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KITTY!
Kate of Lokys
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I am probably getting a cat within the next couple of days.
We always had at least one cat around when I was growing up, so I am well acquainted with the species. I know when to give them space, when they want attention, how to reward good behaviour and discourage bad, et cetera.
What I do not know, however, is how to take care of a cat from a practical standpoint.
The cat I'm looking at adopting is a three year old male. He's neutered and fully vaccinated, but not declawed (and I have no intention of declawing him - he'll be a strictly indoor cat, so it's not like he'll need them for defense, but it's still an unnecessary surgery that causes more harm than good). I'll be getting copies of his vet records from his original owner, though I'll need to find a different vet to take him to from now on - he's from the next city over, about a 45 minute drive, and there are plenty of vet offices within 10 minutes of where I live. I figure I'll just ask for a vet recommendation on the graduate student email list - there are plenty of people on that list who have been living in London for years, and can offer informed advice.
What about toys, cat litter, and food, though?
I found an ad for a gently-used scratching tree - the big cylinder kind, 4' tall, with a platform at the top and caves in the sides for sleeping - at a very reasonable price. Will a new cat freak out at using another cat's scratching post? Should I try to wash it first, or spray it with that enzyme neutralizer stuff?
Our cats back home never had much use for toys. We have a laser pointer here (we bought it for our own amusement, but if the cat likes it too, great), and I was thinking of picking up a couple of mice or something - maybe one of the cloth catnip-stuffed ones, and one of the fur-coated-like-a-real-mouse ones. Anything else I should add?
I'll be buying a new litterbox, but there are so many choices. Do I want the standard box, or the fancier box with built-in sifting functionality, or the bizarre top-loading model? The box will either be kept in the bathroom (which is a little small, but there might be room for it right beside the toilet), or in the big alcove right by the front door (picture a big hall closet with no actual closet doors on it). What about litter? Is standard clumping stuff OK, or should I go for something like pine, or Swheat Scoop? I don't mind needing to change litter every day, I just want to get something that will keep my cat happy and healthy.
As for food... well, back home, our cats have always had standard dry Pet Tech stuff (which I think is a local store brand), supplemented by occasional treats of human food: tuna, cream, meat, cheese. Our current cat is an exceptionally wise creature, though - she never eats enough to make herself sick, and if she just doesn't want something, she won't eat it, even if it's offered as a treat. But I don't know if this new cat will be that smart, and I've heard that milk is actually not supposed to be great for cats, so... what should I feed him? I mean, I've read arguments from people who say that feeding your cat anything other than a pure raw diet of organic meats and vegetables constitutes animal cruelty, but I know for a fact that the vast majority of pets just get standard Cat Chow and seem to do just fine. Should I go for the "inspired by the diet of the wild lynx" stuff, or your basic Iams? Any specific brand recommendations?
Finally... anything I'm forgetting here? Any other advice for someone about to get the first pet that will actually be mine?
(No pictures yet, because I haven't settled on the animal I'm getting. But there will be. Oh yes. There will be pictures).
We always had at least one cat around when I was growing up, so I am well acquainted with the species. I know when to give them space, when they want attention, how to reward good behaviour and discourage bad, et cetera.
What I do not know, however, is how to take care of a cat from a practical standpoint.
The cat I'm looking at adopting is a three year old male. He's neutered and fully vaccinated, but not declawed (and I have no intention of declawing him - he'll be a strictly indoor cat, so it's not like he'll need them for defense, but it's still an unnecessary surgery that causes more harm than good). I'll be getting copies of his vet records from his original owner, though I'll need to find a different vet to take him to from now on - he's from the next city over, about a 45 minute drive, and there are plenty of vet offices within 10 minutes of where I live. I figure I'll just ask for a vet recommendation on the graduate student email list - there are plenty of people on that list who have been living in London for years, and can offer informed advice.
What about toys, cat litter, and food, though?
I found an ad for a gently-used scratching tree - the big cylinder kind, 4' tall, with a platform at the top and caves in the sides for sleeping - at a very reasonable price. Will a new cat freak out at using another cat's scratching post? Should I try to wash it first, or spray it with that enzyme neutralizer stuff?
