Cats

Contents:

• Preparing your home for the furball invasion
• Health
  • Routine Examinations
  • Common Ailments
  • Parasites
  • Nutrition
  • Grooming
  • First Aid
• Behaviour and Discipline
• Moving house and emigrating
• More cats
• Bibliography and References

Age categories and special care needed

• 0-2 weeks
• 2-10 weeks
• 10 weeks - 6 months
• 6 months - 1 year: spaying/neutering
• 1 - 2 years: growth slows down
• 2 - 7 years:
• 7 years - 12 years:
• 12 years+:

Preparing your home for the furball invasion

Before you go to choose your kitten, make sure that you have the necessary supplies and have carefully considered how to make your cat a good home. Remember that a kitten is a lifelong responsibilities: they all grow up and become less playful and, according to some, less adorable.

It is very important to make sure that your cat will be welcome in your family, including the other companion animals who live with you. So if you have a particularly violent-minded dog or cat then special precautions must be taken to protect the newcomer. It may be necessary to consider not getting a new animal in such a situation: there will always be the danger of attack. If you do have other companion animals, please consider them carefully: they will probably not feel welcoming towards any new additions and their need to maintain dignity in their own territory must be respected. The new animal should be introduced to them and special care must be taken to pay equal attention to all your companion animals.

Supplies you should have are:

• food
  It is important to choose the right diet for your cat. Remember that kittens have different nutritional needs from grown cats and this must be accounted for. All companion animals should have access to water at all times and food at regular mealtimes. The bowls in which these are served must be kept clean for hygiene purposes.
• litter box
  The location of this is important, since it must be easily accessible at all times, away from pet and human food for hygiene and in a well-aired section of the house. A number of cat owners think that it is acceptable to place the litter tray next to the food/water bowls. This is not healthy and probably not pleasant either: imagine having to eat your food next to the toilet! Many animals have strong urges to keep their bodily wastes far away from their food (that's why cats often bury their waste products). Thus forcing your cat to eat near his/her litter tray may stress him/her.
• toys
  It is recommended that you acquire a scratching post for your cat, which you should encourage it to use instead of your furniture. Cats and kittens need to sharpen their claws, but they can be trained not to use your prized possessions! Other toys which can keep kittens (and playful cats!) amused for hours are: string, bouncing balls which roll easily and bits of paper. Many cats like to climb inside boxes or paper bags. Just about anything that twitches is of interest, so make sure that any breakable items which could invite unwelcome feline attention are out of reach. One particular danger is at Christmastime, when the hanging decorations and especially the famous tree are out. Make sure your kitten cannot get to the tree without supervision... Of course, the great unwrapping of presents can be very amusing. Just throw the paper on the floor and wait.
• grooming aids
• bedding
  You should consider the following when choosing a place for your kitten/cat to sleep:
  1. Cats are nocturnal and will therefore be very active during the night. This could keep you awake and cause you to be annoyed and grumpy towards your feline friend.
  2. Cats tend to be a little selfish about sharing the bed and may decide to "take over", sleeping in exactly the wrong place for you to get comfortable! On the other hand, having a warm cat to snuggle up to can be very pleasant.
  3. Kittens may enjoy sleeping in your hair, since this is comforting to them.
  4. Cats often change their minds about sleeping places and will probably find several good spots to sleep in. So don't be surprised if the cosy bed you have prepared is snubbed in favour of a pile of papers!
  5. Cats will often leave fur patches wherever they sleep. If you don't want your cat in certain areas of your house, you should start training them to stay away from these areas straight away.

Behaviour and Discipline

It is a myth that cats are untrainable. If enough attention is paid to their training, cats can learn to behave in an acceptable fashion. They can be trained not to shred the furniture, avoid protected areas and even to open doors. [My cat used to watch me opening doors with pull-down handles. She soon learned to jump up and pull down the door handle for herself.] However, like all animals, cats need to be taught from a young age, so start training your kitten as soon as it arrives in your home.

Moving house and emigrating

Travelling boxes - make sure that these are comfortable and dry. Do not put waterbowls in the box: these may tip over. But do make sure that the travel agent will ensure that your pet is fed and watered during a long trip. Quarantine - remember that what is only a few months for you may seem like years for your pet.

More cats

Introducing new cats. Letting your cat have kittens

Health

1. Routine Exams

   Kittens need to be immunized against dangerous diseases at an early age. So take your kitten to the vet as soon as possible. Cats should be given a checkup once every 6 months. In case you are worried for your pet, this is what the vet will probably do: feel the animal's abdomen, listen to the heart and breathing, look in the ears for earmites, check the eyes for any signs of infection and examine the mouth for abnormalities. The vet will probably give your cat an injection or oral vaccination. This may hurt a bit, but vets are usually gentle, so don't worry! The best help a cat can get is early diagnosis of illness. Therefore it is essential that you know what a normal, healthy cat should look like so that you can see immediately if something is wrong.

   1. Eyes - the eyes should be bright and clear. Discharge which collects in the corners of the eyes should be easy to clear up with cotton-wool soaked with warm water. A lot of discharge may indicate infection or disease.
   2. Ears - the insides of the ears should be clean and free of discharge and odor. You should clean the ears gently on a regular basis, using moist cotton wool. Signs of earmites are a black discharge which collects on the inside skin. If this is not attended to, your kitten may go deaf, due to infection. If your kitten frequently shakes its head or flicks its ears, this may indicate pain or itchiness of the ears and must be examined.
   3. Nose - a healthy cat or kitten has a clean, wet nose without discharge or sores.
   4. Mouth - a healthy cat or kitten has clena, pink gums. It is recommended that you take your cat to the vet for regular dental checks and cleaning (at least once a year). Tartar buildup can lead to tooth loss. Check the lips for sores or growths.
   5. Body/coat - stroke your cat to feel for tumours, lumps and ticks. If the fur is matted, gently smooth these out with a soft brush or comb.
   6. Legs/feet - Run your hands down your cats legs to check for any swelling of the joints. Also examine the condition of your cats claws.
   7. Anus - Swelling of the anus may indicate infection. Worms may be visible as tiny white particles. Also check your cat's faces for any signs of worms. particles.
2. Common Ailments
3. Parasites
   Fleas and worms
4. Nutrition
5. Grooming
6. First Aid

Bibliography and References