10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting a Cat

[@whiteknightcat]

Dr Wooten does not look like a small animal veterinarian to me at all. She looks perfectly normal sized.

[@bobbyugi]

I think she’s a pretty big animal vet.

[@danielbonaparte8420]

Lol 😂

[@henny6566]

Are you calling her fat?

[@whiteknightcat]

@@henny6566 Read my second sentence again ... slowly.

[@henny6566]

@@whiteknightcat Don't call her fat.

[@Emma-wc5ks]

I can't stress the 'no low maintenance' enough! when caring for cats properly, it is so so much work but also the most rewarding thing you can do. my boys are my entire life ❤

[@Dr.Pepper001]

I would add a number 11. Be prepared to experience lots of joy and love.

[@gosman949]

All of the above and number 12: a burden when they get old, but our duty to keep them feeling comfortable.

[@Reny2701]

@@gosman949very animal and human who gets old is a burden on someone.

[@gosman949]

@@Reny2701 I'm 75 and trying not to be a burden on anyone.

[@judithpearson3968]

I have 3 cats, 1male 4 yr old Ragdoll, 1 female 6 yr old Ragdoll, and 1 16 mo old female Maine Coon. Cats need to be spayed or neutered. Female cat spaying costs more and require more recovery time than neutering male cats. All cats need to be brushed. Even shorthaired cats can mat. Long haired cats need to be brushed at least every other day, some every day. You need to purchase brushes and/or combs. You need to spend the time brushing them and vacuuming the carpet unless you want to be inundated with cat hair. We have 3 cat trees. All are in front of a window or a patio door. We have a 6 1/2 ft, 5 1/2 ft and about 4 1/2 ft. The one thing we don't have is a catio but we're working on that. Each cat you add involves more money and more time investment. We have 3 happy and spoiled kitties.

[@BoringTroublemaker]

I’ve had multiple long haired cats, none of whom needed regular brushing except when they were shedding their winter coats or when they got so old they could no longer groom themselves effectively. What ALL cats need daily is to have their teeth brushed. Not doing this will result in painful dental disease which can lead to heart disease and costly dental treatment. This is something that isn’t talked about often enough. When prioritizing grooming time, dental care is far more important than daily brushing than coat brushing unless your cat isn’t capable of grooming themselves.

[@albeeinla]

I really appreciate this. Without having to sound like a downer, I do think people embark a journey when they have to say goodbye. I don't think there's anything in this world that can really prepare a person for that type loss but I think they should know that there are support groups out there because this is a very difficult journey.

[@gosman949]

I love your number 10 item. Be prepared for vet expenses and the care of sick cats! We all love our cats when they are young and healthy. But when they become seniors, they need care just like us human seniors. I see so many people with no money and 4 dogs and 3 cats. They continue to put down each pet when they get too expensive. So sad!

[@hayaq9991]

My cat loves chicken broth.. 4 cups of water for a chicken thigh/chicken liver and or gizzard.. then freeze it in cube and then zap in the microwave when need it

[@christinad.7947]

I definitely recommend pet insurance. When faced with huge vet bills, having that insurance reduces the stress the pet owner experiences. It's worth it to be able to say to the vet to go ahead and do whatever it takes to keep the animal comfortable and improve the prognosis.

[@fox39forever]

Save on vet bills by NOT taking cats to the vet, unless they need to have a broken bone set, or something. Pharma is just as bad for cats, as it is for us!

[@sheriedwards8270]

Purring is beneficial to your health

[@thepuzzledgoddess]

Thank you so much for this information. It’s a great list. The addition I would add is that some cats are very vocal and some. For some reason, none of my cats were crying all the time and at my feet and in my way in the kitchen, but friends of mine had cats and half cats that wrap themselves around their legs every morning and cry constantly, and it bothers them, although they love them and have kept them. Please keep in mind if you are someone who doesn’t like that or you’re someone who’s going to move a lot and you like travelling as a lifestyle because that stresses cats out. I’ve benefitted so much from getting pet insurance. They have more than one tier as you’ve mentioned. My yearly visits & food were not covered, but 80% of all bills were. As it turned out, I had a type one diabetic cat I rescued and I had after her a healthy cat that then had seizures. This helped me to get the necessary medication and diagnostic tests, etc. that became necessary. I don’t regret adopting and I highly recommend adopting cats especially because their euthanasia rate is preventable. The minority are euthanized because of disease. Consider Adopt don’t shop please.

