Proper cat care involves many aspects of looking after your pet’s welfare from its physical to its social needs. Arguably, responsible pet owners will start with the physical needs for the simple reason that the physiological needs of food, water and shelter takes precedence over the need to belong in both animals and humans.
Thus, before taking your new pet cat, be it a kitten or an adult, you must stock up on its supplies. You will then be able to immediately provide for its physiological needs and then move on into its social needs. Your expenses can add up but keep in mind that this is expected of responsible pet owners.
And speaking of expenses, you can expect to spend approximately $25 for a litter box, $30 for the carrier and $10 for the collar. In addition, your cat requires an average of $170 in food, $50 in toys and treats and $150 for veterinary visits on an annual basis. If you are aiming for proper cat care, you had better be prepared for these expenses.
Food and Water
Of course, the first item on the list is cat food and water. You may ask the veterinarian, the local shelter staff or an experienced cat owner about good brands of cat food, the appropriate amounts for each stage of the cat’s life and other tips for healthy feline nutrition. Keep in mind that it is never healthy for cats to be feed table scraps especially fish bones because the feline digestive system is very different from the human stomach.
Also, you should add a feeding bowl for the cat. Felines are highly territorial animals so much so that it is not uncommon to see cats fighting over a single bowl of food. It’s always better to have your pet cats eat from their own bowls.
Bed, Litter and Carrier
Yet another important aspect of proper cat care is the provision of a bed for sleeping purposes, a carrier for travelling and a litter for bowel movements. Each one must be functional first before considerations for design are taken into account. After all, what cat will want to sleep in a pretty bed with uncomfortable parts in it?
You must avoid buying cheap cat carriers as these can pose a danger to your pet. For example, the handle can break and, hence, lead to possible injuries for your cat.
This is also true of the litter box. Since you will be the one emptying it of the contents, you might as well go for the best one that your money can afford. Besides, what’s the good in buying cheap things when you have to constantly replace them?
Collars, Leashes and Harnesses
And then there are the collars, leashes and harnesses. These are essential for proper cat care since you want to keep your cat safe while you are out on walks as well as to help in its identification. Needless to say, these cat accessories must never be used to punish, imprison or abuse a cat.
If you still have the money, we also suggest buying a few toys for playtime, a scratching post to avoid the cat ruining the furniture and perhaps an outdoor house for its enjoyment. Yes, indeed, proper cat care takes plenty of thought but the rewards are even more plentiful.