Cat Care Tips With Charlie

While every cat owner probably thinks their cat is the “best”, I'm the only one who is actually correct. Charlie is THE highest-quality cat in existence: polite to his owner, beautiful, snuggly, affectionate, and inexpensive medically. He accepts brushes for a payment of only a treat or two, and whenever he is touched, he purrs so loudly, the neighbours probably suspect I am running a lawnmower.

He is also an excellent communicator, broadcasting his needs silently and spatially. He stands in front of the sink, for example, when demanding hydration, or lies on his back with his paws curled up when he wants attention.

Although I am the larger and more senior being, Charlie has, throughout his life, taught me many strategies for effective cat care. I will detail these now:

1. Letting him go on the counter

Growing up, our family cats lived under a strict authoritarian regime. If they even pretended like they were about to jump up onto the counter, my parents–and I too–would spray them with water, which they deemed unpleasant. However, this cannot deter a conniving, proud animal, and besides, having a cat on the counter is fine. It's virtually impossible to prevent anyway, unless you are supervising 24/7, so you'll need to sanitize those surfaces regardless, and waste effort enforcing an illogical rule.

Letting Charlie go wherever he wants, including food preparation surfaces, has proven to be a successful cat care strategy, and while I've had to keep the bread in a secure cupboard and get a new butter dish, Charlie is a much happier, free-range animal.

2. Letting him be fierce

Cats are wild animals, only pretending to be tame to receive head scratches and salmon-flavoured treat paste. This instinct must be exercised and encouraged, lest it manifest in unwanted situations.

Here, Charlie hunts the sound of a rope toy on a high bar chair. He's fully engaged, and will launch an attack when he's good and ready.

Giving this cat the opportunity to do powerful leaps and bites surely makes him feel like nature's perfect design.

What he truly craves, however, is the taste of flesh. This activity will often escalate into Full Contact Chair Game, in which my hand is the target for attack. I reiterate: he must have this, to prove to himself and others that he is not to be messed with.

3. Giving him cardboard and paper

It's well-documented that cats enjoy being contained, but like us, they feel empowered by the illusion of free will and choice. Thus, it's important to give a cat multiple options for cardboard boxes:

A crisp paper bag is also a source of free entertainment, at least until it gets dusty and sat on. I make sure to snip the handles so he can't get himself snagged.

Paper doesn't even need to be in bag form. This packing material stuck around for a few days:

4. Setting up a "hunting cave"

I'll take partial credit for this innovation. By attaching a piece of fabric to one side of a low table, I've created the ideal play location for a cat of Charlie's ferocity. Swishing a string or catnip toy under the curtain provides him a perfect opportunity to pounce, feeling as if he is concealed, even though everyone knows he is there.

He will also sit on it sometimes.

As cat toys go, the hunting cave is cheap, durable, and a favourite of Charlie's for many years now.

5. Giving him my clothes

My warmest sweater also happens to be Charlie's favourite, so he'll claim ownership of it whenever possible. A few months into the winter, I'll just wear something else and let him have it.

6. Giving him whatever he wants

Spoiling a child or loved one is a great way to get yourself taken advantage of for years to come, and a cat is no different. But, what's the alternative? Being the gatekeeper of this perfect animal's desires? Diminishing its one short life, for what?

Charlie gets everything he wants, and while that sometimes means treats just for “being good”, I can't see any alternative. An unhappy cat is one who claws the window screens, meows endlessly, and ruins expensive furniture. Charlie does none of these things, and it's certainly because he is content and empowered. It helps to think of him as king of the apartment, as it's clearly the title he's chosen for himself.

While your animal can't possibly be as good as this one, hopefully it too can benefit from these cat care tips.

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