The Cat Mom Life Cat Care Guide
Whether you’re adopting your first cat or adding to your clowder, this cat care guide is for you! From basic necessities to giving your cat their best life, I have all you need to know about taking care of your furbaby in one convenient spot. Embrace Cat Mom Life and read on for tips for new cat owners, the best ways to keep your cat entertained, and more!
Tips for New Cat Owners: Basic Cat Care Guide
Feel free to peruse this cat care guide from start to finish, or jump to sections that would be most useful to you using this table of contents:
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What Do Cats Need in a Home?: Keeping Cats Healthy & Basic Cat Care Guide
Cats are complex little creatures, to be sure, but their care doesn’t need to be. In this section of my cat care guide, you’ll find information about the best wet foods and kibbles for cats, the importance of water consumption for felines, and tips for trimming your cat’s nails, among other cat care basics.
The Best Cat Foods for Your Furbaby
First things first, I wanted to talk a bit about wet food and cat kibble in this cat care guide. Both are important aspects of your cats’ health and diet. To be sure, there are an overwhelming number of options out there for each. I highly recommend talking to your vet about what your cat needs in a food. They can give you insights into the most important nutrients to keep an eye out for.
Wet food is helpful in promoting hydration in cats, among other things. Not all cats seem to care about wet food, but my three love it. Weruva is my favorite brand of wet food for cats, as the brand is devoted to promoting general hydration as well as digestive and urinary health. Weruva’s Cats in the Kitchen Cuties Variety Pack is a great wet food option. This line offers your cat diversity in flavors while still ensuring they get all the essential nutrients they need.
As for kibble, my cats have been on the Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult Recipe Dry Cat Food for as long as I can remember. They never get bored of it. This fan favorite cat food is made without meat meals or by-products and is full of necessary fatty acids and quality protein content. Turkey is the primary protein in this kibble, followed by salmon and duck. The recipe also features pumpkin to support healthy digestion.
Great Cat Food Options
Promoting Water Consumption with Pet Fountains
Pet water fountains are a great way to promote cat health and ensure your cat gets adequate hydration throughout the day. As with humans, it is important for pets — especially cats — to take in enough fresh water. For cats, in particular, hydration is key to kidney and urinary tract health. Dehydration can cause a whole slew of cat health problems, including elevated heart rate, sunken eyes, lethargy, and loss of appetite. This is one of the reason that wet food is important for kitties.
Pet water fountains work really well because cats tend to stay away from still water. In the wild, still water can be tainted with bacteria or the like. This is an evolutionary tactic that helps keep kitties safe from water-based illnesses.
My cats have had the Cat Mate Pet Fountain for years now and it has worked perfectly for us. The bowl and spout of the fountain are dishwasher safe, and the motor is relatively easy to clean as needed. You can learn more about why this particular fountain works so well for cats here!
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The Best Cat Treats
Cat treats are very important in my house, and any cat care guide would be remiss in not mentioning them! Whether they help keep my cats active, or as a vehicle with which to give them medication, it is necessary to keep some of their favorite treats on hand at all times.
For my cats, the all time favorite cat treat are these INABA Churu lickable cat treats. These larger pouches offer a similar product, which my cats have taken to just as well as the INABA options. As for dry treats, Orijen’s freeze dried cat treats are a great option. These little treats are grain free, made with high quality meats and are a high value and enticing treat.
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Trimming Your Cat’s Nails
Cat nail issue are one of the most important topics I wanted to discuss in this cat care guide. First things first, I highly recommend having your vet trim the nails the first time so they can teach you how to hold or swaddle your cat. More importantly, they can show you how far down on the nail to cut. While it can be pretty easy to see where the quick starts on your cat’s nails, some nails are more opaque or darker, making it more difficult to see how far is too far.
If you have a particularly squirmy cat, you may want a second pair of hands to help hold the pet. Next, you’ll want to make sure you have a good grip on the cat along with a good source of light. I find it easier to keep a hold of my cats when I am seated.
Once you’re set up with the cat and the pet-specific nail cutters, you can extend the nail on your cat’s paw by lightly pressing on the top and bottom of the paw near the toe. I try to do this whole process rather quickly. However, you don’t want to rush making sure you can see the whole nail.
