cat care

 

1. Expenses you must budget for.
1. Vaccinations: Rabies, Distemper, Feline Leukemia and Upper Respiratory Disease.
2. Spay/neuter. Unless you plan on breeding, this will make life much easier for both you and the cat.
3. Veterinary expenses. Establish a relationship with a local vet and count on at the very least an initial evaluation exam and yearly well-pet check-ups.
4. Basic supplies. At the very minimum, a litter box, litter, cat food and food and water dishes. Your kitten's food requirements will change as it grows, so be prepared for that.
5. Another comment about food. It's convenient to buy a dry food dispenser and just re-fill it as necessary. This may be good for you, it's not good for the cat. Cats are carnivores, they require animal protein to be healthy. Vary your cat's diet with wet food, the occasional bit of raw meat, and some greens now and then. Contrary to popular myth, dairy products are not good for cats. They may like them, but their digestive systems won't process them. A final note - table scraps are not a good diet for cats!
2. Expenses you should budget for.
1. Grooming supplies. At the very least, a brush, especially if you have a long-haired cat. Cats are fastidious animals, and will spend a lot of time grooming themselves, but if you do it gently, most of them really enjoy a brushing, and it will help with hair ball problems.
2. A scratching post/kitty condo. It's a good idea to establish an area in your home - it doesn't have to be a large one - that is the cat's 'safe zone.' Include at least one item you establish as OK for the cat to exercise its claws on, it may take some time to establish this, but in the long run it will save your furniture.
3. Keep your cat indoors. It's safer for the cat, much safer, and it's better for the environment. Cats are very efficient predators. If you live on a farm and have a barn, grain storage area, etc. that you want to keep rodent free, that's one thing, but if you live in a city or the suburbs, the cat's prey will not only be the local rodent population, but also the local songbird population. This is not good for the rodents, the birds or the cat. Wild-caught food can lead to any number of unpleasant parasitical infections that will incur large vet bills to eradicate.