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Part-V: Caring for Your Cat

Twenty Tips for Caring for Your Cat

Cats are excellent pets. Follow these simple tips to care for a

great life-long companion.

Local governments have their own cat registration laws.

Adhere to these laws to ensure complete protection.

Get a cat collar with a tag where you put all necessary details

like the name of your pet, your name, and contact details.

This assures the safe return of your pet if you lose your pet for any reason.

Feed your cat a nutritional and well-balanced diet and ensure

easy access to fresh, clean water to keep your cat healthy and

fit.

Take your cat to the veterinarian for regular checkups. It is

necessary to schedule vet visits from the time you bring home

your kitten.

Keep your furniture safe from scratching episodes. You can

train cats to use special scratching posts. Cats are fast

learners.

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Have the Vet neuter or spay your cat at the age they advise.

This helps maintain the health of your cat.

Regular grooming of your cat’s coat will keep it soft, shiny and healthy. It prevents ingestion of hair by cats – that may cause

serious problems due to hairballs.

Always set aside separate and exclusive time for playing and

spending time with your cat. Plan regular exercise sessions to

maintain the physical health of your cat. It also helps you

bond with your feline companion. This is essential to ensure a

stable and happy mental state of your pet cat.

Start training your kitten from the time you bring it home.

Kittens are small bundles of high-energy. Be gentle but be

firm too. Place a ticking clock in its bed to mimic its mother’s heartbeat. Offer small and safe toys for your kitten to play and enjoy.

Litter training is essential. Place your kitten’s litter box in a well-ventilated and private place. Keep separate litter boxes

for each kitten.

Do not allow your cat to venture outdoors without supervision.

Restrict such outings, as it might have an accident or contract

an illness. Keep your cat indoors to maintain the health of

your cat.

You should never inflict any physical punishment on your

kittens or cats. It only confuses them and makes them scared

of you.

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Protect your cat from inquisitive and rough handling of your

guests. Keep them in a separate room to avoid any

unpleasantness. Cats could inflict harm, as they could scratch

to protect themselves.

Caring for a pregnant cat requires extra care and attention. Do

not allow it outdoors. Give it additional food according to your vet’s instructions. Give it a nice and cozy bed. Collect

complete information in advance about cat care for such

special times.

Cats are very possessive and may not like extra attention you

shower on your newborn baby. Instead, reassure your cat by

giving it a little more attention.

Your pet cats could wake you at unseemly hours to have their

food. Discourage such habits and do not give them anything at

such times. Cats learn to respect feeding times and will soon

fall into a regular routine.

Get pet-sitters to care for your cat while you go on vacation.

Allow sufficient time for your cat to grasp and learn the correct behavior you expect of it.

Medical care for your cat could be costly. Get information from

the Internet to reduce vet visits but always get the advice of

your local vet on serious matters.

Get your cat accustomed to all kinds of dry and wet food so

that you can feed it any type of food.

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14. Grooming Your Cat and Hygiene

Though your cat spends lot of time cleaning itself, they do

need a regular brushing and cleaning. This helps to remove

the loose hair, dead skin and also prevents matting. Regular

brushing helps to keep parasites and fleas away.

Regular grooming

Regular grooming should be started early in the life of a cat

and done regularly. If you have a long-haired cat, you will

need more frequent sessions. However, with short-haired cats,

once a week is sufficient to prevent matting.

Regular grooming helps to keep your cat not only good and

healthy, but also helps you to develop a wonderful bond with

your pet. You get to know your cat well through these

sessions and you can check for fleas, lumps, sores, ticks or

irritated skin.

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Combing

Combing regularly maintains good hygiene among cats. Gently

comb towards the hair growth point and keep tangles away.

You may use your fingers to untangle the fur.

There are combs available in the market for combing your

pet’s hair. Use a comb with wide teeth for cats that have long

hair and a fine-toothed comb for cats with short hair - these

combs are best for picking up fleas and dirt from the cat’s

coat.

