| Should I get a cat/kitten? There are a few questions that you need to ask yourself before adopting a cat or kitten. If you answer is NO to any of them please think long and hard about adopting. Don't adopt if you can not properly take care of your pet, as it is very cruel to that animal! Is there enough room in your home? Although cats don't require as much room as dogs do, they still need room to roam, run, jump and play. Any home smaller than about 700 sq. feet is too small for one cat to live in (and 900 sq feet is about the minimum for two). Can I deal with a litterbox and potential accidents? Although cats are very clean animals and instinctually bury their waste, you still need to clean out their litterbox. And as your cat is adjusting to his/her box, if your cat is stressed, if something changes about his/her box (placement or litter type) or if your cat gets ill; he/she may have an accident or two. Are you willing to clean out the litterbox at least once a day (more often for larger and multiple cats) and deal with potential accidents that are bound to occur at some point in your pet's life? Can I afford a cat? Cats are cheaper pets than dogs but you will still need to afford the following: food, treats, bowls, litter, litterbox, scooper, scratching post, cat bed, toys, cat carriers, brushes and grooming tools, collar, identification tag, and medical care. Your cat needs all of the above. Many people get cats and at the first sign of medical expense dump the cat off at the shelter. Be prepared for medical expenses (you can even purchase pet health insurance), you never know when a cat will get ill. And if you can't afford or aren't willing to pay for medical expenses, if and when it happens, don't get a cat. Too many people wait until the last possible second before taking a cat to the vet. This denial of proper medical attention to save a few bucks is cruel to the animal and usually end up costing more. Do I have time to spend at least 2 hours a day with my pet? Cats need quality time with you and need to play, be nurtured and be exercised. Spend at minimum 2 hours a day with your cat. If you are the type that will never be home or will be gone every weekend, don't get a cat. Can I deal with training my cat and possibly a few bad behaviors? Cats are very low maintenance and are fairly easily trained and many cats come to us already knowledgeable about how to act, use a litterbox, use a scratching post etc.; however, you may need to spend some time training your pet and/or dealing with the consequences of bad behaviors if you don't train your pet. If you don't have patience and you can't deal with bad behaviours and will get angry at the cat rather than disliking the behavior and fixing that then you need to think long and hard about getting any pet. Can I deal with pet hair? Cats are hairy and they shed. Are you ready to deal with cat hair on the couch, your clothes, etc.? As with any pet the idea of keeping your house immaculate, although possible, will take a little more work. Can I keep my cat indoors? Of course you can take your cat out on walks, or create a fenced in area in your backyard for your cat to play in, but for the safety and longevity of your pet it is best to keep him/her as in indoor animal. For the most part indoor cats live much longer lives than outdoor-only cats, this is due to the high risk of disease (many of which there are no vaccines for), poor eating habits, assault from other animals and humans, and other unknowns that outdoor cats face. Some studies report that indoor-only cats live on average 12 years while outdoor-only cats only live on average 3 years. Can you deal with your furniture potentially getting clawed, scratched or damaged? You can and should train your cat to not claw furniture (rather than getting your cat declawed which is considered cruel by many veterinarians and cat lovers), however, if you don't train your cat properly this can happen. Can you deal with illness or death? At some point in time your pet may get ill and unfortunately will eventually die, remember pets have a much shorter life span than humans do. Are you willing to deal with an illness or death emotionally and financially? Cats can bring so much into your life. They are wonderful, intelligent, expressive creatures who can bring you vast amounts of joy and happiness. It is shown that people (especially seniors) with pets have lower blood pressure, are happier, and live longer. However, if you answered no to any of the above questions please DO NOT get a cat. As with any new roommate in your home there are compromises that will need to be made. If you are not willing to deal with some of the compromises with a cat then you should not get one. |
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