5 Simple Tips to Help You Become the Best Cat Parent Possible
Being a cat parent is a whole lot of fun but it can also come with some unique challenges too! If you’re new to the world of felines or are just looking for some resources, this collaborative post is for you!
You might like my other cat care articles too!
Being a cat parent isn’t always easy . . .
For those of us with cat-kin, being a better cat parent is something we all hope to be, right? Knowing what our four-legged family members need isn’t always easy to figure out.
They are masters at hiding pain and disease, for example. Or, maybe you are figuring out the best foods to feed your cat for optimal health. It can get confusing, I know!
Some aspects of being a cat parent are only learned with time because each of our cats is unique. Their needs won’t be the same as the next kitty.
But if your goal is to give your cat the best life possible because they deserve it, these ideas we discuss below will help you start from a strong foundation.
As always, if you have any questions, I am here to help whenever I can!
5 Cat Care Tips for Every Cat Parent
Cats can be mysterious creatures. It’s one of the reasons we love them so much. I’m personally convinced that we could live a thousand years with them and still be learning each and every day.
No matter if you are a new cat parent or are a long-time cat lover, I hope you will find these cat care tips to be helpful.
The right diet is essential
If you want to give your cat the best life possible, their diet is a critical piece of their wellness puzzle. There is a range of things that should impact how you feed them, from their age, their size, their breed, and any health conditions they may have.
While dry cat food (kibble) is convenient to feed, it is also extremely low in water content. It will be necessary to encourage your cat to drink more water to protect their kidneys and other bodily functions.
Our own cats now drink a lot of water because they LOVE their cat fountain. I noticed their fur became shinier, their energy levels improved, and their overall health did as well. I’ve since gifted several cat water fountains to friends and family. Their kiddos (and the pawrents) are all happy!
There will also be times when special diets are required, such as with diabetes in cats. Talking with your Vet about your kitty’s individual needs is the very best way to be an educated and prepared cat parent.
Here are some other articles you might be interested in:
- Feeding Your Cat from Cornell Feline Health Center
Bond together often
Socializing is important for your cat and important for the bond between them and you as their parent. If you’re not dedicating this time to socializing, that bond will suffer and they might also be more likely to deal with issues around boredom or anxiety.
Boredom in kitties usually equals some pretty bad behavior. So be social and interact with them regularly. I promise, you’ll find lots of joy and you’ll learn a lot about them too.
As a bonus, I have found the more I spend time with my cats, talking and playing with them, the smarter they become and the more loving they are.
Don’t believe the lie that cats can’t be trained, either! Cats can be trained and it’s much easier than you think! The trick? They respond to your love and dedication.
My baby boy, Pips, LOVES to play fetch and it was extremely easy to teach him how!
Buy the best but reduce the costs!
It’s true, being a cat parent can be pricey! Buying the best doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank though!
One of my best cat care tips is to look for ways to buy the best the smart way! Whether it’s a Canada Pet Care coupon or a sale full of bargains, there are plenty of ways for you to keep costs down.
It might take a little planning ahead but keep an eye on current sales and coupon sites. Many times, if you subscribe to your favorite pet store’s email list, they will send you special deals.
It’s a great way to save a ton of cash! My husband and I love to shop at Chewy. Their “today’s deals” section gives you an easy way to find the can’t miss buys!
Give Them a Little Space and Independence
The desire for solitude will vary from cat to cat which is why knowing your kitty’s personality is so important. Even if they love being around you, at some point, your cat will need a little more space and the chance to be independent.
That might not seem like the obvious thing to do, but cats tend to be very independent creatures by nature, and they need that time to themselves just as much as they need that bonding time with you.
If you are an introvert, like me, you’ll understand this well. 😉
Just remember, unless your cat is showing signs of being physically unwell, their need to ‘get away for a bit,’ is completely normal. When they’re ready, they’ll be back to mushing all over you.
Choose Your Vet Carefully
Choosing a vet and making sure that they’re going to give your cat the care they need when they need it is obviously really important.
There are some things that you can’t do for your cat, and that’s when you call upon your vet to step in and, hopefully, make things better. That’s why your choice of vet will be one of the most important choices you’ll ever make as a cat parent.
I don’t say this to scare you but not all Vets are created equal. In my post about cat cremation, I discuss the nightmare I went through that led to me losing my baby girl, Sugar.
Please, do your research. Ask people you trust who they see in your area. Google, “Vets near me,” and read what others have to say about the choices where you are.
Want to learn more? The American Veterinary Medical Association has some great tips on how to find the right Vet for you and your fur-child.
Looking for a holistic Vet in the USA? Click here to see who is available in your area.
Looking for a Vet in the UK? This resource might help!
Need a Vet in Canada? Try this link here.
Conclusion
Being a cat parent can be confusing at times but these cat care tips we’ve just discussed really can help take some of the guesswork out of making the right decisions.
Parents of human kids don’t always get it right. As a cat parent, you’ll make mistakes too. Cut yourself some slack, learn something new when you can, and just love them like crazy.
My friend, the love you’ll receive in return will melt your heart!
I’d really love to hear from you!
- What have you learned as a cat parent?
- How did you find your current Vet?
- Do you have any cat care tips that you’d like to share?
And as always, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your social media friends & family! It means more to me than I can say! I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Connect with Cat Care Solutions!
