🐈 Stuff Every Cat Owner Should Know: Training Guide

Is a Cat Right for Your Family?

A cat lives much longer than the kitten stage. Kittens are only kittens for about six months, but a cat can live 14 years or more. The whole family must be ready for that long commitment.

Parents do most of the cat's care, even when children help. Decide before the cat arrives who feeds the cat, gives fresh water, and cleans the litter tray.

A rehoming center can carefully match a cat to your family. A confident adult cat that is used to children often suits a calm family better than a very timid cat.

Kittens need much more attention and are harder to leave alone, while adult cats are usually less work. Many adult cats are already neutered and vaccinated before they go to a new home.

Early, gentle exposure to people helps kittens grow into friendly adults. A kitten without this may stay fearful around unfamiliar people.

Preparing the Home

Sign up with a local vet clinic before the new cat comes home. That way help is ready for vaccines, parasite control, or if the cat gets sick.

Choose one quiet room for a new kitten's first few weeks. Put the litter tray in a corner and the food bowl on the opposite side.

Keep outside doors and windows closed while the cat settles in. A new cat does not know the home yet and may slip out.

First Days and Cat Introductions

Let a shy new cat decide when to approach. It may hide at first, and that is fine. Forced contact can make fear worse.

When introducing a new cat to a resident cat, start them in separate rooms. Slow, careful introductions give both cats the best chance to accept each other.

Swap a piece of bedding between the cats so each can get used to the other's scent before they meet. Cats use scent to recognize their social group.

Indoors, Windows, and Balconies

Indoor cats face fewer risks from cars, fights, and diseases. If you allow outdoor access, know that outdoor cats face traffic, other animals, parasites, and infections.

Place snug, sturdy screens in windows. Cats in one or two story buildings can still fall and get badly hurt because a short fall may not give them enough time to turn correctly.

Most high-rise falls happen in summer when cats get distracted, often by a bird, and lose their grip on a window ledge. Balcony netting or mesh helps stop falls.

If a cat falls but seems okay, take it to a vet right away. Hidden injuries like a punctured lung are possible, and quick care gives a high survival rate.

Carriers and Car Travel

Keep the carrier out at home so it becomes a familiar resting place. If the carrier only appears for vet trips, the cat may learn to fear it.

Choose a carrier with a removable top half and good air flow. In the car, secure the carrier in the footwell or with a seatbelt on the back seat.

Never let a cat roam loose in a moving car. Never leave a cat alone in a parked car, because it can heat up fast or become very cold.

Collars, Microchips, and Small Hazards

A microchip is about the size of a large grain of rice and cannot fall off. If you use a collar, choose one with a snap-open mechanism that releases if the collar catches.

Shiny tinsel and string can be dangerous if swallowed. Tinsel can lodge in the intestines, and string can make intestines bunch up, often needing surgery.

Before a kitten comes home, remove exposed cables and other hazards from its room. Kittens squeeze into small spaces and chew things.

What Cats Need to Eat

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they rely on nutrients found only in animal products. They need more protein than dogs and people because they use protein for energy.

Some needed nutrients, including taurine, are not found in plants. Taurine supports heart and eye health.

Raw meat is not recommended as a food or treat because it can carry toxoplasmosis and other infections. Choose nutritionally balanced commercial cat food.

Wet Food, Dry Food, and Water

Canned cat food has at least 75 percent water, while dry food has only six to ten percent water. Wet food gives cats extra water, which is helpful.

Per gram, wet food has fewer calories than dry food, because water has no calories. Wet food can also help make urine more dilute, which is good for urinary health.

Cats fed mostly dry food often make more concentrated urine instead of drinking enough extra water. An average 10 pound cat needs about one cup of water each day.

Wash and refill the water bowl every day. Fresh, clean water should always be available.

How to Feed

Divide the daily ration into at least five small portions if you can. Cats naturally eat many small meals, and a cat without extra food can make 10 to 20 kills a day in the wild.

When changing to a new food, start with 75 percent old food and 25 percent new food. Then slowly shift the balance to avoid vomiting or diarrhea.

Healthy Weight

You can judge if a cat is obese by feeling the ribs. An obese cat has a thick fat layer that makes the ribs hard to feel, plus no visible waist and a hanging belly skirt.

Obesity raises the risk of diabetes mellitus and joint problems. Extra weight can make osteoarthritis worse.

A cat must never lose weight too quickly. Fast weight loss can cause fatty liver disease, which can be fatal, so plan any weight loss with a vet.

Litter Box Setup

Provide one litter tray per cat, plus at least one extra. Place multiple trays in different quiet areas, away from food and water and busy spots.

