In this Article Take Care Of a Cat For example, when a cat arrives in the house, many things in normal daily activities will not be the same again. The pet will need toilet training for using the litter box and general hygiene, as well as feeding and maintaining the surroundings where the pet will be kept. To cat a cat, just listen to these words from a professional.
The first days of a kitten in a new home
Transferring to a new home entails weaning off the mother and the littermates. Therefore, the kitten will initially exp
If you want to know more Take Care Of A Cat, about experiencing severe stress and behaving restlessly, withdrawn, or aggressively. An animal’s behavior in an unfamiliar environment depends on its temperament and level of socialization. However, no matter the pet’s character, it needs help and time to adapt.
Rules for Caring for Cats
– Choose a comfortable carrier. It is not safe to carry your pet in your arms or a regular travel bag. The animal may escape or experience additional stress due to the lack of air. As a result, a large basket is required to transfer a baby from a crib.
So as not to make a mistake with the choice, it is necessary to pay careful attention to the size of the container, the presence of stiffening ribs on the sides of the wall, and the existence or absence of ventilation holes and windows for viewing. The pet must be capable of standing up at its full height in the carrier, rotating around its axis, lying down, stretching its legs and arms, and watching what is going on outside.
– Experts recommend choosing a growth model. This will allow you to use it in the future, for example, when visiting a veterinary clinic or traveling.
– Protect the external environment. You need to prepare your home for the kitten’s arrival in advance. Hide live wires, trash cans, household chemicals, and your first aid kit. Otherwise, your kitten may get seriously injured or poisoned while exploring new territory or during the period of teething.
– Equip windows with an “anti-cat” system. Installing standard anti-mosquito nets on Windows is not enough. They will not withstand the pet’s weight if it tries to jump out of the window in pursuit of an insect or bird and will lead to escape or physical injury when falling from a height.
Window protection should correspond to the dimensions of the animal and be installed when the new pet is first seen in the house.
– Prepare an isolated room. In the first days of the move, it is not necessary to let the kitten into all the rooms. The pet should be placed in a separate, isolated room, and things with familiar smells should be left there.
More on this blog post Take Care Of A Cat Experts recommend taking toys, bedding, and a handful of litter from the nursery. This will reduce stress when adapting to a new environment and will help orientate in the sleeping, feeding, and toilet areas.
– Give your pet time for adaptation. Introduce your pet to the new home gradually. Place the carrier on the floor, open the door, step back, and let the kitten get out on its own. Brave animals come out of hiding almost immediately, while cautious and fearful ones sit in it for hours.
Experts do not recommend talking to the baby in a loud voice, especially not stroking, brushing the fur, or introducing it to other family members during the first hours in a new home. Instead, it is enough to enter the room one by one at intervals of one hour, calmly squat down, and lure the kitten with a toy and a treat.
You can tell that the kitten is ready to leave the isolated room by its body language. When the kitten becomes bolder, it will stop moving on half-bent legs, start going to the toilet, and show interest in active games.
Please note: “If there are other pets in the house, introduce them to the new resident through a closed door or exchange toys. Once the animals get used to the foreign smell, there will be no hostility when they first meet in the same room.”
– Avoid punishment. Punishing your toddler for meowing loudly or going to the toilet in the wrong place is ineffective. Undesirable behavior is a stress reaction, and pressure from the outside will only increase it.
Cat Toilet
Proper tools, actions, and a quiet area where the pet cannot get bored and distracted are necessary to teach a domestic cat to use a litter box.
Basic rules
– Choose a tray. Cat trays come in open and closed types.
– Open trays are more versatile. They are suitable for kittens from the first months of life and do not cause mistrust, even in timid cats.
– Closed trays are more personalized. They are suitable for cats aged six months and older and are liked by animals that seek complete privacy.
The litter box must be the right size for a cat to jump into it without fear. A small litter box will seem uncomfortable to the cat, while a large one will cause anxiety and mistrust. Ideally, the cat should be able to sit on all fours and turn to the side.
If the kitten is too small, train it to use a regular food container. And then change it to a standard-sized container.
Please note: “It is better to agree on the model of the tray with the breeder or shelter employee who looked after the cat before. Otherwise, you will have to search for a suitable model by trial and error, and the learning process may be delayed.”
– Choose a filler. Cat litter can be wood, mineral, clumping, or silica gel.
Wood filler is safe for health but does not retain odors well. Therefore, cleaning the tray after each use is only suitable.
Mineral filler absorbs liquid better, but it spreads around the house as fine dust, especially if the cat likes to actively clean up after itself with its paw.
– Clumping litter is the most versatile. It reliably traps the smell in tightly pressed lumps that are easy to remove from the tray with a scoop. However, when poured into a container, it creates dust and spreads around the house in the form of small clay grains.