[@Momma_AL]

I cannot emphasize the vet bills enough. And don’t think it’s only older cats that can have expensive vet bills. I have 2 cats both 4yo and when they get sick or need surgery (and it happens!) it can be thousands of dollars.

[@NightmareRex6]

sad we live in a hellish system where one, weather human or animal is left to die becuase not enugh fake rothschild federal reserve notes (money) peaople truly DO worship the god of this world (mammon) and this inclides most "christains" or other "spritial" peaople.

[@jezabell]

This is true, I recommend getting pet insurance.

[@anjinsanx44]

Only in usa in 3rd world people do shit no shots no nothing for them no nothing

[@anjinsanx44]

​@@jezabellpet insurance ! U must be in usa...nobody can imagine that in asia or ph

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Something else i think is that each cat is different. Don't expect the same behaviour, for example lap sitting, with different cats.

[@leeannlowery5064]

Dr Wooten, if you have already done this video, please link it for me. I am interested in the chronological milestones for a kitten (and for a cat if applicable). How old should they be before adopting/buying? What and how much should they have for food food at each size or age? When should they be using the litter box? When should you start training for harness and leash and how old before going outside? A video of what to expect or do from your first day with a kitten. Hope that makes sense.

[@jessicasmith4388]

I have 2 cats both are the same age, I seem to be their favorite person. When awake I get very little peace, my peace comes when they are napping. One cat is at their proper weight the other cat's nickname is Garfield because he will eat anything which most likely he is over weight.

[@jerzcnate]

I love Dogs I Adore Cats. You can train your cat as Doc calls it a routine.

[@catherinekuhle1859]

Just a reminder to if you want to leash train your cat, you need to get a harness you should never walk your cat by a collar and leash. You need a harness. !!!

[@fox39forever]

DON'T put them on a leash or harness or anything like that. Only have a cat, if you have a garden, and let them go where THEY want to, just like we do!

[@Kwood10]

Yes in addition to outdoor dangers coyotes , raccoons , owls & eagles get cats . An owl snatched my 11 yr old cat right off my front porch 😢 predators are out there watching & waiting & they are sneaky & fast !!!

[@johnb6723]

Where I live, the UK, de-clawing is illegal.

[@fox39forever]

And quite right too, as de-clawing a cat is a mutilating and disabling and extremely cruel operation. Americans don't realise it, but their culture is very violent.

[@catherinekuhle1859]

My cat only gets wet food now she was consistently on dry food for almost the first two years. She’s now two years old and it’s will be one month with no dry at the end of July. Dry food can cause dental issues. She only gets single ingredient, chicken freeze dried treats and other single ingredient, Treats.

[@pringlized]

I'm adopting. they show up tomorrow. I so excited

[@kirbysleeping34]

GREAT INFORMATION!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@marciaschonke5385]

Thank you, very helpful! We have a cat for the first time.

[@phillialevine]

Perhaps stupid question, but in the wild they wouldn’t have a routine regarding food because the hunt rate is different right, why would they feel safe by routine?

[@EricJW]

Not sure if there's a better answer, but imagine being primitive man, not knowing when your next meal will be. Now, compare that to living in an environment with the reassurance of reliable breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't think it's really any different for cats or most other animals.

[@pepperonigorlpointblankper4178]

How a wild animals lives isn't always the best way. Wild animals rarely die of old age

[@Cykyn]

Infedal comes to jobsites with me, when able, and one home she found a small marble. Everything was ok till I see her pick it up and carry it in her mouth, so I had to take it away........then I bought a bag of big marbles 😆 and the fun began.