Choose a tray about one and a half times the cat's length from nose to tail base. Some covered trays with flaps can put cats off, so keep the entrance easy.

Most cats prefer unscented, finer-textured litter about one to two inches deep. Many also prefer clumping litter and dislike strong scents.

Keeping It Clean and Avoiding Accidents

Scoop the tray at least twice a day. Cats generally do not like using a soiled tray, so a dirty box can lead to accidents.

Never punish a cat for going outside the tray. Punishment causes anxiety and can make the problem worse. Check for medical causes first.

Clean indoor soiling spots without ammonia-based products. Ammonia smells like urine and can draw the cat back to the same spot.

If you must move a litter box, move it only a few inches per day so the cat can follow along.

Urinary Blockage and Bladder Health

A male cat that strains in the litter box but passes little or no urine needs a vet immediately. A blocked urethra is an absolute emergency.

Male cats are at greater risk because their urethra is longer and narrower, so plugs or stones get stuck more easily.

Stress plays a major role in feline idiopathic cystitis, a common bladder condition. Calm routines and plenty of water help, but a vet should check any cat that struggles to pee.

Coat Care and Hairballs

Brushing removes loose hair before a cat swallows it, which helps reduce hairballs. Cats swallow fur during self grooming.

Longhaired cats should be groomed at least daily, but only for as long as the cat is comfortable. Short calm sessions keep the coat healthy and can strengthen your bond.

Cats usually moult all year round, so regular brushing helps during shedding as well.

Claws and Scratching

Scratching is natural. It keeps claws healthy and marks territory. A cat should never be punished for scratching.

Provide a sturdy scratching post at least three feet high so the cat can scratch at full stretch. One post per cat plus an extra is helpful in multi-cat homes.

Trim a cat's nails every two to three weeks. If using plastic nail caps, replace them every six to 12 weeks and only use them on cats that accept paw handling.

Declawing is not a nail trim. It is an amputation of the bones at the tips of the toes and can lead to long-term pain and behavior problems.

Dental Health

About 85 percent of cats aged three years and older have some dental disease. Many cats hide dental pain and may eat normally even with severe disease.

Plaque left on teeth for more than 72 hours starts to harden into tartar, which brushing cannot remove. Daily care before that point helps stop buildup.

Never use human toothpaste on a cat. Use a cat-specific toothpaste made to be swallowed safely, and start slowly.

Untreated dental disease can lead to heart and kidney problems. Regular vet exams and a vet-recommended dental routine help prevent expensive treatments.

Cat Body Language

A tall upright tail signals friendly, confident intent. A tail tucked between the back legs often means the cat is anxious or fearful.

Wide pupils and ears flat against the head are signs of fear. A scared cat may scratch or bite, so give it space.

Slow blinking with half-closed eyes shows a cat is relaxed and content. Purring can mean contentment, but it is used in many contexts, not only happiness.

Petting, Greeting, and Handling

Use the three second rule when petting. Stroke the cheeks, chin, or head for about three seconds, then pause and see if the cat wants more.

Stop petting if you see skin rippling along the back, a swishing tail, a sharp head turn, or quick self grooming. If a cat goes still and tense, it is uncomfortable, so stop.

Greet a cat by crouching low, avoiding a stare, and offering a loosely closed fist. This is about the size of a cat's head. Most cats prefer gentle, repeated strokes over hugs.

When carrying a cat, put one hand behind the front legs and one under the hindquarters. Never pick up a cat by the front legs or by the scruff of the neck.

Play and Enrichment

Play with cats every day using short, frequent sessions. This matches a cat's natural hunting pattern of many small bursts.

Never use your hands or feet as toys with a kitten. Use wand or fishing-rod toys to keep distance. With a laser pointer, switch to a wand toy at the end so the cat can catch something.

Indoor cats need play, climbing, and exploring. They like being up high, so shelves and cat trees help them stay happy and active.

Interactive play builds the bond between you and your cat. Even senior cats can enjoy gentle games.

Cats and Children

Teach children to spot the signs when a cat has had enough and to respect its need for time alone. Adults should supervise and guide petting.

Children should only pick up a cat if the cat tolerates it and they are strong enough to support the cat's whole weight. Teach them to avoid paws and belly and to use a flat palm.

Always supervise a baby and a cat in the same room. A cat may settle too close to an infant's face, so use a net over a baby basket or stroller if needed.

Use baby gates with cat flaps to give a cat an escape route from toddlers. Put litter trays and cat bowls where a young child cannot reach them.

It may be better for a cat not to sleep in a child's bedroom because cats are active at dawn and dusk and can disturb sleep.

Vaccines, Neutering, and Vet Visits

Core vaccines are recommended for all cats, even indoor only cats. They protect against serious diseases like panleukopenia and cat flu, plus rabies where the disease is present.