Silica gel litter can be reused and the tray only needs to be cleaned 2-3 times a month. But when wet, dense granules of polysilicic acid make a specific hissing sound, many cats begin to fear it.
Please note: “It is better to agree on the type of filler with the breeder or shelter employee. According to experts, a familiar texture and smell will help the cat get used to the home tray faster.”
Find a secluded place. The cat litter box should not be adjacent to the entrance door, windows, household and heating appliances, food bowl, bedding for sleeping, or the territory of other pets.
Experts recommend placing the tray in a niche between the wall and large furniture or in the corner of the bathroom. A quiet place will help the pet not be distracted by extraneous sounds and smells and not be afraid to switch its attention to urination or defecation.
Please note: “To find a suitable place for the tray, observe the pet’s behavior. Some cats choose it themselves, while others go where the owner decides.”
– Give your pet a hint. To train your cat to use the litter box faster, limit its movement around the house to one room, remove all the carpets from it, and carefully monitor the animal’s behavior.
When your cat starts sniffing, spinning around, or scratching the floor with its paw, immediately move it to the litter box, scoop up the litter with your finger, and step aside to give your pet time to get used to it.
If your cat starts using the litter box, reward it with treats and active play. If it continues to make mistakes, blot the dirty surface with a paper towel and put it in the litter box. Wash off the remaining dirt with an ammonia-free detergent and treat the surface with a special repellent spray based on essential oils. You can buy it at any pet store.
Please note: “To give your pet an extra hint, ask the breeder or shelter employee for a handful of litter from the previous tray. The strong smell will attract the pet to the right place and create the right association with it.”
Cat Nutrition
To establish nutrition in a new home, choose foods that are familiar to the cat from its life in a cattery or shelter.
The old food should form the basis of the diet for at least two weeks. Otherwise, the cat will experience indigestion and loss of appetite. But in the future, it can be gradually replaced with a new one. The main thing is to introduce unfamiliar products little by little. For example, divide a single portion into 7 parts, 6 of which will be the usual food, and 1 – the new one, and increase the ratio of the new food to the old one over 1 week until the old food disappears from the bowl completely.
Basic rules:
– Calculate the KBZhU. The healthy composition of a can for an adult cat should consist of 70% protein of animal origin and fats and carbohydrates accounted for 30%.
More on this article Take Care Of A Cat, If the cat eats natural products, the calculation of KBZhU is done according to special tables. If it eats prepared food, it is done according to the instructions on the back of the package.
Assess the rationale for taking supplements with vitamins and minerals. Some cats may require vitamins and minerals; a vet may assist in determining whether your cat is among them.
If the cat eats natural products, the doctor will recommend at least 1-2 courses per year. If it eats ready-made food, additional feeding will not be required. Industrial food is balanced in composition by the manufacturer. Therefore, all the owner needs to do is correctly calculate a single portion, considering the pet’s weight and ensure that the food is suitable for its age.
– Set a feeding schedule. A domestic cat should eat several times a day in small portions and at the same time. Therefore, it is better to feed according to a schedule and put the bowl in an inaccessible place in between feedings.
– Choose the suitable dishes. It is better to feed your cat from metal bowls. They do not break and do not accumulate unpleasant odors.
You can also consider ceramics. But you will have to take more care of it and ensure that chips and cracks do not form on the edges. Food remains can get stuck in them, and bacteria begin to multiply.
Cat grooming and bathing
Standard home care for a cat consists of 6 procedures:
- combing out wool,
- bathing a cat,
- nail trimming,
- ear cleaning,
- rubbing eyes,
- oral hygiene.
Basic rules:
– Combing the fur. Grooming the cat’s fur should be regular and timely. Otherwise, the pet will face dermatological problems and abundant seasonal shedding lasting several months.
Pets with long hair are usually combed 2-3 times a week, while those with short hair are combed at least once a week.
To follow the fur without harming new hairs, you’ll need a slicker brush, an iron comb with sparse teeth, a rubber glove for combing fur, and an antistatic fluid for animals.
You need to accustom your pet to grooming in childhood. Let the baby sniff the tools, play with a teaser toy nearby, and then run them over the pet’s head and along the back. The first brushing of the pet’s fur should resemble a massage for the animal and be as pleasant as possible. In this case, the pet will positively associate with the procedure and accept grooming more willingly.
To consolidate the result, brush the fur daily until the pet begins to treat grooming calmly. If there is too much fur, break the procedure into several approaches.
If the pet breaks away or shows aggression, stand your ground until you finish with at least one zone. This will create the impression that brushing the fur is something normal that can not be avoided, despite the cat’s dislike of the procedure.
