The Top 6 Cat Essentials

Getting a cat is exciting, you are earning a wonderful companion! That being said, you will also be responsible for your kitten’s well-being. To help you figure it all out, we have created this list with the absolute cat essentials you will need to provide.

Food

The gold standard will be to give your cat wet food. Cats are obligate carnivores, this means that their diet has to be based on animal protein. Wet food is preferred over dry food, as dry food contains a significant amount of carbohydrate. Secondly, wet food provides more water in their diet, this is important as cats are not big on drinking water. Keeping a cat solely on wet food can become expensive for the long run, so supplementing one of their daily meals with dry food is ideal.

Another important label to consider when buying food, is to keep note of age, breed and fur type the food is indicated for. This is especially important for kittens as giving them adult or +1 years food can lead to developmental problems as well as gastrointestinal issues.

Water

Cats need fresh drinking water every day for optimal health. Keep, clean and fresh drinking water available for them at all times. Make sure to replace water at least twice a day. Their water intake is mostly based on their diet, if their diet is predominantly wet food, their water intake would subsequently decrease. Cats are not big water drinkers, so look out for signs of dehydration. (Pull loose skin at the nape of their neck and check the time it takes to settle back down. If it takes longer than 5 seconds your cat might be dehydrated.) Work out what is the best way your cat would like to drink water, some cats prefer a water bowl, other water fountains (mine prefers to drink straight from my glass). Some cats also like flavored water.

Litter box

Rule of thumb: Number of cats + 1 = Number of litter boxes needed, but for one cat household maintaining one litter box will work well.

Make sure your cat’s litter box is placed somewhere quiet and unfrequented by many people. You might have to try out different types of litter to find what works for your fur pal. There are many in the market i.e; crystals, wood and paper based, clumping, biodegradable and many more. Always try to maintain a clean litter box and environment, it is recommended to clean up everyday.

Enriched environment

Recent studies shed light on the fact that “cats are semi domesticated”, they have picked up traits that suit their nouveau domestic lifestyle. But they still retain parts of predatory behavior and are highly intelligent creatures. This necessitates a need for a mentally and physically enriching domestic lifestyle. An enriched environment should contain:

•  Safe spaces for your cat to hide when it feels threatened
• Scratching posts (to protect your furniture from being scratched)
• Toys such as wands, balls, lasers to unleash their predatory behavior and for sensory stimulation

Cats get bored when they cannot entertain themselves and this can create problems including destructive behavior, anxiety, aggression and additional stress. This should be enough to let you know that an enriched environment is an absolute cat essential!

Veterinary care

Routine health checkups are very essential for your pet’s wellbeing and should be scheduled annually. These checkups are for vaccinations, parasite control, and dental care; proper nutrition; grooming; and protection from household hazards. Kittens may need veterinary visits every 3 – 4 weeks until half a year of age, so as to be fully vaccinated as well as have parasite control on check. Adults may only need a complete veterinary checkup once a year. Older cats may require more frequent visits as they are more prone to having chronic diseases

Do keep in mind that a visit to the vet is very stressful for your cat. So, try to make it as comfortable as possible for your feline.

Grooming

Cats are independent creatures who take real pride in how they look, as they spend time grooming themselves to perfection, making it a feline essential. This doesn’t mean they wouldn’t mind a helping hand at times. Grooming your cat allows you to build a strong bond with them.

Start grooming them from a young age so that they can get used to it and this becomes a part of their routine. Older cats might need some help grooming hard to reach spots as their muscles and bones lose their former flexibility.

Brushing your cat regularly is important to remove excess shed hair. Always brush their hair in the direction of growth and use natural bristle brush to remove any loose hairs

– For short haired cats: weekly brush their coat using a fine-toothed metal comb.

– For longhaired cats: brush daily with a wide toothed comb

Claw trimming; cats that are fond of scratching might not require this but others would require a claw trim from time to time. It’s important that you train your cat to sit through a trimming session from a very young age. This is necessary to prevent claws from growing inwards into their pads which can cause pain. Trim only the tip of their claw, as their claws are vascularised and will be very painful for them if you trim any deeper.

If this list of cat essentials seems daunting, you might want to check out our article on What you need to know before getting a cat.