Being the responsible owner of a cat is much more than just having the company wonder around in and out of the house. It entails more responsibility than just buying kibble and taking to monthly, semester or annual visits to the veterinarian; spaying or neutering is not something that most owners like to do because the thought of being able to participate in the wonderful miracle that life is might be too tempting.

However, there is an urgent need for responsible parenting; not only for human babies but for all babies as well. Cats are considered – by some – to be a pest, and they are acting accordingly, killing and even eating our beloved friends. Naturally, as a responsible parent you are less inclined to let him or her out of your home or you have taken the time to knock on every door making sure that they know which cat is yours so that he or she will not be harmed.

But this responsibility does not end with your cat friend, it expands to the offspring that he or she spawns; as a result, you need to be responsible where you will place the kittens that come with every litter. Most likely you will be able to properly place ONE litter, then there is no point in subjecting your cat to additional litters that will not be properly placed.

Playing with your cat can be a lot of fun, but buying the sufficient amount of kitten toys can be overwhelming.  Mainly because we see the kitten toys and buy those which appeal to us regardless if they are actually functional, will actually appeal to the cat, or are budget friendly.  But this does not need to be the case; cats can be entertained with a whole lot of things and they can be quite cheap.

Styrofoam cones wrapped in yarn will become a wonderful toy that cats can tug around.  The wonder of Styrofoam is that it comes in many shapes and forms that will allow you to use yarn in many ways; for example, with the right colored yarn, you can make an egg shaped Styrofoam into a lady bug toy with just a few cents cost.

Other cat toys that will just cost you a few bucks are also made with yarn.  Use a small ball of Styrofoam as a base and create an “yarn octopus”, the Styrofoam will allow you to attach it to the end of a stick and you can handle it easily to make your cat jump and go wild.

Kittens seem to be the perfect gift for some people.  If you are considering giving a kitten to someone, then you should also consider providing that someone with the “basic kitten set” so that he or she will have what he or she will need while adjusting to the kitten, and the kitten while he or she adjusts to his or her new human.

It might seem hard to do, but actually, it is not.  There are many things you can do as the person giving the kitten to the recipient, and many things you can give them which will make life easier for both kitten and new owner.

The kitten welcome set should consider and include kitten kibble for at least fifteen days to a month; towels in which the new human can wrap a ticking clock or hot water filled bottles; kitty china for water and kibble, a kitty collar for both his or her name as well as a guard against fleas and ticks.

When you walk out of your home you hear a distinct “mew” in a soft, almost inaudible, tone.  You realize that you haven’t cleaned the backyard as you promised (or your family member promised) almost a month ago; as you walk towards the place where you heard the soft “mew” sound it almost seems that someone is saying “shhh!”. But then, to your awe, you see a mom and a litter of kittens.

Naturally, you are now the proud human of several new souls and one very wise cat that decided to give birth to her litter in your yard, fully aware that you would not give harm them! Then what are you to do?  Of course, you cannot come near them if you are not acquainted with mom, but you can provide the new mom with something warm to drink (milk) and something to eat (canned tuna).  In this manner you will be able to slip vitamins and other medications that will allow you to keep the cat and her litter, or to protect your home while mom does her thing.

If you are not planning on keeping mom and her litter, then call the local shelter and ask them to pick them up; they will put them for adoption and they will find beautiful and happy homes aching to get a lovely kitten.

If you happen to be like me and enjoy the company of a cat and a fish tank full of what my cat thinks to be “munchies”, then you have a problem.  I cannot bring myself to punish my cat every time he climbs up on the fish tank and tries to do what I do when I open the fridge; I just giggle and put him back down.  I can only imagine the foul language that my fish are giving my cat and me for not correcting the situation; well, at least until last month.

Cats will always be cats, and that is one of the reasons why we love them, right?  Well, then it is up to you to fix the situation so that they can still be cats and you can still enjoy a well-populated fish tank.  Someone suggested once that I put a crystal lid on top of the tank; that is a bad idea, the cat will still climb and being crystal, he believed that it was ok and tried to swim, the glass broke and he cut his paw and I lost two fish stabbed with glass fragments.

However, the lid is not a bad idea.  If you are able to buy a lamp, these usually come with a lid that will allow you to protect your fish, but if you, like me, have the fish tank in the middle of the living room without a lamp, an acrylic slab cut to the size of the tank will do a whole lot better.

What is the problem with leaving your puss at home every night if she’s expecting kittens?  Well, as an experienced kitty savior I can tell you that you, as her human, can do an estimate calculation on when will the kittens be due, but at best it is only an estimate.  She can begin labor at any time and at any location; as a responsible owner you certainly do not want that, especially since her having her kittens outside your home will also mean that she will stay out for the remaining of their childhood.

Giving birth anywhere means also that her kittens, as well as she, are exposed to all sort of predators - and that includes the neighborhood children who can misbehave when they are outside their own homes. If her kittens and she are lucky, then she will give birth to them at a home where they will be cared for, but, as with any other street bound cat, she will be taken to the local shelter and put up for adoption.  That means that you will never see her again.

What to do?  Keep her inside.  It is hard, but in the long run, you do not want to miss her becoming a mother and being first witness to the wonders of birth, do you?