Daily care: food, water, exercise and enrichment

Most of what keeps a pet healthy happens in ordinary daily routines. Here is what welfare charities recommend for feeding, exercise, grooming and keeping minds busy, with extra detail for cats and dogs.

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Food and water

• PDSA says pets need a suitable diet for their life stage, portioned to prevent obesity, and constant access to fresh clean water.
• For dogs, PDSA advises weighing food against the packet guidelines and splitting the daily amount into two meals about 12 hours apart.
• Cats Protection says cats need a complete, meat-based diet and cannot be vegetarian. Replace wet food at least twice a day.
• Cats generally prefer their water away from their food, so Cats Protection suggests placing bowls apart.
• PDSA warns that some human foods, including chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions and xylitol (a sweetener), can be toxic to pets.

Exercise and a healthy shape

• Exercise needs vary by breed, age and health. PDSA's sample plan is for a dog that needs about an hour's exercise a day, and says several short walks a day are usually better than one long one.
• PDSA advises waiting an hour after feeding before exercising a dog.
• Check your pet's shape every few weeks: PDSA says that at a healthy shape you can feel the ribs but they are not prominent, and the waist is tucked in.
• PDSA links excess weight to heart, liver and joint problems, breathing difficulties and diabetes. Check with a vet before starting any new exercise or weight-loss plan.

Cats: litter, scratching, hiding and play

• Cats Protection recommends one litter tray per cat plus one extra, placed away from each other and from food and water. Clean them at least once a day.
• Provide a sturdy, tall scratching post, ideally near where the cat sleeps, because cats like to stretch and scratch after waking.
• Give a quiet hiding place and a raised perch where the cat can watch its surroundings.
• Play in short bursts: Cats Protection says younger cats may want to play ten times a day or more, older cats three or four times.
• Never use dog flea products on cats; Cats Protection warns some can be rapidly fatal.

Indoor or outdoor cats

• International Cat Care says there is no universal answer: decide case by case and ask adoption staff which cats suit indoor life.
• Indoor cats need extra mental stimulation. Rotate toys and puzzle feeders so they stay interesting.
• If cats go outside, Cats Protection recommends keeping them indoors at night.
• Neuter, microchip and vaccinate both indoor and outdoor cats, as International Cat Care advises.

Grooming and routine health care

• Cats Protection says long-haired cats need daily brushing and short-haired cats about once a week.
• Keep vaccinations, flea and worm treatments up to date, using products your vet recommends.
• Write a weekly rota if several family members share the care, so feeding, cleaning and play are never missed.
• Watch for small changes during daily care: a lump found while brushing or a change in appetite is worth mentioning to a vet.