A cat will require care, attention and a commitment to look after it during its life which could be 10-15 years or longer. The commitment required includes not only routine feeding, care and time spent with the cat but also the provision of veterinary treatment if the cat becomes ill. This can be costly and there are a variety of insurance companies that offer insurance cover for cats to cover veterinary fees in the case of accident or illness.

A cat will also need to be vaccinated annually. In addition cats need worming every 6 months and so there are regular medical costs associated with owning a cat.

The amount of grooming a cat requires will depend to some extent on its type of coat. However, cats should be brushed or combed daily as this will help to reduce hairballs forming in the stomach when the cat grooms itself.

Short coated cats are best groomed with a soft brush and require minimal grooming whilst long coated cats will require thorough daily brushing and combing in order to prevent the coat from becoming matted. This is best done by brushing the coat the wrong way to remove loose hairs and dirt, combing and then brushing back the right way.

The most important factor in caring for a cat is routine. This will help the cat to settle and prevent undesireable habits. The cat's daily routine will revolve around feeding, excercise and play - the three things that cats enjoy most.

The most important factor in caring for a cat is routine. This will help the cat to settle and prevent undesireable habits. The cat's daily routine will revolve around feeding, excercise and play - the three things that cats enjoy most.

Good routine ear care is very safe and consists of a weekly inspection and, if necessary, a cleaning. Some of the more common problems infecting cat ears include:

• Ear mites
• Bacterial infections
• Yeast infections
• Allergies
• Fungal infections on the ear tips

There are right ways and wrong ways to inspect and clean cats' ears. While most cats actually tolerate routine cleanings very well, these are a few tips that will work on most cats, including the toughest old Toms.

1. First and foremost, make regular ear cleaning part of your routine. If you inspect and clean your cat's ears on a weekly basis from the time she is 8 weeks old, it will become a routine part of life and she won't fight you when you start handling her ears.
2. Only clean the ears of a happy cat. At home, do the cleaning when the cat is happy, not after a bath or associated with other treatments such as nail clipping.
3. Hold the tip of the ear between your thumb and forefinger and gently roll it up so you can visualize the inner part of the ear. If the cat tries to scoot away, you can use your remaining three fingers to gently hang on to the loose skin on the back of its neck.
4. Examine the ear for redness, or discharge. Light brown wax is O.K., but black, red, or infected-looking discharges (e.g. yellow or green pus) indicate a problem. Gently wipe the inside of the ear with an Ear Clens® Pad.
5. If the ear contains a lot of wax or debris you should squirt 5-10 drops of an ear cleaner like Ear Clens® into the ear and massage the base of the ear for 15 to 20 seconds.
6. Wipe the inside of the ear with a cotton ball or another Ear Clens® Pad. If a large amount of debris is removed, repeat steps 7 and 8.
7. If the ear is sore or infected or if the cat is shaking its head or scratching at the ear, have her examined by a veterinarian. Ear mites are a common cause of ear infections in young cats and your veterinarian may recommend a treatment like Ear Miticide.