Our feline friends are a wonderful addition to the home, here are a few essentials when caring for a cat.

Grooming
Grooming is important, it prevents hairballs and stimulates your cats blood flow. If your cat has long fur, a pin brush is best for working through long coat. A flat and slicker brush would work better for short fur. A smaller, triangular shaped brush can be used for smaller areas, like around the face and ears. If you want to use a comb, use a wide toothed comb for long fur, and a fine toothed one for short fur.

Food and Water (No Milk)
Feed your cat at the same time you eat-so he/she won’t be begging you for crumbs. Don’t feed huge amounts, just a small bowl but regularly. . If your cat is overweight do not drastically drop the food amount, it is not at all good for cats to lose too much weight very quickly. Instead, try going to your vet and buying a special type of food which is high in protein, low in fat, and low in carbohydrate. Always have fresh water available for your cat and don’t feed your cat milk – cats can’t digest it.

Litter Box
It is important to keep the litter box clean, different cats like different types of litter so try different types until the cat is happy. Many cats dislike the hard texture and perfume and dust of clay-based litters.

Exercise
Toys are a great incentive to get your cat moving. Try tossing small toys for them to hit and chase. Fishing pole style toys or pocket flashlights can give your cat a workout.

Outside
Contrary to popular belief, cats are not always naturally able to find their way home and even a cat that usually knows its way around can become disoriented if badly frightened. If you want your cat to access outside consider specific times, bring them in at night and monitor them if necessary.