Great news - the time has finally come when you can welcome your new kitten into your home! Just like bringing home a new-born baby, you’ll want everything to be just right so that they’ll settle in quickly and feel right at home. Making the decision to get a kitten is incredibly exciting as not only will you be gaining a new furry friend, but you’ll also be getting an extra family member! Before bringing a kitten home, you’ll need to spend a bit of time preparing for them. That’s why we’ve created this guide to tell you everything you need to know about getting a new kitten, so you can welcome your new four-legged friend into a warm, friendly environment where they’ll feel safe, comfortable and right at home! Before your new kitten comes home Before bringing home a new kitten, there’s a bit of admin for you to do! Here are a few things to get sorted before they arrive: • If you don’t already have a vet, ask local cat owners to recommend one, and get your new kitten registered straight away. It’s much less stressful to know they’re on the books already, as you’ll need to take them for their kitten vaccinations and neutering. It’s also worth it for the peace of mind in case they’re ever unwell.

Spending lots of time indoors can get boring for all after a while, and that feeling extends to your pets too! That’s why we’ve put together this article to give you lots of handy tips for keeping your cat or dog entertained inside your home. When the whole family is cooped up inside for extended periods of time, you may find it difficult to come up with new activities for your family and pets. Fortunately, there are a number of enrichment activities you can set up indoors for both cats and dogs and some can even involve the kids. These activities can provide your pet with much-needed mental stimulation and help prevent boredom, which can lead to destructive behaviours if left unchecked. 1. Designated Together Time Transitioning to being home all day is a big change for everyone, including your pets. Try creating a new routine with designated time together each day. Try doing fifteen minutes at the same time every day for a week. Find a quiet space, and while giving your pet your undivided attention, pet them for the full fifteen minutes, adding in praise or telling them a story. Note how your pet reacts the first day compared to their reaction a week later. They may start seeking you out when it’s play time. If you both enjoyed this time together, continue as a daily activity, or change things up by keeping the same time but adding a new activity. 2. Movement Both dogs and cats find moving objects, lights and sounds entertaining. You can hang a bird feeder outside a window so your pet can watch. Light catchers, lasers, feather wands and cat dancer toys are popular with cats. You can even try creating your own as a family activity. Light catchers or wind catchers are easy for beginners. 3. Couch Potato Play Spending more time inside often means more time on the couch binge-watching a TV show. Your pet may enjoy curling up next to you for TV time, but you can also give them something to do without leaving the couch. We suggest keeping a basket or drawer of toys close by, such as stuffed animals, feather wands and tug-toys. Verbal encouragement is often enough for pets as they interact with a toy on their own. Provide words of praise, which can increase their excitement for the activity and extend play time.

When the weather gets warmer, your cat will probably want to drink more water. However, on occasion, if your cat is drinking a lot it may signal an underlying problem. Read on to find out about your cat’s water intake, and how to spot any problems. How much should cats drink? Every cat is different, and each one will drink different amounts depending on their lifestyle, health, and environmental factors. For example, a cat that lives inside a cool house may not drink quite as much as a very active cat who spends a lot of time outside. Your vet will be able to tell you roughly how much water your cat needs based on their diet, lifestyle, and physical health. Bear in mind that a lot of your cat’s water intake might come from their food. Wet cat food already contains some water, so a cat who has a wet food diet won’t need to drink as much as a cat who only eats dry food. Dry food contains very little water, so they need to make up for it by drinking enough. Your cat should instinctively know that they need more water and should drink enough to make up for it – after all, they feel thirst just like we do. There are plenty of other factors that will affect how much your cat drinks. Like us, they’ll drink more if it’s hot, or if they’ve been physically very active, so take these things into account. Signs of increased drinking It can be difficult to keep an eye on your cat’s water intake. After all, we can’t watch them every minute of the day, and if you have more than one cat it’s almost impossible to tell who is eating and drinking what! Rather than trying to measure how much liquid your cat drinks, look out for other signs that your cat is drinking a lot more than usual. The three main ones are: • Making more trips to the water bowl the usual. • Needing their water bowl refilled more often. • Drinking from unusual places, such as taps or ponds, if they haven’t before. Many cats do this anyway, so if it’s normal behaviour for your cat, don’t worry!