[@bohemianwriter1]

As a 1st time cat daddy, I'm just checking on the list over things I wish I knew BEFORE I adopted my fur baby Maia almost 2 years ago. Right now, she's not a fan of the least, after she managed to escape the harness while going for a walk last August. I have managed to get her used to the harness again, she's just skittish of the "scary outdoors" since her 6 night adventure in the nearby park last year. Now, she has just as an important task: To be my emotional support kittie and therapy cat. Got injuries from several years ago which makes it hard to walk, or even stand for longer periods of time. That's why I'm not outside much anymore. Knees, ribcage, and shoulderblades. I'm just curious as to how much of this my beloved Maia picks up on these things. If I was in a better shape, she'd be with me to work every day, which is on the outside, and I am my own boss... I keep "talking" to her about it from heart to heart, mind to mind..

[@dietschegroosmame3596]

Yes take the best possible care of your pets, vet care when needed. Please stop over vaccination.

[@bikeman123]

9:28 Ah insurance... funny how services always get so much more expensive when insurance is involved. "Have you got insurance? Great we will double our bill"

[@brigitas9176]

I'm looking for help finding the best affordable wet cat food for urinary care, or a recipe to make it myself. I can't afford to buy prescription food, especially after my cat's recent hospital stay and the hefty hospital bill. I used to make his food before he got sick.

[@milenarudnickyte2545]

This helped me so much!!

[@j.a.velarde5901]

#Cats - Is it okay for me to wet my cat's dry food? As in sprinkle water on it before i feed my cats? -- I live in a South American country with very little resources... there are no wet cat foods here...

[@medicinal_pothead]

yes you can do this

[@j.a.velarde5901]

@@medicinal_pothead Thanks. I hope the cats won't mind.

[@OneLove92626]

Some chicken broth or beef broth would also be a good option just make sure it’s plain broth nothing added.

[@medicinal_pothead]

@@j.a.velarde5901 i usually add water

[@TeresaSvk]

We used to have kittens when i was a child at home...now i really want a cat, but i work on 3shifts, which would be very stresfull for them, so i cant have a cat now :(

[@thepuzzledgoddess]

I feel this. After I had to say goodbye to my 17-year-old cat in 2014 I planned after grieving to rescue siblings so that they wouldn’t be separated. as the years went by, I didn’t and that’s not like me. I had a feeling I should wait and I didn’t know why, but I trust my gut. as it turns out I’m very sick and if I had adopted them as I planned, I don’t know who would’ve taken them because there’s nobody in my life who are cat people like myself. When I got sick, many people told me how beneficial it would be for me to have a pet and that was during the pandemic. I couldn’t be selfish. I think I’m in my final year or less at this point. And as hard as it is not to nurture and love and rescue more cats, it’s the right thing to do. 😢 I’ve been rescuing cats since I was seven years old and my first one helped save me while my father was dying. ❤ I’ve never not rescued one two cats and I agree with everything in this video about how expensive they are and how amazing they are. I would strongly recommend to add to this video adopting cats instead of letting them be euthanized. There are so many unnecessary preventable euthanasia where the cat is not ill and there is just nobody to adopt them ❤ thank you for considering

[@TeresaSvk]

@@thepuzzledgoddess im so sorry for what you are going through. I cant imagjne...:'( do you have ppl in your life that you can count on?

[@TheDreamtimezzz]

Dwaaaaa kitties!!! ❤

[@Moosebobadoug]

❤❤

[@efuass]

Why not all wet food? I don't see any advantage of them needing dry food from all the yrs of research I've read.

[@gosman949]

it is called variety!

[@EricJW]

Yeah, I wish she had said something about going wet food only, but I think the intended audience is the vast majority of owners that go dry food only because it's much cheaper. As for any reasons to not go wet food only, you want cats to have at least a little dry food so the mechanical action cleans their teeth, but there are dental treats you can use for that instead of kibble.

