Your cat is the center of the universe, and its health and well-being are an absolute priority for your family. But like any pet, cats sometimes need special attention and accessories to make your life easier. From toys to a proper cat litter box, there are many items to consider when thinking about getting a cat.
Do you know, for example, a mature cat's daily required nutritional intake? Could you choose between the Royal Canin cat food selection or the selection produced by Advance cat? In the following article, we will try to present objectively the elements that any pet owner should pay attention to before buying a cat, and we will try to answer all the questions you might have about your furry friend.
Why Go for a Cat Litter Box?
You can walk your cat, just like a dog; in fact, many owners do this regularly, but a cat will be more independent than a dog and will be more challenging to manage. So, for the bodily needs of your companion, a good idea might be to purchase a cat litter box. Why? Because cats have the instinct to hide their scent. In the wild, after they finish their business, they have a habit of burying their droppings, which allows them to remain hidden from both prey and potential predators.
Your home is not quite the same as a hunting ground, but instinct is instinct, and if you want your cat to have no access to the outside environment, then the best solution for your peace of mind would be a litter box. What are they? They are plastic boxes in which you can add different types of litter, each with its advantages and disadvantages. What kind should you buy? Let's find out.
What Type of Litter Box Should I Choose?
The type of cat litter you purchase will need to be based on the size of your apartment, your personal preference, and your budget. And the same is true for a litter box. As a general rule of thumb, a litter box should be at least double the size of your cat so your fuzzy friend can turn around inside it. As for design, litter boxes come in many types, but for the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the most popular ones on the market, namely open and enclosed litter boxes.
Open litter boxes, as the name implies, are open sandboxes where the content inside is always visible. These litter boxes are the cheapest and allow your cat to move around freely while being relatively easy to clean. A disadvantage, however, is the smell, which can be pretty distracting, considering that we are talking about an open design. The other type of litter box has precisely the opposite problem. The smell in the room where the litter box is placed will not be as strong, but the cleaning process will be unpleasant, and your cat will not move as freely.
In the end, what matters most is what is important to you—having a litter box that smells less but is harder to clean or one that is easier to clean but smells more. And to make your life easier and avoid potential accidents, you should only feed your cat quality cat food produced by brands with an unblemished reputation behind them, such as Royal Canin cat food or Friskies cat treats.
What About the Cat Food?
Domestic cats live on average for around fourteen years, and their diet can seriously influence their longevity. Cats are carnivores, and their food should therefore consist of a mixture of wet and dry food that meets their daily protein requirements. What should you look at when choosing your cat's food? First, look at the brand. There are many creators of cat food on the market, and its manufacturing is not as well-regulated as it is for human food, so it's best to go for well-known brands. Royal Canin Cat food, Science Diet cat, or Advance cat, for example, are all excellent choices.
Afterward, you should look at the ingredients list. Whether you want to buy Royal Canin cat food or canned goods from Fancy Feast Royale, you should still read the ingredient list carefully and choose only the variants that meet clear conditions. Cat food should always contain more than fifty percent protein, which can come from different types of meat, ranging from chicken to beef or mutton.
Cats can't taste sweets, which is unusual among mammals, but that hasn't stopped cat food manufacturers from introducing ingredients into compositions that don't affect the taste of the food. A good idea would be to aim for cat food with a limited amount of carbohydrates, as these may not be easily digestible by your cat. You should also go for cat food from well-known brands, such as Royal Canin Cat food or Felix Cat, that feature salmon oil or other meats rich in omega-3.
Other Cat Accessories You Should Consider
Cats sleep on average seventeen hours a day, but when they are active, they are apex predators ready to hunt anything that gets in their way, which is probably your grandmother's heirloom vase. So, it's good to distract them and use up their energy. A simple fishing pool or a laser pointer may be enough to keep your cat busy for hours, but when you're not careful, he’s likely to start scratching your newly purchased sofa, for which you lost your return receipt. So, to avoid a potential disaster, it's best to invest in a cat scratcher, which is more appealing to him than your furniture.
Your cat can be your best friend, and in some happy cases, you might enjoy your pet’s company for more than twenty years. But to grow old with your furry friend, you'll need to look after his health and well-being constantly. Sometimes it can be simple, like when you need to buy some cat litter, but it can also be difficult, like when you have to choose between Royal Canin cat food, Friskies, Whiskas, Biopet, or Dine treats. Being a pet owner isn't very easy, but the satisfaction you feel when you get home after a long day's work and that little piece of fur is happy to see you is like nothing else in the world.
