This article is being written at the end of December.  At this time of year many families take on a new pet.  Children clamour for a pet as a Christmas gift and all too often kittens are bought without adequate thought as to the long-term consquences.  If that has already happened in your house then some of what I’m about to write might come too late, but here goes anyway. (And the points below apply whatever the time of year)

Think before you buy. Never buy a kitten or adopt a cat on an impulse without thinking through the implications.  To take on the care of a dependent animal is a heavy commitment. Don’t do it lightly.  There’s going to be far more to deal with than those cuddly moments with a gentle furry friend.

Give attention to training. Give close attention to the training of your new pet.  It needs to know what are the boundaries of its behaviour. Invest time and patience in teaching it standards of conduct that will make your companionship a truly happy experience.

Feed your cat well – without over-feeding. Learn the principles of cat nutrition. Ensure that your pet is properly nourished so as to keep it healthy and full of vitality. Be very careful, though, to avoid over-feeding; far too many pet cats become obese with long-term damage to their health.

Neuter your cat. Unless you have a well-considered plan for deliberate breeding from your cat, have it neutered, whether male or female.  Unwanted litter with a female and tom-cat behaviour with a male can make life very difficult.

Keep your cat clean. Hygeine is one of the principal responsibilities of a cat owner.  Two areas stand out as of special importance – grooming and the litter box.  Short-haired cats will need less human grooming attention. Training in the use of the litter tray is important for cats; training in regular cleaning out of the litter tray is essential for humans.

Consider cat safety. Most cats are allowed outdoors unattended without problems.  I’ve noticed in recent months, however, that especially in the United States (in line with an increasingly zero-risk approach to life) there appears to be a movement toward being more protective and keeping cats indoors.  Personally I don’t agree with this, except possibly in highly urban environments where there is serious risk from intensive road traffic or with very expensive breeds where there is a significant risk of theft. In such cases the use of a leash or an outdoor pen might be advisable.  Generally, though, cats are very capable of taking care of themselves and don’t need pampering.

Don’t skimp on the Vet’s Fees. Most certainly it is a good thing to learn the basics of cat health, animal first aid and DIY treatments for minor ailments, but don’t skimp on veterinary fees.  And don’t delay treatment for serious conditions or the pain both to your pet and to your bank account could get much worse.

Tags: cat care, cat equipment, cat health, cat safety, cat training

Today, with pet beds on my mind, I thought that instead of a lengthy piece from myself I’d put together one or two links to useful cat bed articles written by others. Oh, but first I’ll add in a short video that might generate some good ideas.

Finally, as we’re in the thick of the gift-buying season, I thought you might want to treat your pet to a special bed. You can of course go to either our UK or USA cat store and see wide selections but for convenience I’m going to add a few possibilities from Amazon at the foot of this post.

And here’s the You Tube video I promised: How to Keep Your Cat Healthy : Determine which Cat Bed is Right for Your Cat

Understand the three types of cat beds: the cat tree house, soft bed and the cat tree in thisfree video. Expert: Dr. Adrienne Mulligan Bio: Dr. Adrienne Mulligan graduated from veterinary school at North Carolina State University in 1993, and now owns the Camp Verde Veterinary Clinic in Camp Verde, Arizona. Filmmaker: Chuck Tyler

In my first paragraph I said I’d put up links to some articles by other people. On looking through the ones that I had listed, however, I realised that most of them said very little that was useful – more ads than ideas. Here, however, is a recent piece that is worth reading, especially for the points made in its second and third paragraphs:

Cat Beds and Other Cat Necessities
From a blog by Caroline Stephenson, 3 Dec 2009
….. don’t undermine the tastes of your cat if they don’t sleep on it often at first, or even if they don’t sleep on it at all. Don’t worry – they will find out what is comfortable for them …..

Finally, as promised, I’m putting below a few suggestions taken from our Amazon.com data-feed. Apologies to our non-American visitors as shipping outside the US might be difficult or expensive. However, don’t forget that we have two online stores on this site: CatStore UK and CatStore USA. In both of them payment and delivery is serviced by Amazon – from their facilities on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Coolaroo Elevated Pet Bed Replacement Cover, Green The original Coolaroo Pet Bed replacement cover for large beds 51.5" x 31.5"....

Sentry HC Good Behavior Pheromone Cat Collar 15-Inch $7.89 Sentry HC Good Behavior Pheromone Collar for Cats Stress can cause inappropriate behaviors in anybody. If you’re a cat, this translates to excessive meowing, destructive behavior, and marking where those “marks” don’t belong. The Sentry® HC Good Behavior™ Pheromone Collar for Cats releases calming pheromones, similar to those released by a mother cat to comfort her kitt...

Slumber Pet Thermal Cat Mat - 22 L x 18 1/2 W - GRAY $9.99 Our Thermal Cat Mat keeps cats warm and comfortable without the use of electricity. This is also a perfect size for puppies and small dogs. This cozy mat features a lightweight core that actually reflects pets own body heat back to the animal. Provides soothing comfort to cats, kittens,puppies, aging pets, nursing females, or animals recovering from illness or injury. Machine-washable pad features...