Our cats back home never had much use for toys. We have a laser pointer here (we bought it for our own amusement, but if the cat likes it too, great), and I was thinking of picking up a couple of mice or something - maybe one of the cloth catnip-stuffed ones, and one of the fur-coated-like-a-real-mouse ones. Anything else I should add?
I'll be buying a new litterbox, but there are so many choices. Do I want the standard box, or the fancier box with built-in sifting functionality, or the bizarre top-loading model? The box will either be kept in the bathroom (which is a little small, but there might be room for it right beside the toilet), or in the big alcove right by the front door (picture a big hall closet with no actual closet doors on it). What about litter? Is standard clumping stuff OK, or should I go for something like pine, or Swheat Scoop? I don't mind needing to change litter every day, I just want to get something that will keep my cat happy and healthy.
As for food... well, back home, our cats have always had standard dry Pet Tech stuff (which I think is a local store brand), supplemented by occasional treats of human food: tuna, cream, meat, cheese. Our current cat is an exceptionally wise creature, though - she never eats enough to make herself sick, and if she just doesn't want something, she won't eat it, even if it's offered as a treat. But I don't know if this new cat will be that smart, and I've heard that milk is actually not supposed to be great for cats, so... what should I feed him? I mean, I've read arguments from people who say that feeding your cat anything other than a pure raw diet of organic meats and vegetables constitutes animal cruelty, but I know for a fact that the vast majority of pets just get standard Cat Chow and seem to do just fine. Should I go for the "inspired by the diet of the wild lynx" stuff, or your basic Iams? Any specific brand recommendations?
Finally... anything I'm forgetting here? Any other advice for someone about to get the first pet that will actually be mine?
(No pictures yet, because I haven't settled on the animal I'm getting. But there will be. Oh yes. There will be pictures).
Kate of Lokys on
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- The cat tree/scratching post doesn't need to be descented or washed. Scratching releases a scent that your new cat will detect, say "Oh yeah??" to and proceed to cover by scratching vigorously over it.
- A fancypants litter box is rarely worth it, unless you reeeeally hate having to put a bag into the box, pouring litter, scooping poop out every day or so, and then changing the bag when it gets too stinky. Cheap litter's okay, and my favorite for non-stinkiness (the cheap crystals from Wal-Mart) isn't too pricey.
- Food is where you should feel okay splurging. I have to feed my cats a special UT-health food lest Kaien have further trouble with his urethra; you generally want to look for a food that doesn't list corn or other shitty fillers in the first three ingredients. Other folks may have better, more specific recommendations. A full-on hippie "anything but raw meat is cruelty" diet is very much an individual-taste thing, and not necessary.
Toys may include feathers-on-sticks, socks, and laser pointers. Each kitty has different preferences; Kaien goes nuts chasing the laser pointer and/or his rubber snake, while Mayu gets bored instantly and just tackles him while he's distracted.
Edited to prove that she spends most of her time plotting against him:
Getting a cat is kinda like dating, except you can't break up.
Wait, that makes it like marriage.
You have to find out what kitty likes.
I'll answer from the people side of the questions.
You do not want the litter box in your bathroom. I am sure of this.
I use an under-bed storage container, and shredded paper as litter.
Cat toys are good. Whatever is cheap, or indestructable.
My cats get IAMS dry. They are very content.
Get your spray bottle ready with plain water for discipline.
Have a place you can put the cat into "time out".
Hair ties, the little plastic safety seal rings you tear off milk jugs, crumpled up paper, twisty ties.. these are all the toys your cat will ever need. He will play with them willingly above the best store bought toys.
Laser pointers are the exception, because they drive nearly all cats apeshit, and it's a great toy to play with them with minimal effort. Attach them to your keys, and your cat will very quickly associate jingling keys with happy-fun-time and come running if you shake them.
:^:
Every cat is different, so some things you'll just have to play by ear. We have 2 cats and they're both pretty much opposites. One cat loves attention and the other only wants attention when she wants it. One loves catnip and the other is meh. One loves to play with toys by himself and the other only plays when you're doing all the work. They both refuse to use any kind of scratching device, but are pretty good about not scratching the furniture. If you keep their nails trimmed, they should be fine.