Click here for more tips on trimming your cat’s nails,
along with information about the best nail trimmers for cats.
Healthcare Supplements for Cats
Your vet can help you decide whether your cats will benefit from any sort of supplements, but I wanted to at least mention them here in this cat care guide to bring them to your attention. For my cats, I primarily use ProDen PlaqueOff Powder for dental care, Solid Gold Seameal for immune health, and Cosequin glucosamine for join health. These three supplements are easily mixed into their twice-daily wet food and support vital aspects of their health and wellbeing.
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Keeping Cats Entertained: The Best Toys and Exercise for Cats
While basic needs as discussed in this cat care guide are obviously important, keeping cats entertained is undoubtedly an integral section for this cat care guide. One of the most important tips for new cat owners is to keep your cat entertained. A bored, under-exercised cat can be moody and temperamental. Plus, they might take out their frustrations on you and your belongings. So, embrace the Cat Mom Life ethos and take note of the best ways to keep your cat entertained!
The Best Cat Beds
- The Best Classic Style: Plush Orthopedic Front Bolster Pet Bed
- Coziest Cave Style: The Cat Ball
- The Most Luxurious Style: Plush Faux Fur Cat Sling
- The Best Heated Style: K&H Thermo-Kitty Cuddle Up
Cats are notoriously picky about pet beds. Often, you’ll see memes about it online, where a cat prefers the box a bed came in to the bed itself. However, that’s not always 100% the case. My cats have a number of pet beds throughout the house, all of which are used with great frequency.
There are two overall winners relevant to this cat care guide: first, the Cat Ball and, second, this K&H heated bed. We have multiple of each of these beds, and they’ve been a hit for years. The Cat Ball can be confusing for cats at first, but, as the brand’s tagline promises, your cat will figure it out. On the other hand, the K&H Thermo-Kitty Cuddle Up bed is a straightforward option with a gentle heat that cats love year round.
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The Most Entertaining Cat Toys
A bored cat is a difficult creature. Cats need stimulation, and they’re often too curious for their own good. So, it is important to keep your furbaby entertained with the best cat toys! Catnip is, of course, a great option, and most cats (and kittens) will respond well to it. You can also opt for a clean catnip spray like this one to spray onto your cats’ favorite toys and scratchers. I prefer the spray to the loose leaves because it’s way less messy.
Besides catnip, there are also great silver vine toys that promote activity and challenge cats’ hunting instincts, as well! You can learn about my cats’ favorite silver vine stick toys here (they’re also great for dental health!).
Occasionally, a cat won’t care much for catnip. But that doesn’t mean they won’t like catnip toys, which are often in the form of kickers. Kicker toys trigger cats’ hunting instincts, which can be entertaining to watch. Two of my cats’ all time favorite kickers come from Etsy — first, Luxe Meow’s knitted catnip fish and, second, Ciao Gatto Cat Market’s patterned kickers. Both are great sizes for bunny kicking!
Beyond kickers and catnip, cats love to bat things around. That’s why little sparkly balls and spring toys are always such a hit! For a more unique option, check out these felt tortellini toys, which my cats love.
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Scratchers and Cat Trees for Your Furbaby
Cats need to scratch. So, if you want to keep them from doing so on your furniture, it’s best to supply them with some quality scratch posts. Most cat trees have such materials built in, but you can get individual scratchers, as well, often for well under $50.
Chewy has a great selection of affordable cat trees. Many of these affordable options come in a variety of colors to suit your home. For an even more stylish option, check out Mau Pet’s uniquely modern cat trees. We have the Cento Cat Tree from Mau (pictured below, left) and the cats are obsessed!
A great mix of these two types of cat furniture — a scratcher and a full blown tree — are these little cat slings (pictured above, right). These are perfect for anyone who works from home and has a little feline office assistant. Brett and I each have one in our offices. More often than not, we can convince the cats to lounge in the slings rather than on our keyboards.
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Tips for Stressful Situations with Cats
Cats can be quite anxious, so it’s important to consider how you will handle stressful situations with them. From travel to vet visits, moving to summer storms, there are plenty of moments that will stress both you and your furbaby out. In this section of my cat care guide, I’m sharing information on three important pillars of cat ownership: travel, moving house, and anxiety reduction.
