The Basics of Cat Care

Whether you're considering buying or adopting a cat for the first time, already own a cat but just want to make sure you're doing everything right, or simply want to find out more about cats and their care requirements, it can be hard to know where to turn!

Everyone has their own unique ideas about the best way to care for our feline friends, so if you're having problems sorting the wheat from the chaff and want to make sure that the information you're reading is reliable and accurate, search no further; read on to learn more about the basics of good cat care, and where to go to improve your knowledge and understanding.

Responsible cat ownership

Before you make the commitment to take on a cat, you should be sure that you will be able to afford to care for it, and intend to own it and look after it appropriately for the duration of its hopefully long life.

You should review your home and surrounding area critically to ensure that it is a safe and suitable environment to bring a cat into, and also, ensure that if you rent or live in a leasehold apartment, you are permitted to keep cats within your home.

When you actually get your cat, you should take steps to make sure that your cat is not a nuisance or inconvenience to others, and also, that you spay or neuter them as soon as possible, if this has not already been done for you.

Veterinary care

All cats should be vaccinated against all of the core communicable feline diseases, and receive an annual booster and vet check every year. It is also important to be able to recognize other times when your cat may need to see a vet, such as if they become sick or injured. You will also need to budget for flea and worming treatments, and preventative care such as looking after your cat's teeth. Finally, you might want to consider insuring your cat, to help with the cost of any unexpected and potentially expensive veterinary treatments.

Feeding

Cats need to feed little and often, and so should be given free access to the appropriate food, and also clean, fresh water at all times. What you choose to feed your cat is up to you, and the like-for-like price of different cat foods can vary considerably across different ranges! When making your decision, you should take into account your cat's life stage and lifestyle when picking the right food, and you will also need to decide if you wish to feed wet food, dry food, or a combination of both. Wet and dry food each have their advantages and disadvantages, and no one can tell you what is best for your own cat! Make sure that the food that you feed to your cat is a complete food, rather than a supplementary one, as only a complete food will take care of all of your cat's nutritional requirements. Also, go easy on the treats; too many treats can soon cause your cat to pile on the pounds, which can lead to a whole range of potential health problems.

Understanding your cat

Cat communication is complex, and very different from that of humans! You will need to make sure that you understand the basics of cat communication, how to interpret your cat's moods and needs, and how to tell if something is wrong with your cat, such as if they are stressed or unhappy. You should also learn how to provide a safe, comfortable environment for your cat, which includes considerations such as where to locate their beds, food bowls and litter trays, how to make your cat feel secure, and how to recognize when they want to be left alone!


 
Enabling a natural lifestyle

Most cats are indoor/outdoor cats, meaning that they have a warm home to stay in when they want to, but also have free or regular access to the outside world. This will help your cat to live a natural lifestyle and manifest their natural behaviors, as well as helping to keep them both fit and entertained. In some cases, certain breeds of cats may do better with an indoor-only lifestyle, such as the very un-streetwise Ragdoll, or hairless cat breeds that are apt to get too cold in the winter, or get burnt in the summer. If this is the case with your cat, you will have to go a lot further when it comes to enabling a natural lifestyle for them, and keeping them entertained.

Life stages

The natural behavior of cats will change as they age, starting with a boisterous, fun-loving kitten who is into everything, through your calmer, adult cat, to the specific traits and care requirements of the feline old-timer. Learning to recognize what is normal and appropriate for your cat at every stage of their lives, and knowing how to provide this, is also essential information.

Troubleshooting

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in the house, clawing the furniture, acting aggressively or otherwise doing something out of the ordinary that indicates unhappiness or an underlying problem, you should learn how to recognize this, and develop a good understanding of the potential causes of problem behaviors and how they can be resolved.

