What Do Indoor Cats Need
When you bring a kitty into your home there are some needs that have to be met. They are really quite simple and not complicated. Your cat is a family member and wants to be a part of your life. Some times it’s not obvious and when your cat appears illusive it might make you wonder what they really need.
What your cat really needs is YOU. Not only are they totally dependent on you for the basics of life they really do want your company. Then they will usually tell you when they have had enough and then go sleep somewhere. When your cat rubs on your legs, climbs on you when you’re sitting and sleeps with you at night it means they love you.
The Basics
The basics of cat care begins with a good quality food and a litter box. I think that the choice of cat food is an important as picking food for yourself and your children. I am now feeding human quality wet food and the best dry food I can afford.
Label reading is important. I encourage you to read my two reports on cat food on my “Maintaining Your Cat” page.
Every cat needs a clean, roomy litter box. The importance of the litter box can not be emphasized enough. It is the key to your cats health. When you clean the box out check the contents for anything unusual such as blood or diarrhea. A clean litter box will mean that your house will stay cleaner as well. If your cat is not using the litter box maybe it’s your fault. I do not approve of self-cleaning litter boxes because you are depriving yourself of watching your cats health. Please use the “search” box for all related articles on the litter box. For litter box and litter choices please follow the link to my”Cat Care Products” page. The rule for litter boxes is that you should have a litter box for each cat plus one extra. I have seven cats with five litter boxes. Yes it’s a broken rule, but we clean often plus we don’t have room for eight boxes.
Cats need stimulation. A nice selection of ball toys is fun for your cats. Something to chase creates good exercise as does a second cat. Some cats like to be alone, but it’s my experience that a friend is nice when there is no one home. Cats love to sit in boxes and this is a cheap solution for entertaining your cats.
Our cats love to sit at the window. Giving them a place to sit such as a cat tree or a bench is money well spent. I like watching them chatter at birds or have them watch me work outside. My cats are not free roaming cats so providing them some extra stimulation is something we as cat owners are obligated to do to prevent boredom.
Beds
Everybody likes to sleep in a nice bed. Our cats have free access to the whole house. They can sleep on the bed when ever they want plus we have cat beds around the house so every body has a place to be alone and feel safe. We built a cat condo from two end tables with covers over top to give them a nice covered hole to sleep in. We placed one table feet down and the other feet up on top with a hard cover on top and a nice fabric over the front for doors. In this configuration it’s impossible to pull over and no one can get hurt.
Grooming
Cat grooming is something your cat needs. Brushing prevents hair balls. Even short haired cats can get hair balls and you will be surprised how much hair you will get off your short haired cats. I recently took Ariel to the groomer and in the pictures you can see what a properly groomed Domestic Long haired Cat should look like. Alanah at the Dog Den did a fabulous job. You will notice that the back end is nicely shaped. This prevents feces from accumulating in the hair and it’s easier for your cat to use the litter box. If your cat has to push a bowel movement through matted hair the kitty could hurt themselves.
Nails should be trimmed regularly. This will save you and your furniture from damage. Its easy to do yourself. Just buy a good set of clippers and don’t cut to short to make them bleed.
Vet Care
Your kitty deserves regular medical checks. It’s your responsibility to provide health care. Spaying or neutering, dental care are as necessary as medical care for your self. Regular medical checks will save you money in the long run. The money you spend on good food will be saved in medical bills. If your cat is young enough it might be worthwhile to consider pet health insurance. Your vet will be able to advise you with this.
The Last Point
The last thing your cat really needs is cuddling. Right now Roxanne the office cat is right in front of me watching me type. Cuddle as required. Tenzin came to me tonight for brushes. Lacy wanted to be petted. Lexi wanted to head butt. They will let you know when they have had enough. ENJOY.
That’s my story for today. Follow this link to my”Cat Care Products” page for items to make cat care easy. Now hug a kitty and do something green for the environment. Please leave a comment below and if there are any Cat Care topics you would like discussed indicate them in the comments.
Trevor