How To Care For A Cat?

Love your cat

This is sentimental but oh, so true. It is a one-liner. The answer is to love your cat. If you do that – genuinely – everything else that is good and right for your cat will follow as sure as night follows day.

Because when you love your cat as you love your woman or your man, you will be in tune with your cat’s likes and dislikes, her habits, her needs and you’ll be aware of changes in her health because you will be observant and you’ll be interacting with her and grooming her.

And if you don’t know what to do when something unexpected or strange happens, because you love your cat, you will learn with passion and commitment what to do to help your cat.

If you love your cat your love of money will be second to the love you have for your cat. This will open the door to taking her to the veterinarian when required. There will be no inner discussion, searching for excuses as to why a visit to the vet is not needed. The path will be crystal clear; if there is any doubt about her health a veterinary consultation will be sought. Common sense but many cat owners don’t do it.

Loving your cat is the fist principle that encompasses all other information about looking after a cat. Everything flows from that starting point because love is a motivator. Love is caring. It wants to please. True love is genuine. A genuine desire to provide the highest form of cat care that is practically possible.

Loving for your cat automatically guides you to be tender, gentle and protective. If your cat is lost you will move heaven and earth to get her back. If she dies in an accident and it is your fault it will hurt and the hurt will never go away because you loved her.

Associated: Essay on cat behavior

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Comments

How To Care For A Cat? — 19 Comments

Ahsan ul Haq on September 1, 2014 at 3:39 am said:
Thank you for a short and meaningful essay Michael
I have gone through terrible experiences of my life regarding Kittens and cats. and I feel a physical scratching pain in my chest as there are tears stopped to come out and I some times just can not talk to some one regularly and make a short PAUSE during conversations. This is because I am sad and really hurt about the killings or misshappenings / inhumane behaviors of the people here (towards cats and kittens).
I therefore am very carefull and thinking to cage the kittens for future events not to be happened in my lifetime again 🙁 though , I dislike the cage concept for these lovely friends 🙁
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- Michael Broad on September 1, 2014 at 7:08 am said:
  I know how you feel. We both love cats. For me it is easier because I am in a place where cats can go outside safely. I am confident my cat is safe outside. But for you there are more hazards for your cats. This must be difficult for you.
  The best solution is a cat enclosure. About 20×20 feet perhaps if you have the space. Fill it with vertical spaces for the cat to climb and places to hide. Also toys etc.. In other words make it a good safe environment for a cat. Ruth (kattaddorra) and Babz built one:
  https://pictures-of-cats.org/we-built-a-cat-run.html
  Another possibility is to leash train your cat or even at the extreme to take you cat for a stroll in a cat stroller! That would be unique in Pakistan.
  But a good cat enclosure is probably the best thing for you and you cats.
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NANCY SCHWOPE on February 28, 2014 at 4:15 pm said:
THANK YOU FOR THE LOVING THOUGHTS.
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- Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 4:20 pm said:
  My pleasure and I am sure the others agree. In the best cat/human relationships there is a love equal to any human/human relationship.
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kylee on February 28, 2014 at 8:04 am said:
even if i was shifting when i might be looking at doing. I dont know if i can take all my other cats hopefully ill be able to come to some arrangement.
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- Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 8:08 am said:
  Agreed, whatever the circumstances the cat owner should always at a basic level ensure the cat’s welfare and safety.
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Ruth aka Kattaddorra on February 28, 2014 at 7:50 am said:
So sad for you Nancy, it wasn’t your fault, it was cruel fate!
Try to think of your cat at peace because it’s you who is suffering not him x
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kylee on February 28, 2014 at 7:05 am said:
totally ruth the poor animals that are left behind
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- Ruth aka Kattaddorra on February 28, 2014 at 7:47 am said:
  Even worse when people move house and leave the cat behind, it happens here sometimes, it’s just so heartless!
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  - Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 8:01 am said:
    That sort of behavior is plain cat cruelty and there should be a bar on these sorts of people keeping a cat. Sadly it will never happen.
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Ruth aka Kattaddorra on February 28, 2014 at 6:44 am said:
A beautiful and simple article that says it all. If you bring a cat into your home you should love him or her and everything about them.
Once a cat comes to live with us he/she is family and we stick together through good and bad times, which is what family life is all about.
It upsets me deeply that some people part with their cats as if they are possessions, I feel so sad for cats sitting in Sanctuaries wondering why they don’t have their home any more.
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- Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 7:55 am said:
  Thank you Ruth. We agree that true love for your cat or cats is the foundation, the starting point, for excellent cat caretaking. It tells me that people who are not good caretakers cannot in truth love their cat.
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  - kylee on February 28, 2014 at 8:02 am said:
    Thats exactly right
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kylee on February 28, 2014 at 1:17 am said:
hi there nancy, sorry for your loss. Its so hard saying goodbyes to the animal that is so loved. I had to put my beloved cat to sleep last month, so i can understand how hard it must be for you. Its always terrible when they go before we do. We all supportive people here and have all gone though some loss with our beloved animals. I would be lost if i didnt have my animals.
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NANCY SCHWOPE on February 27, 2014 at 10:52 pm said:
I LOVE MY KITTIES MORE THAN I CAN SAY.I DO ALL I CAN FOR THEM.IT MAY MEAN DOING WITHOUT ,BUT I DON T MIND.THEIR NEEDS ALWAYS COME FIRST.I LOST MY VERY SPECIAL ONE NOT LONG AGO.HE GOT OUT AND WAS KILLED.YES ,THAT WAS MY FAULT.I VISIT HIS GRAVE EVERY DAY AND ASK FORGIVENESS,FOR NOT WATCHING HIM MORE CAREFULLY.YES,THIS HURT WILL NEVER GO AWAY.
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- Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 12:19 pm said:
  You truly do love your cats.
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kylee on February 27, 2014 at 10:19 pm said:
thats really nice loving a cat is the best thing you can ever do, sometimes i think i prob love my cats way too much. they are my life.
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Dee (Florida) on February 27, 2014 at 8:45 pm said:
So sweet, Michael. I love this soft article.
Cats have needs that must be met. Because we love them and choose to partner with them, they deserve to get the best of us. They can’t take themselves to the vet or supply their own food (well, some like Damon and Furby can scout it out in a cabinet); but, there is a promise bond that means that they will never be deprived.
They believe in us and, really, make very few demands.
Besides substinance, all they want is affection and attention – not a tall order to fill.
I think that’s love.
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- Michael Broad on February 28, 2014 at 12:18 pm said:
  Thanks Dee. Sometimes we should write straight from the heart as a stream of consciousness. It has always occurred to me that genuine cat lovers will learn about their cat and cats generally and end being more knowledgeable in some respects than so called experts.
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