Cat Urine Odor Removal Tips

There is no mistaking the heavy, ammonia smell of cat urine. Whether your cat is simply urinating wherever he or she wishes, or is spraying urine to mark territory, the result will be the same. This is a strong odor that will affect a surprisingly large area of the home, even if the problem area is relatively small. You should actually account yourself lucky if you are able to spot a puddle or a wet area on the rug or upholstery and begin treating it immediately. However, once the urine has dried, in most cases you will have to locate it by smell or by using a black light.
Odor Removal Once the Urine Is Found
Once you find out the problem area, it's important to take some care to remove the urine as completely as possible; not only for the sake of your nose, but to discourage your cat of thinking of that particular spot as a bathroom. 
 
The organic compounds found in cat urine can pose some problems in removing the odor - some of the compounds are water soluble, but the uric acid not only is capable of binding to adjacent surfaces, but is not soluble by water. When you find fresh urine you should:

• Wipe up the urine from hard surfaces with a paper towel and use the same to blot urine in furniture or rugs. Don't use cloth unless you are prepared to throw it away afterwards.
• An enzyme cleaner is your best choice for removing cat urine. These cleaners are specifically designed to break down the uric acid into ammonia and carbon dioxide, which will simply off gas naturally afterwards.
• Do not try to hasten the drying process after using an enzyme cleaner since it interrupts the normal dissipation of the ammonia and carbon dioxide.
• Use the best enzyme cleaner possible - inexpensive cleaners often require multiple uses before they remove the odor of cat urine.
• Be generous when applying the cleaner; you should soak the target area to allow the enzymes to really do their job.
• After leaving the cleaner on for approximately a quarter of an hour, blot it up, then let the spot dry naturally.

Although rugs are the usual areas where your cat may urinate, beds, sofas, and clothing can also be sullied. Use the same procedure on these as you did on your rug. Slipcovers and clothing should be washed separately after they have been treated with the enzyme cleaner. Spray marking will be found on a vertical surface such as a door frame or chair leg.

Your Sensitive Cat And Litter Box Problems

A cat's senses are how the animal relates to the world around it. In many ways, the senses of a cat are much more acute than ours and this can often be at the root of litter box problems. When your cat begins to urinate, or even defecate, on the floor or furniture, it's time to get to the root of the problem as quickly as possible. Never punish the cat for his or her transgressions - your pet will be unable to associate the accident with the litter box, and dragging the cat to the litter box after a scolding or spanking will only cause further litter box problems.
Your Cat's Senses
Cats are naturally very clean animals, so when your companion begins using the home as a litter box, a serious problem exists. Once your pet has been found to be healthy, and not suffering from a medical condition that is causing incontinence, take into consideration your cat's sensitivity.

• Cats have a sense of smell that is about 15 times stronger than yours is. Imagine how a litter box that may smell rather sour to you must smell to your cat. Clumps of fecal material and urine-soaked litter will cause most cats to eliminate elsewhere. The odor of ammonia is sharp and irritating to humans, and is even more so to cats. The litter box should be cleaned religiously; using clumping litter makes this easier. Remove stools and wet litter two times a day. Boxes using clumping litter can go 3 weeks before actual changes (you will be adding more litter after removing the clumps), but a box with ordinary litter should be changed, and the box washed, 2 times every week.
• Smell also plays a part in litter box avoidance if your cat simply detests the smell of the litter, even if it's completely clean. This usually comes about when a new litter is introduced. Try adding a bit of the new litter to the old to accustom the cat to the change.
• The tactile sensations of cats are highly developed, and this includes the cat's feet. Litter that feels 'funny' to cats will be avoided. Instinctively, cats are drawn to a litter that feels like soft sand or soil. Choose a litter that most closely mimics nature.
• Everyone knows that cats have an acute sense of hearing. Mechanized litter boxes can produce sounds that are frightening to a cat. Self-cleaning boxes are often avoided just because of the clatter they produce. It may take some time and patience to get your cat used to motorized litter boxes, and you may have to return to an ordinary box if your cat cannot adjust.

Putting yourself in your cat's place when litter box problems arise can make it easier to solve the problem and make both of you happier and more relaxed.

---