The best cat care for your feline friend!
Providing the best cat care for your pet is essential if you want to have
a contented and happy cat.
Basic everyday care like feeding and grooming are dealt with elsewhere
on this site, so here we will concern ourselves with the more long term
pet care required, and important care issues that arise like Moving
home with your cat and Bonding
with your new cat.
Caring for your cat also include how they feel in the home environement
and having young children
in the home can prove to be a difficult balancing act to ensure your
cat feels safe and secure and not anxious. However the benefits to both
children
and the cat can far outweigh any difficulties.
The Top 3
When you first get your cat the 3 main things you must do for them
are:
- Neuter
(for a male) or Spay (female)essential if you do not want to breed
from your cat.
- Vaccination
- prevent some very nasty feline diseases, many of which are
fatal.
- Worming
- a simple pill given regularly can prevent your pet suffering from
these internal parasites.
By taking your cat to the vet and getting these treatments done early
on you will be avoiding any worries and can get on with getting to know
your new feline friend.
 Kittens
Kittens require special attention and not just nutritionally. Kitten
Care also includes socailisation and early training lessons
which if carried out correctly will ensure you have a healthy confident
and friendly family pet in the future.
Old Cats
Old cats need extra care from their owners too. Stiff joints, loss
of appitie and all the other symptoms associated with a senior
cat will mean that your pet will need some help to ensure that
they end their days in comfort and security.
Seasonal Cat Care
The seasons bring their own problems for our cats and its up to us
to be aware of the dangers and to provide them with the best cat care
for their needs.
Winter Cat Care
Outdoor cats - if your cat lives outside most of the time
make sure you provide a warm and dry shelter out of the wind and slightly
raised off the ground. Cats use their body heat to keep warm so the
shelter should be small enough to preserve body heat and big enough
to be comfortable. Bedding should be kept clean and dry.
 Dampness
- if your cat comes in with wet fur make sure you dry them off.
Who likes to sit in wet clothes? This is probably one of the most
overlooked methods of cat care.
Frostbite - if your cat is lost or left outside for long periods
in very cold weather frostbite can be a real concern. Things to look
out for are reddened tissues, scaly skin and even shedding of dead
skin. The paws, ears and tail are the areas that are most affected,
so if you see any abnormal signs in these areas during very cold weather
consult a vet immediately. Never rub tissue that has been frozen,
as it will cause further damage.
Summer Cat Care
Cat fleas
- during the warm weather fleas become more of a problem than usual
and should be dealt with and preferably avoided by using medication
specially designed to treat cat fleas. Your vet is the best person
to recommend the best treatments.
Footpads - check your cat’s paws for sticky tar or grit,
which may have been picked up from the hot pavements. Never use chemicals
on your cat, instead use warm water to gently wipe their feet and
then perhaps use a little petroleum jelly to provide some protection.
Heatstroke - watch out for symptoms like panting, high temperature,
dehydration and a rapid heartbeat. Heat stroke can develop very quickly,
so keep and eye on your cat on very hot days and make sure they have
plenty of cold water available and shady places to rest. If heatstroke
does occur, cool your cat down by either using a fan or putting them
in a bath of cool water and then seek advice from a vet as soon as
possible. Remember heatstroke can kill. Making sure your garden
is safe for your cat to explore especailly during the summer
months will help to prevent dangers such as heatstroke.
Sunburn
- cats can get sunburn too. Most cats are sun worshippers and hot
sunny days they can be found sleeping the sunniest part of the garden.
But beware, you must protect your cat, especially if they have white
ears.
Vacations - Going away on vacation is great fun for us but if we
don't provide proper cat care for our cats while we are away, your
pet may suffer. Choosing a
pet sitter who you can trust can be a tricky buisness but
it is something that is worth taking your time on to provide peace
of mind.
 How
to keep your cat safe
Cats are naturally very curious animals and like to explore the most
unusual places. This does mean of course that they can get themselves
into some dangerous situations. So it is important to try and keep their
home environment as safe as possible. The best thing to do is try to
put yourself in your cats place, remember of course they are much lower
to the ground than us, and try imagine what would get their attention.
Household
chemicals - remember to keep household cleaning, chemical
products and any poisonous substances like gardening weed killer or
rat poison in a locked cupboard. Some cats don't have any problem
getting a paw around a cupboard door.
Windows And Balconies - There are many accidents every year
where cats have fallen from high places such as open windows. Always
supervise your pet when they are near to anywhere they may fall from
and if this is not possible then make sure that windows and doors
are closed or that the cat is unable to get to them. Injuries from
such falls can be awful and can often be fatal
Plants
- It may not occur to you but that some plants are poisonous to eat,
mainly because we wouldn't dream of eating them ourselves. But our
furry friends are not always so choosy and may find the juicy leaves
well worth a nibble. So before buying plants either for your garden
or your house, make sure they are non-toxic. As you can see cat care
is very much like the care you would give to a young child at home.
Before planting any new plants in your cat
garden, always check that the planst will not harm your cat
if they are chewed or eaten.
Micro
Chipping - Unfortunately from time to time our cats may get
lost or worse stolen. It can be heartbreaking knowing that your cat
may have wandered off too far and for whatever reason can't get back
and no one knows where they live. Identification tags are useful but
also have their drawbacks, they can fall off or the collar can get
caught and trap the cat. The sure fire way to make sure that your
cat can be identified is to have them Micro chipped. This is a quick
procedure, which is carried out at your vet’s surgery. A small
electronic chip is inserted under the skin that carries all your cats’
details, which can be read by a special reader, passed over the skin.
First
Aid Kit - Make sure that you keep a cat first aid kit in your
home, using items that are cat friendly and that cope with the every
day scrapes your cat may get into.
Christmas
Cat Care - Tis the season to be jolly. yes but if you don't
pay special cat care to certain seasonal dangers then it may turn
out not to be so jolly for you or your cat.
Indoor
Cats - Even cats that are kept inside all the time have to
have special attention paid to their needs. Boredom and inactivity
can lead to behavior problems and a unhappy cat.
Moving
Home - This can be a very stressful time for your pet and
a lot of the moving day truama can be avoided with just a little forward
planning.
Doesn't your cat deserve a little pampering as well?
As well as keeping your pet fit and healthy, part of good cat care is
to make your cat feel happy and comfortable living as part of your family.
So a little pampering may be required, well whats wrong with having a
pampered pet anyway? tips
on pampering your cat. This can range from how you pick your cat
up so they feel safe and secure to giving them those extra special treats
like Catnip.
In fact it's just lovely to see your pet really enjoying something you
have provided for them, an example of this is a short video
clip on our Catnip page of a group of cats enjoying the magical
plant in a garden.
We,ve had cats for many years and know just how essential it is to
a cats happiness to get as much attention as possible from their human
friends. So it's down to you to give as much cat care as possible, to
hear that gentle rumbling of a purrrrrr.
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