although Ingmar is relatively easy-going, he requires some specific care from humans. when all of these needs are met, he is a happy, relaxed cat.
FOOD:
Ingmar prefers this dry food. he eats approx 3/4 of a cup a day, but his appetite varies.
he can also eat 2-3 cans of this wet food per day, but he strongly prefers dry food. he will often leave wet food uneaten
as with all animals, it is imperative that he has access to water
when Ingmar was a kitten, he had a urinary blockage. since then, he can only eat Hill's Perscription Urinry Care c/d cat food. initially, I thought this meant he could only eat the wet food cans, but I recently discovered that it also comes in dry food. Ingmar strongly prefers the dry food, which makes feeding him an easier process. he now eats from a feeder that automatically dispenses dry food at scheduled times. the only thing the human taking care of him needs to do is to ensure that there is food in his feeder and water in the automatic water dispenser. you can find programming instructions for his food dispenser here.
TREATS:
the key to Ingmar's heart is infaliably a Churu stick. I save these for special occaisons, such as after a vet visit or a move. however, if he demonstrates any resistance towards a guest, having the guest offer him one of these sticks is a fool proof way to make a friend. it also works like a charm to coax him from less than ideal locations when he does not want to be moved.
Ingmar also likes Greenies, but they don't have the same effect
Ingmar does not need to be bathed, but sometimes it is helpful to brush him
when his claws get too sharp, it is important to have his nail clipped
due to his urinary issues as a kitten, he can only use non-clumpingcat litter
I scoop his litter daily and change the litter approx every week
SPECIAL NEEDS:
urinary issues: Ingmar can only eat urinary perscription dry and wet food. regular wet food occaisionally is OK
pica: Ingmar has a condition called "pica" meaning that he likes to chew on strings. this can be vary dangerous for cats becasue it can disrupt their digestive system. he has gone to the emergency vet twice because of this. avoid letting him do this and stop him immediatley if he is chewing on a string.
tail: Ingmar's tail is always curled. it was not like this when he was a kitten - a vet said that he likely had an injury along the line, and it's not hurting him but there is also nothing that can be done
travel: Ingmar is fine being left alone for 2ish days as long as his food is programmed and he has water. if it is any longer than that, it's best to have someone check on him
