Top tips to be a better Cat Owner
- Choose a good veterinarian and cat sitter.
One of the first things you’ll have to do is find a great veterinarian for your cat, preferably nearby. Ask your cat-owning friends for their local vet recommendations or check vet websites.
Line up a local, loving pet sitter to watch your kitty while you’re away. You can also find an experienced cat sitter to do quick drop-in visits with your new pet, which is especially helpful if you work long hours.
- Get your cat’s room ready.
Cats typically need time to warm up to new people and environments so having a space set aside for your new feline family member is important, especially if you have other pets or children in your household.
- Be prepared to groom your cat constantly.
You’re going to start seeing cat hair everywhere. All cats need grooming to some extent, so invest in reliable grooming tools.
- Clean out their litter box every day.
Litter boxes are convenient, but they can get messy if you don’t clean them out. A simple daily spot cleaning will do the trick and many litter formulas make it easy to scoop and flush any waste down the toilet.
- Invest in a scratching post.
Cats need an outlet for their scratching urges, so it’s smart to provide a scratching post. It’s also a great way for cats to exercise and get their daily stretches in.
- Know the ingredients in your cat’s food.
Before being enticed to buy the cat, food featured in adorable commercials, take a moment to read the ingredients list. Many of these massive consumer branded cat foods include preservatives, like BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin, and filler ingredients, like meat by-products, meat meal, and cornmeal.
- Remember, you can train your cat.
Positive reinforcement is the ideal way to train your cat, and you’d be surprised to find how much they can learn! Don’t punish them for bad behaviour, instead, reward them for behaviour that you want to encourage.
If your cat seems stressed, visit your veterinarian to make sure nothing is wrong medically.
- Get your cat some fun toys.
Cats love playing with toys! From little felt mice to balls with tiny bells on them, there are plenty of toys out there. They’ll enjoy it just as much you will.
