This was not planned! It just happened, and we now have a new member who is part of the Annamalai family. Welcome to Tittu, our newly adopted kitten. He is such a ball of energy and we had to keep up with all of his tantrums!
As a family, we actually prefer dogs. We had adopted our dog Bully, who happened to be with us for 12 years. Bully passed away last year, and it was quite difficult during the initial months. Dealing with the grief of her loss had taken a toll on all of us. We were sure that we did not want to adopt a pet after that. At least until we all felt okay.
We truly miss her. This was when she was around 4 months old.
Fast forward to one year later, I get a call from my boss saying that a stray kitten had wandered inside his car looking for food. He asked me if I was willing to keep it. I intended to foster the kitten, and get it adopted. Thinking he was a female (I was not able to identify if he was a male or female), I began looking for people to adopt 'her', but sadly, not many want to deal with the "complications" of caring for a female cat. Everyone in the family grew a certain bond towards him when we were fostering him.
After taking him to the vet, we were told that he was in fact a male kitten who was hail and healthy. At this point, I didn't have the heart to give him up for adoption as I has become quite attached to him.
But I had a lot to learn as he was my first cat. Caring for a cat and dog are a bit different, as both the animals are not the same when it comes to the kind of personalities they have. Check out this Youtube video to see what my experience was like fostering a kitten for this first time.
I made a Youtube video to share what I had learnt as someone taking care of a cat for the first time. Do check it out if you enjoy learning visually then by reading.
1) Decoding the Diet
Cats cannot be given a vegetarian or vegan diet. They are 'obligate carnivore' which means they need some sort of meat in their diet. As our dog was predominantly on a vegetarian diet, she was quite healthy. We did give her meat ocassionally, and this was an intentional decision we had made. The vet also attributed this to be one of the reasons she lived for 12 years. Dogs can live on a vegetarian diet unlike cats.
Given that we had to give our cat meat, I initially opted for the store bought pet food options like Whiskers, Royal Canin, Pedigree.. But I was not happy that this was ultra processed. I ended up buying different kinds of raw meat (chicken breast, liver, fish head etc) cooking it myself and giving this to my cat. I believe it is more healthier, as you know what exactly you are giving your pet.
Boiled fish head that he enjoys
When it comes to water intake, cats do not drink a lot of water if it is kept in a bowl. They will only drink from moving water, or water that happens to be tasty to them (I know, even I found this a bit surprising). To address this issue, I ensured that I introduce a lot of water either through meat broth or bone soup into his diet.
2) Cat Litter
Unlike dogs, cat are very very clean. They spend most of the day grooming themselves and staying in clean and warm places. When it comes to their pee and poop, they instinctively need to ensure they cover their tracks. If you have a kitten that is not potty trained, all you need to do is buy some cat litter. Place the cat litter in a dark place, preferably a place no one visits, and introduce your cat to that place. The cat will know exactly what to do. Some cats that are not trained will take a while to learn how to use the cat litter. So be patient.
There are a few things to keep in mind when getting cat litter. Try to avoid any cat litter brand that has too many chemicals - so make it a point to read the ingredient list. A brand which is more natural that doesn't leave a lot of dust would be good for your cat in the long run. Keep in mind that your cat is going to sniffing and digging this cat litter every now and then, so they will come in contact with it a lot more than you think.
We had initially placed the litter box in one of the bathrooms. But because of how much he used to dig and move around in the litter box, the cat litter would be strewn all over the floor, making it a huge mess. We decided to move the litter box in the balcony and he became more comfortable using it. I think the plants helped him attend his nature's calls in a natural-ish setting.
3) Creating a personal space for your kitty
As cats are mostly going to be indoors, you have to create a space for them in your home. Although they will sleep pretty much everywhere, they need a space that they can mark their territory. After checking out all the possible things I could buy, I ended up getting a cat tree and a cat bed. You should know that your cat will take a while to warm up to these things. So try placing treats or their favourite toys, so they come around to them.
4) Checkups with the vet
Regular checkups to the vet and vaccinations along with booster are important. Although cats are relatively easy to maintain compared to dogs, please ensure you keep track of your pets medical records and always observe them to see if there is anything abnormal.
5) Cats are curious.
So this is something that I was able to understand from day 1 of fostering my kitten. Cats by nature are very very curious. Any noise or movement and bam, they are standing right there. It makes them look really cute, but that also means a lot of mess sometimes. So be ready to keep all your valuable stuff inside the closet before getting a cat!
This is something I tell all my friends, which is to adopt and not shop. There are so many animals in need of a loving home. So if you're thinking of getting a pet, try to head to the animal shelter closest to you before you make a decision :)
Love you all!
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