{"id":1003178,"date":"2022-02-09T20:49:28","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T19:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlinecatworld.com\/?p=1003178"},"modified":"2022-02-09T20:52:57","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T19:52:57","slug":"ultimate-cat-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlinecatworld.com\/ultimate-cat-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate cat guide for first time cat owners"},"content":{"rendered":"
Are you thinking about getting a cat? Or maybe you got one just recently? Then we\u2019re sure that you must have many questions, doubts and inquiries! Having a new member in your family always comes with changes and new things to learn, and being a first time cat owner does so as well! The main thing to know is that cats are amazing, cute and adorable companions and, as any pet, they require care, attention and love. If you never had a cat before, it\u2019s likely that there are lots of things that you don\u2019t know yet about these wonderful animals.<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though it is true that there is a lot that can be learned by the ongoing experience of having a new cat in your family, it is always useful and very\u00a0 helpful to plan ahead and be prepared for the adventure of sharing your life with a feline friend! This is mainly the reason why we have developed this ultimate cat guide for all first time cat owners out there<\/strong>, with all the tips, ideas, must-haves and specifics that you\u2019ll need to make the most out of the experience of having a new cat. Do you want to get ready for the adventure and learn all you need to know about felines? Then we invite you to read along to find out more about this!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s likely that you feel curious or even anxious to know all about the wide variety of things you might need to have at hand in order to receive the soon-to-be new furry member of your family. <\/strong>Even though there are a great amount of different elements and items designed for the cat world, it\u2019s certainly not essential or mandatory for you to have all and every one of them. Which things you choose or prioritize to get will depend on what your cat is like and on your own, personal criteria.<\/p>\n Here we will provide you with a list of some of the most important items that you should consider getting. Of course, as we said, it\u2019s not mandatory for you to get them all, and you might even want to get some things which are not on this list, but we believe that this list can help you get started and oriented to welcome your cat. <\/strong>We will also be giving you more details about these elements throughout this article!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having a new cat arrive home is a very exciting moment for all the members of the family. <\/strong>Nevertheless, it\u2019s important to be prepared and have everything safely settled to ensure that the cat\u2019s arrival is smooth and enjoyable for all, and also for the cat itself!<\/p>\n If you live alone or with other adults in the house, a few tips and essential points of information about the cat\u2019s wellbeing can be enough. But if you have kids in your house, then it might be necessary to take additional measures to make sure that the smaller ones can coexist peacefully and safely with the new furry member of the family.<\/p>\n This is why we recommend you to talk to the children in advance and teach them how to treat the cat. <\/strong>Cats can be quite sensitive and, especially when they first arrive, they need time and space to adjust and get to know the environment and the people that surround them. With no intent of doing harm, while playing with cats children might be a bit rough or intense on them sometimes. Show your children how to gently pet and treat the cat, and make sure that they understand the importance of giving it space, and avoid being rough on them.<\/p>\n As for the space of your house, it\u2019s also important to get it ready to receive your cat. This is one of the first and most essential steps prior to the arrival of the feline. Keep in mind that cats are curious, love to explore, and enjoy heights, so look around your house to see which areas might be dangerous for <\/strong>them.<\/p>\n Some basic tips and ideas to make your house cat-safe are to protect your balcony with a cat net; check windows to make sure the cat won\u2019t have any risks of getting through them if they are high; ensure that no plants that might be dangerous for the cat are at its reach; keep small objects in a safe space; avoid leaving medications or pills on the floor; and be aware of leaving certain cat toys unattended, as some are labeled with a tag saying that they should only be used under close supervision.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In order to better understand your new cat, one of the most important things to consider is their behavior. Cats have their own specific ways of communicating their feelings, and they also have particular habits and customs<\/strong>. Learning in detail about these things will definitely help you to deal with your new furry friend in different circumstances and situations. This is why here we will give you all the details and specifications about how to understand your cat\u2019s behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n One important aspect of the behavior, is to know the body language of cats and what certain poses mean. Do you for example know why a cat arches it back<\/a>?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are times when your cat will not be adorable and cute. As happens to us humans, cats also have certain moments in which they feel angry, uncomfortable or weird. This can sometimes lead to aggressive behavior<\/strong>. It\u2019s important to pay attention to these attitudes and understand the reasons behind them, as a way of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your cat and also the pacific coexistence between all the members of the household.<\/p>\n Petting can be one of the situations which can possibly trigger aggressive behavior. Even though most cats do enjoy being pet by humans, there are some situations or some ways of petting that they dislike.<\/strong> If this is the case, they will certainly let you know about this, by expressing discomfort. If you are petting your cat and you notice they have dilated pupils, ears which look flattened, a twitching tail or a sudden and sharp turn of their heads in direction to your hand, then it\u2019s possible that aggression might follow. Knowing this in advance can help you to prevent it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also possible that cats express aggressive behavior amongst each other. Have you ever seen or heard a cat fight?<\/strong> These are quite frequent, and are also triggered by specific situations or circumstances. For example, adult cats which are new to a household where there already is another adult cat might be a bit aggressive towards its new companion, because of territoriality and because they are not used to sharing spaces with another cat.