New cat - few questions

We adopted a 4 month old cat the other day. I have a few questions

Last flea preventative was given in January. Says next due in February. Do I need to give this for an indoor cat that is not around any other animals? If so, the paper doesn't say what exactly they gave. What is the norm? Or should I call them?

Do you leave food in the bowl all day or do you have set meal times? I've been leaving it in the bowl and it seems she eats at night and once during the day. Not sure if I should be doing that. (we give dry food).

Do you scoop the litter everyday, and how often do you replace the entire box of litter?

Does your cat actually use the scratching post/perch type thing? We bought once, but so far no interest.

Thanks :)

Re: New cat - few questions

honestly, our cats are indoor as well and we don't give them flea treatments unless we see them itching a lot or anything. fleas CAN get into your house, but IMO it's unnecessary to give treatments all the time unless you need to.

we have set feeding times; a scoop (small one) each in the morning, and a 2nd scoop each at night but we do leave the food in the bowl all day. all cats i've ever had eat the same way; they come and have a nibble when i put food down, and then they stop by for little snacks the rest of the day or night.

we have 3 cats so litter scooping each day is a must for us. your cat might not like to "go" in there if you don't keep it clean enough and may start to use the floor nearby. we clean out the box much more often than you'll need to so you should just see how it goes. you'll figure out when the right time is.

we've tried scratching posts and they have never really worked for us unfortunately. i refuse to declaw b/c i think it's inhumane so we do have some scratched furniture. but what i've read and found to be true (for the MOST part) is that cats tend not to be interested in leather or suede. we have suede furniture in the living room and they tend to stay away from it. they mostly just go for the cloth stuff. but a really good tip is: keep their nails trimmed!!! they will have less of an urge to scratch, and they will have less sharpness to work with even if they do. if you can't do it yourself (i can't), the vet will usually do it for you when you bring them in.

good luck and enjoy your new little baby!!

Message edited 1/8/2012 11:18:01 AM.

Re: New cat - few questions

Congrats! First off, I would absolutely take the cat to the vet for a checkup and to discuss flea preventatives, getting the cat checked for worms (EVEN if you were told they have no worms, quite often they do!). So please see a vet asap.

Also...I would def use the flea preventative for at least a few mths since getting the cat. You never know what could be on the cat (eggs, etc). I would find out what she took and when, and then discuss with the vet b/c even if you def plan on keeping kitty in, fleas can somehow still get in (do you live in a wooded area or more city like area)? Also if you have any other animals that go out, then kitty must be on a flea preventative.

Some people leave the food out all day, but I think you might be better off starting a good habit of putting it down twice a day. Again, I would discuss this with the vet and see what they say.

I would scoop the litter everyday. Not sure with the new litters about how often to change, since I havent had a cat since I lived with my parents.

Some cats like scratching posts, others do not. Just keep the one you have and see what happens in time.

Re: New cat - few questions

I don't plan on taking her to the vet at this point because they said it's not necessary. She has been de-wormed, spayed, rabies shots, etc. The place we got her from takes very good care of the cats, has an in-house vet, and she has been there since shortly after she was born. We don't have other animals to pass fleas around, but we do live in a wooded area. So I'll keep up with the flea thing. Clipping the nails seems like it would be tricky, so I'll probably save that for the vet.

Thanks for the replies :)

Re: New cat - few questions

Re: New cat - few questions

Re: New cat - few questions

Thanks for your help! They have the dates listed when she was given the flea stuff, and the next date it would be due (February something, forget off hand). But I will def. call to find out exactly what it is.

Re: New cat - few questions

So far my kitty has not stepped out of my bedroom (she has no desire too so I'm not pushing her) so nope, no flea treatments.
Food wise, I always leave fresh water/dry food out, soft food she gets 2x a day 1/4 can.
Litter- I scoop every night, I usually dump it once a month (maybe 3 weeks)
At first she didn't use the scratcher but now she does alot.