How to Care for a Cat

Cats are complex creatures and cat behavior is not always easy to understand. While working at a zoo, doing observational studies on primates, researching animal behaviour and from my own experience with cats, I’ve learned that how to care for a cat is not only meeting the cat’s physical needs, but also their psychological needs. This article will show you simple tips on how to care for a cat.

1) Be affectionate with your cat. Cats need attention pure and simple. Often in our busy lives we neglect to pay enough attention to our beloved felines. Greet your cat when you come home. If your cat is already at the door to greet you, they are excited to see you, so reciprocate and show that you are also happy to see them. Talk to them often, pet them, make them feel loved. This is a critical component of how to care for a cat. Your cat will be a happy cat and you will also be happier. How can you not be happy when your cat is snuggled up to you purring? Do you know what colour of cat is believed to be the most affectionate?

2) Play with your cat. Again often in our busy lives we forget to play with our cats. During one hectic period in my life, I realized I had not played with my cats for over a week, which I’m ashamed to admit. Being aware of this, I now make the effort to play with my cats at least twice a day. You can also vary what you play, sometimes it could be a ribbon (have several with  different textures), and other times play with a laser pointer.  Either way both you and your cat will get a lot of enjoyment out of it and fun is an important part of how to care for a cat.

3) Provide cat toys and rotate them. Cat toys are an important part of how to care for a cat, especially if you're gone during the day since cats get bored too.  Have a variety of cat toys out for them – i.e. a ball or two, a fuzzy toy, a noise making toy, crinkle bag, plush toy,   and catnip cat toys. My cats especially love their catnip cat toys, and they're a favourite of many cats that I know. You should also rotate these cat toys on a frequent basis to make them new again. If they have lost interest in a particular cat toy that was once a favourite, and you put it in hiding for a month, it will be like a new cat toy when it is brought out again.

4) Stimulate all your cat’s senses. Many times we forget that cat’s senses are much different than ours but stimulating a cat's senses is an important but often overlooked part of how to care for a cat. Cats have an amazing sense of smell, much better than ours so it’s especially important to stimulate this sense. My cats love catnip cat toys and I will also sprinkle cat nip on a blanket every second day. Cat grass, and cat herbs can also be either planted or purchased for them. Leaving a window open (with the screen closed) can also stimulate their sense of smell and cats, like most animals, like fresh air. To stimulate their sense of touch, you can provide blankets with different textures – fleece, knit, old towels, paper shredding, etc. My cats favourite is a $4 fleece blanket from IKEA which they love. To stimulate their sense of sight and keep them entertained, place blankets beside windows. This will keep them something to look at and also a chance to soak up the sunshine which most cats love. If possible, plant a tree or put a hanging plant outside the window to attract birds which will provide even more entertainment for your cat. A recent study shows that cats spend over 20% of their day looking out the window when they're alone, their second favourite activity after sleeping.

5) Change their living space, aka"territory". This may sound difficult if you have an indoor cat but is actually very easy. Cats are naturally very curious and love to explore. Something as simple as building a fort with some blankets and your couch or a chair will provide entertainment. You can leave it for a day or two and then build a new fort by placing a blanket over a different chair. My cats love this and will frequently hang out in the new “territory” almost exclusively. Cutting holes in a large box also works well and provides a new “territory” to be explored. If you are looking for an even simpler way to change your cat’s "territory", bring in a canvas bag. Both of my cats love the reusable ones available for sale in grocery stores for less than $1. Changing your cats living space is stimulating for them and stimulation is a critical component of how to care for your cat.

6) Communicate with your cats.   I have a cat who is quite anxious at times and will meow excessively. By teaching him some basic words to meet his needs – TLC (tender loving care, when he needs some attention), outside (when he wants to go outside in a self-contained area), hungry (when he wants to eat) and play (when he wants to play) the meowing has decreased significantly because I am better able to understand what he wants at that moment. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be to try and communicate and not be understood? It’s like going to a foreign country and not speaking the same language. It can be incredibly frustrating but by learning a few words, your frustration level decreases significantly. The same goes for cats, the better you and your cat understand each other, the better you can care for a cat.

7) Provide another companion. Cats are not as solitary as we have been led to believe. I have always had at least two cats and have never had a problem. As long as they have enough space to find somewhere to be alone when they choose, cats usually do well with other cats and enjoy the social aspect of living with another cat. I would recommend talking to your vet first, but truly believe my cats are much happier being in a household with other cats.

8) Food. Proper nutrition is an essential element of how to care for a cat (a discussion better left for a vet), but in addition to proper nutrition it is also important to provide your cat with a variety. Can you imagine eating a nutritious meal, but the same one every day for the rest of your life? It wouldn’t take long before you would become extremely bored with it. Providing a variety of different foods will help ensure that you have a happy cat. I also recommend making your cat work for their food, as they would in the wild. Many cats are bored because they don’t have enough to do. In the wild finding food takes a significant amount of time, so by having food provided to them cats end up with a lot of free time. I have had great luck with both the Smart Cat Peak a Prize and the food ball (pictured at the right). In both cases your cat has to work for their dinner, just as they would in the wild. My cats really seem to enjoy it as well, plus it keeps them entertained.

9) Be happy. Believe it or not your mood is another essential part how to care for a cat. Cats are incredibly intuitive and sense your mood. I find that when I’m relaxed and happy, my cats are as well. The reverse is also true, if I’m in a bad mood or irritated I’ve noticed that one of them starts meowing more and that they fight more. I recently had a bad knee injury that required me to stay in bed. My cats proved to be incredible care takers the entire time. One of them was always with me and they would stay with me until the other one came to take his shift. Their timing was impeccable, and they communicated this somehow without meowing. It was like they were nurses who knew when then “shift” started and ended. They would also rest their heads or paws gently on my sore knee. I always knew that cats were intuitive, but I had no idea how much so. Now if only we could be as intuitive to them.

These are just a few tips that I have discovered from my own experience of how to care for a cat that have helped me provide a life that both my cats seem pretty happy with. I know there are a lot of cat lovers out there and would love to hear your cat care tips for ensuring a happy cat.