A must-read for novice cat owners丨What cat owners must know
A new cat arrives at home
Choose a cat: Try to buy from a local cattery that is more than 5 years old. Or adopt from a formal agency. Check the cat's health: whether its eyes, ears, mouth, and hair are clean. Understand the appearance of the cat's parents and observe the interaction with the cat stick.
Cat breeds: Common cat breeds: British Shorthair, American Shorthair, Ragdoll, Persian cat, Siamese Chinese Garden cat, Maine Coon cat, Garfield cat, hairless cat, leopard cat, etc. The blue one in the British Shorthair Cats, American Shorthair, and Silver Grain are all suitable for novice owners.
Pick-up the cat: It is best if the cat is older than 3 months old, otherwise it will be too difficult to feed. The cat may get motion sickness on the way home after picking up the cat. Prepare the flight box/pee pad and do general cleaning, disinfection and storage in advance. Needles/thread/glass breakables.
Just arrived home: When the new cat arrives home, do not put it out of the flight box immediately. Let it observe the environment first. Food, water, and cat litter boxes are laid out. Cat litter is placed where the cat can see it. Prepare blankets. /The cat nest is used to keep milk cats warm and prevent colds.
Vaccine: Cat triple dose: 1st dose at 8 weeks of age; 2nd dose at 12 weeks of age; 3rd dose at 16 weeks of age; Rabies vaccine: Cat triple dose can be given one month after the cat triple dose and then re-injected every year One injection of cat triple + rabies, recorded in the vaccine book.
Deworming: Internal deworming: cats can be dewormed internally when they are 6 weeks old, external deworming once every three months: Cats can be dewormed externally when they are 1 month old, and deworming can be done once a month Wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking.
Cat diet
Staple food: 0-2 months old: mainly breast milk, supplemented by goat milk powder, 4-5 times/day. Kittens: transition to kitten food, 3 Times/day Adult cats: Transition from kitten food to adult cat food/full-price cat food, 2 times/day.
Supplementary food: Gradually add it after 4 months of age. If it is too early, it will easily damage the gastrointestinal tract. Homemade cat rice: Cooking boiled chicken breast is a simple and occasional snack. There needs to be an interval of 6 hours between dry and wet food.
Snacks: Feed less snacks, otherwise it will easily cause the cat to be picky. Malnourished snacks can be used to train the cat or soothe the cat, such as when cutting nails/bathing.
Meat: Can eat: beef, chicken, duck, rabbit, salmon, bustard; cannot eat: tea eggs, bacon, fried chicken, octopus, cooked bones.
Fruit: Can eat: apples, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pears, papaya; cannot eat: grapes, lemons, citrus, persimmons, star fruit, cherries.
Vegetables: Can eat: cucumbers, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cabbage, carrots; Can’t eat: onions, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, onions.
Cat food: The top three choices for cat food should be meat, with a protein content greater than 30%, no preservatives and food attractants, and no grains or beans. Try to choose cat food produced by large factories. Quality control is relatively good.
Canned food: cats can be fed canned food 2-3 times a week. Cats with poor appetite/neutered can be fed canned food and kept in the refrigerator if they are not finished on the day they are opened. After eating within two days, feed canned food as much as possible and feed less canned snacks. .
Freeze-dried: Freeze-dried snacks can be used to train cats or soothe their emotions, such as when cutting nails/bathing.
Health products: Egg yolk: Contains lecithin, which can help cats beautify their hair and skin care. Cat grass: help eliminate hair balls. Buy wheat seed compound VB directly: twice a week to prevent loss of appetite and cat moss.
Drinking water: Cats don’t like to drink water. Cats who don’t drink enough water for a long time are prone to constipation. The amount of water the cat drinks is related to the body weight. It is recommended that 40-50ml per kilogram/day is best. Do not feed raw water and Feeding mineral water for a long time can easily lead to stones.
Cat bowl: The cat bowl should be made of ceramic or stainless steel, which is durable and difficult to breed bacteria. The cat food bowl should be cleaned after every meal, and the water bowl should be cleaned every day when changing the water.
Cat Cleaning
Bathing: Do not take a bath before vaccination and deworming. You can simply wipe the cat with a wet wipe. Don’t bathe the cat too frequently. You can wash it at home once every 3-6 months. Bathing is not easy to cause stress. When going to a pet store, you should check the environment in advance.
Cut nails: Prepare special nail clippers for cats. You can wrap the cat's body in a towel and use small snacks to calm the mood before cutting. Gently pinch the flesh pad and the claws will stretch out (be careful not to cut the blood line).
Brushing teeth: Cats can try brushing their teeth starting from the age of 3 months. First, use finger cots to let the cat adapt, and then use a toothbrush + toothbrush to brush teeth to prevent dental calculus. Maintain a brushing frequency of 1-2 times a week, especially After eating wet food.
Grooming: Cats love to be clean and lick their fur frequently, which can easily lead to hairball disease.
