Copyright Rijana
Are you suitable for a cat?
A purring cat dozing in the sun makes your house a home.
No wonder more than two million people in the Netherlands have a cat. And although the cat is an easy pet, there are things you do need to think about.
What do you do with the cat during the holidays, for example? How much does cat care actually cost?
And how do you brush its teeth? In short, is it really as easy as it seems?
Nutrition:
Wild they are no longer, our domestic cats. But they used to be hunters. They lived on small prey, and you can still see that today. They eat several small meals
a day and every now and then a mouse can be among them...
For food and drink there are a few points to note. First: make sure there is always fresh water. Second: the old-
special cat milk, because regular milk has a laxative effect on most cats.
Finally, choose complete cat food from a can or dry kibble, so the cat gets enough nutrients. With good care, a healthy cat can live to be twenty years old.
Care:
Cats groom their own coat by licking it. Still, combing and brushing remains important. While brushing you can immediately see if the cat has fleas.
Moreover, brushing prevents the formation of tangles and hairballs.
Brush a cat, depending on the length of the coat and the shedding periods, at least once or twice a week.
Check its ears. If you see a lot of earwax or if the cat keeps getting infections, you can clean the ears with an ear cleaner.
Deworming must be done regularly, as must the required vaccinations. The passport or vaccination booklet states exactly which vaccinations those are.
Cats can get dental problems, so try to brush its teeth daily, you can do that with a piece of gauze or a toddler's toothbrush.
Or give it kibble, with a bowl of fresh water, for cleaner teeth.
Litter box:
The litter box should preferably be in a quiet, easily accessible place and preferably not near food or water.
Otherwise you run the risk that the cat won't want to use it. If you have several cats, provide different litter boxes in different rooms.
House rules:
Make clear from the start what is and isn't allowed. A cat will not learn to sit, stand and lie down on command like a dog. But you can certainly teach your cat
certain house rules, such as not eating plants, using the litter box, not climbing in the curtains or scratching furniture, carpets and walls.
Reproduction:
Two litters a year with three, five or more kittens? That can easily happen, because cats are enormously fertile. Some even as young as six months old. If no
action were taken, within a few years there would be more cats than people in the Netherlands! Not for nothing was the cat in ancient Egypt revered as the god
of fertility. Most cats in the Netherlands are made infertile. That can be done when they are about four months old.
You get a cat or kitten from a good breeder. Ask cat associations and breed clubs for reputable, well-
A cat bought from a good cattery is fully vaccinated (a kitten after about 9 weeks and a second time after about 12 to 13 weeks), microchipped and
health-
The purchase costs of a cat vary. For a pedigree cat you pay €200 to more than €1,000 (if you want to show and breed with it yourself). Do realize that a
pedigree cat incurs quite high costs before it can leave the breeder (at a minimum of 13 weeks). Food, maintenance and veterinary costs (annual check-
vaccinations) quickly amount to €400 per year, add to that the purchase of good parent animals, with an excellent pedigree, then you can justify the high purchase
price. If the cat gets sick or gets hit by a car, the vet's bill can also add up.
You can consider taking out health insurance for this. You should also not overlook the costs of possible holiday boarding.
Microchipping:
The Dierenbescherming (Animal Protection Society) promotes microchipping and registering cats.
For pedigree cats it is often mandatory if they are to be shown. The number is entered in the passport or in the vaccination booklet. The chip, the size of a grain
of rice, is inserted under the skin with an injection needle and contains a unique registration number.
The cat is not bothered by it and can never lose the chip. The cost for inserting the chip is about €27.50. This is exclusive of the consultation.
It is advisable to keep a good eye on various offers.
Garden centres and pet shops sometimes offer the opportunity, during theme days in the garden centre or shop, to have your cat chipped at a reduced rate, you also avoid the nowadays rather high consultation costs.
Some vets also chip the cat without consultation costs. Also consider, if you have to go to the vet with your cat anyway, having the chipping done at the same time. It then saves the cost of an extra consultation!
If you nowadays buy a kitten from a "good" breeder, the cat is already chipped, especially if the breeder is affiliated with a cat association!
