You've been approved to adopt a cat, now what? Here are some recommendations for feeding and care of your exceptional tailless cat.
Your cat is to be an indoor only cat. The only exceptions are a secure fenced and roofed outdoor pen for playtime or a secure harness and leash for taking your cat for a walk.
Water: I use filtered water for my rescue and personal cats. A Brita pitcher works great. They don't need fluoride, and certainly don't need the chlorine and other additives found in city water, or the excess minerals that can often be found in well water. If your cat is prone to urinary problems I recommend distilled water. Provide water fresh daily, in a ceramic, glass, or metal bowl, or a filtered fountain. Plastic bowls are not recommended for feeding or watering as they can lead to feline acne.
Food: Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they get most of their nutrition from meat, not from plants or grains. Don't feed the cheapest food available, as the ingredients are usually of poorer quality. Although it might look like you are saving money up front, you'll pay for it in the end with urinary problems, more frequent teeth cleanings, and other health problems that need fixing. I use mostly Iams dry food, urinary health for the boys, sometimes Iams hairball formula for the girls, good foods and a nice compromise between quality and price. An even better choice is to feed a grain free food (no rice, corn, soy, barley, wheat, or other grains). Canned food is better than dry (except for kittens, who need food out to nibble on all the time) and allows for easier portion control so that your cat doesn't get too fat. If you feed dry, the lower the carbohydrate count the better! There's a chart you can use at http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html to let you compare carbohydrate counts. Since dry food is higher in calories than canned, unless your adult cat is a nibbler, I also recommend portion control with dry food to avoid your cat becoming fat.
Litter: You should have one litter box per cat, plus one extra if you have several cats. For tailless cats, especially rumpys, I recommend a natural litter that is digestible (corn, wheat, or paper based) rather than a clay based litter that can contribute to bowel blockage. For cats that prefer clay, there are several low dust clumping clay litters, I like Premium Choice, Dr. Elsey's Ultra, or Precious Kitty. A large storage container makes a great litter box for larger cats, see https://meowtainclimbers.com/diy-cat-litter-box-with-high-sides/ for examples of ways to convert them. A covered litter box is not recommended as many cats don't like them.
Flea prevention: Use a product recommended by your veterinarian (Advantage, Advantage Multi, Frontline, and Revolution are all good). Never use a cheap over the counter product like Hartz or Sergeant's or BioSpot. Many cats have died from these products! If your cat is kept all indoors and you don't have other pets, you won't need to treat monthly for fleas.
Grooming: Of course longhaired cats need more brushing and grooming than shorthaired. Many cats like to be brushed, and it provides an opportunity to bond with your cat. For those cats that don't like brushing, you can still pet them frequently and untangle knots in their fur with your fingers. Feel free to ask me about your particular cat and trimming nails. I try to do a little work with all the cats I rescue and most will at least tolerate their front nails being trimmed.
Toys: Cats love to play, so keep it fun and safe. Put any fishing pole or string toys up out of the cat's reach when you aren't there to supervise. Tragedies can happen if a cat swallows thread or string, or gets a fishing pole toy string wrapped around their neck. Balls and mice are great choices, even a crumpled up shopping receipt is great. And play with your cat; your cat loves to interact with you.
Scratching posts: I always recommend rope or sisal scratching posts rather than ones covered in carpet. Why try to explain to a cat that it's OK to scratch carpet that's up and down on a post but not flat on the floor? Easier to just say rope is good to scratch and carpet is not. Make sure the post is tall enough for the cat to really stretch out. The post should also be very sturdy and stable. Most cats won't use a scratching post that wobbles. For cats that like to scratch horizontally, there are good cardboard scratchers.
Vaccinations: Consult with your veterinarian on how best to maintain your cat's vaccinations. Most cats need a kitten series of vaccinations, boosters in a year, and then only every 3 years thereafter. Since your cat is kept indoors, feline leukemia isn't needed unless your cat will come in contact with indoor/outdoor cats.
Microchip: Be sure to keep your microchip registration up to date. If you move, notify the registry so they'll have your current address and phone. Let us know also, since we are the backup if you can't be reached