Cats are very curious creatures and if you have one in your home, you’ve probably become accustomed to them staring at you from time to time. If your kitty does this you’ll likely be wondering, “why does my cat stare at me?” Find out why with this article. If you have the honour of sharing your home with a feline, you’re probably no stranger to that “I’m being watched” feeling. Whether you’re making dinner, sitting on the sofa or just waking up in the morning, it’s common that you’ll find your kitty looking at you with their big, round eyes – but what is the reasoning to it? Is it just pure curiosity on their part? Or is it something more? We’ve put together this guide to tell you the possible reasons why your cat stares at you, keep reading to unlock the secrets of your pet’s behaviour. Why does my cat stare at me? There are actually a number of reasons why your cat may sit and stare at you. The top 3 most common ones are: 1. It’s feeding time The first and most obvious reason why your cat is staring at you is that they may be trying to convince you to feed them. If you find it’s around the time they’re usually tucking in and they’re staring at you with demanding eyes, it’s likely that they’re trying to use their best mind tricks to convince you to top up their food bowl. For added effect, they may also pair this stare with squeaks and meows to really get your attention! 2. Cats are curious creatures Cats are incredibly curious by nature and they always want to know what’s going on. It could be just that they’re observing you to see if you’re going to do anything interesting.

Have you ever asked ‘why does my cat lick me’? It’s a common question many cat owners have. The truth is there are a number of different reasons why your cat licks you – and many of them are to do with affection! Possible reasons why your cat licks you One reason your cat may lick you is because it’s a way of creating a social bond. From a young age a cat’s mother would not only lick them as a way of grooming them, but also to show affection. Cats then replicate this behaviour with you as a way of showing their own affection – it simply comes naturally. This licking behaviour is not just exclusive between pet and owner. Cats often lick other cats and even other animals to show their affection. Do keep an eye out, however, when your cat begins to lick other cats or other animals, as not all cats or animals like to be licked. In some cases some other cats or animals may retaliate or become anxious when a cat tries to lick them. Another reason your cat may lick you is because they are stressed or anxious. It is very common for cats and other animals to begin to lick things excessively if they are stressed. This can include licking you; if you think this may be the case it might be best to pay a visit to your local vet. If you think something has caused your cat to be stressed, try to identify the source of their worry in case you can remove it. Cats like to mark their territory so other cats and animals know what is theirs. If a cat sees you as theirs, they may begin to lick you to mark you as part of their territory. This is to let other cats know who you belong to. Whilst this type of behaviour is completely normal it could lead to problems in the house if you have more than one cat or pet, so watch out for territorial behaviour. Why it sometimes hurts when a cat licks you It can sometimes hurt when a cat licks you, especially if your cat does this excessively and in the same place. This is because of special back-facing barbs on your cat’s tongue called ‘papillae’. These barbs are made from the same material as your cat’s claws, which explains why their tongue feels like sandpaper. These barbs are important when your cat grooms themselves. The barbs help to remove dirt and debris from a cat’s coat. If the barbs weren’t sharp they would not be able to pick up this dirt and a cat would not be able to keep himself or herself as clean.

It's a common misconception that cats will only wag their tails when they're angry, but there's actually loads of reasons why they may do this. Find out everything you need to know about cat tail language in this article. A cat’s body language can often be hard to decipher. Cats are very complex and the way they tell you how they feel isn’t always obvious. It’s really easy to misread your cat’s behaviour, which can often result in being swatted away by an unhappy kitty when you go in for a pet at the wrong time. One thing in particular that can help you understand how your furry friend is feeling is their tail. Contrary to popular belief, a cat’s tail is actually really expressive and can give you an invaluable insight into if they’re feeling playful, happy or scared. Keep reading to discover the secrets behind cat tail language and discover more about your cat’s emotions. Why do cats wag their tails? Unlike dogs, cats often wag their tails when they are angry or upset, but it’s not always the case. Cat tail language is really sophisticated and can be an excellent indicator to your kitty’s emotions. By paying attention to the direction and speed of your cat’s wagging tail, as well as the rest of their body, you can usually get a good grasp as to how they’re feeling. See our list of possible explanations as to why your cat is wagging their tail.