Brushing

Brushing regularly stimulates the cat’s skin and helps natural

oils to distribute more evenly. This helps your cat’s fur to

maintain its shininess. You may use a soft bristle brush or a

wire slicker brush. A rubber-grooming device could help to

massage the skin of the cat.

Nail trimming

Use the cat nail trimmer to cut the nails of your cat. Gently

press the paw to bring out the cat’s nail and trim the sharp

point. However, be careful that you do not harm the blood

vessels. You may ask your vet for help when you try it out the

first time.

Bathing

Bathing may not be a favorite practice for every cat. However,

bathing helps prevent tangling and matting. Use medicated

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shampoos for your cat. Specific areas that may need particular

attention are:

Ears: Use cotton swabs to clean the cat’s ear, as they trap lot of dirt. Be very careful when you clean the ears.

Eyes and nose: Be particularly careful in wiping their nose and eyes. Wet a cotton ball with saline water to wipe the

eyelids (NOT the eyes) of the cat gently.

Dry the cat: Dry the cat by gently squeezing the excess

water from the fur. After this wrap the cat in a large soft

towel, and then comb any tangles gently.

However, not using a blow dryer is a good idea as the sound

scares most cats.

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Cat Diet

Canned cat food is the best for your cat. It

contains all essential nutrients and minerals in

appropriate quantities. It also contains sufficient

water. Canned cat food is available in three

different types:

Crunchy nuggets are available as

dry food or kibble. You can store

these packages at room

temperature for many weeks. They

are economical and you can leave it

in your cat’s feeding bowl all-day without it getting spoiled.

Such crunchy food prevents formation of dental plaque.

However, it could cause bladder stones if eaten to excess.

Wet canned food can stay okay for a

long period if you do not open it. Once

you open it, you can store left overs in

the refrigerator for no more than a

day. It should be put inside an airtight

container. Any leftover or uneaten canned food on cat’s food

bowl should be discarded after fifteen to twenty minutes. It

could accumulate harmful bacteria. You can add a little cooked

pasta, rice or potatoes to regular canned food to add to the

taste and nutrition value.

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Semi moist canned food is essentially wet nuggets. It is

available in individual meal-size pouches. Some of them are in

different colors and shapes. You can store them in resealable

containers at room temperature. Such food is not very high in

nutrition.

Additional Foods for Your Cat

A few extra special foods here and there can add flavor to

your cat’s diet. You can give a few bits of tuna fish once-in-a-

while if your cat does not have any urinary tract problems.

Strained meat, minced chicken or turkey, poultry baby foods

and white rice are good for a recuperating cat. Always check

for any bones as bones could lodge within the cat’s throat and

choke it.

Special treats include canned mackerel, herring, or sardines,

chicken giblets, cheese, and vegetables in small quantities.

Fresh water is essential for your cat. Keep a bowl of fresh,

clean water always readily available. Change water every

morning.

Essential Tips

Never feed dog food to your cat, as dog food lacks taurine and

necessary proteins.

Do not feed leftovers from your plate, as it could upset your

cat’s digestive system.

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Do not give chocolates, spicy and oily food, or onions to your

cat.

Do not give raw egg whites, uncooked fish, beef, pork,

poultry, or meats not approved by your vet.

Kittens require many small feeds during the day. Keep dry

food available all through the day. Adult cats could do with a

single meal each day.

Maintain a specific feeding schedule for your cat.

Always give food to your cat in a clean bowl. Feed it in the

same bowl and at the same time and place.

Do not allow children to come near your cats while feeding, or

to try to disturb or distract them in any manner.

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Playing and Exercise

Cats and kittens love to play with you and other cats or

kittens. Cats normally do not play for long periods. Brief spells of play normally early in the morning and evening can keep

the emotional base of your feline companion intact. It also

maintains the physical health of your cat.

Always maintain a regular playing and exercising time. Stick to

this schedule, as cats would expect you to play at the same

time every day.

Boredom is often the main cause behind aggressive behavior,

overeating, or compulsive chewing habits of your cat.