A kitten's first vaccine is usually given at 8 to 9 weeks, with a second injection 3 to 4 weeks later. The first booster is usually about 12 months after the kitten course.

Adult cats should see the vet for a full checkup at least once a year. Do not skip yearly exams to save money, because treating illness costs more than preventing it.

Consider pet health insurance while the pet is healthy. An emergency bill can be large and sudden.

Unspayed female cats can have up to three litters per year. Unneutered male cats tend to roam widely and spray pungent urine, so neutering helps prevent unplanned litters and risky roaming.

Parasites, Wounds, and Diseases from Cats

About 95 percent of fleas are in the home, not on the cat. Treat all household pets and the house, not only the cat.

Flea dirt is reddish black, pellet or comma shaped, and dissolves to reddish brown on a damp paper towel. Cats can get tapeworms by swallowing fleas while grooming.

Never use a dog flea product on a cat. Some dog flea products contain chemicals that are deadly to cats, and even contact with a recently treated dog can be toxic.

Cat bite wounds often heal over quickly and trap infection, causing abscesses. See a vet for a painful swelling.

Toxoplasmosis is spread when a person swallows the parasite, for example after touching cat feces and then the mouth. The risk from a pet cat is extremely low, and daily litter cleaning plus hand washing helps.

Cat scratch disease is caused by Bartonella henselae and is more common in children under 15. Clean scratches with soap and water and wash hands after handling cats.

Spotting Illness and Senior Changes

Cats hide illness very well. A cat that is quieter than usual may be unwell, so watch for changes in drinking, litter box use, and activity.

Cats 10 years and older are considered seniors. Senior cats should have vet exams twice a year or more.

Unexplained weight loss, even with a good appetite, and sudden changes in activity level both need a vet check.

A senior cat that stops jumping onto furniture may have arthritis pain. Obesity puts extra strain on sore joints, so ideal weight matters.

Common Diseases in Older Cats

Hyperthyroidism mostly affects middle-aged and older cats. Medication controls the overactive thyroid but must continue for life unless a cure treatment such as radioactive iodine or surgery is chosen.

Chronic kidney disease affects up to 40 percent of cats over 10 and 80 percent of cats over 15. Early on, many cats show no obvious signs, so senior checks include blood tests.

The SDMA blood test can flag kidney disease when about 40 percent of kidney function is lost, earlier than older tests. A vet-recommended kidney diet is an important and proven treatment.

Feline panleukopenia virus is very tough and can survive indoors for many months. The core vaccine protects against it, and sudden death from it is most often seen in kittens under 5 months.

Feline leukemia virus spreads mainly in saliva through prolonged close contact, such as grooming or shared bowls. Feline immunodeficiency virus spreads most often through cat bites.

Toxic Plants

All parts of a lily are toxic to cats, not just the pollen. Eating less than one leaf, licking pollen, or drinking vase water from cut lilies can be fatal.

Lily poisoning mainly threatens the kidneys. Signs often appear within one to six hours, but even a cat that looks fine needs urgent vet care.

Day lilies are poisonous too, even though they are not true lilies. Sago palm, tulip bulbs, autumn crocus, and oleander are also toxic to cats.

Aloe plants can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Golden pothos can cause burning mouth, drooling, and vomiting. Poinsettias are only mildly irritating, despite their reputation.

Kittens, young curious cats, and bored cats are most likely to eat harmful houseplants. You can grow cat grass in indoor pots for a plant nibbler, but remember that even grass can irritate a cat's stomach and cause vomiting.

Human Medicines and Household Products

Acetaminophen is extremely toxic to cats, and even part of one tablet can cause severe toxicity or death. Cats cannot break it down safely, so toxins build up and damage the liver and red blood cells.

Never give a cat any pain medicine unless a vet has prescribed it. Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are common causes of feline poisoning.

Essential oils, such as tea tree oil, are toxic to cats. Cats groom substances off their coats, so they can swallow harmful products.

Antifreeze with ethylene glycol can cause kidney failure and death from even the smallest amount. Cats' livers cannot break down certain chemicals that people handle safely.

US pennies minted after 1982 contain zinc, a metal that can harm a cat that swallows one. Keep loose change and other small metal items away from cats.

What to Do in a Poison Emergency

If you think your cat nibbled a lily, call a vet right away. Do not wait for signs to appear.

Do not make a cat vomit at home unless a vet specifically tells you to. Some poisons cause more damage coming back up.

Signs that call for emergency care include unusual sluggishness, an unsteady walk, drooling, and heavy breathing. Store medicines, cleaning products, and antifreeze in closed cupboards.