Caring for Cats

See also Caring for kittens.

Handle with Care
Buy this cat figurine from GoCollect.com

Consider getting an adult cat rather than a kitten. Animal shelters often find that many people are keen to adopt kittens, but adult cats are harder to home. 

Take your new cat to the vet to have it neutered and vaccinated. As well as preventing your cat from adding to the population of unwanted kittens, neutering helps prevent fighting, roaming, and some behavioral problems. Neutered males are much less likely to spray, and spayed females won't yowl when in heat. Spaying also has health benefits; spayed females won't be susceptible to life threatening infections like pyometra and are less likely to get mammary cancer.

Domestic cats are partially gregarious animals. Some live in groups well and some do not. For domestic cats the group has a purely social function and unlike lions domestic cats do not hunt as a group. Cats are low-maintenance pets compared to dogs, and are quite suitable for households where everyone works full-time, although you might want to get two cats so that they can keep each other company during the day. 

Cats usually develop strong affection towards their host family. Some cats are shy and need some time to accept the presence of new people, though cats who have been treated well by humans can be very open minded towards new people. A cat's psyche develops better if it has lots of attention from humans as a kitten from 6-16 weeks of age. If you want a companionable cat, give your cat a lot of attention.  Thus especially younger cats should not be left alone for long time periods. 

Indoors vs Outdoors

In the UK, most cats are allowed to go outside, but in the US, more cats are kept indoors. Cats derive much pleasure from exploring outside, and outdoor cats are less prone to obesity because they get more exercise and they are less likely than indoor cats to eat out of boredom--indoor cats need a lot of play and stimulation to prevent them from becoming neurotic or bored. However, cats kept indoors 100% of the time tend to live longer and suffer fewer injuries because they are less exposed to dangers like cars, dogs, parasites, and fighting with other cats. Outdoor cats tend to keep down the rodent population but they also tend to keep down the songbird population. 

When deciding whether to allow your cat outdoors unsupervised, consider how much of a problem these dangers are in your neighbourhood. Consider also how close your neighbors' gardens are, as outdoor cats enjoy using the soft soil in planters and flower gardens as litterboxes. Also note that cats with health problems such as deafness are less able to take care of themselves, and that declawed cats should never be allowed outdoors because they cannot defend themselves or climb trees to escape a dangerous situation.

Feeding

Feed your cat with good-quality commercial cat food, but do not consider cooking for your cat without veterinary guidance. Remember that cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they require meat protein to survive. They cannot survive on a vegetarian diet. There are cat foods which are formulated for cats with special dietary needs, such as cats with poorly functioning kidneys or the tendency to have urinary problems. Please consult a veterinarian before feeding your cat one of these diets. Cats should also have fresh water available at all times.

Grooming

Long-haired cats may need to be groomed every day to prevent their fur from getting matted. Short-haired cats can handle most of their own grooming, but should still be brushed occasionally to remove loose hairs.

Litterbox and toilet training

Cats are normally very clean animals and are generally easy to house-train by simply showing them their litterbox. Cats may also be trained to use toilets.. Refusal to use a litterbox is the number one problem with cats, however. If your cat stops using the litterbox, a trip to the veterinarian should be the first thing to do to rule out a physical reason. If no physical problem is found, then a good feline behaviorist (find one with a veterinary degree, preferably) can often cure even the most recalcitrant cat.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "How to choose your pet and take care of it" and from Cat-Purr.com

Cat-Purr - home

Choosing a Cat
Adopting a Shelter Cat
Cat
Kitten
Moggy
Cat Coat Color & Genetics
Cat Breeds
Caring for Cats
Motherless Kittens
Caring for a Kitten
Feeding Your Cat
Grooming your cat
Litter Box
Scratching Problems
Purring
Build a Cattery
Cats and Kids
Cat History & Mythology
Domestication of Cats
Feral Cat
Black Cat
White Cat
Concerning Cats
Big Cats

Cat Tales
About Cats
Cat Thoughts

Click on a book for more information and reviews