So you’ve decided to get a cat or kitten – that’s great news! It can be hard to know where to start though when it comes to preparing for your new feline friend. The very first thing to do is download our ultimate checklist so you know what you’ll need:
Download the ultimate cat checklist
We’ve put together some handy advice we think is best to know before getting a cat. Remember to download the kitten checklist if you are thinking of getting a kitten. Lots of research can help you make the right decisions and be fully prepared for your new family member.
Take a look at the topics below for some key things to take a look at before getting a cat.
When you get your cat there are a few basic things you’ll need to know to make sure they’re happy, healthy and settle in well to your home. We’ve put together some topics below which will help you get to grips with caring for your cat.
It’s important to keep an eye on your new cat or kitten to make sure they stay healthy. Learning what to look out for and making sure to take them for regular check-ups at the vet are important parts of being a cat owner. Make sure you register your cat or kitten with a vet as soon as possible.
There are some conditions and illnesses that can be prevented with the help of regular treatment or vaccinations. While these won’t necessarily stop your cat from getting certain conditions, they’ll make it so much easier for your cat to fight them off.
We’d always recommend keeping up with the following preventative treatments:
Along with preventative care, there are other healthcare topics you should read up on if you have a cat or kitten, too. These include:
For more information on a variety of cat health topics, take a look at our health advice pages:
Bringing a cat or kitten home can be really exciting for everyone in your household, but you should always take things at your cat’s pace. Don’t rush any introductions (especially to other pets!) and make sure any children or visitors know how to be a bit more cat-savvy before saying hello to your new pet. Remember not to have any new visitors for the first few days to give your cat chance to settle.
We’ve put together advice to help you, your family and friends get along well with your cat.
Generally speaking, cats prefer not to live with other animals. If you do have another pet in the home though, you’ll need to introduce them slowly and carefully. Learn how to introduce:
Our cats can be a little quirky to say the least, but sometimes they might do something that is out of the ordinary even for a cat. As a first-time owner, it’s important to learn about your cat’s behaviour, what’s considered normal and what might indicate there is a problem. We have an entire section on our site dedicated to learning about behaviour in cats:
Here are some of the most common behaviour topics new owners ask about to help get your started.
If you have a few questions about your new cat, don’t worry – you’re not alone. We get asked questions by owners all the time which has helped us to build up our advice pages with lots of information for all owners, whether you’ve owned a cat before or not.
Getting your new cat to use a carrier can be a daunting idea. Getting a cat to do anything they don’t want to often seems impossible and for many owners persuading their cat into a carrier is definitely on that list! Believe it or not, you can get your cat used to the cat carrier, it just takes a bit of time. Take a look at our full advice on training your cat to use a carrier.
While we all want our cats to be happy and healthy, there might come times that they need medication (especially if their worming treatments are in the form of the tablet). There are a few different ways your can get your cat to take a tablet, so you can try to find the least stressful way for you and your cat. We have a full advice page on how to give your cat a tablet you might find useful.
How much you should feed your cat everyday will depend on a lot of different things, for example your cat’s age and current weight, and the type of food you are feeding them. As a general rule, take a look at the feeding guide on their food packaging to help you. If you’re unsure, contact your vet and read our advice on feeding your cat.