When you are in the process of purchasing or adopting a cat, it is very important that you prepare well. Bringing a cat into your home without correct and adequate preparation is a recipe for disaster and will not go down very well for you or it. Cats are living creatures too, and much like a newborn baby, require a certain level of preparation and planning to welcome them into your home. When you are getting a cat for the first time, you should perhaps consider adopting from Savearescue.org as many hundreds of thousands of cats are put down every year, simply because they cannot find homes. You can find cats available for adoption all over the internet, and there is likely a cattery near you where you can find one to bring into your family.
Here are the essentials you need to prepare before owning or adopting a cat.
A Litter Tray
It is absolutely fundamental that when you are bringing a new cat into your home that you have provided an area for them to go to the bathroom. Cats are very territorial about where they go to the toilet, and if you have not set up an adequate area for them to relieve themselves, you will be in for trouble. Cat litter trays make for easy clean up, and if you get a litter vacuum cleaner in addition, you will be making your life much easier. You can get many different types of cat litter trays.
You should make sure you get a litter tray that is convenient for your home, and you should stray away from unlidded litter trays. Unlidded litter trays mean that your cat will likely be kicking dust and litter all over the house, and you will find that they may occasionally even kick their waste into your home. A litter tray is very cheap and is something you absolutely must have at all times.
Glass Bowls
Your cat will obviously need their own water and food bowls, but what you may not know is that they absolutely have to be glass. If you provide your cat with plastic food bowls then you risk harmful plastic chemicals leaking into the food and water, and your cat consuming them, which can never of course be good. So, you should always strive to provide glass bowls to be on the safe side.
A Lot of Toys
Your cat will also always need toys, and lots of them. It is very important that you provide your cat with an abundance of toys, as if you do not, they can be prone to behavioral issues. Cats have bursts of energy, and if they are not able to play and run around as they would naturally do, then they can become annoying and restless. Cats, like many other animals, can actually grow resentful towards you and may start acting out and attacking you if you do not provide them with things to do.
Cat toys are very cheap, and you can find them at most stores in the pet food section. You should spend at least an hour a day playing with your cat and engaging with them so that they can burn off any energy and frustration that they may be harbouring.
Good Quality Food
It cannot be stressed enough that you should make sure that your cat has access to the best quality food you can provide them. It is not fair to give your cat shoddy food, and if you do, they will often develop dietary issues and deficiencies as they grow older. You should make sure that you always ascertain your cat’s food is of the highest quality and rich in nutrients and minerals. This food will cost a little bit more than the one-dollar cat food you will find in your supermarket, but it is certainly worth it.
You should make sure you give your cat the best quality of life that you possibly can. They cannot express themselves and rely on you to protect them, which means you are responsible if anything bad happens to them. A cat is a brilliant friend, and while they can very often be aloof, they can be very affectionate and loving. You can strike up a very close bond with your pet cat, and a cat can be your friend for years and years, with cats regularly living to the astounding age of twenty. So now that you know all you need, don’t hesitate – go and get your fluffy new friend!
