How to maintain the best daily care
 for your cat



    The basics
    If you consider cats to be aloof, it’s because you've heard that they are and so
    you're treating them in a certain way.  But cats respond well to humans if humans
    respect them.  Treat your cat with as much love as your treat members of your
    family.  After all, it considers itself to be a family member, albeit a bit hairy.  Give it
    lots of praise so it can feel that it's doing well and is safe in your home.  Treat it as
    an intelligent animal, capable of making decisions.  Cats have been making
    decisions throughout history.  They just don't write books about it.
    Whether cats have the ability to think out a decision is a controversial matter for
    scientists. Many of them say that a cat's behavior is based only on automatic
    responses.  It's not a controversial topic for cat lovers.  They've seen their cat stop
    at the door and try to decide if it wants to go out or stay in.  It will even peek out
    to help itself make the decision.
    I have a very active Siamese-type cat.  Sometimes he needs a “time out,” which
    means a few minutes alone in a room with the door shut.  That’s very hard for this
    kind of cat because they relate strongly to their humans.  So I give him a choice.  I
    ask him, “Do you want me to put you in the room and shut the door?”  Most of the
    time, he will pause for a few seconds, and then stop what he’s doing.  Is he
    thinking over the options?  Or is it merely an automatic response?  See my page on
    How to keep up with a very active cat.                            

    Talking
    I can't express how important it is to talk to your cat.  
    Cats don't speak and understand our human languages.  They’ll eventually learn
    what certain words mean but, in the mean time, use the tone of your voice and
    motions to indicate what you want from them.  Use the same words and motions
    each time, because this consistency will help your cat to learn the words quickly.
    Greet them every morning, calling them by name and getting their attention. Say
    goodbye when you leave the house and say hello when you come home.  Give lots
    of petting at the same time.  
    By the way, cats seem to hear a higher voice easier than a lower one.  Try a
    special voice for talking to them.  They will learn to distinguish that voice from the
    voice you use to talk to humans and will listen for it.
    When it's just the cat and you in the room, get its attention and then start a
    conversation with it.  Make eye contact.  Move closer to it, perhaps getting down
    on the floor with it.  This is an excellent place for you to get your cat's attention.  
    Pet your cat and talk softly to it.  Tell your cat the important things in your heart.  
    Ask it a question.  You don't have to lie on a couch and pay $100 an hour to voice
    your deepest concerns.  Your cat will listen to you, too.              
    Another way to talk to your cat is to phone home when you're out and leave a
    message for the cat to listen to when it plays on the answering machine.
    The other side of talking is listening.  This will take time,  but you can learn the
    different sounds your cat makes in response to certain situations.  You can learn to
    imitate them.  Keep practicing.  Pretty soon, you can sound like one of them and
    your cats will love it.  
    Include both talking in your normal language and in your cat's language.        

    Touching
    Start by inviting them to smell your hand.  Move your fingers.  Cats are attracted to
    moving objects and will come to investigate.   Do this over and over until they learn
    to come to you even when not invited.  Touch your cats on the top of their head.  
    Gradually increase the variety of places you touch them.  
    As their keeper, you need to be able to touch them on every part of their body.  
    This is your everyday early-morning check to see if there are any changes in his
    body that will need special care.  Also increase the amount of time you spend
    touching them, but not beyond the time when their tail starts twitching.  That's a
    sign that they're getting irritated.
    Massaging a cat is such a healthy and relaxing activity for both cat and human, that
    it must lower our blood pressure.  Talk or sing softly, place your fingers on the cats
    fur, and make little circles on the underlying tissues.  Don't cause enough friction to
    move the fur and skin.  Move to another area without withdrawing your
    fingers.           

    Food and water
    Each morning, give your cats fresh food and water and clean out their litter boxes.  
    Talk to them while you’re doing this, even if they don’t pay attention at first. They
    will learn that your voice means something.  Check the litter box for changes in
    your cat's use.  See that the amount of food eaten seems normal for your cat.     






















    Grooming
    Comb and brush your cats weekly.  Talk to them while you’re doing this.  
    Clip your cat's claws twice a month.  This is not an easy task, as the cat will resist.  
    Start when they're young and do just one claw at a time.  They will eventually get
    accustomed to this task and will learn to like the gentleness of your voice.  Sit at a
    table, holding the cat so its rear legs are securely under the table.  Take a paw in
    your hand and press gently on the pad of one foot until the claws appear.  Just
    trim the end of the claw to avoid the blood vessel that courses though the nail.  
    You only need to clip the front claws.
    Take your cat to the vet yearly for a check-up, shots and boosters.  
    Take photos of your cat.  You’ll never know if the need for these photos will come
    up.  Keep them current.  
    As your cats become more confident in you, they’ll trust you more and depend on
    you more.  They’ll still be their own beings, but they’ll stop being aloof and come to
    love you.  Talk to them every opportunity you have.  Explain what it is you’re
    doing.  Express your hopes and joys to them.  Experiment with different ideas.  
    Expect more from your cat than you think you can get.  Your confidence will
    increase too, as you learn what to expect from your furry babies.     

    How about YOUR personal problems?
    Now, how do you maintain the best daily care for yourself and your family when
    you have a cat?  Here are some simple suggestions---
    Your pregnancy and your infants---If you're pregnant, take precautions with the
    cat litter.  Use gloves when cleaning the litter box.  Keep cats off kitchen counters.  
    Always wash your hands after handling your cat.  
    The same applies if you have an immune deficiency.  
    The problem is a parasite found in the cat's stool which can lead to toxoplasmosis.  
    After using the litter box, some litter is still on the cat's claws.  That's why you don't
    want the cat walking on places where you prepare food.  
    Another time to keep cats off kitchen surfaces is when they've developed food
    poisoning.  If that happens, wash the litter box with a disinfectant and dry it
    thoroughly.  Wash your hands after handling your cat.      
    Before your baby arrives, let your cat smell all the new paraphernalia you have for
    the baby.  Keep an eye on your cat when it's in the baby's nursery for a while.      
    If you have a toddler around the house, keep the cat food away from it.  As you
    know, toddlers learn about things by putting them in their mouth.   

    Transmitted diseases
    Cat Scratch Disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted by a cat scratch or bite.  If
    your cat scratches you, use a disinfectant right away.  The scratch may result in a
    fever and swollen glands.  See your doctor if necessary.
    The most serious problem for humans is rabies, which can be transmitted by a cat
    bite, if the cat has rabies.  Prevent this by getting rabies shots for your cat.  If your
    cat is not immunized, and if it eats a diseased animal or gets bitten by one, the
    cat's behavior will drastically change.  It will probably die from the rabies.  Humans
    must be treated immediately in an emergency room.      
How to Maintain The Best Care