Cat Supply
From LoveToKnow Cats
In order to take proper care of your cat, you need to have the right cat supply products. There are hundreds of different items and name brands to choose from, but deciding which supplies benefit your cat and which ones are just hype can be tricky.
Cat Supply Products
Cats require a variety of necessities to keep them healthy, safe, and comfortable. Cat supply products include everything from food to cat litter. Different breeds and cat personalities have different requirements for what is right for them. If you are unsure of what your cat needs, either the breeder you purchased the cat from or your veterinarian can give you a list of both necessities and brands that will make your cat feel at home and stay healthy.
Food
Cat food is one staple every cat household requires. Different brands are formulated for your cat’s age, activity and health.
Choices include:
- Age appropriate mixes: Foods formulated specifically for kittens, adults, and senior cats.
- Dry: Comes in an easy to serve, bite-sized form, and the crunchiness helps fight tartar and tooth decay. This food can be stored for a long length of time.
- Canned: Cats love the taste of wet food, but it needs to be eaten in a short period of time before it begins to spoil.
- Hypo-allergenic: Designed for cats who are extra sensitive to certain ingredients commonly found in commercial food.
- Organic: Natural cat foods that are minimally processed, and preserved with natural substances.
- Premium: All natural food using the finest ingredients.
Double check the ingredients on the bag or can before purchasing cat food, and avoid products that are made of “by-product meal”. This is an inferior substitute for real meat protein.
Litter
Another important cat supply is a litter box and cat litter. First choose the litter box based on size, features, and price. Next, pick the litter you feel your cat will appreciate best.
Choices include:
- Clay: Made of natural clay and formed into pellets
- Silica Gel: An odorless mineral used to control moisture made from silica dioxide sand, oxygen and water
- Recycled newspaper: Biodegradable, flushable, burnable and ninety-nine percent dust-free
- Plant-based litters: Made from corn, corncob, corn husks, wheat by-products, wheat grass, beet pulp, oat hulls and kenaf
- Pine and cedar sawdust: Pure pine sawdust compressed into pellets
Toys
Every cat supply list must include toys! Cats are playful and love to burn off energy while playing. They love shiny toys that make tinkling or squeaky sounds. Strings and laser pens are fun interactive toys that can keep your cat busy for hours.
Favorites include:
- Toys your cat can bat at that swing back for more play
- Balls with different textures and sounds
- Cat fishing toys that you can dangle from a door
- Toys with different textures and sounds, especially crunchy and crinkly ones
- Toys with feathers
- Toy mice (often filled with cat nip)
Cat Nip
Cats love the feeling they get when playing with a cat nip toy. Cat nip comes from a plant related to marijuana and gives your cat a bit of a buzz, although not all cats are affected by it. Experts say it will not harm your cat, however, it can make him act crazy and even aggressive.
Medicines
Your cat needs an annual trip to the vet. Between visits you might want to keep certain products on hand to help keep him healthy.
Useful items include:
- Flea and tick control collars and treatments
- Cat hairball prevention products
- Vitamins (if recommended by your vet)
Grooming
All breeds of cats require some grooming. Groomers and vets recommend having the following on hand:
- Shampoo
- Cat claw trimmers
- Cat toothpaste and toothbrush
- Hair brush
- Cat grooming gloves
- Shed control products
Cat Stress Reduction
If your cat is stressed, he may act out with unfavorable behavior like spraying and marking, vertical scratching or loss of appetite. There are products on the market that claim to reduce your pet's stress levels, but keep in mind that you should ask your vet for a professional opinion about any supplement or medication.
The most popular product in this category is Feliway, that claims to stop or reduce behavior related to stress.
Cat Scratching Posts
Your cat needs something to scratch his claws on to help keep them in prime condition, and he especially likes to claw while exercising and marking his territory. If you don’t supply him with furniture for this purpose, he will find items in your house to use instead, such as your furniture or carpet.
There are numerous cat scratching posts designed to help your cat put his natural instincts to use without destroying your house. Look for tall scratching posts with enticing materials that will hold up through lots of scratching.
Other Products
Other cat supply products are optional for keeping your cat happy, but they do make great gifts and treats.
Fun items include:
- Cat treats
- Water dishes with running water
- Fancy food dishes
- Cat trees
- Cat beds
- Cat furniture
Conclusion
Be sure to make a list and set a budget before heading to the pet store to get your kitty everything he could ever need or want. Buying cat supplies can be so much fun you just might get carried away.
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Comments
You're welcome, J.S. Glad it was helpful :)
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardThis is a good-quality supply list. Thanks for the help! =)
-- Contributed by: J. S.This page has been accessed 7,384 times. This page was last modified 02:19, 22 March 2007.
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