If you would love to have a cat, yet travel frequently for work or other reasons, then you may think you have to wait until your schedule "settles down" before you adopt a new kitty. However, there are many cats and kittens at adoption facilities who would love to have an owner like you to shower them with love and affection on most days, even if you can't every single day of the year. Cats are considered by some to be "low-maintenance" pets compared to dogs, so that actually makes them one of the best pets for frequent travelers. 

In addition, when you follow these two tips for keeping your new kitty in great physical and mental health every day of the year, you can look forward to a great, mutually rewarding relationship with your new feline companion. 

1. Exercise Kitty Indoors with Fun Toys to Keep Her Mind and Body Active

If you have never owned a cat before, then you may have the misconception that cats do not like to play and have fun like dogs do. This is completely untrue, and not only do cats of all ages love to play with toys and their owners, but they truly need play time to stay in good mental and physical health. 

Cats are natural predators, and they were actually first embraced in the US due to their great mouse-hunting abilities. Domestic cats can become very board when they are not given activities that help unleash their "predator" instincts, but fortunately, their prey doesn't have to be living for them to enjoy hunting it!

Most cats love toys with feathers, and a simple toy that looks like a feather attached to a long wand can be used to entertain your kitty for hours. While it may sound surprising, many cats also excel at playing fetch! However, instead of throwing a ball and having them chase it, throw a smaller stuffed cat toy that they can easily fit into their mouth when they fetch it. You may be shocked when they bring it right back to you with a proud look on their face just waiting to show you how well they caught the "prey"!

Play time can also help you keep kitty at a healthy weight, since it is very easy for house cats to become obese when they are sedentary. Play with your cat as much as you can when you are home and you won't feel guilty about the little missed playtime when you are out of town. 

2. Take Your Cat to a Local Kitty Daycare Before Travel

While some people recruit friends to come feed their cats and clean their litter boxes once a day when they are out of town, this is not the best way to care for your cat while you are away. The first reason this is a bad idea is because if kitty experiences a medical emergency, no one will know it happened until the next day when the pet sitter arrives. Also, while cats do have a reputation for being "loners" compared to dogs, they only crave a little time alone (although some cats like to be around people at all times) and don't like being alone for several days at a time. 

To keep kitty in good mental and physical health when you are away, find a good local kitty daycare center that you can trust to care for her while you are out of town. She will need all of her vaccinations before her first stay, but once she is fully vaccinated and has gone through a short adjustment period of about 30 days at your home, don't be afraid to let her stay at the facility when she is still young; kittens get used to routines very easily, and if you adopt a kitten and start taking her to daycare when she is still relatively young, she will learn to see the daycare as a "second home" that she grows to love staying in when you are away. 

The daycare center staff will provide kitty not just food, water, and clean litter, as a pet sitter would, but also adequate attention and playtime, so you can feel good that she is mentally and physically stimulated daily while you are away. 

If you have always wanted to add a feline to your family, yet travel frequently, then realize that there are many cats and kittens in shelters who would love a forever home like yours, even if you do travel. Follow these two tips to keep your cat mentally and physically healthy while you are home and while you are away, and you can look forward to a great mutually beneficial relationship between you and your new feline companion. Contact a company like Animal Care Center of Forest Park to learn more.