You'll probably hear a lot of different opinions about food and litter. We've had our first cat for about 9 years and the second cat for about 5. We use one (large) standard litter box. It has a cover which doesn't cause any problems (though we had to take the door off or the oldest cat wouldn't use it). I change the litter once a week by dumping the whole thing into a trashbag and refilling it. They don't have a problem with sharing a litterbox and we never have any kind of accidents or passive aggressiveness. We use TidyCat litter. If you plan on scooping, then you may want to check out other brands.
For food we use Purina Cat Chow, the indoor cat formula. They both love it. It's the only food my younger cat will eat. He's the only cat I've known that won't eat tuna. Anyway, we have 2 small bowls (food and water, but we use them both for food) and fill it up when we notice it's empty. Cats are much better than dogs about only eating when they're hungry.
For water, our cats are hella spoiled. They pretty much refuse to drink out of a bowl and will only drink out of a running faucet. We leave one in the guest bathroom constantly dripping, which they'll use if we're not around, but most of the time when they're thirsty, we'll find them waiting on the edge of our bathtub, waiting for us to turn on the water.
But like I said, all cats are different, so your mileage will vary.
We did get this thing that's like a ball made of catnip, and she goes wild for that.
Also, I wouldn't give him tuna or dairy products. Dairy will just mess up his digestion and create an unpleasant stool, and tuna is supposedly extremely addictive.
Though the cat I had growing up associated the sound of the electric can opener with tuna. She was an indoor/outdoor cat, and if it was getting late and we she was outside, we'd open the front door and turn on the can opener. She would literally hear it from 2 blocks away and come running home. I watched her run down the street one night.
Has anyone tried the little waterfall dispensers? I was thinking of getting one since my cat and my roommate's cat wait for me to water the catnip pot in the morning, and then drink the run-off water that comes out. If the dispenser kicks them off of this habit, then I'd consider it money well spent, but if not then I'd rather save the $30-50.
Also, regarding the cat toys, I have to throw in a vote for "Every cat is different." My cat won't have anything to do with laser pointers or milk carton seals, but likes the long fuzzy tassels on a stick toys, and fake mouseys.
We've toyed with the idea of getting one, but my wife is worried the cats will make a mess. I'd like to hear any experiences with these.
Also, the plastic tabs off milk jugs for the win. Ribbons from presents, anything like that.
I will not give my cat catnip, ever. I had friends who had the most terribly-behaved cats I'd ever seen.. Then they removed all the catnip from their house for a month, and the cats were suddenly normal and loving. That was all the demonstration I needed. :P Now, they normally had catnip on a daily basis, moreso as their behavior got worse to try to make them calm down, and so on, so YMMV.
Fair point. At the very least, explore your "free toy" options before you bother spending money on toys. Store bought toys are a crapshoot at best. I had luck in the past with a feather on a long elastic string attached to a rubber-toed wire claw that clamps onto the top of a door frame and hangs the feather just off the ground.
EDIT: This seems like as good of a place as any to ask. How do you get cats to stop eating plants? Aside from the discipline-spray-bottle, which doesn't work when we're not home. We have a lot of little ferns and stuff all over the house and the cat is slowly destroying them. And then we get to vacuum up little balls of leaf barf.
One thing about bringing home an adult cat is that just the change in scenery and people will freak them out... keeping the other things as consistent as possible may help with the transition.
I use regular clumping litter. I've tried the fancy natural kinds with poor results. Pine made my cat sick and the newspaper type was just gross.
Good quality food will keep your cat healthy for a long time. It can be more expensive but it's worth it. Your vet might even have a good recommendation.
One of my cats loves to play with balled up craft pipe cleaners.
Also, cats love boxes.
My grandmother's cats will only drink running water so she got the waterfall thing and it works perfectly. The cats don't make a mess and she now doesn't have to leave a faucet dripping all the time.
They're also very cheap. You can get a pack of 6 or 8 for a couple bucks.
