Cats groom themselves, but using a soft brush on the cat, especially the long haired variety, will help to cut down the number of hairballs in the cat s stomach, which are caused by them licking / grooming themselves. If you decide to have a cat-flap fitted to your door in order that the cat can come and go as it pleases, you will have to train it to use the flap. Cats are clean animals as they spend a large amount of time grooming themselves each day. In the majority of cases, cats lead a very happy and long life without too many problems. They don t cost very much because cat food and litter are very cheap. They don t require as many vet visits for routine shots either like dogs do which can become quite expensive. - For cats with short hair, use a brush with soft bristles so that the skin will not be scratched or hurt in the grooming process. Use soft, gentle strokes while brushing. This should make them purr in pleasure and you will have an easier job of grooming your pet cat. After brushing the coat with a comb, you can finish the job by wiping the fur with a dry, soft and clean piece of cloth. In fact, they don t need these types of food. They only need meat. Their bodies require a great amount of protein than any other mammal. You may opt to give your cat canned cat food or dry food. The canned food tastes a lot better but the dry food is advisable for the cat s teeth. You may alternate the use of both types. What you need to do is make sure to check your pet for fleas all the time. You can do this with a flea comb. Carefully comb through the cat s hair and pay attention to the hair around the cat s head and his belly. These are the ideal places for fleas to hide including the ears, eyes and the nose. And, they like to burrow in the creases where the cat s legs and body meet. It is not unusual for there to be a few spats in these first meetings, so do not leave them alone together until they get on. If a fight does break out, distract the combatants and get them into separate rooms as soon as possible, never punish either cat. The process of introducing a new kitten to an older cat, can often be relatively stress free and need not be full of problems.