<\/p>\n In this sense, if you are bringing a new cat to your house but you already have another cat, or another animal, it\u2019s useful to be aware of this and take action to avoid possible aggressive attitudes between the animals. Giving each their own food bowl, their own toys, their own beds or their own spaces can be a way of ensuring that they feel safe and comfortable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite these preventive measurements, fighting might occur anyway.<\/strong> If this happens, try to intervene carefully. A good idea is to make a loud, strong and clear noise, as could be clapping your hands, and then separate the cats.<\/p>\n Sometimes, cats can play rough, and this can also lead to some types of aggressiveness. <\/strong>Rough play is quite common in kittens of up to 2 years old. Nevertheless, it\u2019s important to be attentive to how rough the playing is. When it translates into scratches, things broken around the house or bites, then it’s a sign that you must take action, because the playing is being too rough and becoming aggressive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nail biting can be a sign of many different things<\/strong>, such as boredom or nervousness, as happens also with humans; or it might indicate that it\u2019s time for a trim. If you believe it has more to do with stress, anxiety or nervousness, it\u2019s also useful to know that the nail biting in this case represents a way of channeling these emotions. The key recommendation in these cases is to look deep into what can be the root of the issue, or what\u2019s triggering the anxiety or nervousness in your cat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As happens to humans, cats can also feel stress<\/strong>. A few signs and things that could show you that your cat might be stressed are too much self-grooming, too much hiding, too much growling or hissing, changes in their drinking and eating behaviors, and not using the litter box.<\/p>\n When you notice any or some of these attitudes in your cat, try to identify possible sources of stress<\/strong> in order to understand what might be triggering this feeling. Some of these sources might be related to having too many visitors or strangers at home, fights with other cats, or having a new pet arriving at home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A very usual and common cat behavior, self-grooming is something that you will surely find your cat doing quite often. Licking their paws, their faces and their bodies is a way cats have of keeping themselves clean, and cats are very serious about their self-care! <\/strong><\/p>\n In this sense, it\u2019s good for you to know that self-grooming is normal and regular in cats. Nevertheless, pay attention if you find that this becomes a bit excessive, as it may be a sign of possible issues such as allergies, fleas or a skin condition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s quite common to find that cats chew on many things that are not food, especially if they are kittens<\/strong>. Plants, chords, carpets, wood, paper, plastic, leather, rubber or wool are some of the materials or elements that you might find your cat is chewing. Chewing on things such as houseplants or chords can be considered normal behavior, as they attract the attention of most of the cats.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, it may be an issue of concern if you find that your cat is also chewing on other elements, as can be the ones mentioned above. In fact, there is a specific word to describe this cat behavior of chewing in excess non-edible elements: the word is \u201cpica\u201d. <\/strong>The breeds which are most prompt to display this kind of behavior are Siamese, Tonkinese and Burmese cats. It\u2019s possible that this is an hereditary habit for them.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to pay attention to see if your cat is displaying a \u201cpica\u201d behavior. <\/strong>Chewing non-edible materials can be dangerous for them, as they could swallow something that they are not meant to. In this sense, some points of action or measures that you can take to prevent or treat possible cases of \u201cpica\u201d can be using a bitter apple or a little bit of eucalyptus oil in the item or items which the cat usually chews, as a way of making it less appeal for it.<\/p>\n Keeping the overall environment of the house with low levels of stimulation can also be a way of calming your cat\u2019s urge to chew on everything. Finally, try to keep the elements that your cat chews the most at a place where it won\u2019t find or reach them, and also add more fiber to your cat\u2019s diet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that you know a bit more about cats’ regular habits and behaviors, we will tell you some of the main things you need to be aware of and take care of in order to keep your cat safe and healthy. As you might imagine, the wellbeing of your cat is essential<\/strong>, and these things will certainly help you to ensure that your new feline friend is in its best condition and health situation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As happens to all living beings, access to fresh water is the most important thing for their health and wellbeing. <\/strong>In this sense, be sure to provide your cat with a bowl of fresh water, and replace it once or twice daily to keep it clean and new. If you notice that your cat is not drinking enough water, we recommend you to consider replacing the bowl for a tall glass or even a cat fountain, as it can happen that some cats dislike drinking water from bowls which are too low. Fun fact: did you know there are cat breeds that like water<\/a> more than others?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As we mentioned earlier, cats are very clean and tidy, and they enjoy grooming themselves very much. But it\u2019s also important that you take part in this and groom them too! <\/strong>A regular routine of combing, grooming and brushing is very beneficial for your cat, whether it has long fur, short fur, curly fur, soft fur or a more thick fur. Regular grooming is a way of ensuring that the dead hair from the cat\u2019s coat is kept off, so your cat won\u2019t swallow it when it grooms itself.<\/p>\nFirst things first\u2026a quick list of must-haves and recommended items<\/h2>\n
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Getting your house and your family ready for the new arrival<\/h2>\n
Learning the basics about cat behavior<\/h2>\n
Dealing with aggressive attitudes<\/h2>\n
What if they still fight and show aggressiveness?<\/h2>\n
Biting the nails<\/h2>\n
Knowing when your cat is stressed<\/h2>\n
Cat self-grooming<\/h2>\n
Chewing-related habits and behaviors<\/h2>\n
Keeping your cat safe and healthy<\/h2>\n
Access to fresh water<\/h2>\n
Regular grooming<\/h2>\n