Melvil said:
Wafflycat, as a cat owner could I ask you some advice?
I'm thinking of buying a cat. Could you give me some words of wisdom as to what kind of care and provisions they need aside from the basics?
Also, if anyone else has any sage words they'd be mopre than gratefully received!
If you're going to get a cat may I suggest getting one from an animal shelter? There are an increasing number of cats & kittens being dumped - credit crunch fallout. Then, may I suggest getting a black cat as they prove to be the most difficult to get rehomed. Not because there's anything wrong with black cats, just that even in the 21st century there are idiotic folk who think black cats are 'unlucky' or have 'black magic evil'...
Basics:-
neutering/speying - all should be 'done' If you don't an intact tom *will* roam, *will* get into fights, *will* spray urine round his territiroy (your home) and will add to the cat overpopulation problem. If you keep a female intact, she will come into heat again, and again, and again... and she will *howl* and *HOWL* and be a better escape artist than Houdini and she *will* come back home very pregnant..
Pests & diseases:-
Cats need to be vaccinated annually against several potentially fatal diseases. The first main vaccination is a series and after that it's an annual booster jab.. against cat 'flu, feline leukemia.. Worming - should be wormed every couple of months or so. Get a proper wormer, such as Drontal dual wormer either from vet or online. Fleas - there's no need for a cat to get fleas these days, as there's some seriously good flea infestation preventatives out there. I like using Frontline - you can get it from vet or online. I prefer Frontline spray as having three cats, the spray works out cheaper than the 'spot-on' stuff that's put on the back of their necks.
Food: If you get a kitten, it should be started on proper kitten food, small meals many times a day, reducing down meal frequency as it grows. Adults - normal adult cat food. Elderly cats (usually over 8 years) require a 'senior' cat food which is a bit lower in protein so kind on old kidneys.
Water - unrestricted access to water 24/7, fresh every day.
Longhaired cats require grooming daily - a good brushing stops fur getting knots and matting.
ID - either get your cat mincrochipped and/or have it in a collar with ID tag & bell. The bell serves to give a bit of warning to birds - works well.
Cat litter tray: Ideally 1 per cat with one extra. I prefer the lidded litter trays, as they stop litter being sprayed about the place as the cat digs. Must be cleaned of 'offerings' daily and litter renewed when required. Cat litter - loads out there to choose from. The traditional stuff is the grey 'fullers' earth' clumping litter. It's okay but quickly allows nasty niffs to develop. I prefer the wood based litters, that is basically pellets of compressed sawdust. Much more plesant smell from the litter itself and the wood absorbs feline nasty niffs much better than the clay-based litters IMO.
other advantages to getting a cat from a shelter include it may already be speyed/neutered so you don't have to figure that in as an extra cost. It may also be microchipped for ID and it may have it's first set of vaccinations already done.
Can I recommend
Cats' Protection as a source of pet cat! They have a network of shelters throughout the land and I much prefer them to RSPCA in terms of the work they do to rehome & look after unwanted cats
http://www.cats.org.uk/homeacat/how_to_get_a_cat.asp
The other advantage of getting a cat from somewhere like Cats' Protection is that if your circumstances changed in the future, or if you and cat did not settle, they will take the animal back from you.
Hope this helps