How to Care for a Cat

Decide on the type of cat food. Cat foods come in a multitude of varieties: dry, wet, and canned foods are common. Dry food is easier to store, but cats love the taste of wet and canned foods. These two types also help add fluids to your cat’s diet. In general, it’s up to the owner what kind of food to feed the cat.

• Sometimes cats need to eat one type of food more than another due to a health condition. Please consult your veterinarian about this.

Choose a good brand when buying cat food. Like other animals, cats also have their own nutritional needs. Cats are “obligatory carnivores,” meaning they need animal protein to avoid serious illnesses. ^[6] Ask your veterinarian to recommend good quality products. Cheap products may not provide enough nutrients to keep cats healthy and happy.

• Look for cat foods that are primarily made of animal protein, such as beef, chicken, turkey, or fish. ^[7]
• You should also look for amino acids like taurine and arginine, and fatty acids like arachidonic acid and linpeic acid. ^[8]
• Avoid giving your cat human food, unless you have discussed it with your veterinarian. Some human foods can make cats very sick and even poison cats (such as chocolate).

Follow the instructions on the food packaging. ^[9] Generally, cats need to be fed according to age, weight, and activity level. They like to eat small meals throughout the day. ^[10

• Consult with your veterinarian about the type of food and how to feed it if you are in doubt.

Don’t overfeed your cat. You should follow your veterinarian’s advice and make sure your cat gets plenty of exercise, as obesity is one of the major problems that cats face today. Obese cats are at a higher risk of developing diabetes in middle age. Being overweight also leads to conditions like arthritis, heart disease, and other health problems in cats. ^[11]

Brush your cats according to their needs. You might think that cats don’t need a groomer because they can groom themselves. However, you actually need to brush your short-haired cat weekly and long-haired cats several times a week. This will help reduce shedding in the house and prevent bunions in the cat’s stomach.

• With cats that often shed hair (especially long-haired cats), you should use a small-toothed metal comb to be able to comb deep into the undercoat and remove loose hair.

Check the condition of your cat’s skin while brushing. Look for fleas and other parasites, red spots, swelling, lumps or other skin problems. If you see any suspicious signs, let your veterinarian know and ask about how to handle it.

Schedule an annual vet visit. ^[12] Like every member of the family, cats need regular health checkups. Unlike children, cats can’t let us know when they’re unwell. They rely solely on you for care by taking them in for regular checkups. Cats need to be seen by the vet at least once a year for teeth, ears, eyes, and heart checks, vaccinations, and deworming/flea treatment. Cat owners should consider vaccinating their cats against the following diseases: feline intestinal infections, flu, and feline leukemia. All of the above diseases can be fatal if your cat is infected, so it’s important to protect your cat. Many cat shelters will not accept cats without a certificate that the cat has been vaccinated. Your veterinarian will recommend exactly which diseases to vaccinate your cat against. If you really care about your cat’s health and behavior, you should bring your cat to the veterinarian’s office as soon as possible.

• Older cats need to be seen twice a year for optimal health care.

Take the kitten to the vet more often. Just like babies, kittens need to see the doctor more often than older cats. Starting at around 8 weeks of age, kittens need to visit the clinic 2-3 times for vaccinations and deworming. At a minimum, cats should be vaccinated against rabies and scabies. Your doctor will also talk to you about the benefits of optional vaccines. Ask about the risk of diseases like leukemia in cats and decide which vaccines to give your cat.

• Your veterinarian will also check your kitten for fleas and ear mites, and treat them if needed.
• Remember to deworm the kittens. Kittens with ringworm are often stunted and can be transmitted to humans.

Spaying for cats. Spaying a female cat and neutering a male cat offers many benefits. You will reduce your cat’s annoying behaviors like walking away and spraying urine. In terms of health, neutering helps prevent unwanted pregnancies and diseases like metritis. And most importantly, this trick reduces the number of unwanted cats on earth!

