Mixed Breed/ Non Pedigree

From a very young age i have always loved animals, especialy cats. Dogs are nice but i think there is something really special about cats.

I currently have 3 little boy cats 'Gismo' who is half maine coon.
'Cole' who is black and white and part siamise and my new arrival is 'Kale' a 15 day old kitten whose mum rejected him at birth. ( i only ever intended to have one cat.) lol.

CHOOSING A CAT:
To make sure you get a cat that is right for you take a few things onto consideration. Do you have other animals in the house?Will the new cat get on with them? Do i have the time/ dedication/money to look after a cat? If getting a rescue cat from the RSPCA etc just remember that it might have been mistreated and might not be the happy bouncy friendly cat you wanted but with time and dedication they usually improve dramatically. Another thing to think about is that not all cats get on with children. The people at the rescue centres will be able to advise you on a cat to suit your life/ family. It is a good idea to get a cat from a rescue centre as it gives the cat a second chance at happiness. Please note that kittens though need extra time and attention. Moggies come in all different shapes, sizes,colours, but it is better to choose a cat that suits your lifestyle than to choose a cat just because you like the colour of its fur.

MONEY:
On average i spend about £10 a week on cat food, this dosnt seem alot but yearly that is £520! Also vets bills can be huge if you dont have pet insurence, for instance my kittens multi visits to the vets for constapation cost me £60 altogether! so you must be prepared to spend money on your cats health. Moggies dont cost alot to buy usually between £10-£50 if you look in the newspaper/ Admag. I got Gizmo for free when my friends cat had kittens, cole was a stray, and kale was given to me. So moggies are not expensive to buy.

GENERAL CARE:
Cats do not demand as much care as a dog, but still need to be well looked after. A cat MUST have its vaccinations against the four major cat illness's, these are,
Feline panleucopenia (infectious enteritis)
Feline chlamydiosis
Feline herpesvirus/calicivirus
Feline leukaemia virus
Vaccinations cost around £30-£50, cats will need a booster shot once a year these are around £35. Cats must have clean fresh water available at all times as dehydration can cause kidney problems. Most cats like alot of fuss and attention and are happy to sit on your knee for a cuddle but they also like their freedom outside, dont worry about your cat getting lost as they can remember where they live, if you buy a id tag for your cats collar and get them micro chipped you have no worrys.(a micochip is a small chip inserted just under your cats skin on their neck and when scaned comes up with all the owners details.)

ILLNESS

Cat flu is a highly contagus and will spred from cat to cat very quickly so make sure your cat has its vaccination against this.
I can not stress enough the importance of vaccinations especially Feline leukaemia virus,this is the cats version of Aids and is spread through sex and fighting. IT IS FATAL!!!!! but is not transsmitable to humans it can be prevented by a simple vaccine.Most cats (like us humans) will suffer from sickness and dhyorhia from time to time if this does occur take the animal to a vet as soon as possible.

SLEEPING

Cats spend alot of their time sleeping(useally on your freshly made bed) lol! It might be a idea to buy your cat a radiator bed these just hook over your radiator and create a warm cosy place to sleep that your cats will love! Other cheaper alternatives are just a basic cat bed/ wigwam available from all good pet shops/ wilkos etc or a cardbored box with a fleece blanket inside.

FOOD

Adult cats can be fed on wet food or dry food or both. It is best to feed your cat on a good quality cat food e.g whiskas, felix,go cat but if you are on a budget supermarkets own brand complete cat food will be fine. If feeding on a dry diet alone it is extra important to make sure your cat has enough water as wet food(cat meat) has some of your cats needed water in it already. Never give your cat cows milk as it is to rich and high in lactose and will probably give your cat a bad tummy, if you do want to feed milk cartons of cat milk specialy designed for cats (lactose reduced) is widely available from pet shops/ supermarkets. As a treat cats can be fed small amounts of fish (deboned) or chicken. Cats like to eat little and often and will seldom overeat. If you have a kitten please feed them on kitten food as this has extra nutriants as they are growing, it is a little more expensive but well worth it,again kitten food is widley available from most shops.

TOILET

Most cats like to use the lav outside, like us they dont want a audience watching them so they find somewhere private outside. It is handy to have a litter tray inside to prevent accidents, some cats do prefer to use a litter tray so just take note what your cat preffers. A litter tray should be filled with cat litter about half full, when your cat pays a visit just scoop the mess out. Change the litter and disinfect the tray about once or twice a week(your nose will tell you when its time) Kittens need to be trained to use a litter tray, this is quite easy when you think your kitten might want to go just pop him in the tray, if he has a accident on the floor scoop it up and put it in the litter tray then they will soon get the idea. If your cat does have a accident DO NOT tell him off or smack him this will just make it worse.

I hope i have covered all the basics of looking after your moggie and remember a cat is your friend for life!