The Best Cat Carrier for All Kinds of Travel
From the moment you adopt your cat, it is super important to have a trustworthy cat carrier. Whether you’re going across the country or just across the street, a carrier is the safest and most secure way to transport your fur baby. There are lots of carrier styles out there, but Sherpa brand pet carriers reign supreme.
The Sherpa Original Deluxe Pet Carrier has a flexible spring wire frame that allows the carrier to be fit easily under airline seats (or under beds/in closets when not in use). The mesh windows offer plenty of ventilation, but are coated so as to prevent the mesh from tearing. There are top and side zippers, so you have options on how to get your cat into the carrier. Once inside, there is a machine-washable liner pad that attaches to the base with velcro. There’s also a little hook to attach a leash if you want to further secure your cat with a harness.
While my cats might not like to travel, they do like their carriers. Their Sherpa carriers are cozy, full of catnip, toys, and their favorite cat mats. Cat carriers can become comfort items for cats, like crates can be for dogs: a cozy spot to hang out and feel secure. During storms or periods of stress, we tend to put the carriers out so that the cats have a little hide out spot to visit.
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Moving with Cats
Cats can take a while to get acclimated to a new place, particularly a place that doesn’t smell at all familiar. I’ve broken down my Cat Mom Life moving advice into three categories: things to do before a move, packing for your furbaby, and tips on facilitating introductions to the new home. I invite you to check out my full guide to moving with cats, but I’ll share an abbreviated version of the information here.
Before you move, be sure to gather vet records and applicable medications you may need. Talk to your vet about potentially using prescription calming medications to help ease the transition. Further, I would recommend trimming your cat’s nails ahead of a move. It’s just one less thing to worry about on the other end.
When packing for your cat, it is best to pack a bag or box with 3-5 days work of supplies. That way, you have everything your cat will need on hand, even if you can’t get to the rest of the supplies straight away. Gather comfort items for your pets, as well, like favorite toys and blankets.
Lastly, when introducing your cat(s) to the new home, I highly recommend keeping your cat(s) in a single room at first. Set up a litter box and food and water in the single room and supply your cat with their favorite comfort items. This helps prevent your furbaby from getting too overwhelmed with all the changes.
For more information, be sure to check out
my full guide on moving with cats here!
Using Pheromones to Sooth Anxious Cats
Cats communicate through pheromones, among other messages. Pheromones are odorless messages that can only be perceived by other cats. People and dogs don’t sense the pheromones. Pheromone products are an over-the-counter option for anxiety relief in cats because they can mimic the makeup of natural pheromones.
I have been using Feliway pheromone products for some time now to help keep the cats cool, calm, and collected. The pheromones have been especially helpful in times of stress, like moving or travel. They also help a great deal with cat fights between Olivia and Emory, who tend to clash. You can learn more about how these pheromones work in my full guide to Feliway products here!
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Cat Care 101: Frequently Asked Questions of Basic Cat Care
- What are the basic needs of a cat?
At their most basic level, cats need quality food, water, and shelter. For a cat to thrive, cats need to be kept entertained and intellectually stimulated. - What kind of toys are good for a cat?
There are lots of great cat toy options out there, from sparkly balls to catnip kickers, interactive toys to hunting feeder kits. When you first adopt your new cat, it is best to get a variety of toys to see what their personal favorites are! Check out the “Keeping Cats Entertained” section of this cat care guide for more specifics. - How much exercise does a cat need?
Cats aren’t necessarily the most active creatures, but they do benefit from physical play. Two to three play sessions of 10-15 minutes each is often sufficient for cats. However, individual needs may vary. - How can I make my cat happy and comfortable in my home?
When you first get your cat home, be sure to set them up with everything they need — food, water, litter box, etc.. After that, and once you start to get to know your furbaby some more, you’ll be able to recognize when they are bored, what they like to do, where they like to hang out, and so on. Cater your pet supply purchases to these details. Peruse this cat care guide for more specific ideas, particularly in regards to the best toys!
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*This post was originally published on February 27, 2023. It was most recently updated on January 1, 2024.
your cats are very beautiful! <3
Aw thank you so much!!