More information on your cat's basic needs

Somewhere safe to hide to take time out from people and other cats.This could be under a bed or inside a wardrobe for example.Different options of litter trays, places to eat and drink, high perches, scratching posts, beds and toys.These need to be distributed around the home, not all positioned in the same area. Your cat will need at least one of everything, ideally two litter trays. If you have more than one cat, then a suggested number would be one per cat plus one extra (e.g. a 2-cat household needs 3 of everything). This reduces the need to compete.The opportunity to play and behave like a predator.Chasing small moving things is fun for your cat, as well as being good exercise and important for your cat’s overall health and wellbeing so they should have the opportunity to play every day.Consistent behaviour from people.You and your family need to behave in a predictable way so that your cat feels safe around you. If you suddenly become angry with your cat this will stress them out.The smell of familiar surroundings.Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell and they can be easily distressed by strong, unfamiliar odours in the home. We can even bring challenging smells into the home on our shoes. If your cat is becoming sensitive to change in the home or strange smells, then it may be helpful to remove any new plug-in air fresheners or scented candles and take your shoes off before you come indoors so that your cat is surrounded by familiar and predictable smells.

Read our tips on helping your cat drink more water

Make sure water is provided away from the feeding area, as cats would not naturally eat and drink in the same place.Provide a selection of water containers throughout your home to give your cat choice.The type of bowl may influence your cat’s drinking habits. Plastic may taint the flavour of the water so stainless steel, ceramic or glass tend to be better.Cats like to drink without lowering their head into a bowl so make sure to fill any bowls to the top.Place bowls away from the wall so that your cat can choose to face any direction when they drink.Large diameter bowls are often preferred so that cats’ whiskers do not touch the sides.Safely-flavoured water may attract your cat. Try adding a spoonful of the natural juices from roast chicken to the water, diluting lactose-free cat milk or using the water from tinned tuna stored in spring water.You can add additional water to wet or dry food if your cat will tolerate it and still eat.Running water can attract cats to drink so experiment with a pet drinking fountain.