Looking After Your Pet Cat
As with the dog, you should familiarise your cat with your homeand get it to socialise properly. However as the cat is not a pack animal and is more independent, it may require more effort and ingenuity to train.
Feed your cat with either homecooked or commercial cat food. Contrary to popular belief, cats are carnivorous and can eat any kind of meat although they prefer fish. The local fish that is so often fed to cats - the 'ikan kuning' - can actually be unhealthy if it is the only food fed. This fish has high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and low levels of Vitamin E and other anti-oxidants when overcooked. Feeding a mostly 'ikan kuning' diet can result in 'yellow fat disease', a painful affliction which is sometimes associated with kidney problems. Also, this fish has a bone near the bottom of the gill flaps shaped like a 3-pointed star. This could get stuck in the throat and if not removed can cause serious infection and starvation. Anesthesia is usually required to remove the bone.
A variety of homecooked foods should be given, comprising grain such as rice, meats and vegetables. However cats are very finicky eaters and often will only eat one kind of food. So, it is important to feed your cat dry food to guarantee that it gets a correctly balanced diet that includes Vitamin A and taurine whichhave to be supplied preformed in its diet. Most commercial brands on the market are acceptable since they are formulated to cater to the cat 's needs. Dry food
is again preferred over canned.
Do not feed your cat commercial foods formulated for other animals.
Most owners let their cats wander freely around the house. If you live in a highrise apartment, you should put up suitable grills on the windows and balconies to prevent your cat from falling off the building. If grills are not an acceptable option, then avoid hanging things that might attract your pet's attention (e.g. wind chimes) on or near the ledge. You can also make the ledge wider and cage your pet when you are not in.
If your cat likes to leave your premises and this disturbs your neighbours, you may need to keep your cat in a large cage. Ensure that the cage is big enough and there are objects for your cat to play with. Cats spend much of their time resting and snoozing, so confinement does no harm. However cats like to climb so you should make the cage multi-tiered. When you are home, allow your cat out to interact with you. Do not leave your cat unattended for more than 24 hours.
 A healthy cat spends much time grooming, so bathing is not usually necessary. Longhaired cats should however be groomed daily.
Cats adopted from the streets or a communal environment should bebathed with an anti-parasitic shampoo to remove fleas and fur or ear mitesthat might be present. To bathe your cat, firmly hold its front paws with one hand. Use warm water and avoid getting water or shampoo into the ears, eyes and nostrils. There will be some struggling and possibly scratches but with practice the sessions can become quite enjoyable. Some cats may need periodic professional bathing and grooming. If sedation is necessary, make sure it is done by a veterinarian or under his/her supervision. If it has ear mites, have your veterinarian prescribe some eardrops.
Get your cat vaccinated against cat flu and enteritis at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age (or 8 weeks and 12 weeks of age), after which it should receive a booster once a year. It should also be dewormed against roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm. Consult your veterinarian.
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