Herb Zerden: Caring for Cats
A cat will require care, attention and a commitment to look after it during its life which could be 10-15 years or longer. The commitment required includes not only routine feeding, care and time spent with the cat but also the provision of veterinary treatment if the cat becomes ill. This can be costly and there are a variety of insurance companies that offer insurance cover for cats to cover veterinary fees in the case of accident or illness.
A cat will also need to be vaccinated annually. In addition cats need worming every 6 months and so there are regular medical costs associated with owning a cat.
FEEDING CATS
Canned Meat Cat Foods
There are two types of canned meat foods - one contains cereal and is a complete diet, and one is meat only and designed to be fed in combination with biscuits. There may also be a difference in the amount of biscuits required to be fed per can so be sure to read labels carefully before feeding. To feed a diet of canned meat only could lead to nutritional problems.
Cat Biscuits
Cat biscuits can be fed either with a canned meat meal or separately - the main thing is to ensure that if feeding a canned meal that requires the addition of biscuits the cat receives these biscuits in the course of the day.
Complete Dry Cat Diets
Complete dry diets are a convenient way to feed a cat and meet all the nutritional requirements without any addition needed. They are ideal for cats which develop stomach upsets when fed canned meat foods.
A cat fed on a complete dry diet may drink more than one fed on canned food and it is vital to ensure sufficient water is provided.
Semi-Moist Cat Diets
Semi-Moist diets come in the form of cubes or mince and provide a good alternative to canned food. Again additional feed requirements may vary from one brand to another so be sure to read labels carefully before feeding.
GROOMING CATS
The amount of grooming a cat requires will depend to some extent on its type of coat. However, cats should be brushed or combed daily as this will help to reduce hairballs forming in the stomach when the cat grooms itself.
Short coated cats are best groomed with a soft brush and require minimal grooming whilst long coated cats will require thorough daily brushing and combing in order to prevent the coat from becoming matted. This is best done by brushing the coat the wrong way to remove loose hairs and dirt, combing and then brushing back the right way.