I know that I am the first cat my mom has ever had. And she had plenty of questions she asked friends and relatives who lived with cats. Here are some questions she had (and yes, some are stupid but I'm still putting them on here anyways) as well as some general ones others ask.
1. What brand of food to buy?
Yes, this question is the most important, in my opinion. In order to make our transition easier, you should at first buy the food that your cat was eating before you adopted them. Then, you can slowly start mixing in the food you want to switch too over a few weeks. Ideally, you should by food that is grain free. See, we are not equipped to eat that grain crap that most of the cheapo brands have in them. A good rule to follow is that if the first ingredient is corn, rice, or wheat it's not a good brand to buy. Good brands will have a protein (fish, chicken, or meat) as the main ingredient. These brands may be more expensive but trust me, your cat and their digestive system will thank you.
2. What type of litter to use?
Mom really didn't know and asked a few people. Some recommend using the same litter the cat was using before and do the mixing for a couple litter changes before using the one you prefer. Epa and I never really gave a damn what litter mom decided to buy, as long as we had something to poop in. I recommend a plant based little like wheat, pine, or corn. Clay-based litter can get dusty and can hurt our respiratory systems if we breathe too much in. And, for the love of God, do NOT put too much deodorizer in our boxes or use the crystal litter brands. It confuses the hell out of us on where to go and may lead to problems.
3. Do we need baths?
Mom already knew the answer to this is no but there are people out there who ask this question. The answer is NO we do not need baths. In case you haven't noticed, we are notorious for bathing ourselves throughout the day. Plus, YOU will end up injured if you try to bath us. The only exception is if we get into something outside which leads me to question 4:
4. Should we be allowed to roam outside?
Epa and I are strictly indoor only cats. For good reason too. Cats that are allowed outdoors on average have shorter lifespans than their indoor only counterparts. This is because we can 1. be hit by a car 2. be injured/killed by some asshole or another animal 3. be picked up by animal control if we don't have identification (see question 10) 4. catch a disease outdoors or bring in fleas, ticks, etc with us when we come inside.
5. How can you tell we are sick?
The most obvious way is if we are not eating or drinking. Other ways include us feeling warm, not as playful, looking "dirty" (from lack of bathing ourselves), looking like we have a cold runny eyes and nose), or hiding in another room all the time. Pretty much, if we start acting weird, there's a good chance there is something wrong with us. Take us to the vet if this does not go away in a couple days or if we get worse. Remember, we can't tell you what is wrong with us because we don't speak the same language.
6. How do I prevent my cat from getting fat?
Read my blog, particularly this post.
7. How do I introduce my cat to other animals?
Very slowly. Regardless of whether you have other pets or not, put us in a small "safe room" when you first bring us home so that we can start to feel comfortable at our own pace. With other pets, this website is a good one to check out.
8. Should we be declawed?
NO!!!!!! It is painful and actually removes part of our feet bones. A good resource to check out is here.
9. Should we be spayed or neutered?
Yes, even if we are kept only indoors because if we escape, we might come back with more than you bargained for. Also, spaying and neutering can cut down on behavior problems associated with territorial issues and our female counterparts going into heat.
10. If we are kept indoors should we still wear a collar?
Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes. You never know if we may escape one day. You want to be sure we can be easily identifiable with a tag on our collar that has at the least our name and your phone number. Also, I highly recommend a breakaway collar. Epa and I have them. They're great because if it gets caught in something, we can still get out of it and be safe. Also, microchipping in a great idea too, especially if our collar comes off. Ideally, you should do both to ensure we are returned safely.
If you have any more questions, feel free to write in the comments below. After all, I am a cat, who better to ask?
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