When adopting a cat or kitten you are taking on an important responsibility. As a result a good understanding is needed on the following:
Meeting the cat’s basic environmental needs2 which are:
- Having a safe place
- Having multiple and separated key environment resources such as :
- Water: fresh in an area that appeals to your cat
- Food: predictable meal times and individual clean food bowls
- Toilet: A convenient clean private litter box. As a general rule of thumb, you should have one for each cat, plus one. Many cats prefer the litter box to be one and a half times the length of their body and at least one and a half inches deep.
- Safe place to sleep – soft bedding as well as familiar smells and lots of security
- Familiar territory : face rubbing and scratching mark the territory with a personal touch
- Opportunity for play and predatory behavior
- Positive, consistent, predictable human-cat social interaction
- Giving an environment that respects the importance of the cat’s sense of smell
– How to properly care for cats and keep them safe.
– Understanding cat behavior.
– Understanding principal feline health conditions, treatment and diseases.
– Understanding the great importance of routine preventative health care.
Yearly preventative care exams or check-ups for your feline companion are needed, however for senior cats or those with chronic conditions it should be more often or as directed by your veterinarian. Important things that will be discussed include your cat’s nutrition, proper weight control (maybe even a personalized feeding plan), lifestyle and environmental enrichments and behavior issues, along with disease and parasite prevention.
Cats age much more rapidly than humans do, so preventative care examinations are a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. These exams may detect issues with your cat’s health before they become significant and can be managed or cured before they become painful or costly. As an important member of your cat’s healthcare team, you are instrumental in helping your cat live a happy and healthy quality of life.
Download the brochure on your cat’s environmental needs : https://catvets.com/public/PDFs/ClientBrochures/Environmental%20GuidelinesEViewFinal.pdf
1-2: American Association of Feline Practitioners , caring for cats
