Loving Your Pet: Owning Your First Cat

Contents• Slide 2 – Your First Pet Cat • Slide 3 – Essential Cat Supplies• Slide 4 – Suitable Living Conditions• Slide 5 – Safety In The Outside World• Slide 6 – Cats and People• Slide 7 – Cats and Children• Slide 8 – Registering With a Vet• Slide 9 – Infections and Vaccinations• Slide 10 – Infections and Symptoms• Slide 11 – Neutered/Spayed• Slide 12 – Fleas• Slide 13 – Worming• Slide 14 – Insurance• Slide 15 – Diet• Slide 16 - GJW Titmuss• Slide 17 – References• Slide 18 – Image Sources

Your First Pet Cat

•A cat can offer you so much love and joy

•However, you must treat your pet cat with love, care and attention and ensure that they live a happy and rewarding life

“A meow massages the heart.” – Stuart McMillan (*1)

Essential Cat Supplies

First time cat owners will need to purchase the following items:

• Cat food• Food bowls and dishes• Water bowl• Litter• Cat littler box• Toys• Bed• Scratch post• De-wormer• Flea treatment• Bandages• Cat carrier• Grooming products

Suitable Living ConditionsA kitty’s new home needs to be fun and stimulating, as well as safe and free from danger.

So follow these tips before your cat comes back home to their new environment:

•Clear valuable possessions from work surfaces and place them out of your cat’s reach

•Remove sharp objects around the home which could cause injury

•Keep upstairs windows closed at all times, especially if your pet is a kitten and likes to explore

•Hide electrical cables behind furniture or use a cable protector to store them safely

Safety In The Outside World

If your cat has been vaccinated and is ready to roam outside, make their environment safe by:

•Keeping them away from your garden if you have used herbicides and chemicals until the area is completely dry

•Making sure they are not exposed to rat poison

•Removing toxic plants – such as lilies, azaleas, daffodils and hydrangeas

•Installing a cat flap on your house, so that the cat can gain access inside and outside when needed

Cats and PeopleGive your cat time to settle before people come over and visit your new feline friend. A week is a good time in this instance.

When other people come over to payyour cat a visit, keep some treats in yourhand to reward them for positive behaviour (the cat that is, not your guests!)

Remind your guests not to be too forceful when interacting with your cat too.

The majority of cats won’t mind the extra company in your home, however if there are any issues, move your pet away from the environment so that they don’t become stressed.

Cats and Children

When children are in the company of your cat, make sure you set a few ground rules first.

Teach all children who wish to play with your feline friend, that they should never:

•Scream at them or intentionally make the cat jump

•Be too forceful or aggressive with them

•Startle or run towards them

 

Registering With a Vet

Your cat’s health is important, so therefore you should register with a vet at the earliest stage possible.

•When you see the vet they will be able to advise you on a suitable cat care programme

•Ask the vet any questions you have concerning your cat’s health too

Infections and Vaccinations

To avoid illness your cat needs to bevaccinated as soon as possible. Whenyou register with the vet, speak to them about the required vaccinations.

Injections will prevent your cat against:

•Feline infectious enteritis – cat plague

•Feline herpes virus – upper respiratory infection

•Feline leukaemia virus – virus that can cause cancer

•Feline calicivirus – cat virus that can cause respiratory infection and oral diseases

Infections and SymptomsIf you suspect that your cat has an illness, look out for the following symptoms.

Infection Symptoms

Feline infectious enteritis

Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen , breathing difficulties, loss of appetite, fever, diarrhoea, difficulty in standing

Feline herpes virus

Sneezing, eye and nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, fever, depression, ulceration of the mouth, pneumonia

Feline leukaemia virus

Pale gums, yellow colour in mouth, poor coat condition, weakness and lethargy, enlarged lymph nodes,  diarrhoea, breathing difficulties

Feline calicivirus

Loss of appetite, eye and nasal discharge, ulcers on tongue, nose , and claws, pneumonia, fever

Feline Panleukopenia/distemper

Lethargic, diarrhoea, vomiting, lack of food and drink, dry skin, dehydration, dull and lifeless  coat   

Neutered/Spayed

To stop unwanted breeding as well as the spread of disease, you can get your cat neutered or spayed.

•Male cats can be neutered – testicles are removed (ideally between five and six months of age)

•Female cats can be spayed – ovaries are removed (ideally between five to six months of age)

Speak to your vet if you wish to proceed with this option.

Fleas

Regular treatment needs to be provided in order to prevent cats suffering from pesky fleas.

•NEVER use dog flea treatments as this can cause damage and in extreme cases lead to death

•Should your cat develop fleas, you may notice the following symptoms: Itching, chewing, licking, red and inflamed skin, small flecks on their fur

•Speak to your vet about a suitable flea treatment programme when you register with them

WormingIt’s also important to follow a strict worming programme too.

From the age of six to 16 weeks, kittens should be de-wormed every three weeks.

After this period, they should be de-wormed every three months.

Symptoms for worms include – increased appetite, coarse fur, weight loss, diarrhoea, and anaemia – pale gums

Worms can even spread to humans, so if you are suspicious that your cat has caught worms and you are handling them, always wash your hands.

Insurance

Cat insurance will help you with health care costs and the general wellbeing of your cat. As a result it’s advised to get this in place sooner rather than later.

Insurance will protect you against:

•Loss•Theft•Vets’ bills•Treatment costs•Death from illness•Death from injury

DietYour cat’s diet should be healthy and balanced.

Cats love to eat meats and commercial cat food as it contains the necessary amount of nutrients they need.

Kittens need five small meals a day and once they are six month’s old, two meals (one in the morning and one in the evening) will suffice.

It’s okay to provide treats for your cat too, although don’t get in the habit of doing this too often as they will easily put on weight.

NEVER feed your cat onions, chocolate, raisins, dog food and alcohol.

GJW Titmuss

@GJWTitmuss /GJWtitmuss

Contact us today:

www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk

GJW Titmuss is an online pet store offering a wide range of pet food, products and accessories. Based in Lamer Lane, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, customers can view our website or visit us in store directly. 

Web orders - 01582 839114 / store - 01582 833883

enquires@GJWTitmuss.co.uk

Store opening hours:

Monday-Friday 7.30am-5.00pmSaturday 9.00am-4.00pmClosed Sunday and bank holidays

References• *1 (Slide 1) – Cat Quotes – A Cat Quote for all Occasions: 

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/a_dog_is_the_only_thing_on_earth_that_loves_you/145806.html

Image Sources

• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-5448327/stock-photo-cat• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-15333821/stock-photo-a-grey-cat-posing-outside• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-48499766/stock-photo-small-kitten-in-blue-plastic-litter-cat-isolate

d-on-white• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-44782618/stock-photo-bombay-cat-sitting%2C-isolated-on-white• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-52118149/stock-photo-cat-outside• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-26036123/stock-photo-young-woman-with-scottish-fold-cat-isolate

d-on-white-background• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-2349076/stock-photo-children-and-cat• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-10531232/stock-photo-veterinarian-holding-a-cat• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-8751295/stock-photo-cat-check-up• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-47562142/stock-photo-microchip-identification-on-black-cat• http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-22950695/stock-photo-pet-insurance