All you need to know about living with cats and how to get ready to bring your first cat home. Read more below
Before buying my first cat I spent hours researching cat breeds and cat behavior (mostly looking at cute cat pictures). I completely neglected the practicalities of living with cats and spent the first hours as a cat owner frantically driving to the pet store to buy essential items. In this article, you will find a list of essential items to get before you bring your new cat home and useful tips on how to deal with a cat owner’s life.
You will find out:
#1 How to prepare your home for the arrival of your cat
basic equipment
placement in the house
household hazards for cats
protecting your house
adding another cat to the existing cat or dog
#2 What activities living with cats involve
socializing with your cat and playtime
vet care
feeding
grooming
establishing a routine
preparing for holidays
preparing for travel
adding more activities/equipment
Keep reading for more details.
How to prepare your home for the arrival of your cat
basic equipment
You will need some basic equipment in your house before you bring your kitten or cat home for the first time. Make sure you buy the following items:
- 2 litterboxes
- Cat litter
- Water bowl
- Food bowl
- Travel crate
- 2-3 toys
- Soft blanket or cat bed
- Scratching post
- Carrier crate
- Cat odor removal spray
Ask for a sample of the food your cat or kitten has been fed and make note of the brand and type. You will then be able to buy the food your cat is used to. Switching to a different food is a gradual process.
placement in the house
Litterboxes need to be kept in a quiet spot, where there is no traffic and far away from food, water, or a cat’s bed. Avoid placing litterboxes next to cat flaps and full-length glass windows as cats perceive these places as threats.
Put food and water bowls on hard surfaces (laminated, tiled, or hardwood floors). You can use rubber mats to protect the surface. Make sure food and water bowls are as far from each other as possible (keep these in different rooms if you can). Cats prefer water not contaminated with food.
When positioning a cat bed or blanket, look at your cat’s behavior and place the bed where she tends to spend most of her time lying down.
household hazards for cats
Cats can nibble on plants out of curiosity. If you keep plants in your house, check if any of these are poisonous to cats. ASPCA keeps a list of plants toxic to cats. Be aware that some of these are ornamental flowers and can be inadvertently brought as gifts.
Make sure all cleaners, bleaches, disinfectants, laundry capsules, and concentrated liquids containers are sealed or stored in a place where your cat has no access. These substances can be ingested if spilled and groomed off your cat’s coat or paw.
Tight and hard-to-access spaces in your house may end up as your cat’s hiding spots, especially if she’s frightened and trying to hide. Seal the holes if possible. You will need to learn a new habit of checking open washing machines, tumble dryers, hot hobs, and chimneys before use to make sure your cat does not get accidentally hurt.
protecting your house
Your carpets and furniture will get assaulted by your cat eventually. You can minimize the damage by placing scratching pads and posts around the house. There are scratch pads you can attach to couches and armchairs. You can cover these furniture items with blankets to protect them from fur.
Make sure your vacuum cleaner can remove animal hair and vacuum regularly. This will help you maintain your house fluff free if you chose a long-haired cat.
Even the best-behaved cats may end up having accidents on your carpet or furniture. Get a bottle of odor-removing spray (there are brands designed for cat odor removal) and clean up immediately. Otherwise, your cat will learn to use that place instead of the litterbox.
Your cat will try to climb anywhere she can get a foothold. If you keep any fragile objects on open shelves, get a glass cabinet and use it as a display instead.
adding another cat to the existing cat or dog
Any new cat needs a careful introduction. Cats in the wild live either with related individuals or the ones they get on with. Do not force your cats to spend time together if they don’t want to. When introducing a cat to your dog make sure your dog does not start to chase or injure the new cat.
What activities living with cats involve
socializing with your cat and playtime
Your cat needs your company! Take every opportunity to play with your cat whenever she expresses interest – it is the best way to socialize cats. Playing with your cat teaches her that you are safe and fun to interact with. Chasing a laser pointer or a fluffy cat toy will allow your cat to expend excess energy. Make sure you don’t use your hands to play with your kitten; she will grow quickly into an adult cat and her bites and scratches will be painful. Start using cat toys as soon as you get your cat.
vet care
Routine veterinary care such as yearly vaccinations, teeth, and health checkups will ensure that your cat is protected from most infectious diseases and that any cat health concern is caught early enough to address it before it becomes serious.
