A New Cat

Things to Consider Before Adopting a Cat…

1) Is a cat the right pet for you? Your cat will depend on you throughout their life, and with proper care, may live 15 years or more. Are you willing and able to care properly for them and provide them a stable home for that long?

2) Don’t get a cat without considering and planning for the costs for such a responsibility. Normal veterinary care includes spaying or neutering, yearly shots and boosters and examinations for typical diseases. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the long run. Normal costs could run between $100 and $300 a year.

3) If you cannot afford veterinary care for a cat, you should not get one. Other normal costs include cat food, cat litter, litter pans and scoops, cat toys, scratching posts, etc.

4) Most changes in your life shouldn’t affect your ability to give your cat a good home. There are people who think they must give up a cat when they move. That’s not the case at all; it is relatively easy to move with a cat, even if you are moving across the county or overseas.

5) Once you decide that your budget and your lifestyle make a cat a good pet option, the next step is decide to what kind of cat is best for you.

6) Are you looking for a very active, playful cat? Do you need a cat who will be gentle with children or elderly people? Do you need a cat who won’t be frightened by a barking dog? Or-are you looking for a cat who is calm and affectionate that will nap on your lap or sleep in your bed at night?

7) Consider adopting an adult cat. An adult cat already has a fully developed personality, so you know what you’re getting. Adult cats generally adapt just fine to new homes and bond just as strongly with new families as kittens do. Also, adult cats are much less likely to be adopted.

8) Kittens require more care and watching, they may need to be litter box trained, and they require several trips to the veterinarian for vaccinations, checkups and spaying or neutering. In addition, it is difficult to predict what a kitten will turn out like when it grows up. If you decide on a kitten, the kitten should not be separated from its mother until it is 8-10 weeks old.

9) Male or female? Neutered males and spayed females make equally good pets. Neither sex is uniformly more affectionate, more intelligent, more calm or more playful.

10) However, unaltered cats of either sex can be difficult to live with. Unaltered males mark their territory by “spraying” foul smelling urine on the walls and furniture. If allowed outdoors, they will roam and fight with other cats. Unaltered females may also spray and usually are very vocal when they are in heat. Neutered and spayed cats make much more pleasant and healthy companions.

**Keep in mind that while you have several options as to where to get a cat, animal shelters are a great place to start. You will be saving a new best friend that really needs you.

…And If You Are Bringing A New Kitten Into The Home Of Older Cats Or Dogs

11) Even if your older pet has lived peacefully with other animals in the house, there is no guarantee that it will welcome a new kitten with joy, or even tolerance. When you bring a new kitten into the home, your older pet will need lots of extra attention. The cat needs to know that you still love them and that the newcomer is not a threat to their position in your household.

12) When you bring your new kitten home, it is important to isolate them. Choose a room in neutral territory. The first time the two pets meet face to face should be short. If the older pet is a dog, proper restraint, such as a leash, will prevent him or her from chasing and scaring the kitten.

13) Your older pet needs to be reassured that the newcomer will not take over their territory. If he or she has a favorite sleeping place, don’t let the kitten sleep there. Provide the youngster with its own toys. Animals are often possessive of their food and feeding dishes. Ideally, since the kitten should be eating its own kitten food, have its feeding dishes in a different room or area as long as possible.