For litter & a box, start with a basic litter box. I like the covered ones so I can keep the litter pretty high w/o it being scratched out of the box (and high litter means less stuff stuck to the bottom). For litter, I find that cats typically don't care, and that it's owners who get weird about what they use. I think every cat is fine with regular clay clumping litter. We tried World's Best, and it stunk (no odor control, or at least didn't work w/ our cats). We tried some pine thing, and our younger cat had his only accident the next day because he didn't like it and held in his pee all night. Our friends use Swheat Scoop because they're all into flushing cat poop, but it doesn't clump well nor does it contain odor very well (I've watched their cats while they were out of town). So, we stick with clay. We have not found any difference between Generic Grocery Store Clumping Clay Cat Litter and any of the name brands, other than price. We currently get ours at Giant, and it's great and $9. Scoop every day or every other day, depending on how often your cats go.
For food, splurge. Try to find a place that carries fancier cat foods, so you have a good variety and can trust that most anything you buy there will be good. You'll probably notice that a "good" pet food store won't even carry the brands you find in grocery stores, and many don't even have Science Diet. A good food for cats will have 0 grain added, and be heavy on all-meat. Cats are obligate carnivores and should consume an all-meat diet.
Personally, I feed my cats a mix of raw food nuggets (Primal) and a can of fancy wet (Weruva currently, because it's not ground into mush and encourages chewing). Good food is important because it leads to a healthy cat, which means fewer trips to the vet and a cat with a shinier, softer coat and a more playful, active life.
But yeah, in many ways you'll have to see what the cat's into once you get it. One of my cats will come beg for raw chicken whenever he hears the knife hitting the cutting board (regardless of what's actually being prepared). The other cat is interested but generally doesn't care, and prefers to eat at least some kibble (which is currently Origen). Perhaps the best thing to do for food is find a way to keep it varied, so that you're not stuck with finicky cats. I alternate between 5 flavors of cat food, sometimes only giving them kibble instead of wet, sometimes skipping the dry for the day, so they don't get too attached to any particular food.
Cats do like milk because of the fat, but generally are lactose intolerant. My wife and I don't drink milk, but we usually keep heavy whipping cream around for cooking & coffee, so they sometimes get a few dribbles of that. It's easier to just give a little bit when it's rich, which is generally how you should approach treats or additions to their regular diets.
For treats, we like Greenies and many cats do as well. Plus, they're good for the cat's teeth.
For scratching things and platforms, cats like a space that's exclusively "theirs," so they can feel safe there no matter what's going on. It's good so that they don't end up hiding whenever anything new is going on (like having people over) because they don't have their "sometimes spot" like a couch or chair. It's also good for cat exercise, like running & jumping & climbing, without it being on your furniture. Or, worse, the cat not being motivated to do it at all. We've got a hyperactive muscley cat and a wimpy but active cat, and both love their furniture (we do it DIY, but we're in a house and have the tools & space).
A couple things. One, you can make an "essense of basil & rosemary" spray and squirt the leaves with that. Or you can get a cayenne spray and squirt the plants. Cayenne will keep anything away, so start with the rosemary & basil.
You can take dried basil & rosemary, put it in a squirtbottle, add some isopropyl alcohol and give it a shake. Then add some water. Make it about 70/30 in favor of water, or so. Essentially, you're making an herb perfume and adding water so it doesn't harm the plants. Then put a paper towel behind the leave so you don't squirt all over the place, and give the fronds a spray.
Almost every cat hates the smell of rosemary & basil -- they think it's super hella gross. So making your other plants smell like that should keep them away.
Eh, this may depend on the cat, but you want to be careful with this. Some cats (like my youngest) are very finicky eaters as it is and only like what they like. I don't have a source handy, but I've heard it's best to keep cats diets consistent as changing it up can cause digestive problems. Changing flavors of the same food is probably fine, though.
I wouldn't go all out with the toys yet. My cats favorite 'toy' is a box fort created with a bunch of boxes from Costco with some paw-sized holes in them and an old comforter over the top.
