Caring for a Domestic Cat

While this list of cat care requirements may seem overwhelming, for the most part, cats are relatively easy to care for. Most of the time, cats are fairly independent creatures. Between playing and eating, cats enjoy bathing themselves and taking the occasional catnap. For those who are looking for low-maintenance pets, cats don't require much care and are still loving and cuddly.

When it comes to choosing a cat, deciding on the breed you want will depend on the amount of time and care you plan to invest in your new cat. For example, cats with longer hair require more frequent grooming than shorthair cats. Similarly, you'll likely have to vacuum your carpets more frequently if you have a longhair cat, as shedding fur will build up faster.

Some of the most popular cat breeds include Persians, Maine Coons and Siamese cats. 

At sometime in every cat's life, (s)he will experience a health problem that you will have to treat. While some cats only suffer from minor, common health problems, such as flea infestations, others have chronic health conditions that you'll have to treat daily, such as diabetes.

To make sure that your cat is at his or her optimum health, be sure that your cat gets all of his or her vaccinations as a kitten. If you adopt an adult cat, learn as much as you can about his or her health history so you can give him or her proper care.

One of the best ways to prevent your cat from suffering from health issues is to feed him or her a healthy diet formulated for cats and take him or her to the vet regularly. Not only can the vet catch any possible health issue early, but your vet can also instruct you on your cat's changing care needs as (s)he ages.

Whether your cat has kittens or you adopt a newborn kitten, learning how to care and feed him or her is key to raising a healthy cat. While newborn kittens will feed off of their mothers for the first few weeks of life, by week three some start losing interest in the teat. At this point, it's safe to start feeding them a bit of dry cat food. To soften dry food so it's easier to eat, splash a bit of water or milk on it.

By eight to 10 weeks old, the kittens should be fully on dry, solid cat food and their mother's milk should be replaced by water. After three months old, most young cats can no longer stomach regular milk, which can cause them to vomit or suffer from diarrhea.