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Love & Healing Purrs,
Great steps to become better cat parents. I learn so much here.
Have a fabulous day, Holly. ♥
Aw! Thank you Sandee! I try my best to share information that actually helps!
Sending my love to you. I hope the rest of your week is blessed! ♥️
Great cat care tips all around, and I hope newbies to the world of cat care will use some of them in their cat education. My dad has had cats around him for more than fifty years, and his last one (before I got rescued) was with him for 22 years! I sure hope he learned a thing or two over that time span. Wonderful post, awesome blog.
Hi Cleo! What a beautiful comment you left me, thank you!
22 years is a beautiful blessing to spend with a kitty! ♥ I’m betting Dad definitely learned a thing or two! Although, I always say, you could never learn enough about cats! Every personality is so unique; no two are alike!
Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. I genuinely appreciate your visit and sharing your thoughts! ♥
These are such great tips for being the best cat parent ever! I want to be the best cat mom I can to my Toby! Thanks so much for sharing!
Toby is very blessed! I’m sure you would say the same! ♥ Thank you for stopping in & sharing your thoughts, Charity!
I agree that being a cat parent can be hard at times but it’s so worth it! It can also be pricey, but I love your advice on keeping the price down yet still buying the best. I honestly believe the food I was feeding Sam caused him to get sick.
The biggest thing I’ve learned as a kitty mom is that everything is on their time. 😂
We’re having a really hard time finding a vet since we moved. The closest ones are booked up or won’t answer the phone. I hate having to leave our vet because they were so caring. It might actually be worth the 45 min drive.
Great advice here! Pinned and shared!
Amen! You are so right, Michelle – having cats (and dogs or other animals) definitely gets pricey! I thought of you when writing the bit about getting the best but saving where possible! You’re so good with budgeting.
It did sadden me to hear about your thoughts on the food Sam was eating making him sick. May I ask why you think that? Was it a certain kind of food? BIG hugs to you. I know you loved him and Heaven knows he knew you adored him too!
I laughed at your comment of “everything is on their time.” 🤣 You’re right! Even the most loving and need to please kitties still have their own timetable for which this occurs, ha ha. If it’s nap time, it’s definitely nap time!!
Oh wow, I am sorry that you’re struggling to find a Vet there. To be honest, I’m in agreement with you – 45 minutes isn’t that far away; although Oatmeal and Amber might disagree, LOL! It probably is worth just staying where you’re familiar. Is that what you’re thinking of doing?
Sending love and many many thanks for your constant support & encouragement. Love ya, Michelle! ♥
We were feeding him store brand food (Walmart) and then started reading more stories about the same things happening to other animals eating the same food. It seemed like they all had the same symptoms as Sam and that just worried me.
We finally found a vet that seems “okay” but they wanted to just keep adding on charges that we weren’t okay with. So we might just have to make the 45 minute drive after all. The CBD drops work! 😀
There are so many great tips here for being the perfect cat parent! In order to give Toby the best care possible, I would like to be the best cat mom I can be! I really appreciate you sharing this!
Hi jiyaferty! 🙂 Thank you for visiting! I love hearing your thoughts.
I’m glad you found this post helpful. As you know, being a pet parent is much like human kids. They’re fully dependent on us! The relationship can be so very sweet. Thank you for loving Toby so well! ♥️
P.S. Love the selection of dog chews on your store. Best wishes for your success!
How did I miss this until now? Sorry I’m so late, Holly, but it’s another fab post! I love that photo under the ‘buy the best but reduce the costs’ section, peeking up like he’s watching a scary movie. So sweet! Good tip on signing up for email lists too – I find email lists, sometimes social media, general Google searches for discounts & loyalty schemes can all be great for saving a few pennies.
Thanks for the links for finding a vet in the UK, too. I’ll keep the RCVS in mind if we move (something that seems like a never-ending task that we’ve not even started because of the pandemic).
These are all super ways to be the best catkins mama or dada you can be 😺 xx
Shoot! You definitely don’t need to apologize for being behind. I know how you feel. There’s a lot to do in our lives and getting everything we’d like to get done everyday just doesn’t always happen. And that’s perfectly okay! I love hearing from you when you can get here.
I absolutely agree with what you said about finding coupons in some unexpected places. Especially after the crisis of Covid, many businesses are looking to attract as many buyers as possible. I’m sure online orders must have absolutely skyrocketed. Saving money, especially during leaner financial times, is a huge blessing!
I thought of you when I added the link for the UK vets. Since I’m unfamiliar with how things work there, I was hoping that I was including something helpful. Let me know if you think it’s worth anything, ok? And I certainly pray that you and your family can move to the perfect place for you in the near future. It’s frustrating to feel stuck in a place you don’t want to be. 🤗
Thank you again Caz for all your amazing comments. I appreciate you so much! ♥
Aww thank you lovely. You made me feel better about not being able to catch up and get everything done, too. I’m laughably behind and now I’ve got a heck of a lot of writing to do for my legal case on top, just as my stoma starts to go strange again. Oooops.
And the UK vet link is absolutely worth something – it’s very kind of you to think of us in the UK, so I really appreciate that. It’s already bookmarked for future use!
I have a few more of your posts to look forward to tomorrow. Got ’em pinned in my inbox and looking forward to them!
In the mean time, take good care of yourself lovely. I hope the week ahead is kind to you xx