[New Cat Owner Guide] Preparation, health checks and cat insurance guide

Cats are adorable and full of character, easily winning hearts and making people willing to become devoted cat owners. However, to truly become a cat owner, there are many things to prepare in advance, such as getting cat supplies ready, adjusting your home layout, arranging a health check-up and purchasing cat insurance. This time, 10Life has compiled the essentials for first-time cat owners, including pre-adoption preparations, shopping considerations and insurance comparisons, to help everyone become a responsible cat owner.

Cat food

Food is a cat’s staple diet. Owners may choose suitable food according to the cat’s age, such as dry food or wet food, and adjust it based on the cat’s preference. A kitten’s diet should be high in nutrition, easy to digest and mild in flavour. You may choose canned food with smaller kibble or a mousse texture. If you later decide to make dry food the main diet, you should also include an appropriate amount of wet food (canned food) to ensure the cat takes in enough water.

Cat bowls

Many first-time cat owners use bowls already at home for their cats, but this is not suitable. The depth and width of bowls designed for human use do not suit a cat’s eating habits, so it is necessary to buy dedicated cat bowls of an appropriate size, and prepare at least two bowls for food and water.

Litter tray and cat litter

A litter tray is where a cat goes to the toilet. Litter trays come in double-layer and single-layer designs, and owners can choose one that suits their budget. Cat litter also comes in many types, mainly the following:

1. Mineral litter (clay litter): the most common type of cat litter, with good absorbency and clumping ability, making it easy to clean, but it produces more dust.

2. Tofu litter: made from ground beans, it has the advantages of mineral litter, is lighter, can be flushed directly into the toilet, and produces less dust.

3. Wood pellet litter: made from compressed wood pellets, it is natural and environmentally friendly, with good absorbency and deodorising performance, but it may have dust issues.

4. Paper litter: made from recycled paper, it is environmentally friendly and highly absorbent, but its clumping and absorbency are relatively poor, and it may be more likely to smell.

Owners can choose suitable cat litter based on their cat’s preferences and their own needs.

Cat bed

Cats need plenty of sleep, so a safe and comfortable sleeping space is essential. When choosing a cat bed, select one that can accommodate the cat’s body, is made of soft material, and is easy to clean.

Cat tree

Cats like to jump to high places, so a cat tree can provide them with ample activity space. When choosing a cat tree, try to select one that is at least 160 cm tall to ensure the cat has sufficient vertical space to move around. In addition, a cat tree with multiple platforms and hiding spaces is also a good choice.

Scratching board

Cats have a natural instinct to scratch. If they do not have suitable scratching equipment, they may turn the sofa or curtains into scratching posts. To protect your beloved furniture, you should buy a dedicated scratching board or scratching post for cats.

Carrier / cat bag

Although cats are not as active as dogs and do not need to go out every day, a cat that has just come home needs to visit the vet regularly for health check-ups and vaccinations. A carrier or cat bag can protect the cat when going out and prevent it from getting lost. Carriers and cat bags come in a wide variety of designs and materials, each with its own pros and cons. When choosing one, owners can first consider factors such as the product’s entrance design, sturdiness, comfort, and ease of cleaning, in order to select a suitable carrier or cat bag for their cat. 

Cat nail clippers

A cat’s claws are sharp, and claws that are too long may scratch people or damage furniture when playing or scratching, and may even grow into the paw pads and affect walking. However, as a cat’s claws are crescent-shaped, human nail clippers are not suitable. Therefore, buying a dedicated pair of cat nail clippers allows you to trim your cat’s claws regularly.

Replacing curtains, sofas and other furniture and fittings

Cats like climbing curtains, and silk, gauze or ordinary fabric curtains are easily scratched. You may replace them with PVC or cat-scratch fabric materials, or choose roller blinds to prevent cats from scratching them and falling and injuring themselves. Leather and fabric sofas are very easily used by cats as scratching boards; you may wish to choose cat-scratch fabric materials designed specifically for cats, as well as sofas with waterproof features, to prevent cat claws from penetrating and to avoid the sofa being scratched by cats.

Installing cat netting

Tragedies involving cats falling from height happen frequently. Installing cat netting can prevent cats from jumping out of windows and help protect their safety. Cat netting with a high mesh density can also be used as insect netting, blocking small insects from entering the home. Although cat netting looks similar to insect netting, insect netting is generally made of fibreglass mesh and is easily scratched through, so it is not suitable for use as cat netting. Some owners buy grid mesh to make their own cat netting, but they must note that the mesh openings must not be wide enough for a cat’s head to pass through. 

Keep the environment and items clean

Kittens have weaker immunity and a strong sense of curiosity, and like to explore and lick things everywhere. Therefore, keeping the environment and items clean can prevent kittens from accidentally swallowing foreign objects and avoid bacterial infection.

Separate the litter tray, food bowl and water bowl

The litter tray should be placed in a quiet location that is easy for cats to access, and kept away from the food bowl or the family’s main dining area. In addition, cats tend to prefer water sources that are far from food, so the food bowl and water bowl should be placed separately to encourage cats to drink water voluntarily.

Provide enough space for cats with 4 zones

Cats are animals that place great importance on territory. Even kittens will divide their living space into different areas. To help cats adapt quickly to a new home and reduce anxiety, you can divide the space into four main zones: the feeding area, resting area, cleaning area and play area, so as to meet the cats’ needs.

Health check-ups + deworming + vaccination

After your cat has settled into its new home, you can take it for a health check-up and deworming to detect any potential health issues early. Although Hong Kong law does not require cats to be vaccinated or microchipped, it is still advisable to vaccinate them for their health. Common cat vaccines on the market include the “three-in-one” vaccine, which protects against feline panleukopenia, feline viral rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus infection, as well as the “five-in-one” vaccine, which additionally protects against feline leukaemia and feline chlamydiosis, a zoonotic disease. Generally speaking, kittens should start their vaccinations from 8 weeks of age and continue until around 16 weeks of age; you can discuss the details with your veterinarian. In addition, having your cat neutered or spayed in a timely manner can help reduce overpopulation while also supporting good health.

Observe your cat’s emotional responses

Cats may feel anxious and uneasy in an unfamiliar environment, so owners should observe their emotional responses closely and provide appropriate reassurance. You can prepare some familiar toys or a blanket for your cat, offer a safe hiding place, and keep the environment as quiet as possible.

In Hong Kong, the cost of a cat’s health check varies from one veterinary clinic to another, and most clinics charge on a line-item basis rather than offering check-up packages. If it is a kitten in good health, the veterinarian will usually only carry out a basic examination, such as palpating the abdomen and visually checking whether deworming is needed (the basic consultation fee is generally included), as well as administering vaccinations. If any potential issues are found, further examinations will then be performed. The following are common examination items and fees:

The above fees are for reference only. For exact pricing details, please enquire with the veterinary clinic.

Note: Reference: Pet healthcare recommendation platform Moee moee.hk

In addition to everyday essentials, you should also consider your cat’s health, safety, and future medical cover. Veterinary consultation fees in Hong Kong are expensive, so purchasing pet insurance can not only protect your cat’s health, but also help owners share the burden of unexpected medical expenses, ensuring that cats can receive timely and appropriate treatment.

There is a wide range of pet insurance products in Hong Kong. If you want to buy insurance for your cat but are unsure which insurer to choose, 10Life, as Hong Kong’s insurance comparison platform, has introduced an actuarially designed rating system to fairly compare the details of different insurance products, enabling policyholders to choose the product that suits them best. To learn more about pet insurance, please refer to 10Life’s pet insurance comparison.

Source: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, moee.hk

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.