FAQ - Cat Care

Cats can get their first vaccination when they are 12 to 16 weeks old.

Although you will never stop a cat from shedding completely, there are two things you can do to control it. 1. Feed your cat a quality cat food that provides the necessary nutrition. 2. Brush your cat daily. This will also cut down on the amount of hair your cat digests and will help prevent the dreaded fur balls!

A cat can have over 150,000 hairs per square inch, which gives you a little forewarning of the shedding potential of any cat. It isn't the length of hair, but usually the environment that determines the shedding level - in warm seasons (or in a warm house) any cat will shed more than in a cooler environment. Cats fur can range from thick to very fine, which will help determine how visible their shed hair will be around your house and on your clothing. The finer, longer fur will tend to show up as clumps of fur, whereas a shorter hair will tend to leave an even coat everywhere.

Most cats will not regularly require an immersion bath, but if they get into anything dangerous (oil from the car, cleaning products, etc.) they would be better off with you getting the substance off with water instead of them ingesting it. If your cat has some dandruff or a greasy spot (usually because they are overweight and cannot reach much of their back) you can take a moist rag (water only) and help keep that area clean. Brushing also helps keep dandruff and other problems down. There are also moist towelettes sold in pet supply stores that can be used to reduce cat allergens, if there is a mild allergy in the family.

Kittens must be at least 6 months old before they can be declawed. Some vets will not declaw a cat once they turn one year old. They make this decision for two reasons: Since a cat gains weight as he grows, the incisions do not heal as quickly because of the extra weight. Also, cats become much more accident prone when coming down from high places because they are used to having their claws. Remember, declawing is not a necessary surgery. Cats, and most especially kittens, can be easily trained to use scratching posts.

Each cat owner has their personal opinion about clumping vs. non-clumping. Use the one that is best for you. Cats usually prefer unscented litter. A clean litter box is most important.