You should start grooming in the direction of hair growth, especially the area behind the ears, throat, stomach, and limbs. Tangles form in these places. Therefore, you must review the work with the tool several times, checking it with your hands.
If the cat’s fur is tangled and matted, try to sort it out with your hands, having previously moistened it with antistatic spray. Alternatively, make a vertical cut with scissors and comb out the fallen hairs with an iron comb.
– Finish grooming with praise and reward with a treat. This will strengthen the positive association and relieve your pet from stress.
– Bathing. Periodic bathing helps quickly remove fallen hair, speed up seasonal shedding, and cleanse the skin of excess sebum. However, the procedure should be followed only when necessary.
Maine coon and Persian-like cats are bathed once or twice a year at most. Hairless cats – no more than 2 times a month.
Hairless cats need frequent bathing due to excess sebum. Without water procedures, the skin becomes covered with a greasy film and is subject to local inflammation.
A special moisturizing shampoo for animals will help bathe a cat without damaging the fur’s structure. However, it is not advisable to use professional lines to prepare for exhibitions. They are needed for deep cleaning and texturing the fur and require a special application technique.
It is better to bathe a cat in a small basin. Cover its bottom with a non-slip mat and fill it with water to the level of the pet’s belly.
If the cat is afraid of the shower head, use a ladle and do not wet its head. The main thing is to complete the procedure, thoroughly rinse off the detergent, and dry the fur with a hairdryer. Otherwise, the hairs will stick together into icicles, and the cat will look untidy.
– Trimming claws. Your cat’s claws should be trimmed, at most, once per month. In any case, if the pet does not climb the scratching post or if it cannot grind its claws because of a disease, the frequency of the procedure will be higher.
A claw cutter (guillotine) will come in handy to blunt the claws and avoid cuts and delamination.
You must trim only the sharp tip, stepping back 1-2 mm from the edge. Otherwise, the blade will damage the capillaries, and blood will flow from the finger.
You can stop the bleeding with a special hemostatic powder or a crystal of potassium permanganate. However, if you injure the cat, it will be more difficult to repeat the procedure.
– Cleaning the ears. You need to clean your cat’s ears weekly. This will help remove excess earwax, avoid inflammation, and prevent ear mites.
To clean the inner surface of the auricle without damaging the eardrum, you can use regular cotton pads and a cleansing lotion for cats from a pet store. The main thing is to choose a product with a caring effect but without drying or anti-inflammatory components.
You need to clean the ears carefully, moving the pad only along the visible part of the auricle. It is not recommended to move deeper into the ear canal, as this can lead to the formation of a sulfur plug and the introduction of an infection into the middle ear.
– Wiping the eyes. Wiping the cat’s eyes should be done weekly. This will help remove dried parts of the tear ducts from the fur and avoid inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye.
To wipe the eyes without dragging an infection in, you will require a piece of gauze, a pet’s cleansing lotion, or clean boiling water.
Wipe the eyes from the outer corner to the inner corner (from the ear to the bridge of the nose), firmly fixing the head with your free hand’s fingers.
If the cat resists and shows aggression, it is better to swaddle it in a towel or invite an assistant to help. The assistant will fix the cat in the desired position until the procedure is completed.
– Oral hygiene. You should clean your cat’s teeth monthly or at least semimonthly. This will help prevent plaque formation and bad breath.
You will need a special finger attachment and veterinary toothpaste from a pet store to remove plaque without damaging the gums. The veterinary toothpastes do not cause harm if ingested, and the motion interests cats.
It is also important that you start brushing your cat’s teeth with the incisors, which are the front teeth. But if your cat does not open its mouth any wider than that, you need to take it to get hygienically cleaned by a vet. A specialist will remove the plaque using ultrasound, but only if your cat is not contraindicated for light anesthesia.
How to adopt a kitten to a new home
- Create safe conditions for keeping. Hide wires, medicines, household chemicals, and sharp objects in a place inaccessible to the cat and equip windows with solid nets.
- Maintain an optimal indoor microclimate. Regular wet cleaning or the use of a humidifier is performed.
- Provide unimpeded access to clean drinking water. Leave bowls of water in all rooms where the cat is.
- Shelter your pet from other pets in the house. Use furniture to demarcate the area or hang extra shelves on the walls so your cat can jump on them if it senses danger.
- Teach them hygiene at home. From early childhood, start grooming their fur, ears, eyes, claws, and mouth.
- Balance the diet. Consider the age-related needs of your pet and adhere to a strict feeding schedule.
- Clean the tray regularly. Do not allow unpleasant odors to develop.
- Have an annual check-up at the clinic. Take your pet for check-ups from time to time and adhere to the vaccination anti-parasitic treatment schedule.
- Spend more time with your pet. Initiate active games and devote time to affection.
