Check-List For New Cat Owners

Have you ever wished that someone would just make a list of everything a new cat owner would need, to save you the trouble? Adopting a cat can be such an exciting prospect that people sometimes forget some of these basic considerations about what it means to care for a cat. Don’t fall into this category (pun intended!), but instead stay informed and go through this check-list before you bring your cat home

1. Cat care items. The first step to bringing your pet home, is to make sure you have prepared a comfortable place for him, and that the right materials are handy. From brushes to kitty beds, make sure you have these primary care items:
   • Nutritious pet food
   • Food/water bowls
   • Bed
   • Litter box/litter
   • Litter box “scooper”
   • Cat toys
   • Brush (or a de-shedding tool of some kind!)
   • ID collar
   • Shampoo
   • Antibacterial wipes
   • Tooth brush or dental chews
   • (You might consider have a bag of catnip around if you have trouble training your cat later on.
2. Kitten-handling rules and techniques. The fragile frames kittens possess require special attention to safety and playtime. Avoid injury by reviewing this list of hazardous household items and ways to handle a kitten before you bring your new pet home.
3. Brush up on cat training. Though most cats are quick enough to figure out what a litter box is, and where their food dish is located, there are still ground rules to teach them about the house. Decide what boundaries you’d like respected or what kind of behaviors you want to avoid, so that from the moment you bring your pet home, bad habits won’t have a chance to take root.
4. Unusual cat behaviors. While owning a cat, you will likely bear witness to some strange behaviors over the years. Some of these can be very alarming, causing people to immediately call the vet. Review this list to be aware of your cat’s temptation to chew on weird things, drool, refuse to eat, wail ominously through the night, stare intently at nothing, and make peculiar faces.
5. Be prepared for bath time. This unpleasant event must take place whether you wash your kitty right away or wait until later. These bath time tips will help guide you before you turn on the faucet, to help your kitty to learn that this can be a safe, calm process, and not a traumatic one.

Finally though you might be familiar with some of these, read up on these 7 things that your cat hates  so that you can avoid incurring the wrath of a feline! And watch out for these typical pitfalls in the top ten mistakes pet owners make!