Your responsible cat owner checklist 

Owning a cat comes with a set of big responsibilities. Follow this quick checklist to make sure your feline friend lives their fanciest life by your side

Fix your finances

Before you commit to adopting a cat, make sure you can afford it. We estimate that, at a minimum, it costs around $880 per year to care for your cat—that’s not even including the upfront costs such as adoption fee, carrier, bed and scratching post.

Unexpected vet visits, the ongoing expense of food, vaccinations and grooming are examples of ongoing costs you’ll be responsible for.

Get the right food

While wet food is tasty as a treat, we recommend trying to feed your cat dry food to help their teeth. Kittens need to be fed kitten food until they stop growing and reach adult size (around six months old). After that age, they can be fed adult cat food.

Talk to your veterinarian about giving your cat a raw chicken wing once a week to help with their teeth and gums.

Make sure they have water

Always make sure cats have access to fresh, clean water. To make the prospect of drinking more appealing, there are special water fountains at pet supply stores you can purchase.

Cats can only drink special kitten or cat milk from pet supply stores or supermarkets – don’t give them cow’s milk!

Keep them safe at home

It’s best to keep cats safe on your property, entertaining and exercising them with toys, scratching posts and access to outdoor enclosures. If cats are let outside, they must be supervised at all times and brought indoors at night. This is to stop them hunting our native wildlife and avoid being run over by cars.

Brush them

Even though cats lick their fur to groom themselves, they should still be brushed every day. This is especially important for long-haired cats.

Change their litter every day

Cats are very clean animals so they need to be provided with a litter tray and kitty litter for their toileting. Make sure each cat has their own litter tray and the kitty litter is changed every day.

Visit the veterinarian for regular check ups

Cats need a health check and vaccinations every year. You’ll also need to protect your cat from fleas by using a cat treatment from the local veterinarian, which is normally a dose of liquid that is squeezed onto the cat’s neck every month.

When a cat or kitten is quieter than normal, eating or drinking differently or their poo or wee is different, they should be taken to a veterinarian to be checked out.

Provide enrichment

Cats should have toys that will make them use their brain and give them exercise. Balls with bells, scratching posts and table water fountains are fascinating to cats and can keep them entertained.

For more information about cats and kittens, visit kb.rspca.org.au/34/.