7 Tips Health and Care Tips for New Cat Owners
Whether you are purchasing or adopting a new cat, you want to have everything in place to give your new pet the best life. The RSPCA is a great place to start an adoption process if you would like to adopt a new furry friend throughout Australia. Regardless of the breed you choose, you want to have your home prepared and the proper items purchased for your new cat or kitten.
To help ease this transition into cat ownership, we will discuss the 7 best health and care tips of your new cat.
Start by Making Your Home Cat Safe
Before you even bring a cat into your home, you want to do a quick look over to ensure that it is as safe as possible. You should look for anything that is dangerous to your cat or kitten, especially since these pets are very curious. You should find anything that is small enough for them to eat or carry off and put it away.
Some key things you want to look out for are:
- Anything breakable they could easily knock down.
- Medications your cat could chew into. Lock these away into a cabinet or drawer.
- Small choking hazards
- Keep toys that may need supervised put away until you can watch your cat with these.
As most know, many parts of Australia have animals that can harm or injure a house cat. If you plan to allow your cat outdoors, you want to have a fenced in yard that is protected from outside animals. You also want to ensure that any windows you have use screens that can help keep your cat indoors and keep all balconies or high spaces secured.
Find a Local, Cat Friendly Veterinarian
You want to ensure that you have a vet in mind when it comes to purchasing or adopting a cat. If you are adopting your cat from a local shelter or the RSPCA specifically, many will already provide the cat with some vet care. However, if you are purchasing your cat from a breeder or other shop, you will want to take it to the vet as soon as possible.
You should have the vet give your cat a full examination to check for any health concerns. If your cat is old enough and has not yet been spayed or neutered, you will want to do this as well. It is important to spay or neuter your cat prior to them reaching maturity to avoid unwanted kittens and behavioral concerns.
One thing you should ask any vet before bringing your cat is if they offer emergency care. You never want a pet emergency to happen and you not be able to get proper care.
Pick the Right Litter Box
You will want to have a litter box set up for when your new cat arrives. It is important that you have an adequate number of litter boxes present and that you have thought carefully about where they can go. Most cats are pretty flexible about where they use the potty, but kittens may need a little more assistance and you should try to keep using the litter they are used to.
If you have a larger home, you may want to add two litter boxes to have better access for your cat. For example, a two-story home could have a litter box upstairs and downstairs for easier access. This becomes even more relevant if you are in the process of litter box training a new kitten or if you are getting multiple cats.
Some additional things to keep in mind with litter box training are:
- A Little Scoop and Bucket – You want to make sure that you have scoop available to clean your litter box regularly. Having a small bucket or trash nearby can also help you rid of dirty litter easily.
- Cleaning Your Litter Box – It is essential to scoop your litter box daily or as needed if you notice it is dirty several times throughout the day. You will want to empty it completely every week or so and replace with completely fresh litter. Regularly dump out the litter and wash out the box to help rid it of any unwanted smells and keep bacteria down.
- Monitor Feces – While this may seem gross, your cat’s poop can tell you a lot about it. You will want to check for any worms or parasites in your cat’s poop and also check for diarrhea. If you are noticing any health issues, you will want to bring those up to your veterinarian.
- A Litter Mat – When cat’s dig in their litter box, it is not unusual for things to get messy. You may want to purchase a litter mat to go under the box to help keep this mess down. This is especially true if you have carpeting or hard to clean flooring underneath.
Have Quality, Healthy Food Available
You want to find a cat food that works for your specific cat breed and their overall health needs. If you are adopting an older cat, they will have different needs than a younger kitten. If you are opting to adopt or purchase a younger kitten, you will want to purchase a kitten specific food.
You can ask what food the cat was eating prior to bringing it into your home and get the same brand. This can make the transition into your home a lot easier, as new foods can often cause upset stomach. There are several types of cat food available at most supermarkets today so you will want to do your own research on the best brands and types.
You will also want to get food and water bowls that your cat can easily access in your home. The best options are stainless steel or ceramic, as plastic bowls can hold onto odors or be harder to clean and also cause Chin Acne. For smaller kittens, shallow bowls are best so that they can easily access the water or food inside.
Pick Up a Few Toys
You will want to pick up a few toys and treat for your cat to keep them occupied. Often, younger cats and kittens are very playful and having proper toys in place can help keep them busy. You can also find cat puzzles or mice chasing toys that help your kitten develop into trained cats.
You may have even dealt with a house mouse a time or two as they are frequent throughout Australia. Having a cat that loves to play and catch mouse toys can help train them to be good mice catching cats. You can find countless entertaining cat toys at most stores and pet specific stores can have even more options.
Get a Scratching Post or Cat Tree
Cats love to scratch! However, this can quickly become a nuisance if your cat is not scratching in the right areas. You want to help protect your furniture, walls, and other areas by having proper scratching areas in place.
You can find simple scratchers for cheap in many stores and they do not need to be very fancy. You can find simple cardboard scratchers or scratching posts that can be placed around your home. If you find that you cat is beginning to scratch areas that are not allowed, redirect them to these scratching posts.
Cat trees are a little more expensive, but also great options for cats and kittens. These not only serve as a scratching area for your cat but can also be used for naptime for your cat. Often, cats love to climb and rest in higher area, which makes these cat trees a big hit.
Give Your Cat Proper Care
You will want to provide your cat proper routine care to keep them in top shape. Your cat does need some basic health care performed at home. Some things you will want to add to your regular routine to keep your cat healthy are:
- Brush Your Cat Regularly – Brushing your cat is easy and they usually enjoy it. Regularly brushing your cat will cut down on the amount of dead hair, dirt, and promote skin health. You will want to brush your cat at least once a week, but longer haired cats may need additional brushing.
- Brush Your Cat’s Teeth – This brushing may not go over as well with your cat, but you will want to brush your cat’s teeth to lower bacteria levels and rid your pet of gingivitis. You should pick up a cat toothbrush kit from your local pet store and begin toothbrushing early on. This should also be done regularly or as needed.
Conclusion
You will want to ensure that your cat has everything it needs from healthy foods to toys before purchasing or adopting it into your home. Taking on the role of pet owner means you will want to give your new cat the best life possible. Following these basic care tips can help you prepare for your new cat or kitten and give it a great start in your home.
https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/health-care/ways-to-keep-your-cat-healthy
