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dit Article How to Care for Your Cat Edited by Mady, Ben Rubenstein, Alan J, Rob S and 56 others To keep your cat or kitten healthy the most important thing is to make sure your cat/kitten is taken to the vets regularly; for kittens take them when you first get them to ensure they are healthy and disease free, make sure they are vaccin ated at 9 and 12 weeks. It is also important that either you or the vet check yo ur kitten/cat for fleas and worms monthly and treat if necessary. EditSteps 1Make sure that you take your cat to the vet regularly for any vaccinations need ed, and just a general checkup to see how your kitty is doing. If you notice any thing different with your cat, such as the way they're meowing, walking, eating or acting, and are worried, take your cat to the vet.

2Groom your cat regularly. Grooming is very important. It prevents hairballs, st imulates your cats' blood flow, stops cat hair left when you pat her/him and pro vides some good bonding time for you and your cat. If your cat has long fur, a p in brush is best for working through long coat. A flat and slicker brush would w ork better for short fur. A smaller, triangular shaped brush can be used for sma ller areas, like around the face and ears. If you want to use a comb, use a wide toothed comb for long fur, and a fine toothed one for short fur. You may want t o buy a smaller and more gentle brush for a kitten. 3Make sure to feed your cat the right type of food, at the right times, and the right amount. Feed your cat at the same time you eat-so he/she won't be begging you for crumbs. Don't feed huge amounts-just a small bowl will do. If your cat i sn't eating well, it may be a disease. Check with your local vet. If your cat is overweight, never, ever drastically drop the food amount-it is not at all good for cats to lose too much weight very quickly. Instead, try going to your vet an d buying a special type of food which is high in protein, low in fat, and low in carbohydrate. Try not to feed your cat your food; it'll become a habit. Give yo ur cat water daily. Don't feed your cat milk; cats can't digest it. 4Find some time to bond with your cat. Simply feeding, grooming and taking a cat to the vet won't fulfill their needs. Even ten minutes chasing a rubber ball ar ound the house together is good. You can snuggle up to your kitty with a good bo ok, dangle a toy in front of their nose, or give them a cuddle. Make sure you pe t them every now and then-a little love goes a long way. 5Provide your cat with a scratching post or a tree they can climb, cats will nat urally want to scratch, it's a behavior from when they were wild that allowed th em to mark their territory. Providing acceptable places they are allowed to scra tch will save your belongings from cat claw damage. Cats love tall places, so a big, sturdy cat tree will not only provide a place to scratch, but will allow he r to climb and enjoy a bird's eye view of her surroundings.

6Keep at least one litter box per cat. Keep boxes clean at all times. Some cats prefer uncovered boxes. Experiment with different types of cat litter, most cats prefer a natural wood-based litter. Many cats dislike the hard texture and perf ume and dust of clay-based litters. 7Help your cat get exercise. Some cats, if left to their own devices, will just sit around the house not doing much of anything. Be your cat's personal trainer! Toys are a great incentive to get your cat moving. Try tossing small toys for t hem to hit and chase. Fishing pole style toys or pocket flashlights let you give your cat a workout even when you're worn out. 8Let your cat be a cat. Like it or not, you cat is going to do certain cat thing s that may bug you. Your best option is to give your cat a positive outlet for t hese behaviors. If you cat scratches your furniture, make sure he or she has a g reat scratching post to use instead. Your cat loves getting on the china shelf t o look out the window? Move the china and put in some window side cat furniture. The cat uses the spot behind the chair as a bathroom? Put a litter box there an d keep it clean. (You may also want to visit the vet to rule out an underlying m edical problem.) 9Think very carefully before deciding to let your cat go outdoors. Contrary to p opular belief, cats are not always naturally able to find their way home and eve n a cat that usually knows its way around can become disoriented if badly fright ened. Other risks connected with letting your cat roam outdoors are parasites, s erious or fatal illnesses or injuries from other cats or other animals, fights w ith other animals that can result in serious injury or death, or theft of your c at. Your neighbors may not appreciate having your cat use their yard as a litter box or chasing and killing the birds at their bird baths and feeder. If you fee l you must give your cat access to the outdoors, consider giving it run of a fen ced in yard or walking it on a harness and leash. (It is possible.) EditVideo

EditTips Consult a vet or experienced person before introducing a new animal to the house . Cats love toys, so provide your cat with lots of stretching, hiding, perching an d playing areas! Your cat will love it, and both you and the cat will have fun! Have your cats micro-chipped. If they ever get out, or in case of an emergency, it will give you much better odds of being reunited, and could save your cat's l ives! Love your cat and spend some time with it. Don't tease your cat when it is a kitten because if may be mean or may bite you also because you were teasing your cat so it is used to it. So don't tease your cat. Declawing is a quick and easy way to prevent property damage and stop harm to pe ople and other pets. Consult your veterinarian for declawing options. Give your cat two meals a day if it is an adult and three to five smaller meals if he/she is a kitten. Do not feed him/her too much, as it may cause your cat to be overweight or sick. Stroke your cat regularly, and he/she might purr when you come. It is worth noting that once you have found a good cat litter for your furry fri end, you should not change it again. It is extremely aggravating for the cat. Look for a vet that has been certified by the American Association of Feline Pra ctitioners, and that is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association if in the USA. Show 1 more tip

EditWarnings Never leave string, yarn, or ribbons where a cat can get to them unsupervised. C ats can swallow string and it can kill them by tying their intestines up, and re quires surgery to save their life! Never leave coins out where cats can get to them. Coins lead to toxic poisoning if swallowed, and also will require surgery to be removed to save the cat's life . Never declaw a cat that will be let out of doors. Cats rely on their claws outdo ors to hunt and defend themselves. Only consider declawing if the cat will alway s be an indoor cat. Never feed your cats anything that contains onion or garlic, as it leads to Hein z body anemia in cats. (Anemia is a lack of red blood cells in the blood, and it 's very serious. Never take your vet's opinion as the absolute truth, always seek second opinions for life threatening diagnoses and research health conditions online before mak ing serious decisions about health care. Make sure you have a safe environment for your cat. Keep plastic bags, dangerous toys, etc. away from their reach. You wouldn't want your cat to choke. Learn about VAS, vaccine associated sarcoma, a life threatening cancer caused by giving vaccines. Choose non-adjuvanted vaccines, they are less likely to induce VAS. Never let your cat chew on anything small like Barbie or Polly Pocket pieces. It could lead to choking or get stuck in the stomach which would require surgery t o get the pieces removed. EditThings You'll Need scratching post Food and water bowls Cat brush Cat toys Litter box EditRelated wikiHows How to Clean Your Cat's Ears How to What to Do if You Find a Lost Kitten or Cat How to Love Cats How to Feed Your Cat How to Pet a Cat How to Ship a Cat How to Keep Cats from Chewing on Electric Cords and Chargers

How to Bathe a Cat How to Give a Cat an Injection How to Give a Cat a Pill How to Communicate With Your Cat How to Leash Train a Cat How to Know if Your Cat Is Sick How to Call a Cat How to Make Raw Cat Food How to Find a Lost Cat Article Info Categories: Getting a Cat Recent edits by: Abhishek, VeromG, FafisPit In other languages: Italiano: Come Prendervi cura del vostro gatto, Espaol: Cmo ser un buen amo de tu gato, Portugus: Como Cuidar do Seu Gato DiscussPrintEmailEditSend fan mail to authors Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 49,972 times. Was this article accurate? YesNo Random Article Write An Article Related Articles How to

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