[@efuass]

@@EricJW unfortunately dry food to help with cleaning teeth is a myth. I've heard several vets says this. Only way to help is really brushing.

[@efuass]

@@gosman949 bad idea. dry food has too many carbs as cats should really NOT be eating them. They can eventually get diabetes along with other health problems.

[@EricJW]

@@efuass That's what I thought too, but I happened to find a good video explaining why it's not a myth, at least some of the time. Most dry food does not accomplish any cleaning because the bits are too small and fracture immediately. You need the bigger chunks that stay intact as the teeth sink in for them to accomplish any scrubbing.

[@thenorthernspinozist397]

Kibble is pure carbohydrates. My cat craves it. I am stopping it because of this.

[@danielbonaparte8420]

Whar happened to Mallory?

[@lauraineharrison6272]

To start brushing the cats teeth when young so its part of their routine everyday

[@NightmareRex6]

how dose one get calories of the food on pets? becuase most the time dont see anything about that on package.

[@amicaaranearum]

All of the cat food we’ve bought has calories printed on the packaging. (It may say “kcal” instead of “calories.”)

[@leepfrog7405]

It is usually in one of two places on the package/can. At the bottom of the label under the ingredients list or at the end of the ingredients list. It will most often say kcal per can/ounce. Given how small the wording is, putting your phone on camera mode can help you read the label.

[@reneeachee-wallace1875]

walk on leash needs to be harness not leash and neck collar.

[@courtneys.lipglossxx]

im getting a cat in 5 months will update soon…

[@texasskygirl7890]

WHERE IS MALLORY KRUSTA. CAN WE GET AN UPDATE, PLEASE.

[@texasskygirl7890]

@@HighlyVolkish Thank you! I loved her and her cats. I wish her all the best. She is pretty much the reason why I watch this channel. I don't watch it so much anymore.

[@judywalker926]

If you give your cat water away from their food they will be more likely to drink. Even without a water fountain.

[@fox39forever]

It's utterly cruel and completely wrong to keep a cat indoors, which amounts to life-imprisonment. To say that "the outside world is full of danger and germs" is laughable; one could just as easily say this to an adult man or woman! No-one, be they man, woman or beast, should be on permanent lockdown. It's preposterous to put a cat on a leash and totally unnecessary. Only have a cat if you have a garden and let the cat go where he or she wants to.

[@Grazie7]

Doesn’t it depend on the breed? Some cats are very indoor, like Scottish folds and ragdolls.

[@rodgerrodger1839]

The bottom line is...Cats are not here for our amusement. No pet is. Try using common sense with your cat. Do not dress them up like a toy. Try to get two. They will keep each other company if you have to leave them to go to work. Don't ever never, EVER NEVER leave any pet with a bowl of crunches and a bowl of water, then split for the weekend. That's beyond cruel and stooooopid. Cats are smarter than you think. They can suffer depression and loss, much like us humans. We watched our poor Spencer walk through the house, wailing looking for his surrogate dad Rebar after we had to put him to sleep. He had thrown a blood clot. Spencer was heartbroken just like us. It was the saddest thing I've ever witnessed in my life. Go to a shelter to get a kitten or cats that were surrendered. They will be forever grateful for another chance at life and love. Get them fixed as soon as possible if they are not already. Show them love. They will give you endless love in return. Cats will defend you like a dog would. Cats are amazing creatures with almost magical gifts. My wife and I have been trapping, spaying, and neutering feral and dumped cats for ten years. We also look after colonies of feral cats. All of our cats were kittens trapped by us. One was a kitten that was tossed out at a Wendy's drive through by some shitty little young adults. Obviously, they were Reichwing Republicans and supported the Marmalade Hellbeast. Monster's just like him. Maddy is fine and living the best life now. She's asleep in front of her humidifier. It's very hot here. She's six years old.

[@gosman949]

us Republicans like cats too! hahaha

[@lynnle54]

Really!! Is it necessary, Dem!