So You Want a Cat or Kitten?
DAILY LIFE
SLEEP
Cats are great preservers of energy and spend about two thirds of their life asleep. Provide a basket or cardboard box, raised from the floor to exclude draughts and line it with a small blanket.
Give a kitten a chance to sleep for a good deal of the day. Remember, he is a young animal, not a toy and children should be taught to respect him as such and allow him to sleep.
TOILET TRAINING
Cats are naturally clean animals but a new kitten needs to be shown what is required. Provide a litter tray, filled with commercial cat litter (the wood-based litter is flushable). Keep it in the same place, easily accessible to the kitten, and make sure it is cleaned regularly. Take the kitten to the tray after meals and on waking up from sleep. If there is access to a garden, introduce him to it gradually and he will soon learn to make his own toilet arrangements.
HANDLING
Contrary to popular belief, it is quite wrong to pick up a cat or kitten by the scruff of his neck; this can damage the muscles. Hold the cat or kitten with one hand under the chest and with the rest of his weight supported by your other hand. Kittens particularly must be handled gently as their bones are fragile.
GROOMING
Regular grooming of your cat is advised, especially for long-haired cats. Brushing and combing will remove loose hair, dirt and dust and the occasional flea that he may pick up. Grooming also helps to prevent fur-balls which can be harmful and form in the cat’s stomach when he constantly licks loose fur. Daily grooming also ensures time devoted exclusively to your cat, which is important with today’s frantic pace of life. Your cat can be forgotten amidst the many other demands on your time.
EXERCISE & FRESH AIR
All cats need exercise and, to keep your cat fit and to protect your furniture, a scratching post is a good investment; alternatively, you might bring in a log or make a scratching board to help your cat to keep his claws sharpened. This will assist him to flex his muscles and to shed old claw sheaths. Scratching posts also enable the cat to mark his territory as a scent is deposited (undetectable by humans) through his claws - this makes him feel at home and usually stops the need for him to do this on the furniture.
Toys, such as table tennis balls, cat-mint mice or a cotton reel, are usually acceptable and keep him active.
