I wanted to know what is necessary to keep a cat maintained. I have 4 cats. I know you have to take them for yearly exams, but what else am I doing wrong? Do they really need teeth cleanings? I’ve asked other people who had cats and they said they don’t do a teeth clean. Is grooming necessary? Can I just throw them in the bath with cat shampoo. I clean their ears, use tooth wipes, trim their nails. I’m trying to save money, so what is really necessary for everyday/yearly care for a cat. What should I forego and what should I really do for my cat?
We’ve had our cat for almost 7 years - she’s an indoor short hair, not very social tabby. I’ve only ever done the necessary shots and yearly exams. For teeth, we give her the Science Diet oral care food every so many bags. Grooming - I give her a bath every few months or so, and if I’m feeling up to it I’ll try and trim her nails too (it’s always nice when the vet offers to just do it for me at the yearly!)
I’m sure if I gave her a bath more often I’d avoid that disgusting yarking before a hairball.
I’ve had my cat for more than 17 years now. All I’ve done is litter, food, water, and occaisional vet trips. Now I have to give her thyroid meds too. I’ve only bathed her once, when she sat in something I didn’t want her ingesting, and I’ve never cleaned her teeth. Other than the thyroid issue, she’s doing fine.
I grew up with cats, and I have never ever bathed a cat. I’d only do it if one ended up covered in filth of some kind.
To help with the hairball thing may I recommend a deshedding brush. Those things are miraculous.
I forgot to ask another queston. The groomer place I scheduled with and then cancelled said they “express the anal glands.” If my cats have never had this done is it doing any harm to them? Is there built up anal gland juice hurting the cats butt?
Truth be told, if your cats stay inside, there is very little in maintenance costs. We have 5 and have had many others. We get them their initial checkup and spay/neuter when we get them, and the obligatory rabies vaccines, and then we do NOTHING unless they’re sick or have an obvious issue.
I just took my 17 year old to the vet for the second time yesterday for funky eyes. First time was for a seizure a month or so ago. We had the home vet come by and test all the kids for AIDS because our big cat was diagnosed with it when he had his initial doctor visit. Everyone checked out ok. The big cat has glaucoma and has to get pressure checks every 3 months (and we have a specialist that checks him out twice a year now).
We don’t do cleanings and no incidental visit has deemed one necessary.
I know this sounds like a lot, but with a combined age of like 44 years, this is all we’ve done with the current crew.
I have two cats, and one is much higher maintenance than the other. With the low-maintenance cat, as long as he’s fed he’s happy. An annual trip to the vet and the occasional wipe-down with a paper towel when he’s been rolling in the dirt is about all the extra care he needs.
The other one is long-haired, fat, and lazy, and for some reason her teeth get dirtier than any other cat we’ve ever had. We have to get her teeth cleaned regularly at the vet’s office. Also, she has this tendency to hork up hairballs all over the place when she sheds, so I’ve found that a trip to the groomer’s every 4 to 6 months for a bath and a shave keeps our carpets much cleaner.
Talk to your vet about what shots are needed for indoor cats in your area. Around here, rabies is required (even for indoor cats) so I usually just get that (and it is good for 3 years) and the minimum needed in case I bring home a new kitteh. I don’t believe in over vaccinating them. Let your vet know how you feel about this and ask their advice.
I never bathe my cats; again, they stay indoors and fleas aren’t a big problem up north here. Some cats need teeth cleaning and anal-gland expressing; some don’t.
For grooming - I brush & comb my longer haired 2 cats and pay close attention so they don’t form mats. My short haired cats get brushed less frequently. They all get their nails clipped by me. That’s it.
Cat maintenance is easy: feed, water, scoop boxes, pet & snuggle.
removes cat from lap in order to access keyboard
I ask the vet at checkups whether they think the cats need their teeth cleaned.
Longhair or shorthair?
My two shorthairs take care of grooming by themselves. I’ve heard that longhairs need to be brushed.
I only have them shampooed when they’ve gotten into something that they shouldn’t lick off, or that smells bad. They handle routine grooming on their own, and it seems to work.
Trimming their nails is necessary- otherwise, their claws will get long and they may accidentally scratch you when jumping into your lap.
If they let you do the tooth wipes, great.
My two cats seem to do the ear cleaning for each other.
I have one cat who has had anal gland problems (but doesn’t seem to any more), one who never has. Luna didn’t seem to like having her anal glands expressed. I wouldn’t have it done unless there was a bad smell from them, or there was some sign that they were bothering her. The signs to look for are licking themselves back there a lot or scooting their butts across the carpet.
My Katya recommends Friskies Hairball Remedy treats to prevent or treat hairballs. Give the cats one of those per week as a preventative. If they’re horking, give them three or four. Katya says the treats are very tasty, much better than that stuff in the tube. She gets all excited when I get out the hairball treats, which is very cute to watch.
I have a scratching post in my living room. Doesn’t really add to the decor, but the cats like to have it in there, and use it to remove the older layers of their claws. None of my cats likes claw clippings. If I have them at the vet anyway, I’ll get their claws trimmed, if only because the vet has two assistants.
I ask the vet to check their anal glands, but none of my cats has a problem with them.
I don’t brush their little teefies. I free-feed dry kibble, which seems to do the trick. I did have one cat who had to get some tartar removed when she was about 16. None of my other cats have really had dental issues.
I only bathe cats when they NEED it. Since my current cats are inside only, they’ve never NEEDED it. Most cats do not enjoy being bathed by humans, and will do their best to discourage such activities. I do clean out their ears when I notice an accumulation of crud. Usually, though, cats enjoy washing each others’ ears, and getting their own ears washed in turn. For that matter, cats just plain enjoy grooming other cats, their humans, and any other critter that they happen across.
Mine are all shorthaired, and I comb them once in a blue moon. I never clip their claws. I never bathe them. They get their shots, food, treats, lovin’s…and the one that still plays with toys gets toys to play with.
If you have hardwood floors and don’t want them getting scratched, you will want to be vigilant about clipping claws or having a groomer do it.
I always clip my cats’ claws before I take them to the vet or have a pet-sitter over, as a courtesy to the vet or pet-sitter. I try to remember to clip the claws before guests come over, but I’m not as good about that. I do make sure to do it if children are coming over, since they might not know what not to do around cats.
What do I need to roll in to convince my cats that I need grooming? I think it’s so cute when they lick me, but they hardly ever do it.
If you have laminate floors your cat might jump into the house through a window and slide several yards before colliding with the refrigerator.
I couldn’t stop laughing. It was just like a scene from Tom and Jerry.