June is Adopt A Cat Month. If you’ve been thinking of getting a cat or know someone who wants to, this is a great month to consider adopting one. Here are 10 helpful things to know before you do
- This is a lifetime commitment – Cats can live up to 20 years.
- Have your cat neutered or spayed – Spaying and neutering will improve your cat’s health and behavior while reducing the health problems and cat pregnancies. It should be done as early as possible.
- Leave their claws on – Declawing a cat takes away its front line defense and is a painful operation for them. A better alternative is to clip the nails on a periodic basis.
- You need a scratching post – The scratching helps a cat keep its paws in good condition. The post should be fairly tall and a little bit of catnip sprinkled over it encourage the cat to use it. Having one also protects your furniture.
- Have a quiet room for the cat – A place where few people go in so your cat can use it just to get away from it all.
- A litter box is important – It should be in one specified area of the house and not moved. You have to clean out the litter box on a routine basis. If you have multiple cats, the formula is generally one box per cat.
- Set up a feeding schedule – You should do this with any pet so they know there is a regular feeding time.
- Groom your cat on a regular basis – Brushing the cat will get rid of excess hair and prevent a lot of shedding. It also means that there are fewer cases of your cat coughing of hairballs.
- Keep your cat indoors – It can be very dangerous for the animal. Cats can contract a number of parasites or diseases outdoors or they could be attacked by other larger animals. If you have a secure screen porch, let your cat enjoy with some supervision.
- Establish a routine of vet visits – Making sure your cat has at least an annual checkup is a good way to maintain proper health.