Definitely spend some money on those cardboard scratching boxes and a couple of 'vertical' scratching options (like the tree you mentioned, good choice). Those cardboard boxes that lay on the ground you can even make yourself if you want. Just scratch them yourself when kitty walks by and move him onto one of them if you ever catch him scratching at the carpet or furniture and they learn pretty fast.
Cats are often lactose intolerant. It's not like some milk is going to necessarily kill the cat, but there's absolutely no reason to give the cat any human-intended dairy products. There is cat milk available at the store if, for some reason, you really need to see your cat lapping at a milk-inspired substance.
Raw diets have some great results, for sure, but I don't think the majority of us regular cat owners want to dedicate a lot of time to making a raw diet a reality.
I do recommend spending some money on your cat's food though. I just feel it's worth it. People that eat shitty diets don't keel over and die any more than your cat will on Friskies crap. But think about it, would YOU eat crap just because it was 'good enough'.
Here's cat food lists:
Ultra Premium
Solid Gold
Innova EVO
Innova
California Natural
Nature's Variety Prairie
Evanger's (makes only wet) (NOT the vegetarian formula.)
Wysong? (wet) (? because their website is weird)
Premium
Chicken Soup
Blue Buffalo
Merrick (wet)
Pet Promise (wet)
Wellness
Newman's Own Organics
Natural Balance
Felidae
Good
Eagle Pack
Diamond Naturals
Royal Canin
Wysong (dry)
Pet Promise (dry)
Acceptable
Iams
Science Diet
Eukaneuba
Purina One
Diamond
Trader Joe's
Whole Paws
Horrid
Fancy Feast
Purina Cat Chow
Special Kitty, or whatever Wal-Mart calls its house brand
Whiskas
Meow Mix
Store Brands
Anything that includes the words "meat" or "animal" in its ingredients list
Know that little ring you tear off of gallon milk/water jugs?
Practically free, and my cat fucking loves them.
Smell is much less and it gives them some privacy. All is good.
Best toy = scrunched up bits of paper. And then you teach them to play fetch!
Thank you.
Litter: Find out what's being presently used and try to use that to start. Transition to a normal clumping litter. A regular cat-box is fine, but I would suggest getting a Litter Locker (available at Wal-Mart for cheaper, incl. refills). Keeps the smell under control, and you're not going through plastic bags at a maddening rate.
Food: Find out what the cat's eating now and use that as your beginning transition food. Are you going to meal-feed or free-feed? Former is better to regulate weight/diet, but the latter means that you could, in theory, be gone for a day or two and just "leave extra in the bowl."
As far as what to feed, you want to be careful with male cats - a poor-quality diet can give them urinary tract problems, including crystals, which lead to a blocked cat, which lead to hefty vet bills. Or it can just make them fat, and fat cats are very hard to get skinny again. Generally the tiers of quality go Vet->Pet Store->General Store->Supermarket, and you take the "lowest place it's available" as the guideline for how good or bad it is. Edit - Actually, my cats haven't been eating anything other than a veterinary diet. Disregard my brand suggestions unless you have access to vet purchasing. :P
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Oh, and the lower quality a cat food is, the worse it smells coming out the other end.
You get what you pay for... and sometimes even more.
Also obligatory, my sister's kitties:
Thatch and Laiza(21 years old when this was taken):
Amelia and Hazel:
(Hazel, the white nosed one is mine, and a lot bigger now lol.) and finally, my kitty Sammy:
It's full of fillers, sugar, preservatives, etc. It's not all that great. Personally, I don't think enough can be said about Innova - they use human-grade food stock in making it, so it's really good for your kitty.
No shit. Whenever I find that I've run out of hair ties I just look under the bed and find a small pile of them in the corner. :P
Obligitory cat pictures:
To tell a good cat food, look at the first five or ten ingredients. The first five should be mostly named meat, as in "chicken" and not "animal," and no byproducts. Most dry kibble will have some sort of filler, but it shouldn't be corn; rice is more acceptable, but the less filler, the more the cat actually digests, the less volume you have to feed it, and the smaller its poops. For example, Innova's first five ingredients are: Turkey, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Potatoes, and Egg. Compare that to Purina's Cat Chow's first five: Poultry by-product meal, Corn meal, Corn gluten meal, Ground Whole Wheat, and Brewer's Rice. See the difference?
