5 Things You NEED For Your First Cat (and 5 things you already have)
So you are getting your very first cat?! Congratulations on joining the cat club! I am all for a big dose of minimalism (is that an oxymoron?), but if you’ve never owned a cat you are going to have to buy a few things. Although, by thinking outside of the box you might not have to buy as many things as you think you do. So, read on if you are planning to bring a new friend into your life, or if you recently got a new kitty and want to check your list against mine. Let me know if I missed anything!
This post was inspired by a big-hearted friend that has accepted the challenge of taking on their very first cat. He’s an adult, un-neutered stray, the cat that is. For about a year we got to know him from afar, as he frequented the parking lot of our dojo, but never let us come close. One day our Aikido classmate, a 13yo lover of animals was looking out of the window before class excited said, “there’s a cat!”. She knows we love cats. We knew who the cat was, but that day was different. He wasn’t strolling confidently across the parking lot as usual. He was moving slowly with his head down, with an obvious limp. My heart sank. I knew he was injured, but wasn’t sure how bad it was from afar.
The three of us put our shoes on and headed out into the early fall of heat of the South to see what was going on. I asked my husband to grab the beach towel that we keep in the car as we walked in the direction of the cat. I had a strong feeling that I was going to have to wrangle this kitty. The cat had passed behind some bushes before I could get to him and I wondered if I would be able to coerce him out. As I called out softly, “kitty?…kitty?…come kitty…”, he meowed. It was a strained meow, high and slightly raspy. He came out of the bushes tentatively, which was completely different from how he normally acted when I saw him before. He would normally run from me. This time he limped toward me, his right back leg just barely holding him up. I saw that he had a fresh wound on his left hip. It was the type of wound I was used to seeing on animals with road-rash. I guessed that he had just been hit by a car. He was lucky, it barely clipped him instead of smashing him flat like the unlucky ones.
I held out my hand and let him sniff me, he rubbed his face on my hand after a few seconds. The 13 year old from my class excitedly said, “his name should be Mojo-dojo-casa-house cat!” You’ll get this if you saw the Barbie Movie. The cat had become more comfortable and was limping around our legs. My husband arrived with the big yellow beach towel. I gently pinched the skin behind Mojo’s neck to test how he would react to being scruffed, his fur was rough and dirty, and his skin was tough and thick, he felt dehydrated and from the linear scabs around hus face it was obvious he had been in many fights. He was calm as I took a stronger hold on him, although he was a little nervous as I put the towel around him he seemed to know that we wanted to help. He was as calm as any cat could be in a car as we rode to the veterinary office that I used to work at. As I examined him in the car, I knew we would be extremely lucky if this young, scruffy sweetie came up FIV negative.
After several tests and x-rays we had a diagnosis of a hip out of socket and FIV positive. It is not uncommon to put feral cats with FIV to sleep to keep them from spreading the disease when they are released. Mojo, was not feral though. He was a sweet as could be. Chatty, bossy, and wanted nothing more than a bowl of food and head scratches. I couldn’t stand the idea of putting him to sleep, but I also wasn’t going to take him home to my cats. It’s a personal decision. I know there are a lot of homes with cats that are FIV positive, but it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take, even if it is a small risk.
That’s where this list comes into play. A friend at work that I know loves cats, but is animal free, agreed to “foster” him until he could find a forever home. She has never ever had a cat, and never has had a pet of her own in her adult life. She had been to my house before and interacted with my cats well, so here we are. If you have no idea what you are doing when it comes to cats, this is your no-fail basics list.
5 Things You Need to Get for Your First Cat
#5 Cat Tree
Sure, you could forgo a cat tree but you shouldn’t. A cat tree that is at least as high as a windowsill will provide hours of entertainment for your new cat. If they are able to look outside and imagine catching, birds, bug, lizards, cars…whatever, they will be far more pleasant to live with. Can you imagine being stuck in a box without a solid form of entertainment? I can’t, and neither can your cat! Giving your cat its own piece of furniture will also save your furniture (but no promises!). In general, although not always (I had one cat that insisted all the furniture was his), you can train your cat to scratch their own furniture and leave yours alone. Smear a little cat nip on all the surfaces to let them know it belongs to them.
#4 Litter box
This one is obvious, but there are some things to consider. Did you adopt an elderly cat, or a cat with disabilities? You get a gold star if you did! An older cat, or a cat with mobility issues will benefit from a couple specific features when it comes to a litter box. A low entry way, and high sides. The low entry way is a given, mobility issues mean your cat will need to easily access the litter box. This puts top entry litter boxes out of the running. Then there are high walls, the high sides will protect your walls and floor from urine that could accidentally escape. If your cat has arthritic knees and hips they won’t bend like a younger cat would. I tend to prefer boxes with high sides anyway since they keep litter from splashing out as a potentially enthusiastic kitty digs around. Then of course there are those once in a while cats that refuse to squat and just stand and “spray”, you really need a high-walled litter box for those babies.
Check out this post for my absolute favorite litter boxes.
#3 Litter
You need something to fill that litter box, don’t you?! The spectrum of litter options available is sort of ridiculous if you ask me. How do you know what you should buy, especially if this is your first cat. I could get into the weeds here and tell you why use the litter I use and why you should too, but I already did that in this post about the Best Natural Cat Litter. Ask me if I have tried a brand of natural cat litter, I probably have. Okocat Less Mess litter is my absolute hands down ultimate choice, and I recommend you give it a try.
