What Does It Take to Be a Responsible Cat Owner

Owning a cat is a big responsibility and when you consider purchasing or adopting a cat, there are many things you need to take into consideration; they can end up costing a small fortune as the years go on with vet bills, food, and other essentials, and they can slowly ruin your home one scratch at a time.

Still, even with all of their negatives considered, cats can be your best friend in hard times, and they can provide you with security and the satisfaction of knowing that you have an unconditional friend.

There are things, however, that everybody must know before getting a cat, which is why this comprehensive guide will seek to explain what it takes to be a responsible cat owner.

You Will Have to Groom Them Daily

Part of being a good cat owner is grooming your cat every day. Most cat owners neglect to do this and end up with an infinite amount of hair covering their furniture. Wipes for your cat is truly caring for your feline, as they can become very uncomfortable if they are not groomed and can develop matted hair that can cause them physical pain.

For short-haired cats, this is not so much of a problem, but even so, they should still be groomed to avoid them shedding hair all over your home and to cause them any potential inconvenience. For long-haired cats, you absolutely must groom them at least twice a day, otherwise, your carpets and flooring will be covered in hair.

You should teach your kitten from a young age not to dislike being groomed. If your cat is not used to being groomed, they will fight you, scratch, and bite when you attempt to do it. If this is the case, you can get a grooming glove that you can slip on and as you stroke your cat, the hair will stick to the glove.

If your cat is fine with being groomed, then you can use an ordinary brush to remove hair carefully and delicately from them.

They Need Lots of Playtime

Just because cats are known for lying around and sleeping a lot, that does not mean they do not need to play. Any experienced cat owner will tell you that at around ten o’clock every evening, their cat begins frantically running around and acting berserk.

The only way to prevent this is to give them ample opportunity to play with you during the daytime, lest we will be awake all night listening to them tearing around and having them jump all over us. Cats sleep a lot, which means when they are awake, they have a lot of energy to get rid of!

You should designate at least an hour a day of playtime with your cat, and should, if you can, spend more time playing with your cat. There are many ways you can play with your cat; some cats like being chased and chasing you, other cats like to play with balls, and others a mouse on a string.

Make sure you have plenty of toys lying around so that your cat is always engaged when they want to play, even if you are not around. Cat toys are very inexpensive, and you can buy them by the bucketload from your local supermarket or pet store.

You Need Patience

Raising a cat can be very tiring at the best of times. Cats all have their own unique personalities, but one thing they all share is a love for destroying things. Your cat will likely scratch any surface it can dig its claws into, and you should keep your cool when your cat does this, discipline your cat, and move on.

If you are vengeful toward your cat for its indiscretions, there is no point in keeping them, as they will do something at least once a day that drives you mad.

You must have patience and understanding toward your cat to truly be a good pet owner and must never become angry or resentful towards them. Cats cannot speak for themselves and do not know the difference between right and wrong, so forgive and forget and move on.

Having a cat is a lot like having a child – it comes with many delights and many responsibilities. Your cat will rely on you for a good quality of life, and you must make sure that you provide that, as they are unable to provide it for themselves. Be the best cat owner you can be.