Make sure you book a yearly visit to get your cat vaccinated. This can be a combined visit, including a health checkup and a teeth condition check or teeth cleaning. The older your cat gets, the more frequent health checkups should be. Also if your cat has a chronic condition, you will need to book visits more often. Your cat will need to be spayed or neutered between 4 and 6 months of age.
feeding
Cats primarily eat meat and their diets must reflect that. They need a large amount of protein in their food. Adult cats should get at least 5.5 g/kg of protein daily. An average eight-pound cat needs to consume at least 0.7 ounces of protein each day. Make sure the cat food you buy is low in carbohydrates (look out for grains or potatoes on the ingredients list). Carbohydrates make protein less digestible to cats.
Do not overfeed your cat. You will find links to more articles about feeders that slow down eating in the last section of this post.
grooming
Your cat will need your help with grooming. Even short-haired cats benefit from regular brushing. If you decide to get a long-haired cat, you need to brush its coat daily. Otherwise, its fur will get matted limiting your cat’s mobility. You will need to start brushing as soon as you adopt your cat to get her used to the process. If you don’t think you can commit this much effort, try looking for a cat groomer in your area. Make sure you choose an experienced groomer specializing in cats. An inexperienced groomer may inadvertently hurt your cat.
Make sure you trim the sharp tips of your cat’s nails regularly.
It is also a good idea to start brushing your cat’s teeth as early as possible to get her used to it. You can also ask your vet if they offer regular teeth cleaning services.
establishing a routine
Cats are most active in the evening and early morning. They quite often follow their own routine: hunt – eat – groom – sleep. You can use this model to set up a routine evening chain of activities to help your cat socialize with you (hunt), get fed, and then sleep. This is going to be a “trial and error” way to get to know your cat better.
preparing for holidays
Leave your cat alone for 2 days at an absolute maximum. Cats get lonely and suffer from separation anxiety just like humans. If you plan to leave your cat on its own and have already prepared your home to house your cat safely, make sure there is enough food and water spread in a few bowls around the house and several toys to keep your cat busy.
If you are planning to leave for longer than 2 days, your cat will need someone to look after her. You can either hire a cat sitter or ask a neighbor, friend, or relative who lives nearby. Make sure they come at least once before you leave to meet with your cat and learn where you keep cat food, toys, and fresh cat litter. Let them know about your cat’s habits, and what they do and don’t like. If your cat needs any medicine, write a detailed description of the dosing and when/how to administer it.
There are boarding facilities for cats. These should be used as a last resort. Cats get stressed when they are removed from their territory and the sound and smell of other unknown cats make it even less pleasant for your cat.
preparing for travel
Getting your cat used to the carrier crate before you need to take her to the vet will make your and your cat’s lives much easier. Leave the crate open and let your cat walk around and sniff it. You can put some cat treats inside to encourage her to get inside. Repeat these sessions as often as you can.
When traveling with your cat in a crate in a car make sure you fasten a seat belt around it to hold it securely or put the crate on the floor. You can cover the crate with a blanket if it helps your cat to keep calm. Try taking your cat on a few short rides to get her used to it.
adding more activities/equipment
After a while, you will learn your cat’s favorite activities. If you want to spend more time with your cat and get a little exercise in your routines, you can teach your cat to walk on a lead. Look for the smallest size collars available to make sure she cannot get her head out of it and a non-extendable lead. Non-extendable lead gives you more control over where your cat can go.
If you keep your cat indoors, you can make your home more exciting if you buy a cat tree or tower. Check our cat trees article to find out what to look for. Try different types of toys and enjoy watching your cat play.
What to do next?
Visit the feeding accessories section of our website to pick the best food and water bowls for your cat. If you are planning on making your home more cat friendly, read our guide on Cat Trees: How to Choose Best Tree for Your Cat – The Ultimate Guide.