#2 Food
This is a sensitive topic for me. I could go on for ages, but before I do and before I alienate anyone, I want you to know that this is a very personal choice. You are not a bad or good owner based on the type of food you choose to feed. There are some very passionate cat lovers out there that will tell you you are doing it wrong if you aren’t doing it their way. I will never say that, but I will tell you why I feed my cats they way I do, but not today.
Today is simple. Today I want you to buy the best food you can comfortably afford to feed your cat on a regular basis. The only food I will say not to buy is the absolute cheapest store brand stuff. You can go as cheap as something like Meow-mix (although I don’t recommend it). That said, the absolute OLDEST cat I made acquaintance with was 23 years old, yes, a grand, and fantastic 23 years. The stuff dreams are made of. Her owners religiously fed her Meow-mix throughout her entire life. This is partly why I happily step off my foodie-health-nut soapbox and preface any recommendation with that little anecdote. Do I wonder if she could have been healthier in those 23 years? Sure, but you know what? I have never had a cat live that long, never. It’s likely genetics, like anything, but she’s proof that cheap food isn’t going to outright kill anyone. So when talking to people about what to feed their cat I prefer to discuss nutrition and then let them make their own choice.
#1 A veterinarian you trust
This is THE most important thing many people are not prepared with when they get their fist kitty. Finding a veterinarian that you can develop a good relationship is not always easy. They are human after all, and humans are imperfect beings that you may or may not hit it off with. I am in no way saying that any of them are bad, but they may not have the same idea of caring for your cat as you do. You need to find a vet that fits with your idea of care. For me, that’s a mix of holistic vets to address particular concerns (if they come up) and general health maintenance, and a traditional medicine veterinarian that is okay with me going down the “natural” route and providing support when natural medicine needs the hard hitting pharmaceuticals. For you, it might mean a veterinarian that is less than a 20 min drive and has hours on the weekend, because you can’t get to the vet during the 9-5. Quite frankly I think it’s always good to establish a relationship with an “around the corner” vet for the convenience of it.
How do you find a vet you like? I recommend asking neighbors or if you are going to become a crazy cat lady like me, call your local independent rescue group, or stop by at an adoption event, they will have a list of veterinarians they use in the area that provide excellent care. They will also have a list of no-gos. Unfortunately, not every veterinary hospital handles cats well. They are a little trickier than dogs. Then, there is the option to look up a cat-only veterinarian. I don’t think this is necessary, but it can be nice because the waiting room will be dog-free and quieter because of it. I once worked at a cat-only veterinary clinic, and I wouldn’t say that they provided better care, but they did provide a calmer environment. Dogs can be silly goof balls that make a lot of noise.
Not so bad, huh? You are pretty much prepped for your first cat. Now, let’s see if you have some of these other things around the house.
The stuff you already have…
#5 Food and water dishes
You will want a wide, low sided bowl or plate for food. I am betting you have a plate in your house. You do not need to buy your new cat a plate to eat off of. Although, it can be helpful to have a plate with a rim to keep your cat from pushing the food off of the plate. A wide bowl, wide enough to keep from crowding whiskers is also an option. Make sure you use only glass, ceramic or metal plates. Plastic plates may have cute designs, but they develop small scratches that trap bacteria that can lead to chin acne.
Same goes for a water dish, you have a bowl…I am sure you have a bowl, or a cup, right? Just be sure that it’s glass, ceramic or metal. Clean it out with soapy hot water at least every other day (daily preferred), rinse well, and fill it up with clean water. I know we can all get busy sometimes, but you wouldn’t want to drink out of a dirty cup, would you? Your cat has a nose that smells everything, be nice to that little booper and give them fresh water frequently.
#4 Bedding
Do you have an old towel or t-shirt? How about a cardboard box? You do?! Purrrrfect! You are the proud owner of your cat’s favorite new bed. Ask any cat owner (or look up “cat in cardboard box” and you will find that all cats tend to love a plain old cardboard box. Throw something soft into it and “bam!” you’ve got yourself a luxurious bed.
#3 Toys
One of my cat’s favorite toys is the rope to my bathrobe. If I leave it untied and let one end hang low enough to drag on the ground, I AM THE PERFECT CAT TOY. They follow me around attempting to kill the end of the rope, and I feel needed. Everyone is happy. Beware, cats will play with just about anything snake-like. Do not leave them with a ball of yarn or string, or hair ties…there is a good chance they will ingest it and end up with a linear blockage which will make your almost free adopted kitty as pricey as a used car. I have seen a over 30 hair ties extracted from the belly of a cat with a hair tie fetish.
#2 Hair brush
I have at least 5 brushes for my cats. One of their favorites is an old paddle brush I stopped using a while ago. In a way I am kinda disappointed that I gave it to them, it’s a nice brush and now I remember really enjoying the way it felt on my scalp. Oh well, it’s theirs now!
#1 Your time
That’s right, your time is the #1 thing you can give your cat. It will pay dividends, promise. Spending time with your cat, playing with them, training them to do tricks, brushing them, all of these activities are a way to bond with them. They will be happier and better adjusted if you don’t ignore them and treat them like a side table. I mean, why did you get a cat anyway? They make great companions and are so low-maintenance as far as friends go. They are my favorite friends!
I really like the idea of using what you have instead of going down the consumerist rabbit hole, especially at first. Getting your first cat shouldn’t cost you a whole lot (though the first vet visit might be a bit pricey). Once you and your cat have settled you and you have an idea of what your cat might enjoy, go ahead and spoil them a little. Although, spoiling a cat usually means nothing more than a cardboard box with a sprinkling of cat nip!