Getting a cat in India: a guide for first-time owners

Plan for a long life. International Cat Care says a kitten could be with you for the next 15 years or more, and an adult cat you adopt may have many years ahead of it too. Ask whether your plans for work, marriage, children, moving city or moving abroad include the cat.

Cats are often called low maintenance, but they still need you every day. Cats Protection says your time, play and understanding are usually enough for a single cat, and that every cat is different: some love family life, while others prefer a quieter home. Food, litter and vet visits are regular costs, and someone has to care for the cat when you travel.

Check allergies before the cat arrives. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says a truly non-allergic cat does not exist: the allergen is a protein in dander, saliva and urine, it is very sticky and it can stay in a home for months. It suggests fostering first to see whether anyone reacts, and seeing an allergist first if anyone's allergies are moderate to severe.

If you rent, Cats Protection asks adopters to check with the landlord first. In a housing society, the Animal Welfare Board of India's 2015 guidelines say a society cannot ban pets by vote or bye-law, and they apply the same to cats as to dogs.

International Cat Care says indoor-only cats are exposed to fewer physical risks, are safe from fights with neighbouring cats and are better protected from infections other cats carry. It also names the costs: indoor cats are more likely to become overweight, and a predictable routine can lead to boredom, scratching, urine spraying or crying. It calls mental wellbeing the biggest issue for an indoor cat.

The answer is a home that lets a cat behave like a cat. International Cat Care's advice for making a home cat friendly includes high places to rest and watch from, hiding places, a tall scratching post, toys put away and rotated so they stay new, and toys that move unpredictably like prey. New objects such as a cardboard box bring something to sniff and explore.

Play every day, in short bursts, with a wand toy that keeps hands away from claws. Feeding some of the daily food from a puzzle feeder makes the cat work for it, the way it would hunt. If you have two cats, give each its own food, water, tray and resting place, spaced around the flat, because cats that cannot get away from each other can stay stressed.

Safety comes before freedom. The ASPCA says cats do not usually jump on purpose; they fall when they focus on a bird or insect and lose their balance. Low floors are not safe either. Our answer on cat-proofing a balcony covers netting, grills, AC ledges and what to do if your society refuses permission, so here is the short version for a new owner.

• Fit snug, sturdy netting or screens on the balcony, sides and top, and on every window that opens. Child safety guards are not enough.
• Keep the balcony door shut until the netting is up, and tell everyone at home, including domestic help.
• Keep true lilies and daylilies out of the home: every part, even the pollen and vase water, can cause kidney failure in cats.
• Never use a dog's flea or tick product on a cat. International Cat Care warns that permethrin products for dogs can kill cats.
• Some disinfectants, including phenolic ones that go cloudy in water, are toxic to cats. Rinse floors after cleaning, because cats lick their paws.
• Check the washing machine and fridge before you shut them, and tidy away thread, needles and rubber bands.

International Cat Care suggests a tray about one and a half times the cat's length from nose to the base of the tail, with litter about 3 cm deep so the cat can dig. Avoid scented litter and litter that is hard or sharp underfoot, and avoid liners and self-cleaning trays, which can put cats off.

Put trays in quiet places, away from food and water, busy corridors and noisy machines such as the washing machine. Scoop out solids, and urine if the litter clumps, at least once a day, and wash the tray thoroughly at least weekly with hot water and washing-up liquid or a cat-safe cleaner, rinsed well.

A cat that stops using its tray is telling you something. International Cat Care lists pain, illness, stress and a dirty or badly placed tray among the causes of soiling indoors. A cat that strains in the tray, passes blood or keeps going back with little result needs a vet; in a male cat that may be a blockage, which is an emergency.

Cornell's Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products, so a cat cannot be vegetarian. Choose a food labelled complete for cats, and for an adult, ask your vet how much and how often to feed for your cat's age, size and activity. Food from puzzle feeders and treats counts towards the daily amount.

Indian kitchens hold real hazards. Onion and garlic, cooked or powdered, damage cats' red blood cells, and they hide in fish and chicken curry, gravy and tadka. Milk and curd upset many cats, because many are lactose intolerant. Raw fish and meat can carry bacteria that harm cats and the people who handle them. Our guide to foods toxic to cats lists the rest.

Water matters in Indian heat. Put fresh water away from food bowls, and add a second water bowl elsewhere in the flat. Wet food is mostly water and is a useful extra source.

AWBI's 2015 housing guidelines say a society cannot ban cats or dogs, fix a size limit, or charge pet owners for using the lift, and our page on pets in housing societies explains what a society can ask. Be a good neighbour anyway: keep the cat inside your netted flat, keep trays clean so there is no smell in shared corridors, and ask in writing before fixing netting outside.

Plan for trips from the start. Most cats are happiest in their own home, so a drop-in visit sitter or overnight pet sitting usually suits them better than a journey. A Petym sitter will meet your cat at a free meet and greet first, follow the feeding, litter and medicine plan you write, and send a daily photo update. Petym is not taking bookings yet; it opens city by city once sitters have passed its checks.

What a cat costs depends on choices you can plan for: the food you choose, litter, the vet visits, vaccines, neutering and microchip, netting for the flat, and care when you travel. International Cat Care notes that insurance, where it is available, is priced on breed, where you live and the cover chosen. A flat-faced breed such as a Persian needs more grooming and closer care in the heat than an Indian street cat.