Caring For Your Cat 

You've given your child a cat for a pet and cats make great pets but there are a few things you and your child need to know in order to properly care for your new family member. Cats are relatively low maintenance animals. For instance a cat can be litter trained so there's no need to get up in the middle of the night to take it for a walk as you might need to do with the family dog. 

Cats are natural born explorers so your cat will want to familiarize itself with it's new surroundings. If you've brought home a kitten, it may be a little timid at first, so let it get used to you gradually and then you can help make it feel safe by holding and petting it. Within the first few days kittens are usually ready to play and feeling comfortable in their new home. An adult cat may seem a little more apprehensive when coming into a new home and may require more time to adjust than a kitten but it will claim the new home as it's territory soon enough.

If the cat is going to be an indoor cat then try not to expose it to the outside so as not to risk it getting injured by going near a road or other dangers. You should provide your cat with toys to play with. These can be purchased at pet stores, grocery stores, and most department stores. Since cats are playful pets they may tend to play with things that could be hazardous to them such as biting on electrical cords. Try to keep such things out of site if possible.

Many cat owners are also plant owners and although plants are quite attractive in the household, some plants can be toxic, in fact, even deadly to cats. Cats like to chew on plants so you need to be aware about possible toxic qualities of your particular type of plants. Although I am unable to provide a complete listing of toxic plants within the space of this article, it is a subject that I would like to cover in depth at a later time. You can find further information at your public library. If you have plants that you feel may be toxic to your cat, you can check with a local florist or the veterinarian. Make sure that you check before buying a new plant and put plants out of the reach of your cat. 

There are other household items that can be hazardous to your pet like insecticides and household cleaners. Your pet should be removed to another room when using chemicals of any sort. Make sure that your cat is provided with the proper nutritional supplements. Animals like humans need a proper diet. Make sure that your cat has fresh food and water daily. Clean the food and water bowls regularly by washing with warm soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. 

If you have a kitten that has not been litter trained, it shouldn't be too difficult to train it to use the box. Most kittens will go in the litter box by themselves, sniff around, and instinctively know what it's for. Purchase a small plastic pan. These can also be found at pet stores, grocery stores and department stores. You can purchase a larger pan as the cat grows. The pan will need to be large enough for the cat to comfortably move around and scratch in. I recommend lining the pan with newspaper before filling in with litter. It's cleaner and makes changing the litter box much easier. Be sure to fill the pan with enough litter to completely cover the bottom of the pan and to allow a couple of inches for scratching. If the kitten makes no attempt to investigate the litter box on it's own, pick it up and gently put in the pan. Do this a few times if necessary; within a couple of days it should get the message. 

Opinions vary on how often a litter box should be changed from every day to a week. I say this should be left to good old common sense. It depends on whether you have more than one cat using the box, how often the cat or cats use it, whether you have a kitten or a full grown cat, etc. It may not be necessary to change the litter box every day but I would say that it should be done at least every couple of days. When changing the litter pan, wash it with warm soapy water, rinse and dry it thoroughly before refilling. Cats love to scratch and this brings us to whether or not to have your cat de-clawed. 

Many people choose to have their cats de-clawed in order to keep them from destroying their furniture but there are organizations protesting against de-clawing, claiming that to do so is inhumane. The procedure is said to be painful and causes discomfort to the animal. Many animal rights groups point out that should the animal get outside for any length of time, a de-clawed cat is relatively defenseless and has no way to protect itself against other animals. This is a decision that should be thought out carefully by cat owners before getting the pet de-clawed. Making sure that the cat's nails are clipped at regular intervals and providing the animal with a scratching post can help protect against damaging claw marks to furniture and wood surfaces and allow the cat to still have it's weapon of defense. 

We hear quite a bit about the explosiveness of the pet population and how animal shelters are overrun and under-funded to provide adequate care and homes for the abundance of cats and dogs that they house. So, you may want to do your part by having your pet spayed or neutered. This procedure can be done by your local vet or by a nearby animal shelter. Many animal shelters now provide spaying and neutering services for free and others charge a nominal fee. Spaying and neutering cause no harm to the pet and helps to cut down on the amount of homeless animals that cannot be cared for. 

If your cat or kitten has not had their shots yet, take them to your local veterinarian to be vaccinated and receive a basic health care check-up. If you choose your pet from an animal shelter the vaccinations are normally done right there before you take your new pet home. Any fees charged usually include the shots, as well. If this is not mentioned at your local shelter, be sure to ask. Although some cats are loners and prefer not to have much human contact, most are loveable, loyal companions who love lying on your lap and receiving plenty of attention. Cats that are healthy, loved, and looked after, generally have a life-span of ten to fifteen years. As long as basic care is provided, you and your child have many years of enjoyment to look forward to with your new friend.