Owning a cat can be one of the most rewarding experiences you have during your entire life time. To make this time enjoyable for both you and your cat you need to ensure you have the knowledge and ability to care for it properly.
Learning to care for a cat starts well before the cat moves into your home. If you are looking for a kitten the care starts by you finding a suitable cat breeder and seeing the conditions the mother cat is living in. You will need to look at the condition of the kittens as well and learn how to select a healthy cat. Or if you are looking to take in an abandoned or elderly cat, are you able to meet their needs, some may not like children and others may need medication for the rest of their life; these are things that you need to consider, if you have not thought about these things, then you have not done your duty as a prospective cat owner to care for your cat.
Cats can be more than just a pet for some people, in their own way they care for you. A cat is very compassionate and caring when you are sick and will often visit and keep you company during times of illness and upset. They are also very independent animals and once properly trained can often be left to their own devices, but take care not to leave them for too long as they will still need feeding and your love and attention.
Cats can provide hours of entrainment for the whole family. As you care for your cat you will start to learn all about your cats quirks, the things it likes and doesn’t like. All cats have their own personality, you just have to give it time to shine through, most are pleasant and happy cats, because their owners have spent time caring for them.
You’ll find many different cats, in all walks of life. Have a look around your local town or countryside, some cats need little or no care and will live on farms or in large industrial areas, where they work for a living, normally they catch vermin in return for a meal and a dry place to sleep. Others may be house cats, living in high rise apartment blocks, a lot of these may be elderly cats which need a lot of care and attention, but are unable to move too far and there for are very suitable for the environment. Then there are even wild cats, these cats need no intervention from us, they are very feral and servive independently.
Before you bring your cat home make sure you have a suitable sleeping are with comfortable cat bedding. This will help your cat as often a cat will not feel comfortable in its new environment for a few days, some where private to sleep that is warm and cosy will show you care, by letting it escape from the daily hustle and bustle of household life.
If you are getting a new kitten, make sure you buy a cat carrier. It’s inevitable that you’ll have to take your kitten to the vet for check ups and it’s first vaccinations. There are many types on the market, from a basic plastic box with a handle and holes for breathing, to a super wicker woven cat basket. You should choose what is right for your cat, show you cat that you care by making trips to the vets as comfortable as possible.
Every cat will need a cat collar, unless you have a micro chip inserted under this skin (some people see this as an unnecessary hurt to your cat, but in fact it’s just like having a vaccination). A cat collar has two purposes, the first and most important is for identification. If you cat strays too far from home and gets lost, most people will take in and care for a lost cat until the owner can be found, if your cat has a cat collar then the identification information you include in it will let people know how to contact you. And the other use is as a flea deterrent, there is a chemical included in the fabric which will help keep your cat free of fleas and ticks.
Don’t forget to provide good cat feeding equipment. Have bowls that are just for your cat, this way they won’t get mixed up with the family’s crockery. And not only they if your cat has its own bowls it will feel more comfortable settling in to your home. If you really want to go over board and show you care you can even get personalised cat and dog bowls that some companies will make for you.
When your cat is small, it will still be very playful and will be after your attention all the time. A good way to show you care is to play with your cat. Cats love chasing things so why not purchase some cat toys and other things to keep you cat amused, this also helps to strengthen the bond between you.
If you have a passion for cats, which many people do, it is always fun to find out about the history of the breed that you have chosen to care for. Or even the general history of the domestic cat, the history of the domestic cat is an interested one, but we have provided a small history to get you started.