Bath Time: Cats groom themselves on a regular basis; you shouldn’t ever need to bath them.  If you do find yourself in a situation where the cat needs to be bathed, only use a shampoo that has been approved for use on your cat.  Do not bath them too often, as it removes their natural oils.

Brush your cat: Most cats love to be brushed.  It’s an excellent way to connect with your cat, it helps to reduce the amount of hair they ingest and they love the interaction and affection with you. They love to be brushed! 

Nails: You will need to clip the ends of their nails about once a month, just the tips, if not they can curl under and hurt the cat.  Some need this more than others.  If you are unable to do it yourself have your Veterinarian or pet groomer do it for you. This also will reduce their urge to scratch the couch.

Never de-claw (Mutilate) your cat

Cats scratch; they have claws, if this isn’t something you can tolerate than maybe a different kind of pet is best for your needs or situation. 

Cats naturally need to sharpen their claws.  They like a loopy fabric or wood.  Make sure you have something available for them to sharpen their claws on.  I have found that even a woven rug or a cat scratching post.  Outside, I have a large piece of drift wood they love to scratch. They do like to have a piece of furniture to call their own, so provide them with it.  Never de-claw a cat; it is mutilation, extremely painful and totally unnecessary. 

    Bathing & Grooming: www.petplanet.com

    Grooming:  www.pets.ca/pettips

  Stray Pet Advocacy: www.straypetadvocacy.org

  De-clawing:  http://www.avar.org

  De-clawing:    http://amby.com/cat_site/declaw.html