Owners are constantly baffled when they buy their cat a cool new toy and they're much more interested in the box it came in! But why do cats love boxes so much? Keep reading to find out why. It’s a widely known fact that cats love boxes. To them, no toy in the world, no matter how expensive or fancy it may be, compares to a simple cardboard box. It’s a phenomenon that baffles most cat owners, especially when they’ve just purchased a great new bed or cool toy, and their cat seems to prefer the packaging it came in. In this article we explore why cats like boxes and tell you all about why they make the perfect snoozing and hunting ground for your cat. Why do cats like boxes? There are lots of reasons that cats love boxes, but the main one is because they’re confined, enclosed spaces. Cats are ambush predators and finding confined places where they can hide, hunt prey and feel safe and warm is an instinctive behaviour. Snug cardboard boxes fit the bill perfectly. Boxes are safe Cats get comfort and security from enclosed spaces, which is why they love spending time in cardboard boxes. Cats use boxes as hiding places where predators can’t sneak up on them from the side or behind. If your cat is in a box, any “intruders” like prey, humans or other pets have to come directly into their field of vision, meaning nothing can surprise them. And cats like boxes because they help to reduce stress and offer a safe zone where your cat can observe and not be seen. This is ideal for cats as their reaction to stressful situations is often to run and hide. Cats don’t have in-built conflict resolution strategies, so they much prefer to hide from their problems. The safety of the private, enclosed space is another possible answer to why do cats like boxes.

Cat kneading, also known as 'making biscuits' is an adorable behaviour, usually seen when they're having a good fuss! You may be wondering why they do this and want to discover the reasoning behind the behaviour, which is why we've put together this handy guide to tell you everything you need to know. Cat kneading is a common cat behaviour, often displayed as the rhythmic pushing of their paws in and out at alternating times. Many people think that it looks like they’re kneading dough, which is why it’s also adorably known as ‘making biscuits’. Cats love to do this on soft surfaces like cosy blankets, squishy cushions, or most commonly your lap when they’re having a good fuss! If you have a cat that does this, you may be wondering why do cats knead? Which is why we’ve put together this article so you can find out the truth behind your feline friend’s baking habits. What is cat kneading? Most cats will knead, but not all will do it in the same way. Where the motion of their paws usually remains the same, the accompanying actions may differ. Some will purr really loudly, where others may do it quietly, others may do it with just their front paws, whereas some will put their all into it and use all four. Most cats will at least display the classic making biscuits action. Additionally, whilst cats knead it’s not unusual for them to appear to be in a trance-like state and look almost glazed over. This just means that they’re completely relaxed.

Whiskers do a lot more than making your kitty look cute, they also serve many important purposes! From working as a built-in measuring tape to helping with their close up vision, your cat's whiskers are truly amazing! Your cat’s whiskers are an iconic part of their anatomy. Not only do they look incredibly cute and tickle us during the night, but they also have an important purpose. Serving as the ultimate sensory tool, their whiskers are nothing like hairs (although they might look like it) and are actually highly sensitive. You may be wondering why do cats have whiskers and want to find out more about your fuzzy friend’s built-in radar system. Keep reading to discover everything about whiskers, from how they work to how they help cats navigate in the dark! Why do cats have whiskers? Your cat’s whiskers are truly multifunctional, but their most important purpose is as a sensory tool. The official title for them is vibrissae, which comes from Latin ‘vibrio’ and means ‘to vibrate’. The hair follicle of your cat’s whiskers is loaded with nerves, and the whisker tip features a sensory organ known as a proprioceptor. Together, this makes them incredibly sensitive to vibrations and changes in their environment, so cats use them like an additional sense to understand the world. Additionally, whiskers are also much more deeply embedded in their body than normal fur hair, as they’re connected to the muscular and nervous system. This enables whiskers to send sensory messages to the brain about your cat’s surroundings, which is what makes them such savvy explorers! We think cat’s whiskers are, well, the cat’s whiskers. Which is why we’ve put together our top 10 facts to tell you everything you need to know about your clever cat’s face fuzz:

Cats and water don’t mix, or at least that’s how the old saying goes. But what is it about this banal liquid that makes them lose their mind as captured by so many “cats vs bathtubs” videos on the Internet? And do all cats hate water? Find out here. Our feline friends have mysterious ways that keep us guessing about plenty of things, but one of the most enduring conundrums has to do with a pretty basic element: water. Why do cats hate water? And how come they love the water dripping from a tap, but will fight teeth and claws if they come close to a bathtub full of water? We’ll probably never know for sure, but experts have a few ideas that can help baffled cat owners understand their pet’s behaviour a bit better. Why do cats hate water? Cats are fine with water to drink, but if it gets near their fur water can instantly turn a happy cat into a miniature lion. Here are some of the causes that help explain why.