What i need to care for my cat?

Question

What i need to care for my cat?

Answer 1

Kittens are a lot of work, congratulations on getting one. Here is the basics of what you need for the kitten.



You need several things in the house:

I have denoted them by what you need NOW (N) and what you can get in the next week or so (L).



-N- A cat kennel: for transport and possible sleeping

-L- A spray to eliminate odors: because accidents do happen

-L- Boxes/paper bags/newspaper: really cheap fun toys

-L- A cat nail clippers: nails get sharp and the sooner they are used to getting them clipped, the better.

-L- Collars with tags: just in case s/he gets out.

-N- A pet bed: so the kitty has somewhere to sleep.

-N- Food and water bowls

-N- Several fun toys: solo and interactive

-N- High Quality soft food: for the extra calories that the babies need, and they love it.

-N- High quality dry food: start with what the cat has been on to prevent diahhrea.

-N- Litterbox scoop and litter: for basic bathroom needs

-L- A Scratching Post: to prevent the furniture from being used for this purpose.



Other things that are very nice to have, but not essential:



--- Scale that measures grams or ounces: only if the kitten is very small (less than 2 pounds) then the weight should be monitored.

--- A cat condo, or other large climbing furniture just for the cats. My kittens LOVE to play on a chair... so furniture is optional as long as s/he is allowed on what furniture you have.

--- Auto food and waterers: very nice, but on the high end.

--- Self Cleaning litterbox: definitally on our wish list! But not a necessity.



Also, The vet needs to be consulter about vaccinations, deworming, and flea and tick control. And I highly recommend getting the cat spayed or neutered so that you don't have problems with unwanted babies, spraying, or other behaviors associated with intact cats.



Food depends on the size of the kitten, it is recommended that you do not let him/her feed continuously (obesity is common) but give the kitten mealtimes. When you buy a bag of food, it will have feeding instructions for age and size on the package. Follow what the food says and make sure that water is always available for the kitten. Feed soft food in small amounts to avoid diarrhea and encourage eating of hard foods.



Good luck with your kitten!

Answer 2

Feed them dry cat food and give canned as a treat. Dry cat food will help with some of the tartar build up. You can have the vet remove the tartar and "start over" with clean teeth...as for brushing their teeth..if you start them as kittens and they get used to it then it's not such a fight.

Answer 3

we got a little black kitten a month ago and it eats canned meat 3 times a day (a couple of spoon fulls) he permanently has water and we occosionally give him pellets and milk.

buy him a flea collar it will prevent fleas

what about kitty litter?

Answer 4

The Basics:Litter box trained first, !=), litter,of course, kitten chow, for great nutrition



Make sure that your cats third eyelid is never showing, its a clear part that comes over the eye, if it is a male cat, when it get netured, make sure, that you dont always feed it dry cat food, that will stop up its bladder and it will die, like our cat did, but we didnt know =(, .........anyway, When feeding the cat, feed the cat two or three small meals a day, you can give the kitten some milk, but it might upset its stomach, so no more than two tablespoons a day, =),give your cat a good bath to prevent fleas, ( i know most cats hate, water, but youll be glad you did it, =) and make sure to get some cat flea drops, make sure it is for cats, because one day, my dad, put the wrong flea drops on our family cat, and he camed in the house shaking, which means, he was poisoned, remember also, if your cat, is constantly shaking his head and scratching his ears, he probably has a ear infection, this is common is kittens, get the kitten some cat nip also, but they dont respond to this until like after 6 months, use cat nip to attract them to a scratching post,cat bed, food, anything of that sort, or to trick them to cuddle up with you,lol,



Cats love the feel of garbage bags, you can buy cat tunnels, that sound like that, they love the feel of warm towels, or warm clothes fresh, out the dryer, easter lilies, are dangerous to cats, matter of fact are deadly, dont bring one of these close to them, grapes make them very sick,





If you have anything that you want to ask about your cats health, body language, anything, contact me, at [e-mail]



I'll help =)