Interactive playing builds and strengthens bonding between

you and your cat. Shy cats gain a lot of confidence through

such play sessions. They provide physical and mental exercise.

The cat does not feel as much boredom when staying indoors.

Simple Toys That Provide Exercise for Your Cat

Tie a string around a cat toy and hang it in a dangling

position. You can tie any object at the end of a chopstick.

Kittens and cats love jumping and trying to catch the dangling

object.

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Cats love playing with paper bags. They would try to explore

within the bag and walk out majestically. You can cut a few

holes in the bag to provide them many exit points. Placing

their toys within these openings would be more enjoyable.

Give an empty toilet paper roll and your cat will play with it

like a bat. You could additionally put some object within the

roll and enjoy watching it play enthusiastically.

Try hiding one of your cat’s toys underneath a pillow or in

between cushions. Your cat would love to play retrieving

games.

Use a flashlight to beam light on the floor and walls in a semi-

dark room. Cats love chasing the beam and it provides both

enjoyment and exercise.

Roll a few ice cubes on a solid floor and your kitten will love

playing ice hockey with them. Alternatively, put a few cubes in

an empty bathtub and enjoy your kitten’s game. Similarly,

ping-pong balls in the bathtub also provide a lot of

entertainment and exercise to your feline companions.

Fresh catnip toys prove very enjoyable to cats. They are

happy tearing away at the toy and releasing more and more

catnip. They then roll in it ecstatically.

Certain motorized toys like mice or toys with fur tails could

incite the predator instinct in your felines. However, do not

overdo this game as it could tire your cat too much.

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Provide a windowsill for your cat to have a look outside.

Alternatively, allow it to gaze at an aquarium. Some cats love

watching television. You can put on videotapes of mice or

birds for your cat to sit and watch.

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Housing Your Cat

When you bring home your kitten from a shelter or breeder,

it will be away from its mother for the first time. It will be

among new and strange smells, people, and a whole strange

environment.

Allow it time to settle down. Some suggest applying butter to

their paws. This makes cats leave their scent behind and

offers faster acclimatization due to same smells everywhere.

For the initial few days, give it a well-wrapped hot-water

bottle for warmth. Do not change the feed drastically.

Continue with the same diet as it had at its previous home.

Some kittens are allergic to cow’s milk. If it shows signs of

discomfort, discontinue it and reintroduce it later after

sufficient dilution. Dietary changes should be made gradually.

Make a comfortable and snug sleeping box for your kitten

from boxes or baskets. Make sure that there is no way that

the kitten might catch its claws in the weave of a basket or

blanket.

Older cats will prefer sleeping above ground-level, preferably

on a chair or similar elevated places.

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Provide sufficient toys and play things for your cat or kitten.

Simple toys include ping-pong balls, toys tied to the end of

strings and hung on doorknobs, large paper bags with many

windows and tunnels.

Blank newsprint could be good bedding for your new cat. Do

not us old newspapers as the ink may contain chemicals that

could be rubbed into the cat’s fur and ingested when the cat

licks itself with possibly harmful results.

But the blank paper is cheap when you can get the ends of

rolls from your local newspaper office, it provides a lot of

warmth and it is easily disposable.

There will not be any problems of lice, worms, or fleas.

Cats prefer staying in warm places.

Use cat baskets with a waterproof base and keep them slightly

elevated. This prevents kittens from remaining in their mess,

if there are any accidents. A litter box is essential for a cat at home.

Change litter daily. Once a week, empty litter completely and

wash the tray thoroughly with detergent and hot water. Do

not use any disinfectants in the litter box cleaning, as cats are allergic to disinfectants. Place the cleaned, dry litter box at a private and secluded place away from noise and disturbances.

Use flat-bottomed feeding and drinking water bowls for your

cat. These bowls should have a solid bottom. Placing feeding

bowls on newspaper sheets can lessen any nuisances of

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droppings. Clean these bowls daily with water and remove any

traces of food as soon as possible.

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