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If you've never had a cat before but are looking bring one into your life there are some things you should consider before you even start shopping for your new furry friend. What you need to do is evaluate your own lifestyle, finances, personality, habits and motivations for getting a cat or kitten. Having a cat as a pet can be a 15 to 20 year commitment in some cases. So you want to make sure you make the right decision from the get go.
First you should consider your own personality. Some people are dog people and some people are cat people. If have always been a dog person and if this is the first time you are considering getting a cat you should know that cats and dogs are like apples and oranges. You can train a dog to come when you call, but a cat comes when it wants too. Cats are extremely independent. Cats do their own thing so if you can understand and if you can accept it then maybe you are a cat person.
The second aspect to consider is your lifestyle. If you're someone who travels a lot or who does not have a lot of time to clean out a litter box or groom a cat or play with your pet then I would suggest you hold off on getting a pet until maybe a later time in your life when you can dedicate the time to caring for an animal. Obviously if you are making the decision with your family or as a couple then care taking will be a team effort. Your lifestyle can also influence the breed of cat you could get you decide to get one.
A cat's presence in your life should add something positive to the quality of your life. If you feel that adapting your lifestyle to include the needs of a cat is too much of a sacrifice of your personal freedom then the animal will be come a burden to you. This is why you should think a head when it comes to evaluating your lifestyle.
When you adopt a cat it becomes a member of your family. It is very sad if you end up having to take your cat to an animal shelter because you are ill equip to take care of it.
Third, you should be honest with yourself about your motivation to getting getting a cat or kitten. You should be sure that your motivation is strong enough to maintain the commitment for the long haul. Some good reasons to get a cat include: a desire for companionship and to improve your health by reaping the health benefits that a cat can add to your life.
The fourth consideration is your own habits. When you introduce a cat or kitten into your household you are going to have to adapt your habits as well as create a cat friendly environment. You'll need to get into the habit of cleaning a litter box, feeding and refreshing a water bowl as well as finding time to groom the cats coat if the cat has long hair. A short hair cat's coat does not need as much attention but this is the kind of detail that you should take note of when selecting a cat.
The fifth thing is your finances. The price of a cat can vary depending on its circumstance, specific breed, purebred or pedigree. You can easily get a cat for free from a neighbor with a litter or pay a few dollars for a cat from an animal shelter. On the opposite end of the spectrum are purebred or pedigree cats which could cost hundreds or even thousands.
The initial purchase price is far from the total investment to be made. You should be able to afford the continuing costs to provide for your cat's needs in terms of food, cat litter, medical attention, hygiene, toys and other miscellaneous expenses that could have arisen along the way.
You might be thinking that you have seen some homeless people who own animals and they are able to take care of their cat or animal with practice nothing or you've seen stray cats around who are able to take care of themselves.
The truth is stray cats or the cat of a homeless person may not be a very healthy cat and their life spans tend to be much shorter than a domestic cat. Many times stray cats have a human or different humankind who offers them food on a regular basis or they live off of rodents that could carry disease. So things are not as they always appear.
In conclusion, if you choose to get a cat or kitten make sure it is the right thing for your over all lifestyle and time commitment. The animal shelters are filled with cats who were mismatched with their owners. You do not want to be one of those people says it seemed like a good idea at the time.
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Source by David Xavier
