Stop… Dinner time!
What goes best with dinner? A fresh bowl of water, of course! Fresh clean water, in a bowl where your cat can reach it, is important. The bowl can get dirty quickly, so you will need to change the water every day and wash the bowl daily, just like you do with your own dishes.

What’s for dinner? Cats are strict carnivores, which means they only eat meat. The staple of a cat’s diet should be a dry kibble that can be found at any pet store. It is important to read the label when choosing a type of food for your cat. You want to make sure that the first ingredient is a meat-based protein and not a “meat by-product”. This meat protein can be from beef, fish, or poultry (like chicken). Sometimes there are other “fillers” listed on the label, such as rice or oatmeal, but since cats do not eat carbohydrates try to avoid food items with large amounts of these ingredients.

What if you had to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Even though this may be your favorite sandwich, would you want it to be the only thing you ever eat? Your cat might get bored eating the same thing everyday. To help prevent boredom, you may want to include some canned cat food in your cat’s diet on occasion; this can sometimes help with digestion as well as add variety to your cat’s cuisine. Make sure that you choose a high quality canned food. You can also offer store bought cat treats for variety.

At the Zoo, our cats receive dry cat food every day. One day per week, they each receive one tablespoon of canned cat food as well. The amount of cat food you offer to your cat per day will vary depending on its age, weight, and size. It is always helpful to discuss diet with your vet and refer to the label on the cat food for recommended amounts. The type and amount of food to offer will also vary throughout the cat’s life depending on if your cat needs to lose, gain, or maintain its current weight.

Avoid feeding these food items!
• Milk (believe it or not, they can’t digest it!)
• Raw eggs or meat
• Candy like chocolate or other people treats
• Grapes or raisins
• Treats made for other animals like dogs

A healthy pet is a happy pet.
Just like us, our pets can get sick and need to go to the doctor. Before bringing any pet home it is best to make a couple of phone calls to different veterinarians. It is good to be sure there is someone in your area that could care for a cat if sickness or injury occurs.

Here is a list of some signs your cat could be sick:
• Runny nose excessive sneezing
• Dull-looking eyes and/or excessive discharge from eyes
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite, energy, and/or weight
• Hair loss
• Abnormal feces
• Abnormal behavior (no longer drinking as often, etc.)
• Limping
• Limp or crooked tail

Remember, a good veterinarian will be happy to talk about your animal’s health, so don’t hesitate to call if something seems wrong. Be aware that your new pet may need to have check-ups and even some shots every year. Be sure to keep in regular contact with your veterinarian so that you don’t miss these important appointments!

Beauty School
While a cat will never need to go shopping for new clothes or shoes, there are a couple of things that will keep your cat looking good and feeling great! Brushing your cat will keep it clean and untangled and this is especially important for long-haired cats. This will also help avoid getting hairballs in their tummy, which could make them sick. Start brushing slow and easy until your pet gets comfortable and learns to enjoy the extra care (if it doesn’t already like it). This can be great bonding time for you and your new friend. A long-haired cat may also need to be checked for knots in its hair. If you find any knots, you can simply take pair of scissors and, very carefully, cut out the knot.

Bath time! You will notice that your cat will give itself baths by using its tongue. If you have ever been licked by a cat, you may have noticed that the tongue is very rough and feels like sandpaper. The roughness acts like the bristles of a brush to keep your cat’s coat nice and clean. You should not have to bathe your cat unless it gets extra dirty by playing in something yucky. Just be very careful and very gentle if you do have to bathe your cat because it is most likely not going to enjoy the bath.

The toenails can sometimes get too long so a little trim can do wonders for your cat. Your vet or local pet groomer can do this for you or you can have a professional show you how to do it at home (never try this yourself until you have been taught how to do it properly). Small animal nail trimmers can be found at any pet store if you do choose to trim the nails yourself. Be very careful when trimming nails! Inside the toenails is something called a quick or a small blood vessel with an active blood supply. Don’t cut the nail back too far or the quick will bleed and could cause pain and even lead to infection. If you do accidentally cut it too far put something on to stop the bleeding such something called Kwik Stop (found at a pet store) or just use corn starch. If the bleeding will not stop, seek medical attention. Many times the blood vessel is slightly visible in clear nails, but otherwise taking the tip off and staying away from the toe and fur is best practice

Could I have some space please?
The most responsible way to house your cat is inside the house at all times! A cat that lives or visits the outdoors tends to hunt and kill other small native animals like song birds, frogs, toads and even bunnies. By keeping your cat inside, it won’t be able to harm other animals and you will have better control over what they are eating. When your cat goes outside, it can also encounter other animals that could give your pet a disease or get into a fight (which may result in injury or death). To keep your cat entertained inside, it is best to provide lots of things for your cat to do in the house. The cat will also enjoy simply looking out the window!

Cats love to play with all sorts of things. They are very curious and will probably climb all over your furniture, hide in your cupboards and under your bed! Cats also like to scratch their claws on all kinds of things so you should provide your cat with items such as climbing structures and scratching posts so that it is not ripping your mom’s favorite sofa. You may also want to give your cat some toys that you and your cat can play with together. Check out your local pet store for ideas. Cats will even play with things like cardboard boxes, balls of paper, string and feathers. Make sure all of the toys are safe for your cat! Make sure it can’t hurt itself, get tangled in or choke on any of the things you give it.

Clean up time! Now that you have a living, eating, pooping kitty cat, it’s time to clean up after it. You will need to provide it with a litter box with plenty of litter for your cat to go to the bathroom in. Usually, cats like spots in your house that are isolated and quiet to use for a bathroom. They will most likely not want to go where they sleep and play. The soiled litter should be scooped out every day and completely emptied and cleaned every week. You may have to clean it more often depending on how many cats you have. If the litter box gets too dirty, your cat may not want to use it, so keep an eye on it. This not only keeps your animal healthy, but saves you from a smelly house. You may need to train your kitten to use the litter box if it doesn’t already know how to use one. Show the cat where the litter box location is and reward your pet for using it properly!