Getting a cat doesn’t mean only buying a cat toilet, bowls, a bed and a couple of toys. You also have to realise that the animal will also need certain care and count with this already before getting it. Each breed has its own specifics. While some are almost “maintenance-free”, others will require at least an hour of your time a day.
The most noticeable differences are in the care for the fur. Apart from sphynxes and rexes, more or less every cat has long, dense or shedding hair. Particularly in the spring and in early summer, the important part of the hair falls out and it’s necessary to pay more attention to the fur. In cats living inside permanently, that is, all year round in a constant temperature, this seasonal hair change will not be as noticeable as in outdoor cats, or in those that have outside access 24/7.
If you’d like to minimise the amount of shed hair in your household, you have to maintain the hair of the cats well. In general, with shorthair cats, it’s enough just to brush them once a week and you won’t need to pay any more attention even to the medium-hair cats. It’s different in Persian Longhairs, for example. If you neglect the hair of this breed, not only will it get tangled very soon, the cat will also be suffering from skin irritation or a skin rash. In time, bald spots or even abscesses may develop.
In addition to the frequency of the care, it is very important to choose the right “tools” for fur maintenance. The suitability of the brushes and combs depends on the structure and length of the hair. With a poorly chosen type, the care for your cat's hair will not only take much longer and the combing will be uncomfortable for the cat, but you can also damage the fur.
Unless you plan to participate in exhibitions with your four-legged friend, it’s usually not necessary to bathe it. The alternative of a bath in case of a necessity is a perfume-free and grease-free talcum powder, which binds dirt and excess oil.
Every cat is different, even when it comes to the necessity of care for its claws. All cats sharpen their front claws instinctively and they bite the ones on their hind legs. Some can do it easily themselves, others need to have their claws clipped. If you don't want to lose your furniture, get your furry friend enough scratchers. Every cat prefers a different material, fortunately, there’s a lot to choose from on the market, from the softest cardboard ones through coconut all the way to sisal ones. Although, you won’t always ingratiate. Our cat has perhaps all the possible scratchers at home along with regular mats, but simply nothing beats the new couch and as soon as we cover its scratching spot, it moves just a bit to the side:).
From time to time, it’s good to cut the ends of the claws on the front feet, especially on the front legs. However, some cats can grind them down thoroughly, like our cat. It was particularly evident at the time it had access to the outside. It always ground them perfectly by climbing on trees and marking its territory.
With respect to care, we mustn’t forget the ears. Although it’s not necessary to clean them in most cases, it’s good to take a look inside them from time to time. This way, you’ll detect scrabies that resembles coffee grounds which can cause inflammation of the ear and worse problems over time. Cats with a flat face will also need to have their eyes taken care of. Others are ok with just having the eye gunk removed from the corners of their eyes. But the teeth should be checked regularly in all cats due to the build-up of tartar since it leads to spoilage and loss of teeth. Granules mechanically clean the teeth and most quality ones also contain enzymes to dissolve the tartar.
Of course that good care also includes quality food, veterinary care, birth rate reduction, a place for the cat and training. However, I’ve already written about all this earlier. And what about your cat, does it belong to those that almost don’t need any care, or you take care of it every day?
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