Cats are great companions, full of fun behavior that will surprise you, often mimicking wild big cat behavior. They are relatively easy to care for and will return every bit of love you bestow on them. They will keep you company, like a dog, wherever you go in the home. Here are some tips on choosing and caring for a cat or kitten.
First, go to a shelter, preferably a no-kill animal shelter, like the Lange Foundation in Los Angeles, which keeps cats and never euthanizes them unnecessarily. Support of such shelters will help other cats at their facility. If there is not a no-kill shelter near you, try a regular animal shelter, where a loveable cat may be on death row.
Ask the shelter animal care workers about the personality and health of the cats. They have much experience with each one and know their quirks and lovable traits. Then handle the selected cats, looking for such traits as:
- Approachability: Does the cat let you pick him/her up and hold him/her tightly? Will he/she sit on your lap?
- Health: Is the cat in good health? Has he/she been spayed or neutered (if older than a kitten)? A neutered male will be likely to spray to mark territory.
- Purring: Does the cat purr when happy?
- Communication: Does the cat talk or communicate with humans?
- House worthy: Is the cat happy with living inside or will he/she keep trying to escape? Keeping a cat indoors will increase the lifespan of the cat and little birds outside.
- Age of cat: A kitten will take a little more training to live with a human and will also have a lot more energy and curiosity. An old cat may not play very much, but will spend most of its time sleeping.
- Use of claws: Is the cat conscious of being careful with you and retracting his/her claws when interacting with you?
- Eye to Eye Communication: Does the cat look into your eyes when you talk with him/her?
- Appearance: Does it look like the cat has good hygiene and takes care of his/her fur?
- Amount of fur: More fur on a cat means more cleanup for you around the house, and more brushing of the cat is usually necessary.
Once you have selected a good cat, it will take time for the cat to adjust to a new environment and accept you as its keeper and companion. When you bring the cat home, keep it in the bathroom for a few days with food, water and kitty litter. Spend a lot of time with him/her, talking, stroking and holding him/her until you feel that the cat knows you and is happy to be with you.
You can gradually let the cat out into a little larger area of the house with an easy path back to the kitty litter, but be prepared for the cat to hide under the bed or in a corner at the beginning. Cat-proof the home as cats are climbers, make sure that valuables are safely in cabinets behind glass doors.
Prepare lots of fresh water. Cats love to hunt for water, so keeping it in a couple of places is fun for the cat and may assure that he/she drinks often. Drinking water frequently is important to good cat health. Pick a premium brand of cat food; dry food is best, but a combination can be good too, especially if your cat prefers moist food. Don't feed the cat human or dog food, most of it is unhealthy for the cat.
Clumping litter is much better for hiding the odor than the regular cat litter. Clumping litter is more hygienic and does not need to be changed frequently, just scoop out the lumps daily. Regular cat litter needs to be changed and replaced once a week. Scented cat litter, such as lavender-scented clumping litter, can be very pleasant for the home.
Hold and talk with your cat often. If the cat does something wrong like bite you, look at the cat, hopefully eye-to-eye and firmly say “No!” For really bad behavior, a spray bottle with water usually stops the actions immediately. Your response needs to immediately follow the bad behavior for the cat to understand and learn. Be patient and kind with your cat and learn to understand cat behavior. Praise the cat often for good behavior and to show your adoration, he/she will love your affection and respond with devotion. When the cat approaches you for attention, give it to him/her.
Play often with him/her. It doesn’t take much to keep a cat amused—a grocery paper bag or box to climb into, or something tied to the end of a string that can be dragged around the floor or that the cat can jump for. Groom the cat with a brush, it helps to loosen and take out old fur and feels great for the cat. It is also a good idea to provide a cat climbing tree or condo where the cat can climb, sleep, act like a monkey and scratch or sharpen their claws, the taller the better.
Give yourself and the cat one year to adjust to each other and accept each other’s habits. There is a lot that you will learn from each other. Every cat has a very unique personality that you will learn to love. After this amount of time, behavior problems will be ironed out and you both will be bonded.
Paula I. Nielson - Paula I. Nielson, Ph.D., holds credentials and interests in anthropology, archaeology, religion, the Middle East and Asia.
