Cats bring happiness into our lives, so we owe it to them to provide cat care to make their lives more comfortable.
This is part of being a cat caregiver, along with love and devotion.
Cats thrive on stability, so anything that changes in their environment may affect their behavior.
Your cat will probably be able to adapt to most changes, like moving or you bringing a new child into the house, but you have to give her some time to do so.
If you are bringing a new cat into your home, your cat care time has doubled.
Your #1 feline may distance herself, at least at first.
She might hide away for a few days, or she might act like a ferocious beast, to try to scare the newcomer away.
Give your old cat and your new cat places to retreat if they need them.
Put your new cat in a spare room for the first couple of days.
Close the door and visit her often.
The two cats can meet each other under the door, and learn each other's scents.
When you bring a new cat into a home that already has a cat, a kitten is the best choice.
If you're adopting an adult cat, care must be taken to introduce the two safely to each other.
Generally, females will adapt better to another female cat, and males to another male, as long as they are neutered.
There are always exceptions to the rule, though.
A part of competent cat care includes being sure to keep your current cat's personality in mind when you bring in another cat.
If your current cat is active, she might more readily accept a kitten as the new cat on the block.
A quiet, older cat will appreciate another relaxed cat in the house.
Making sure each cat has her own space, especially before they are kept together in any kind of close quarters.
Place litter boxes in different rooms, and feed and water as well, so they don't have to be together unless it's their choice.
Another important area of cat care is proper feeding.
For the first year, a kitten should be fed like a kitten.
Her body is growing for that full twelve months, and the extra protein will ensure that she grows to her full potential.
To understand what to feed your adult cats, use the weight rating scale.
To make this as easy as possible on the cat, care should be taken that an adult does the handling.
Too Thin - Your cat's ribs are visible (on shorthaired cats); there is no fat that you can feel; severe tuck in abdomen; lumbar vertebrae can be easily palpated.
Ideal - Your cat is well-proportioned.
You can see the waist behind the ribs; ribs are slightly palpable with some fat covering them; there is minimal abdominal fat present.
Too Heavy - Ribs can't be felt under heavy fat; fat over face, limbs and lumbar area; abdominal fat deposits are present.