By taking care of essentials — food, water, safe shelter, veterinary care, a clean litter box and love — you’ll develop a rewarding relationship with your cat.

Here are some cat care tips from the Humane Society of the United States:

•  For safety, keep cats indoors.  If  she is  declawed  she can not protect herself outside.

•  Cats like to climb in drawers, closets and cupboards. Check inside before closing. Keep washer and dryer doors closed.  Remember, it’s great fun and good exercise for your cat to play.

•  Put an identification tag on your pet. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance the cat may slip out the door.

•  Take the cat to the veterinarian for regular check-ups.  If you are not happy with the vet, for any reason,  find a new one. Don’t forget to get a copy of all the cat  health history records from the vet and bring it to the new one.

•  Spay or neuter your cat. This will keep him healthier and help reduce the number of cats put down every year because of cat overpopulation.

•  Feed cats a nutritionally balanced diet.  It’s fine to feed your kitten a few treats. However, treats should make up no more than five percent of your kitten’s daily nutrient intake, and the rest of his/her diet should come from a high-quality kitten food.  Before you buy cat food learn  What to look for on the label

• Compliance with AAFCO’s requirements for “Complete and Balanced,” as evidenced by that wording on the label.
• Named protein source – look for “chicken, lamb, or beef,” rather than “meat.”
• On canned food particularly, the protein source should be the first listed ingredient
• Check the expiration date for freshness

What to avoid

• Words such as “By-products,” “meat and/or bone meal,” “animal digest,” most other descriptions including “digest” or “meal,” and added sugars.
• Chemical preservatives, including BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate
• Corn meal as a filler
• Excess of carbohydrate “fillers” (Dry food can contain as much as 50 percent grain)

•  Keep the litter box clean. Scoop the box at least once daily and periodically wash it with dish liquid and hot water.

•  All cats, whether long- or short-haired, should be brushed regularly to keep their coats and skin healthy.  There is no need to bath cats as they do it perfectly without our help. But if she is very dirty or gets into something sticky or smelly, you may need to give her a bath. Make sure to trim the claws first for your safety. Be sure not to spray directly in her ears, eyes and nose. Use only cat shampoo (human shampoo can dry out her skin) Use one part of cat shampoo  to five parts water and work  from head to tail, dry and brush.

•  Keep nails clipped. Untrimmed claws can grow into the cat’s pads, leading to infection, pain, and difficulty walking.

•  Cats will appreciate simple and inexpensive cat toys. Ping-Pong balls, crumbled paper and paper bags (remove the handles) , empty box can provide hours of fun.