• Ask your veterinarian when to neuter your cat. Doctors usually recommend neutering when kittens are 2-6 months old.

Get your cat used to brushing. Cats can get dental disease. To brush your cat’s teeth, you’ll need a soft toothbrush and cat toothpaste. Never use human toothpaste to brush your cat’s teeth – too much fluoride can upset your cat’s stomach, and the high levels of fluoride in human toothpaste can be toxic. First, let your cat taste the toothpaste, then use your finger to sweep along the gum line on the upper teeth. Repeat the steps above, but this time with a toothbrush. Run the brush along the gum line of the upper molars with a slightly upturned angle so that the bristles get below the gum line. Brush from back to front in a circular motion along the gum line. It will take you less than 30 seconds to brush your cat’s teeth.

• Don’t try to brush all of your cat’s teeth at first. If the cat only allows you to brush the outside of the upper teeth, it is still better than not brushing at all. You’re still dealing with the most important part of your cat’s dental care.

Schedule a professional dental cleaning for your cat if needed. Even with a thorough brushing, some cats still need a professional teeth cleaning from time to time. Brushing can reduce plaque and residue on the surface of the teeth, but it does not remove plaque just below the gum line. When cleaning your cat’s teeth, your veterinarian will also perform a thorough dental exam while the cat is under anesthesia. Some signs of dental disease include: ^[13]

• Bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Teeth discolored or tartar clinging to the tooth surface
• Sensation of pain or sensitivity in the mouth
• Bleed
• Drooling a lot and dropping food while eating
• Loss of appetite or weight loss

Give your cat enough time to play. Your cat needs daily interactions with you to stay healthy and happy. Spend time playing with cats, talking and grooming them to bond with your cat. Laser pens, balls, toy mice, and feathers are also great toys to play with cats.

• Here’s a game you can play with your cat: Try hiding your cat’s favorite food in a corner, and guide your cat there with a laser pointer. You will point the laser pen the way a real mouse moves, try pointing the laser pen at tight spots and underneath hiding places. Finally, you use the pen to point at the right place where the cat’s favorite food is. The cat will be happy because it feels like hunting for food.
  

  

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Decide whether you should adopt a kitten or an adult cat. ^[14] Kittens are fascinating and adorable, but you need to honestly ask yourself if you’re meeting their energy levels, can’t bear the responsibility for them. At animal shelters, there are many adult cats that are friendly but difficult to find a home. An adult cat is calmer and quieter than a kitten, but they can also have behavioral problems from their early years. Adult cats can also develop illnesses that you will need to treat sooner than kittens. On the other hand, kittens often scratch very painfully; think if you can accept it.

Consider your cat’s health problems. If you like a cat, ask about its medical history to see if the cat requires long-term care. Will you be able to meet the cat’s medical needs?

• Even if the cat you like is perfectly healthy, you should consider the breed. Purebred cats may have genetic problems that must be overcome. For example, flat-faced cats like the Manx and Scottish often develop breathing problems. ^[15]
• Purebred cats are generally more at risk of genetic diseases than hybrid cats. ^[16]

Consider how much time you can spend with your cat. Although you don’t need to be taken for a daily walk like a dog, don’t assume that cats don’t ask you to spend time with them. Cats are still active pets that need to be played and are dear friends that need to be cared for. You will also have to spend time cleaning the litter box and feeding the cat properly.

• The average lifespan of a domestic cat is 13-17 years, so remember you’re making a long-term commitment to a new family member. ^[17]

Calculate if you can afford a cat. The price of buying a cat ranges from a few hundred thousand to tens of millions of dollars if it is a purebred cat. In addition, you will have to buy food, litter, toys and medical expenses for the cat. The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) estimates the cost of raising a cat for the first year at up to $1,035 (more than 20 million). ^[18] (This amount will decrease once you’ve purchased supplies and paid initial medical expenses.)