At the same time, to prevent hair from knotting, you need to comb your hair 2-3 times a week. You can prepare a guard comb and a row comb.
Scooping poop: It is necessary to shovel poop every day! Otherwise, it is easy for bacteria to breed and cause urinary tract infection in cats. Change the cat litter every half a month or so and choose a large litter shovel. It will save more effort to shovel poop!
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Urine stains: Urine stains after cats urinate must be cleaned up in time. First use paper towels to blot them dry, then spray them with hypochlorous acid to remove the smell. Put lemon on them to prevent further peeing, such as on blankets and clothes. Clean with laundry detergent.
Cat diseases
Soft feces: Choose cat food suitable for your cat’s constitution. Follow the seven-day food change method and ensure that the cat eats two meals a day and does not feed raw water. Feed probiotics when the stool is soft to help the cat regulate its gastrointestinal tract
Vomiting: vomiting indigestible cat food: eating too fast, feeding at a fixed time and in a fixed amount Vomiting hair balls: feeding cat grass/cat grass tablets; vomiting yellow water : If a cat has been hungry for too long and there is blood, foreign matter or parasites in its vomit, it needs immediate medical attention.
Tear stains: Wet a cotton pad with physiological saline, wipe the tear stains and eye feces around the eyes, and then wipe them clean with a dry cotton pad. If you stick to it every day, it will basically fade away. Try to eat as light a diet as possible, not too oily or salty.
Ear cold: It is very common to have things like coffee grounds in the ears, with frequent shaking of the head and scratching of the ears. Don't worry, you can be cured by cleaning it every day! Prepare ear bleaching + ear skin, drop it into the ear and rub it gently for 1 minute and then release.
Shedding: Keep the cat warm, such as a cat bed or a blanket. Don't let your cat lie directly on the floor tiles. At the same time, feed Sunuo and clean the nose to ensure smooth breathing. If you have a fever, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time.
Shedding: Pay attention to hair care, do not use human body wash, comb hair frequently, and do not eat too salty food when basking in the sun, which will irritate the cat's skin. Supplement lecithin appropriately and feed cats grass tablets during the shedding season to prevent hair balls. disease.
Difficulties in raising cats
Neuter: Cats start to go into estrus around June. It is better to sterilize after the first estrus. Neutering requires a weight of more than 6 pounds. A physical examination is required before sterilization to ensure that the anesthetic is not used. Allergies, heart health; no water or food for 4-6 hours before and after neutering.
Chicken cheeks: Kitty cheek cheeks are determined by genes and gender. Male cats are more likely to have cheek cheeks, such as hairless cats and Siamese cats. The British shorthair is prone to cheek cheeks and can be found in kittens. Feed beef appropriately during this period.
Cat training: 1 to 3 months after a cat is born is the best time for socialization training. To let the cat get used to getting along with other cats, getting used to strangers, and getting used to cutting nails, you must be patient, and don't beat, scold, or force the cat.
Physical examination: A new cat should undergo a physical examination one week after it has adapted to the home. Special attention should be paid to screening for infectious diseases, especially feline plague, and other basic physical examinations.
Excretion: Adult cats aged 1-7 years old have a physical examination once a year, and older cats aged 7+ have a physical examination twice a year. Cats less than 3 weeks old will not excrete on their own and need to be wiped with a wet wipe to stimulate excretion. When you get home, you can use a paper towel to soak the urine and put it in the cat litter box so that the cat can find the cat toilet.
Production: Female cats must be at least 12 months old before they can conceive and give birth to kittens. They need to be fed additional goat milk powder, canned food, etc. to supplement nutrition to increase their appetite. Prepare a delivery room for delivery at home. If you have zero experience, make an appointment at the nearest pet hospital.
Cat supplies
Cat litter: tofu cat litter, bentonite cat litter, mixed cat litter are all available. Don’t choose: paper litter, crystal cat litter, pine cat litter cat litter shop 5cm thick, it is recommended for young cats to use bentonite clay to easily learn to bury feces.
Cat litter box: Stay away from water and food bowls, as it is easy to stain the water source. If you have a limited budget, just buy a large size and get it right in one step. If it is dirty, wipe it clean with a wet wipe.
Cat clothes: Except for hairless cats and Siamese cats who are afraid of the cold and need to wear clothes, there is no need for other cats to wear clothes, especially claw gloves, which can cause stress in cats. .
Cat toys: Be sure to play with your cat before going to bed. Cat teasing sticks can consume energy. Prepare a few cat scratching posts to prevent cats from scratching the sofa and curtains. Prepare small balls and catnip when you are not at home. Play with the cat.
Wet wipes: wipe the cat's body daily; hair stick: stick the hair off the body; scraper: scrape the hair on the carpet; silicone broom: sweep the cat hair on the floor. Do not use: 84 disinfectant , harmful to cats.
Cleaning: IQ Cat Collar: Don’t wear it, it’s very dangerous if something gets hooked on it. X Hair Cheek Powder X Hair Exploding Powder X Cat Cage