Should I have a cat? 5 things to consider before getting a cat

Website design By BotEap.comIf you’ve never owned a cat before but are looking to bring one into your life, there are a few things to consider before you 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. Keeping a cat as a pet can be a 15-20 year commitment in some cases. So you want to make sure you make the right decision from the start.

Website design By BotEap.comYou must first consider your own personality. Some people are dog lovers and some people are cat lovers. If you’ve always been a dog person and if this is your first time 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 it, but a cat also comes when it wants to. Cats are extremely independent. Cats do their thing, so if you can understand and accept that, then maybe you’re a cat person.

Website design By BotEap.comThe second aspect to consider is your lifestyle. If you’re someone who travels a lot or doesn’t have a lot of time to clean a litter box or groom a cat or play with your pet, I suggest you wait until later to get a pet. 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, caregiving will be a team effort. Your lifestyle can also influence what breed of cat you might get if you decide to get one.

Website design By BotEap.comThe presence of a cat in your life should add something positive to the quality of your life. If you feel that adapting your lifestyle to include a cat’s needs is too great a sacrifice to your personal freedom, then the animal will become a burden to you. That’s why you need to think with your head when it comes to evaluating your lifestyle.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen 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 not prepared to take care of it.

Website design By BotEap.comThird, you need to be honest with yourself about your motivation for getting a cat or kitten. You must be sure that your motivation is strong enough to sustain the commitment in the long term. Some good reasons to own a cat include: the desire for companionship and to improve your health by taking advantage of the health benefits a cat can add to your life.

Website design By BotEap.comThe fourth consideration is your own habits. When you introduce a cat or kitten into your home, you will need to adapt their habits and create a cat-friendly environment. You will need to get into the habit of cleaning a litter box, feeding and cooling a water bowl, and finding time to groom the cats fur if the cat is long-haired. A shorthair cat’s coat doesn’t need as much attention, but this is the kind of detail you should look for when selecting a cat.

Website design By BotEap.comThe 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 free cat from a neighbor with a litter, or pay a few dollars for a cat from an animal shelter. At the opposite end of the spectrum are purebred or pedigree cats that can cost hundreds or even thousands.

Website design By BotEap.comThe initial purchase price is far from the total investment to be made. You must be able to afford the ongoing costs of meeting your cat’s needs in terms of food, litter, medical care, hygiene, toys, and other miscellaneous expenses that may come along the way.

Website design By BotEap.comYou may be thinking that you have seen some homeless people who have animals and are able to take care of their cat or animal with practically nothing or you have seen stray cats that are capable of taking care of themselves.

Website design By BotEap.comThe truth is that stray cats or a homeless person’s cat may not be a very healthy cat and their life expectancy tends to be much shorter than that of a domesticated cat. Stray cats often have a human or humans that offer them food on a regular basis or live on rodents that can carry diseases. So things are not as they always seem.

Website design By BotEap.comIn conclusion, if you choose to get a cat or kitten, make sure it’s the right thing for your lifestyle and time commitment. Animal shelters are full of cats that didn’t match their owners. You don’t want to be one of those people who says it seemed like a good idea at the time.