Tags: cat beds, cat care, cat equipment, cat tree, cat tree house, pet beds

In earlier articles on this blog we’ve mentioned litter trays several times.  The traditional kind of litter box was just an open tray filled with sand.  Eventually more absorbent materials came into vogue, that not only soaked up the moisture but also much of the odour.

This was quite an advance over having a wad of old newspaper on a patch of linoleum, but even so for many cats this was not ideal.  Some seem very concerned about their privacy, and therefore the location of the tray had to be chosen with care.    Then came the enclosed litter box came into use.  This is a box with a roof to it, and a cat flap entrance through which the sensitive feline can go, do what it has to do, and emerge with dignity intact.

For a range of litter trays and boxes take a look at our CatCarePlus.com CatStore.

Tags: cat care, cats, litter box, litter tray

Last month we mentioned a story about a cat that developed a practice of slipping in through other people’s insecure cat flaps, stealing soft toys and bringing them home.

It should have occurred to me at the time that our readers might want to think about how to prevent anything similar happening to them. How do you provided a way for your own cat to come and go without opening your house to all the unwanted feline visitors in the neighbourhood?

Well surely the answer is obvious. When you yourself go in and out of your house you use a key. So why not give a key to your cat? Are you afraid she’ll lose it?

Hmm! Can the cat reach the keyhole and turn the lock to let herself in through the door? No, of course not. However there is a way. Install a lockable cat flap. But then, you ask, how will the cat lock and unlock this secure cat flap as it comes and goes?

Answer: a magnetic or infra-red triggered lock.

Lockable cat flaps are available which unlock in response to a magnet or miniature infra-red emitter attached to your cat’s collar as he or she approaches. Any other cat trying to get in without the required collar attachment will find itself firmly excluded.

Lockable cat flap sources: Click on the cat flap above to see a selection from PetsAtHome in the UK, or click here for cat flapsat Amazon.com.

Tags: cat care, cat flaps

Household pets such as cats and dogs spend a sizeable proportion of their lives sleeping. You will therefore want to provide your cat with a comfy bed.

As with a human bed there are two main components to a cat bed, firstly the frame and secondly the mattress.

One traditional form is the wicker basket. These can be bought in many shapes and sizes. Or maybe you would like some kind of fancy cat bed or a designer cat bed. If you have several cats you might want a cat bunk bed or a bed tree as cats like to be close to others.

Of course, if you have outdoor cats you probably won’t want an expensive decorative bed but something more basic and sturdy, possibly even weatherproof depending on where exactly you intend to locate it.

As mentioned at the outset of this article, in addition to the structure of the bed we have to think about the bedding. Because cats shed hair, some breeds more than others, the bedding needs to be washable. If it is thick and comfy it might take some drying, and even with only one cat it can be helpful to have two sets of bedding so that there can always be a clean one ready

Be kind to your cat. Give him a nice comfortable warm bed. Take a look at the CatCarePlus CatStore.

Tags: care of cat, Cat, cat bedding, cat beds, cat mattress, pet, pet bedding, pet beds, pet mattress

In the area around where I live it would be considered extremely strange to walk a cat on a lead.  Even cats that spend most of their lives indoors are usually allowed out in the garden (and therefore further afield) to get some outdoor exercise.  A cat leash would be a highly unusual item of cat care equipment.  Walking a dog is common practice, but walking a cat is something I have never seen in all the years I’ve lived here.

This, however, is a country area and road traffic is light.  Cat safety is not a major issue here.  I can, however, fully appreciate some pet owners’ concerns about allowing their cat to roam in the great outdoors of a busy town or city. In that situation a cat leash and harness can be a big help toward keeping your cat safe.  You may be able to give your cat or kitten a much more enjoyable life with a well-designed harness and a leash long enough to give some freedom but short enough to maintain control.

Cat Lead and Harness

As with everything else connected with pets there is a wide range of cat leads to choose from, at a wide range of prices. Watch out for the design though.  You may buy one in small, medium or large size but your cat leash still will need to be adjustable for size and made in such a way as to hold the cat firm and, when needed, to restrain movement without pressure on the throat.  Take a look at the ranges here:  for the USA and the UK

Tags: cat lead, cat leash, cat narness, cat safety

In the UK cat lovers’ magazine “Your Cat” for November 2009 there’s a great story of a cat in the English East Midlands with a serious behaviour problem and risking falling foul of the law. In fact this lad is clearly quite a criminal already.

Jaffa the Siamese has taken to disappearing out through the cat flap and returning with soft toys that he clearly has obtained by entering through other homes’ cat flaps. Quite a crime-prevention problem for the local police station cat to get his claws into.

For more cat stories – and serious cat care articles too – why not buy yourself a subscription to ‘Your Cat‘ magazine, and while you’re at it take another as a gift for a cat-loving friend as well.

Tags: cat story