Before You Bring Your Cat Home
Make sure everyone in the household is prepared to care for your new pet. It will be your obligation to care for this animal for years to come. You will need items such as food, bowls for both food and water, litter box, cat litter, brush, comb, safety cat collar, and play toys.

Feeding
Always have clean water available at all times for your cat  and make sure to wash food and water dishes frequently.

Cow's Milk can cause diarrhea in cats and kittens and is not necessary.

 If you choose to feed canned food, you should not leave this sitting out all day. After 30 minutes make sure to throw away any leftovers. You may keep dry food available at all times for you adult cat. If you are having trouble getting a kitten to eat you may soak the kitten food in warm water. Kittens can also be fed human baby food for a limited time. Chicken or Turkey baby food would work best, then you may gradually mix it with kitten food.  If the problem continues please consult your veterinarian.

Grooming

Brush you cat regularly to reduce hairballs and shedding. Cats relatively stay fairly clean and rarely need a bath.

Fleas and Ticks

Check for fleas and ticks daily. You could use a flea comb to remove fleas you have found on your cat. Your veterinarian can inform you of various new ways to control fleas and ticks on your pet.

Housing

Always have a cozy place for your cat or kitten to call their own. A soft blanket or towel would be good to line his/her bed.  Make sure to wash the bedding often, to be sure that is has not become infested with fleas or wet. Keeping your cat indoors is highly recommend, it protects them from diseases, being hit by cars, and against parasites. Cats also prey on our wildlife.

Identification

To help insure your cats safe return if he/she becomes lost try some of these tips:

Tip:

Use a Safety Collar with an elastic panel will allow your cat to break loose if he/she gets caught on something.

Litter Box

A litter box is needed for all indoor cats, which should be accessible at all times. Remember, if you have more than one floor in your home make sure to have a litter box for each level. Cats do not like messy, smelly litter boxes and tend not to use them unless they are cleaned often. You must clean out the litter box once a day, removing all solids. Dispose of properly and dump out entire litter box every couple weeks, washing the box with mild detergent. If you use a clumping cat litter you may do so less frequently. Do not use scents such as lemon or other strong deodorants when cleaning the litter box.

Play

Stalking imaginary prey proves to be a delight to most every feline. The toys that can be make to look alive and jump around are among the favorites. Try not to get in the habit of using your fingers or hands when playing with your kitten. This kind of roughhousing may lead to unwanted behavior as your kitten develops.

Scratching

Always provide your cat with a scratching post at least 3 feet high, allowing your cat to stretch completely out. It should be covered with a rough material , such as sisal, burlap or tree bark.  Praise your cat when he/she uses the post and to maintain interest you can sprinkle it with catnip once or twice a month.

Ear Mites

These are tiny parasites that live in your pets ears. They are transmitted from animal to animal.  If your pet is scratching at his/her ears and shaking it's head there may be a Ear Mite infestation. Make an appointment with you veterinarian to get his/her ears clean out and medication prescribed.

Claws

Scratching is a must with cats. It pulls off the old outer nail sheath and the smooth ,sharp claws are then exposed. You can cut your cat's nails every two to three weeks to keep them blunt. Make sure you ask your veterinarian  how to cut your cats nails properly.

Vaccinations

Begin vaccinating you kitten between 2-4 Months of age.  These vaccines will protect your kitten against panleukopenia (or feline distemper), calicivirus and rhinotracheitis. There is also a vaccine available for feline leukemia which should also be given to your cat.  Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) often infects outdoor cats and kitten. There is no vaccine for FIV and your cat could be infected for months or even years without you knowing. Have your cat tested for FIV with a simple blood test and to insure you cat will not catch FIV keep him/her indoors away from all untested cats. Do not allow new cats or kittens in your home without being testing first. Neither FIV or Feline Leukemia can infect humans. Consult your veterinarian for more information.

Rabies:

All animals older than 3 months of age should be vaccinated against Rabies. This should be done yearly according to the laws of our state.

Worms

There are several types of worms and parasites that commonly affect cats. No matter where you live your cat can be susceptible to infestations. Microscopic eggs produced by intestinal worms in infected dogs are shed through feces and then passed on to other animals. Because only a few can be seen in feces an fecal evaluation by your veterinarian is the only way to diagnose these parasites. Most kittens, can end up carrying roundworms or hookworms. All kittens should be dewormed by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Tapeworms:

Unlike other intestinal parasites of the dog or cat, tapeworms do not lay eggs inside the pet.  For that reason, when veterinarians perform fecal floatation's looking for parasite eggs, tapeworms are often overlooked.

Here are some other ways to determine if your pet has tapeworms:

Tapeworms CAN be seen by the naked eye, they appear as segments stuck to the hairs around the anus, or in the feces or environment. Check where your pet sleeps and eliminates. They somewhat resemble a grain of rice when dry.

To control Tapeworm's you will need to get rid of the fleas. Consult your veterinarian for more information on how to effectively rid the flea infestations.

Click here to view different types of worms

Heartworm

Heartworm Infections Can Be FATAL!

Click here to view information on Heartworms

Read  The Heartworm Story Click Here

FDA officials concerned about adverse reactions of the Pro Heart 6 shot View Report

Go here for more information on spaying and neutering you pet.

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