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| How to choose a particular cat.
Figuring out what type of feline to get and where to get him or her can be a very daunting task. You can go to a pet store, shelter, or private owner and at each one you can gets purebreds, mixed breeds, kittens, and older cats of all shapes, colors and sizes. Ask ypurself the questions below to help you figure out which cat will be best for you. Think about why you want a cat. Ususally thinking about why you want a cat in the first place can help you decide what type of cat you will like best!Do you want a cat that will play with you non-stop, do you want a second cat to become friends with your first cat, do you want a cat that needs a lot of love and attention and sort of a 'surrogate mom', or do you want a cat that will be the best lap cat in the world and just cuddle all day long? Think about what type of cat you want. There are many different facets to cats: demeanor, physical characteristics, life span, associated diseases, behavioral predisposition, temperament, health, sociability, size and breeding opportunity. Depending on what you want in each of these facets you can probably start to narrow down the type of cat you want. Do you want a purebred or mixed breed? There are many books that list cat breeds, such books will list both pure and mixed types. Each breed of cat has its own different combination of characteristics to the facets above. Just remember a few things when considering a pure breed cat. Pure breed cats are more susceptible to disease and mutation (due to inbreeding that creates pure breeds). They are generally very expensive. And, as there is an epidemic of homeless/abandoned cats that need homes, you may want to consider rescuing a cat which may not be able to survive without adoption. You will be surprised at the selection of different breeds and types of animals you will find! And you might just find a hidden goldmine just waiting for you! My unfotgettable cat Spike was a gorgeous Maine Coon, he didn't cost me a penny beacase I adopted him. Do you want a cat or a kitten? There is definitely a fun aspect to raising a kitten; however, if you adopt an adult cat you will definitely know what his or her demeanor and personality is before you adopt. An adult cat will also be pre-trained to use the litterbox, use a scratching post etc. If you want a very, very low-maintenance pet you may want to consider an adult. If you have small children at home you may also want to consider getting an adult cat. Although children love kittens, they can love them too much and inadvertently harm the small critters. And finally, kittens should stay with their mother until they are about 12 weeks of age so be aware of a pet store or breeder willing to separate the mom and litter too early and sell you a kitten younger than that. If you are adopting from a shelter you may see many kittens under 12 weeks of age. These kittens usually have already been abandoned or separated from mom. These kittens are in desperate need of a surrogate mom, so if you see a young kitten in a shelter don't hesitate to adopt. I adopted Spike when he was 9 years of age, he lived to be 15, too short for the time he spent with me, but certainly he got six more years of joy and happy life (retirement). BACK |