Specific questions
- Our landlord wants it declawed. Out of the question, so we will need some kind of claw covers. Do we need to trim claws though?
- Even with claw covers, should we still have a scratching post?
- I have a lot of electronics (videogames, PC, audio equipment) with lots of wires around my living room. How should I go about cat proofing our place? Should I expect the cat to chew wires? (I need to know if I need to hide my expensive equipment haha)
Any other advice, such as checkups, training, etc. Please post. As I said, this is our first time getting a cat, and we would like to know what to expect to make sure our new kitty has a nice, loving home.
You should trim your cats claws at least every couple of months. They might freak out or they couldn't care less. Depends on the cat. My cat just lays there purring the whole time.
Claw covers suck. They're a PITA to get on, they break off/fall off pretty quickly (couple of weeks usually), and your cat will still scratch stuff occasionally anyway. I would suggest not even bothering and just fixing any minor damage the cat does to the actual property - it's mostly going to be the window sills.
You will definitely need a scratching post, regardless. You really want to encourage the cat to scratch his post(s) and not your furniture. I suggest getting at least two, one vertical standing and one horizontal. Depends on that cat, but my cat loves scratching certain types of fabric. There was this one rug that he just scratched the fuck out of no matter what we did, so we used that material to make his scratching post the next time around. Worked like a charm.
Most cats won't bother with cords as long as they have other toys to play with.
As for checkups, once your cat has his basic shots you don't need to do much if he's indoor only - and he should be.
Most shelter cats will already be litter trained, otherwise that's the only real training they need.
Most people have trouble with their first cat because they think it's a dog. It's more like a generally disgruntled roommate. You'll probably have a smoother experience if you treat it more like a person than a pet - as crazy as that sounds.
Also, you probably want a male cat first. Female cats are generally more moody. Male cats tend to be more outgoing and friendly.
You should get cat food (or make it yourself) that's almost entirely protein. Cats are obligate carnivores, unlike dogs. They don't really need anything but meat. I have to make our cat homemade food because he's allergic to most of the preservatives in nearly all packaged cat food and it's literally just supplements and chicken. Or turkey. Or, on rare occasions, fish. Wet food is generally better than dry - but usually more expensive. Cats who eat mostly or exclusively dry food tend to have a lot of kidney problems later in life because they aren't getting enough water from just drinking.
Also, do not give your cat milk. It's not actually good for them and a lot of cats are lactose intolerant anyway. Best case, it's empty calories. Worst case, they puke on your carpet.
