Feed them good quality food

Cats need a good balanced diet just like us. Some supermarket and common catfood brands are good food but they do only contain a small amount of meat (typically 4 %) with the rest made up of additives. Try and buy a brand that has a higher meat content like Hi Life or have a good quality complete biscuit as well. Offering your cat biscuits daily helps to keep your cat’s teeth and gums free from tartar build up which could cause problems as they get older.

Always have a bowl of fresh water nearby

Cats need to drink too. Their intake of water will be higher if their diet is more biscuit based than wet food.

Vaccinate them

Routine vaccination has greatly reduced the spread of several feline diseases (including some that can prove fatal). It is vital that your cat has all the necessary vaccinations and boosters.

Feline infectious enteritis (FIE) - a vaccination must Feline infectious enteritis (a severe and often fatal gut infection) is caused by the feline parvovirus (or feline panleukopenia virus). Vaccination against FIE has been very successful. Unvaccinated cats are at great risk because the virus is widespread in the environment.

Cat 'flu - a vaccination must Two types of cat 'flu are vaccinated against feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV). These viruses are very common and vaccination will protect your cat against prolonged illness, but because there are many different strains of cat 'flu the vaccine will not totally eradicate the threat.

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) - a vaccination must for outdoor cats FeLV is a lifelong infection and unfortunately most cats will die within three years of diagnosis, usually from a subsequent disease like leukaemia, lymphoma (tumours) or progressive anaemia. It is not an airborne disease and can only be passed on via direct contact between cats (usually by saliva or bites).

Neuter your cat

Neutered cats live longer, healthier lives. Un-neutered cats are more at risk from cancers, cysts, uterine infection and FIV. Neutered males are far less likely to suffer injuries, diseases or infections from fighting with other cats. Neutered females will not suffer the stress of rearing a litter or develop health problems from having litter after litter of kittens.

YOU will have an easier life. Un-neutered tom cats spray their territory with very smelly, messy urine. Walls, upholstery and more will be sprayed and the smell is impossible to disguise. If you own an un-neutered female you will have to suffer tom cats camping out in your garden, spraying your house and fighting over your cat. Cats with kittens take a great deal of looking after and a great deal of expense.

Neutered cats are more affectionate. Un-neutered males will roam for a great distance and will disappear for days on end while following a female in season. A neutered male is a far more affectionate pet and will not stray far when let out. Neutered females also tend to be more loving and both will have more steady personalities than un-neutered cats.

Finally, you'll be helping to prevent the suffering of unwanted cats and kittens. Thousands of unwanted cats and kittens are put to sleep in shelters without no-kill policies.

Worm your cat

This should be done every 3 months. The vet wormers are excellent and don’t cost much money.

Keep your cat flea free

Fleas are very unpleasant not just for your cat but for you too. An easy way to see if your cat has fleas is to look for black flecks in their fur. This is flea poo. I have found Frontline to be a god send for me. They have totally wiped out fleas on my 4 cats. You can buy cheap spot on treatments from the supermarket but quite honestly they often aren’t very good.

Fleas will bite humans and some people tend to attract them more than others and can be covered in itchy and sore spots where they have been bitten. Cats can get a reaction too with fur loss and extreme itching.

NEVER use a dog flea treatment on a cat!!

Their litter trays

These must be scooped daily and changed completely every couple of days. Depending on how many cats you have depends on how many trays you should have. You really should have 1 good sized tray per cat. You can purchase large trays that are meant for 2 cats. Cats are very clean creatures and dislike going into a heavily soiled litter tray. If the tray is not regularly cleaned and the litter changed, you may find your cat starts to find other parts of your house to use as a toilet. Your cat should be in the habit of using a litter tray for those times when it's kept inside.

Scratching Posts

Cats will scratch because:-

1. Scratching is a territorial instinct by which cats place their mark and establish their turf. Through scratching cats mark their domains with more than just visible signs of claw marks. Cat's paws also have scent glands that leave their own special scent on their territory.
2. And this is why they mark the most visible portions of your house. It's your cat’s way of adding her own personal touch to your (and her) home.
3. Scratching also serves to keep your cat in shape. The act of scratching stretches and pulls and works the muscles of a cat's front quarters.

You can not stop a cat from scratching and you should not shout at them either. The way to deal with them scratching your soft furnishings is to provide scratch posts and mats for them to use instead. My house is full of them. Place them at the spots they have taken to scratching and they will prefer to use them

Play time

Cats love to play. They do like to play on their own too which is 1 reason why cats make excellent pets for people who work in the day. It’s a good idea to have a variety of toys for them to attack and chase. Balls, feathers and cat nip mice are just an example. The range of toys available for cats now is massive but if cost is an issue then they will be just as happy with rolled up tissue or rolled foil from sweets. 1 of my cats loves the tie tags and I have no idea where he finds them but he goes mental with them and carries them around like some prize catch! I have even had Sooty bring home someone’s feather duster! Just remember that they do love to play with you too so do try and find 10 minutes to do this every day.

Signs things aren’t quite right

Like us cats get ill. It is normal for them to be sick once in a while. Usual cause of sickness is eating something they shouldn’t have or a fur ball. However, if you notice your cat:-

• being sick over a long period of time
• having diarrhoea
• listlessness
• behaving differently
• limping
• in obvious pain
• seems to keep wanting a wee but doesn’t really do anything
• losing weight or even gaining too much
• anything else which is out of the ordinary

Then you must take your cat to the vet.

Lastly and just as important…enjoy your cat

Enjoy having cuddles, being squashed on the bed, waking you up at 5am on weekends as they don’t understand about days off work, purrs in your ears at night and welcome home purrs and leg rubs. Cats bring you so much joy if they are happy, so please do make sure you keep them happy.