Answer 5

Aww. I love cats. I just adopted a ten week old kitten. I have a black cat. He is so sweet. For the first week put your kitty in a room by himself and give him time to adjust especially if you have other pets. Have him see the vet right away for a full check up and to make sure he is caught up on his shots. Of course you will need a litter box and good litter. Clumping litter is the best. It is easier to scoop out. Always have fresh water available. My new cat likes wet and dry but dry is better. Dry is good for their teeth. If they just have wet eventually it will ruin their teeth. I give my kitty wet once or twice a day and just leave dry food out for him to nibble on. He doesn't need any flea treatment if he is going to be an indoor cat which I highly recommend. Otherwise, use Frontline. Don't declaw him because it is very inhumane. When he is six months old have him neutered. As for the litterbox they learn to use it from their mom so you don't need to train them like you do with a dog. Good luck and enjoy your new kitty.

Answer 6

u need:



a warm place for it to sleep

about a bowl of dry food and some wet food

a good brush wont hurt!!!

Answer 7

u need to take it to the vet and get it desexed and vaccinated and dewormed and if its a kitten its something like every 3 months until its 1yr and then every 6 months-1yr after that.

for food its best to give it dry biscuits and wet food (so it keeps hydrated, they dont really drink much water very often) just a little bit, like 1/2 cup of cat biscuits and a few spoon scoops of the wet stuff. only fill the biscuits bowl when its empty and only give it fresh meat if its all gone, u dont want to over feed it.

to prevent fleas get a flea collor, one of the good ones that last for 6 months and are water proof. also use something like frontline or revolution that u just drop on their skin every month i think to keep away ticks, fleas and any kind of worms.

apart form that they pretty much take care of themselves. they only need a bit of attention every day, a nice rub or a brush, a little bit of string or ball to play with, a nice spot to sleep and they will love u for life :)



oh and a litter tray. dont forget the litter tray.

Answer 8

hi,

first you have to pay attention that young kittens are very different in caring

if you kitten is less than 5 to 6 weeks old, prevent feeding any kind of meet to it. the best food for this age is well boiled potato mixed with low-fat milk and butter. this is the best age you can teach your cat what is good and bad. be very serious with it's actions. if you don't want him/her to do something, for example jump on your coffee table or touch your plants, each time he does it, have the same serious reaction. it is not even bad if you scare him from a rolled news paper you hit the ground near him each time he does something unfavorable.

use your hands only for peting your cat. not for play or threatning him. he needs to know that your hand is only a symbol of love and care. I will be happy to give you more information if you need. mail me if so,

Answer 9

Well, I am going to list a lot of stuffs here, some you already know but maybe not enough and some you might not know.



New Kitten Checklist:-



Food



(find out what she is eating prior to coming home to you, keep the same food if it is a high quality brand. If you need to change, transition slowly by mixing the old and new food together)



**It is always better to feed a 100% wet diet as compared to dry. The reason is pretty simple. Cats are not big water drinker and they need water for hydration. Dry food contains very little moisture and a diet of dry food will create many health problems down the road. Also, the believe that dry food helps clean teeth is a complete myth just like how some people believe that wet food causes diarrhea.



If you are interested to find out why a wet diet is better, go here:-



http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoo1/tp/tpcannedadult.htm

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.naturalmatters.net/article.asp?article=621&cat=11

http://www.traciehotchner.com/cb/QandA.htm



Most cats are lactose intolerant so giving them milk is not a good choice. Some might develop diarrhea and some will be fine. But it is better not to take any chances since cats do not need milk in their diet. If you like, you can purchase cat milk instead as a treat but the kitten has to be over 6 weeks old to drink them.



Some brands to try:-



Whiskas Cat Milk

http://www.whiskas.ca/catmilk.html



Vitakraft Healthy Milk/Yogurt Snack Drops for Cats

http://www.vitakraft.de/en/ar/kt/ktprme.htm



Catsip

http://www.akpharma.com/catsip/default.html



Milky Flakes Um Treats for Kittens

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/239509/product.web



Water



(filtered water would be the best, you can also invest in a water fountain if you like.

