New Year's Resolutions - For Cats

Don’t let the title confuse you - I’m not talking about new decisions that our cats make. After all, when do they ever pause to ask for our advice about those?

I’m talking about New Year’s Resolutions. Those commitments that us humans tend to take upon ourselves whenever one calendar is taken off the wall, to be replaced with that of the following year. New Year’s Resolutions are so common, they are even officially recognized by the American government and you can find the most popular ones, and help on how to achieve them, on the official USA.gov website.

Apparently, the most popular New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more and quit smoking. Many of us also vow to sort our financial problems, drink less, get a better job, and reduce stress levels at work and home.

But, wait... “What about the Cats?” or, to (mis)quote Helen Lovejoy, from The Simpsons, “Won't somebody please think of the cats?”

As much as we take good care of our cats, for most of us, there is always room for improvement. Here’s my list of possible New Year’s Resolutions concerning cats. Hopefully, most of these are redundant for you, so consider this a mixed bag, where you may just find something that applies to the felines in your life (and not necessarily only those sharing your home). Here goes, in no particular order -

This year, I will...

• Clean the litter box(es) three times a day.
• Take the time to learn about my cats’ nutritional needs and explore new feedings methods.
• Work with my veterinarian on ways to keep my cat’s weight in the healthy.
• Put money aside every month for emergency vet care.
• Adopt another cat from the shelter.
• Volunteer at a local animal shelter.
• Join a local group that takes care of feral cats.
• Campaign locally for TNR.
• Schedule daily playtime with my cats (that’s good for lowering your own stress levels!)
• Build more cat shelves.
• Create a safe outdoor enclosure for my cats.
• Educate others about responsible cat care.
• Schedule routine check-ups for my cats on time.
• Prepare/revamp pet first aid kit.

I’m sure you can help me come up with more ideas - please share them in comments to this post!