It’s time to spoil your cat!
Here’s our tips on how you can do so without it costing a fortune.
1. Clip the claws
If you need to cut the claws, and how often, depends on whether the cat is an indoor or outdoor cat and how active it is. Ball pliers are available for purchase in pet stores. Hold your cat in a firm grip on the knee. Press the pad directly behind the claws to bring them out. Be careful not to cut the pink pulp that contains nerves and blood vessels. The white, on the other hand, is dead tissue.
2. Clean the ears
If the outer ears are dirty, you can gently clean them with damp cotton swabs. If your cat starts scratching its eyes a lot or shaking its head, it may have an ear infection or ear scabies. In that case, contact a veterinarian.
3. Deworm your cat
If you see that there is a worm in the stool or if you otherwise suspect that your cat may have a worm, there are dewormers without a prescription at the pharmacy. Indoor cats can also have worms. Kittens should be dewormed a few times when they are small.
4. Insurance is a security
Veterinary visits can be unpredictably expensive and if you have insurance you can get away with it more easily.
5. Vaccinate every year
An outdoor cat needs to be vaccinated against feline plague and feline cold once a year. For indoor cats, the risk of infection is less.
6. Brush your teeth
Cats can get tartar. If the tartar is allowed to ravage freely, it can cause tooth loss. Tartar can be prevented by letting the cat eat dry food.
Start brushing your teeth when the cat is small, even if it is difficult. At the vet, the cat is anesthetized when the tartar is removed using ultrasound or manual scraping.
7. Comb the coat
A cat takes care of its fur by licking and washing itself. Due to the fact that loose hair is swallowed, especially long-haired cats may have problems with hairballs getting stuck in the stomach.
If your cat has problems with hairballs, a click of Vaseline or oil on the paws can be helpful – then it licks it and it helps the cat to get rid of the balls the natural way. Comb and brush the cat regularly to prevent it from ingesting so much loose cat hair.