Petmate and Drinkwell are popular ones)



http://www.petmate.com/

http://www.vetventures.com/



Food/Water Dish



(Kittens and cat like to eat and drink from shallow bowl. Dog bowls are not suitable because they are deeper and cats do not like to get their whiskers wet or soggy. Stainless steel and ceramic are the best. Avoid double serving dishes - keep a separate dish for food and water)



Grooming Tools



(short haired cats require less grooming than long haired. Invest in good quality nail clippers, brush, flea comb, wet wipes, and I like to use a chamois cloth to give my kitty's coat a high sheen and glow after grooming. The furminator is also a good tool to help with controlling excessive shedding. Kitten do not need to be bathed unless they get very dirty/messy)



http://www.furminator.com/



Litter and Litterbox



(She will need at least one litterbox for your kitten. To begin with, choose a smaller one where the sides are lower so she is able to climb in and out easily. Remember, not all cats like a covered litterbox. It is only convenient for the owner.

There are many kinds of litter to choose from and I personally prefer clumping litter made from natural biodegradable ingredients like corn, wheat and pine)



http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

http://www.swheatscoop.com/

http://www.naturemakesitwork.com/

http://www.naturesearth.com/

http://www.natureslogic.com/products/cp_litter.html

http://www.preciouscat.com/kitten-attract-p-10.html



To make sure that your kitten uses the litterbox regularly, you have to maintain a clean and sanitary litterbox condition. Be sure to scoop daily and replenish with fresh litter. You will need to empty the litterbox at least once a week or twice a month. Wash the litterbox thoroughly with a mild detergent and bleach. Be sure to rinse off all cleaning residue. Don't forget to also clean the scoop! With kittens, you will need to make sure you leave a little of the used litter behind to remind them what the litterbox is for.



Scratching Post and Play Structures



(This is very important to get for your kitty because you do not want her to learn to scratch your furniture. Scratching is a natural habit and you shouldn't punish er. When you buy a scratching post, make sure it's one that is sturdy and will not tip off easily. All cats love to climb and getting her a nice cat tree of playhouse will allow her to exercise her natural talent without ransacking your house)



You can try one of these two method to teach your kitten/cat to use the scratching post.



Method One



Hold treats near the post to get your cat to come near the post. Slowly, make your cat come closer and closer to the post to get the treat. Then increase the height at which you are holding the treat so your cat must put his paws up the post to reach the treat. Gradually increase the height at which you hold the treat so that your cat eventually has to climb to the top in order to get the treat. This training session is a slow process to be worked on each day, making small progress each time you work on it.



Method Two



Using the kind of cat toys that are at the end of a string, dangle, drag, and swing one of your cat's toys. Do this on and around the post. Use the scratching post as the play area. Your cat will climb up and down and around his post to try to reach his toy. By doing this, his post will be a place of fun and good memories.





Stain and Odor Remover



(Accidents happen so be prepare to clean up after your kitten. You must remove all traces of urine from carpeting because a kitten will urinate on the same spot again if she scent it.)



Carrier



(When you bring your kitten to visit the vet, you will need a carrier. It is important that you choose one that fits the kitten comfortably and she can stand and turn around easily. You can choose hard sided or soft sided carriers and they come is all shapes and design)



Collar and ID Tag



I hope your cat stays indoor. If she is outdoor, a collar and ID Tag is a must. I am not a huge fan of collar for indoor cat because of the possible risk of strangulation and getting stuck in structures. But it is up to you to make that decision. Choose a breakaway collar if you must.



Toys



(Kitten loves to play and make sure you always supervise her playtime. Favorites are jingle balls, mylar balls, feathered toys, dangling toys, lure toys, and I recommend you try Da Bird and Cat Dancer. They go absolutely crazy for them. Some toys you can make at home. Milk Jug Ring is a hit in all cat household, drinking straws, a rolled up ball of paper, newspaper tent, pillow tunnels)



Bed



(Just to remind you, you cannot place a kitten on a bed and expect her to sleep there quietly like a newborn baby. Kittens will choose wherever they want to snooze and the place changes all the time. Just make a simple comfortable bedding for her should she choose to sleep in a bed)



A note about plants at home. Please visit this website to make sure your plants are safe for kitty and non toxic.



http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html



This site is very useful in learning more about taking good care of your kitten. Hope you'll visit and get more information from there.



http://cats.about.com/od/kittencare/Kitt...



I hope I've covered it all for you. Good Luck and Best Wishes to you and your kitty!