians additionally advocate that cats be immunized against feline cancer and distemper.
If you intend your cat to be indoor-only, your cat’s doctor could tell you that the cancer vaccination is optional.
Your vet could advocate different vaccinations, but rabies, distemper and cancer vaccinations are very important.
However, do not declaw your cat. Declawing is “clipping the toenails.”
This practice makes the joint of every toe amputated.
It’s like having the information of all of your fingers stop.
The recovery from the surgery is long and painful. Train your cat to use a scratching post and learn the way to trim your cat’s claws.
And you’ll be able to avoid scratching-related issues.
The best food guide for a cat
Give your cat the best quality food you’ll be able to afford. Sensible nutrition is the key to a normal physiological state.
Cats usually like a combination of dry food and tinned goods.
Make certain you feed your cat the quantity counseled on the label.
If you feed your cat an excessive amount of, it’ll become corpulent and may suffer from health issues like polygenic disorder.
Malnutrition can end in health issues of different kinds.
Cats aren’t the solitary creatures they were once thought to be.
How to make your cat happy and healthy.
Therefore, to make your cat happy and healthy spend time with your cat.
Play with your cat a few times on a daily basis employing a “thing on a string” toy.
Move it around and watch your mighty hunter massacre it once more and once more.
Cuddle your kitty and learn wherever he or she likes to be petted. There’s nothing as heart-warming as the sound of a happy cat’s purr.
A good owner has to perceive however a cat’s atmosphere impacts on that and makes it feel secure.
This can perpetually improve the cat relation.
Most cats keep comparatively clean and infrequently would like a shower. However, you ought to brush or comb your cat frequently.
Frequent brushing helps keep your cat’s coat clean, reduces the quantity of shedding and cuts down on the incidence of hairballs.
Also, to pick up your cat, place one hand behind the front legs and another underneath the hind limb, raise gently.
Do not lift a cat by the back or end of the neck or by the front legs.
Your pet ought to have her own clean, dry place in your home to sleep and rest.
More tips for a cat health and happiness
Line your cat’s bed with a soft, heat blanket or towel. take care to scrub the bedding usually.
Keep your cat inside, outdoor cats don’t live as long as indoor cats.
Outdoor cats are in danger of trauma from cars, or from fights with different cats, raccoons, and free-roaming dogs.
Coyotes are well-known to eat cats. Outdoor cats are prone to becoming overrun with fleas or ticks, in addition to a high risk of contracting infectious diseases.
All indoor cats would like a litter box, that ought to be placed in a very quiet, accessible location.
In a multi-floor home, one box per floor is suggested. Avoid moving the box unless fully necessary.
However, if you want to do this, move the box simply a number of inches per day.
Bear in mind that cats will not use an untidy, fetid litter box, thus scoop solid wastes out of the box a minimum of once on a daily basis.
Dump everything, wash with a gentle detergent and refill a minimum of once a week.
You’ll be able to try this less oftentimes if mistreatment clumping litter. Do not use ammonia, deodorants or scents, particularly lemon, to clean up the litter box.
If your cat won’t use a litterbox, please refer to your veterinary surgeon.
Generally refusal to use a litter box is an indication of a medical condition that needs treatment.
More tips for Caring for a cat
Provide your cat with a durable scratching post, a minimum of 3 feet high.
The post ought to be stable enough that it will not wobble throughout use, and will be coated with rough material like sisal, bagging or tree bark.
A lot of cats love scratching pads, however, don’t hold your cat by the scratching post and force her to pull her claws on that.
This practice might seriously frighten your cat and teach her to avoid the scratching post utterly. She may attempt to avoid you, too!
Do not throw away a favorite scratching post once it becomes unpleasant.
Cats like chopped and torn objects as a result of they’ll extremely get their claws into the fabric.
Used posts also will fascinate a cat as a result of the smell and appearance acquainted to her.
Never offer your cat medication that has not been prescribed by a veterinary surgeon.
If you believe that your animal has eaten a toxic substance, decision your veterinary surgeon
In summary, here is a list of the essentials:
- Premium-brand cat chow
- Food dish
- Water bowl
- Interactive toys
- Brush
- Comb
- Safety cat collar with ID tag
- A scratching post or scratching pad
- Litter box and litter
- Cat carrier
All in all, cats are great companions. Adopting a cat may be a serious commitment.
The typical lifespan of a well-cared-for cat is twelve to sixteen years.
Conclusion
Since cats are relatively clean animals, you probably will not have to bathe your cat unless you are in a nasty situation.
If you start to wash your cat when you get it for the first time, it will be much easier to do it when you are an adult.
Regular brushing of your cat not only helps keep knots and hairballs tangled, but it is also an excellent opportunity to interact and play with your cat.
Moreover, Once you adopt your cat friend, be ready to think about your cat in everything you are doing.
You will have to embark on animal-friendly housing, be ready to acquire sudden medical prices, prepare for animal care if you depart on journeys, and so on.
However, the rewards are definitely worth the effort.