Pets
Owning A Cat - The Responsibilities by Kate Tilmouth
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Providing your cat with the correct diet is also a must, it is essential that cats be fed food suitable for their age and physical abilities. If incorrect food is provided it can lead to diarrhoea, urinary problems, bad teeth and may cause more serious illness to occur in the future. The best way to avoid this is to feed your cat only premium brand wet food supplemented with some dry kibble and providing plenty of fresh water to drink. An adult cat needs to be fed twice a day with a small amount of dry food left available all day. Making sure that your cat eats correctly and does not become under or over weight is a responsibility not to be overlooked.
Long haired cats will require their coats to be brushed by you at least three times a week to prevent the fur matting and reducing the likelihood of hair balls. Matted fur is painful and will have to be professionally removed by a vet or groomer, so preventing it in the first place is the best option. Special cat brushes can be bought to make the grooming process more effective and comfortable for your cat. A shorthaired cat should be brushed at least once a week, again to help remove the fine loose hairs that can cause hairballs to form.
Helping to keep your cats claws well trimmed will help prevent them from using your furniture as scratching posts and will prevent your furniture from becoming a regular scratching post. It will also stop the cat becoming caught in carpets and possible painfully ripping their claw out. Checking their claws on a monthly basis and using proper nail clippers to nip the very end of the claw off, will help keep their claws in good shape. Providing plenty of scratching posts should also be seen as an essential cat owner responsibility.