As mentioned above, it also makes their poop stinkier. More importantly, at least in my opinion, a meat-based diet for a cat will make their poop firmer (as they're pulling more nutrition out of the food, leaving less waste), resulting in fewer "dingleberries" (poop stuck to their butt-fur) and their anal glands will be expressed naturally as they poop. Not having to express your cat's anal glands is a big bonus, in my book.
Buy what you want, but feeding your cat Special Kitty or Purina Cat Chow isn't some horrible crime. Yes, there are better foods out there. There are also better cuts of meat, but sometimes a sirloin is good enough. Our cats have been eating Purina their whole lives and they aren't unhealthy at all.
Some people eat McDonalds their whole lives and aren't visibly unhealthy. No, it's not a crime to feed your cat Purina, but it's not a crime to feed your kid nothing but fast food, either. It's just not good for them.
Besides, there's a wide range between super-awesome expensive cat food (Innova) and terrible cheap cat food (Purina).
Our cats love the "tuna juice" on the rare occasion that we have anything with tuna in it. All things in moderation. One of them tends to get constipated, and our vet recommended a tablespoon or two of warm milk - seems to do the trick. Other than that, we avoid milk with the cats.
Also, as has been suggested, definitely ask the current owners about the litter the cat's used to. Many cats will adjust readily to new litter. Some won't, and you won't like the result!
As for food, again, all cats are different. One of our cats will eat only what he needs when he needs it. We could leave a giant bowl out for him, and he wouldn't overeat. The other two? Not so much... They're more of the "I'm going to sit in front of this bowl and munch 'till it's empty" persuasion. This is probably something else the current owners can tell you now.
Toys? Spoil 'em!!! Most of those toys are cheap, and many will be far more entertaining to you than to kitty. But playing with them all, trying them all out, will give you a great chance to bond. And their playtime choices will change over time too - one of ours used to play fetch with those little fuzzy mice back when he was a kitten. He'd literally chase them down, come back, and drop them right in front of you and wait for you to toss them again. I've never seen a cat do that before - now, he doesn't give two craps if we even have any of those mice in the house, let alone toss them around... The one thing I'd suggest about that used kitty tree is to make sure that the former cat didn't spray on it. Among neutered males, spraying is very uncommon - but if a cat picks up that scent, he's likely to spray his own over it. And that's another mess you don't want to deal with!!!
If its just one or just the other he won't touch it. If its anything else (except tuna) he won't touch it.
So even if its the fast food of cat chow, thats what he wants.
i would find out the type of litter box he was using and get the same one.. Some guys are particular about the type of box. we have two of the ones with the cover that they walk through with no doors on them(didn't want the cats to get used to going through a flap to use it since we have a dog door)
i use the sweat scoop, and love it. i personally think it smells a lot better than clay litter and its way less dusty. i find it clumps fine, it takes a little longer to clump then clay but honestly who scoops immediately after the cat goes? we throw in a little of that arm & hammer pet deoderizer in when we top off the litter and there is no smell. plus you get the added bonus of being able to flush it and if they eat it, it won't give them blockages.
as far as toys go. its a crapshoot. when our first cat was younger he would chase anything on a stick. he also loved this dangly fish that connected to glass doors via suction cup. now that he is a little older he doesn't play as much with them. we recently got these little stringy ball things that he seems to like a lot. on the contrary our newest guy will play with anything. loves balls. so YMMV.
we feed purina proplan indoor. not crazy expensive but still pretty high quality.
they just drink water from the dog bowls
edit. our oldest won't touch fish of anysort. no tuna, no salmon, nothing. but he does love him some whipped cream
And a doctor would tell those people they're perfectly healthy?
Are you a vet?
That was the point she was trying to make--cheap cat food can have as bad-if-not-visible effects as junk food on a person.
Also, if your cat refuses to eat new food, just try mixing it in slowly, over several nights or weeks.