Everyday cat care

The basics that keep cats healthy, and the signs that mean you should not wait.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Vet check-ups

See a vet at least once a year for a health check, weight and teeth examination, and to review vaccines, parasite control and diet. Older cats and cats with FIV or FeLV benefit from check-ups about every 6 months.
Neutering (spaying or castration) reduces roaming, fighting and unwanted litters, and so lowers the risk of infections such as FIV.
Microchip your cat and keep your contact details up to date.
Weigh your cat regularly. Unexplained weight loss is an early warning sign for many diseases.
Keep a note of vaccine dates and test results; they are useful when boarding or changing vet.

Nutrition

Cats are obligate carnivores. Feed a good-quality commercial diet labelled "complete" for the cat's life stage; balanced home-prepared diets are very difficult to get right. Vegetarian and vegan diets are not recommended.
Wet food, dry food or a mixture can all work. Wet food is lower in calories and may help overweight cats and those prone to urinary problems or constipation. Dry food is more energy-dense, so weigh portions.
Offer small, frequent meals, and use puzzle feeders where possible. Keep bowls away from litter trays, and give each cat its own feeding place if they do not get along.
Treats should be no more than about 10 percent of the daily food.
Always provide fresh water. Many cats drink more from wide, shallow bowls or a fountain.
Change foods gradually over several days.
Avoid raw meat, raw eggs and unpasteurised dairy, particularly for kittens and cats with FIV or FeLV, because of infection risk.
Obesity is common and shortens life. Ask your vet to help set a target weight.

Indoor and outdoor life

Indoor-only cats avoid traffic, fights, parasites and most infectious disease. They need a stimulating home: scratching posts, climbing places, window perches, daily play and hiding places.
Cats with outdoor access face higher risks, including accidents, fights, FIV, FeLV, parasites and toxins. If they go out, keep vaccines and parasite control current and have them neutered.
Secure garden enclosures, "catios" and lead walking can give safe outdoor time, which is especially useful for FIV and FeLV-positive cats.
Whether to allow outdoor access depends on local roads, wildlife and your cat's temperament; discuss it with your vet.

Parasite control

Fleas, ticks, ear mites and worms (roundworm and tapeworm) are the main parasites. Even indoor cats can get them, because parasites arrive on shoes, clothing or other pets.
Fleas can cause itching and skin disease and, in kittens, anaemia. Cats can get tapeworm from swallowing fleas while grooming, so treat fleas and worms together.
Use products licensed for cats, at the dose for your cat's weight, and ask your vet how often to apply them. Treat other pets in the house too. Flea eggs live in bedding and carpets, so treat the home environment as well.
Never use dog flea products on cats. Some contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats.
Remove ticks carefully so the mouthparts are not left in the skin.

Stress reduction

Chronic stress is linked to behaviour problems and to illness such as cystitis, and it can trigger reactivation of herpesvirus and, in regressively infected cats, of FeLV.

Resources: offer one litter tray per cat plus one extra, in separate quiet places, away from food, windows and noisy appliances. Provide several beds, scratching posts and high perches so cats do not need to compete.
Scoop trays at least twice a day. Most cats prefer fine, unscented litter.
Keep routines predictable and introduce changes (new cats, house moves, a new baby) gradually.
Let cats hide. A box or covered bed is a refuge.
Play daily with a wand toy, and give opportunities to hunt, climb and watch.
Toileting outside the tray is a sign that something is wrong, either medical or emotional. Do not punish; see a vet.

Household hazards

Lilies (Lilium and daylily Hemerocallis) are extremely dangerous. Even small amounts, including pollen groomed from the coat or water in the vase, can cause fatal kidney failure within days. Seek immediate veterinary help after any contact.
Human painkillers such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen are toxic to cats. Never give them.
Permethrin dog flea treatments (see above), antifreeze, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, and chocolate are hazardous.
Keep string, hair ties and tinsel out of reach, because swallowed thread-like objects can cause serious intestinal injury.
Secure windows and balconies.

Signs that need a vet urgently

Cats hide illness, so a change from normal behaviour is meaningful. Contact a vet the same day, or go to an emergency clinic, if you see:

Difficulty breathing, open-mouth breathing, panting, or an outstretched head and neck.
Straining in the litter tray with little or no urine produced, or frequent unproductive trips. Lack of urination is life-threatening, particularly in male cats.
Not eating for 24 hours or more (risk of fatty liver disease), or reduced appetite for three days.
Repeated vomiting, especially with blood, foamy fluid or bile, or bloody or persistent diarrhoea, particularly in kittens.
Collapse, seizures, sudden loss of use of the back legs, or sudden severe weakness.
Pale, yellow or bluish gums, skin or eyes.
Eye changes: squinting, a visible third eyelid, unequal pupils, coloured discharge, or sudden blindness.
Known or suspected poisoning (lilies, painkillers, dog flea treatments): ring a vet immediately; do not wait for signs.
Trauma such as a road accident, even if the cat seems fine.
A swollen abdomen, or a high fever with lethargy, particularly in a young cat.
A cat with FIV or FeLV that shows any of the above, or any prolonged sneezing, mouth pain, or weight loss.

If in doubt, phone your vet. Describing the signs by phone costs nothing, and delays can be costly.

Sources

Last reviewed: October 2026. Guidance changes; check the sources and ask your vet for the current position.