Welcoming a cat into the family is a big deal and a huge commitment. But many new cat lovers out there don’t realize that cats – for the most part – look after themselves.
Cats, by their very nature, are independent. In the wild, historically, they almost always led solitary lives apart from breeding and rearing kittens. This attitude persists today, and new cat lovers need to be prepared for that. But every cat is different, and some will be far more snuggle friendly than others.
What tends to be universal across the feline world is a need to keep your cat healthy and safe – as is your responsibility when you welcome your feline friend into your home. With that in mind, here are some tips to keep your cat both healthy and safe.
Get Your Cat Chipped
They won’t like it and neither will you, they might get grumpy for a day or so afterwards, but it is vital to keep them safe.
Even if you have an indoor cat that doesn’t really like wandering around in the neighbourhood so much, if they get out, they could get lost. If you have an outdoor cat this is always recommended.
You can get your cat chipped with a GPS device to see where they are at any given time to help you locate them if they go missing for longer than usual. You can also get contact information coded into these chips in the event someone finds your kitty and takes them to an animal shelter.
This is the ideal way to keep them safeguarded against cap-nappers too.
Feed Them Well
Ditch the processed foods! While processed food like kitty kibble is easy, convenient, and gives your cat everything they need – that doesn’t mean that it is healthy for them.
A cat’s diet should reflect what they have evolved to eat and unlike humans (and dogs), cats are carnivores. This means that they can’t get everything they need from plants or vegetables.
An ideal solution is to provide your feline friend with some raw cat food. Unlike processed food that can be difficult to digest and sap energy levels during the digestion process, raw cat food gives them something that won’t be a challenge for their little tummies.
It will also provide them with all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins their bodies will need for healthy living.
Give Them A Stimulating Environment
This tip is vital for their mental health and overall quality of life. Humans get bored and so do cats.
Be it the jungle gym you have bought from Amazon, or the box it came in, a cat needs a place that is mentally stimulating for them. They love to play and have bundles of energy they need to spend.
Giving them things like catnip toys, automatic mice chasers, even just bits of string dangling from a coat hanger, can make a world of difference to them.
Toys and a stimulating environment can also help prevent your cat from developing destructive behaviours, such as sharpening their claws on your furniture.
On that note, the last bit of advice for a stimulating environment is to get a scratch pole. You and your kitty will thank us later!
