Knowing how to care for an adult cat is relatively easy if we have enjoyed the company of a cat before. But if this is the first time you have a cat in your care, it is important that you know some things you need to be happy.
In this article we will detail with you everything you need to know to take care of your new cat in the best way, reviewing details such as food, education, toys or where you are going to do your needs.
Discover everything in this Complete guide to caring for an adult cat:
Health and veterinary visits
Veterinary visits
Especially if we just adopt a cat, it will be essential to visit the veterinarian to do a complete review of your health status. The specialist will offer us a sanitary card in which he will point out the administered vaccines and other annotations that are important. Without the primer, you can not travel with your cat to other countries, keep that in mind.
It is recommended visit the vet every 6 months, a habit that will help us to detect early the appearance of any disease in our feline.
On the other hand, although cats normally reside within the home, infinity of diseases can reach them through shoes, clothing and even through the air. For this reason there is a specific vaccination schedule that our cat must follow:
- You will be vaccinated against leukemia and reinforcement will be provided.
- You will also receive vaccines against panleucopenia, rhinotracheitis and calcivirus, a reinforcement will also be performed.
- Later you will be given the rabies vaccine.
- Finally you will receive vaccines against peritonitis and feline infectious with its pertinent reinforcement.
To finish with this point we will inform you about the importance of the implementation of the chip. Without this tool we will not be able to find our cat if it ever gets lost.
Deworming
It will also be very important to follow a deworming calendar, which will consist of deworming it internally every 3 months and apply a pipette on a monthly basis. If you plan to leave your cat in the garden, it will be very important that you offer this care to prevent fleas, ticks and mosquitoes from reaching it. Discover some home remedies to deworm a cat in.
Sterilization or castration
Finally it will be helpful to ask our veterinarian about the sterilization of our cat. It is important to understand that most of the abandoned animals come from unwanted litters, something very common in this species. In addition, castrating a cat carries many advantages, such as a stable character, the assurance that he will not leave in search of adventure and that we will avoid suffering during the heat.
Adult cat education
Although it is not so common to find information about the education of a cat, the truth is that it is a very important factor since it will depend on it enjoy a good coexistence. Adult cats have already passed their socialization process, but it is still important to reinforce it on a regular basis with visits from other people at home that encourage the cat to have a sociable and open attitude.
The education of the cat should always be based on positive reinforcement: caresses, sweets and affectionate words will help you understand that you have done something correctly. Of course, you must avoid punishment at all costs, of any kind.
What things should we teach him?
Among the things we must teach our cat, we will emphasize that we must teach our cat to use the sandbox so that the environment of the house remains hygienic at all times. These are very clean animals that will soon understand what you are proposing. It will also be basic to teach you how to use the scraper if you do not want to observe how it destroys our most appreciated furniture.
Cat body hygiene
Although cats are animals clean by natureIt is very important to dedicate time to help you in the care of your fur, it will depend on it being shiny and healthy.
The ones
It is essential that your cat has at its reach a trunk, utensil or scraper to sharpen the nails. If you do not have it, remember that you can do it on any other type of surface, such as a sofa. You must cut them when you estimate that have reached a considerable size. If you are afraid to do it, you can go to the veterinarian who has the obligation to do it for free.
The routine of cleaning the ears should not be done every day but occasionally. Carrying out the hygiene of this area will be very important since it is the best way to detect the appearance of mites and mushrooms.
Teeth
It is very important to take care of the adult cat’s teeth to make sure that When you reach your stage of old age, keep them. Although it is complicated to brush a cat’s teeth, there are many tricks and tips that will help you keep your mouth clean, without germs or tartar. To start in the market we find “candy” for cats with that function but we can also help you by offering dry feed instead of wet feed. Discover more ways to clean a cat’s teeth on.
Brushing
The cats devote whole hours to preening the mantle. His tongue is really rough so he is able to eliminate dead hair Very easily. For this same reason, cats can suffer from the accumulation of hairballs in their stomach, which in the long run can lead to serious health problems. If we suspect that our cat can have balls of hair accumulated in his stomach we must resort to malt for cats, a product that helps the evacuation of the annoying trichobezoars.
To avoid this problem we must brush our cat two or three times a week, although really the frequency of brushing will vary according to the type of coat, the amount of hair lost or if they are in molt season. The change of the cat usually occurs in spring and autumn and it is at this time that we must pay more attention to their care.
The bathroom
Although usually cats they do not require regular baths, sometimes they may need you to help them to be totally clean if they have been messed up excessively. Cats should be accustomed from small to water because, otherwise, usually end up being afraid of the bathtub.
If this is your case, you can follow our tricks to clean a cat without bathing:
- Baby wipes are ideal for cleaning small superficial spots.
- Use a sponge soaked in warm water for the most serious cases.
- Get dry cleaning foam to clean your cat thoroughly without having to wet it.
However, if your cat enjoys the water and is delighted to splash whenever you open a tap, do not hesitate to know the step by step appropriate to bathe a cat at home, paying attention to the products and advice mentioned.
The feeding of the adult cat
The cat must receive an appropriate diet for its condition and state of health. It is very important to consider the different types of food that exist before you get one. But whichever one we choose, it must always be of quality. Some concrete types of feed are:
- Normal meat feed
- Normal fish feed
- Organic food
- I think for giant cats
- For allergic cats
- For obese cats
- For cats with stomach sensitivity
- For sterilized cats
- For hairballs
- For dental health
- For health problems (specific)
In principle we should feed a cat with I think dry daily since it acts as a sanitizer for your teeth. This type of food should be the basis of your diet as it provides all the necessary nutrients for our cat. The recommended amount appears on the product packaging itself according to the weight of the cat.
On the other hand, in summer, as a whim or if we observe that our cat does not drink water, it will be advisable to offer wet food for cats since it will provide you with an extra hydration (they also love it). However, it promotes the accumulation of tartar, so it will be important not to overdo it and offer it only occasionally.
There are also vitamins, supplements and a wide range of foods that you can provide your cat as an extra to improve
Fun, socialization and mental stimulation
There are cats of all kinds, some more independent or more sociable, others more playful or quiet. All of them must perform physical and mental activities daily. That is essential to have a healthy and happy cat.
We should know that cats do not have fun if they play alone (or at least for long periods of time), so it will be very important to get different toys for cats (the most recommended is the duster) and interact with him encouraging him to play .
Do not forget that although the adult cat has a defined character it is important to continue working with him socialization (with people and elements of the environment) that will help him to be an animal capable of interacting well with the environment and our guests. Encouraging visitors to offer treats or food will be excellent to encourage a desirable attitude in our feline.
Utensils that you need
The sandbox
When the cat becomes an adult he goes to his litter box instinctively and does not perform his needs outside of it. They are very clean animals that respect the environment where they live trying to achieve an unusual hygiene. Although do not forget that this will depend on each case since some cats may not have learned to do it.
Remember that the litter box must be in a secluded place and comfortable access for the cat. You should also keep it clean for what we recommend withdraw stools daily y change the sand twice a week.
The cat bed
Like dogs, cats also need a comfortable place to sleep and rest. Should have a bed or a soft padded cushion. The blankets will be very appreciated in winter. Cats like to sleep indoors so we should be careful not to leave furniture open because they could sleep there and stay locked up.
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