photo credit: ingermaaike2

Choosing a cat

Choosing a cat is an important decision as you will be bringing a new member of the family home. Before deciding on definitely getting a cat, honestly answer the following questions:

1. How much time do we have to spend with a cat or kitten each day? Kittens need much more play-time and socialization than adults cats do. Am I willing to clean a cat’s litter box every single day?
2. Do I want an indoor or indoor/outdoor cat? What sorts of predators live in our area that could hurt an outdoor cat?
3. Can we afford to feed and care for a cat? This includes high quality cat food, vaccinations from a vet, and an emergency fund.

Get started:
How to choose a pet cat

Cat choice

* A breeder or shelter? If you have honestly answered the key questions and have decided that a cat is for you, congratulations! Now you have to decide where to find your new cat.

* What to feed your cat. Feeding your cat a high-quality mixture of wet and dry food is ideal. That way they can get the best of both types; many cats do not drink enough water and will get some through the wet food, and dry food can be left out for ‘free feeding’, assuming the cat is not overweight.

* Training your cat. Training your cat should not be very difficult – most cats and kittens will be litter box trained before coming to your home. You will have to have toys for kittens to play with as they can become destructive if left alone and bored.

* Spaying and neutering. As with all animals, cats should be spayed or neutered before they reach six months of age which is about the age they reach puberty. You will want to ‘fix’ your cat not only because it will help keep your pet safe as male cats will do almost anything to get to a female in heat, but it can also help keep your cat from getting cancer later in life.