Choosing A Cat

How To Choose A Cat

So, you are considering adopting a cat. On this page, you will find all the information you need to make the best choice for yourself and your family. Where to adopt, male or female… longhaired or short, depending on the time and money you are willing to devote to your new family member. This site is dedicated to helping you make the right decision and the knowledge to care for your pet.

Why Buy A Cat?

A cat is a wonderful pet. It is entertaining, affectionate, and astoundingly self-reliant, although, like any pet it requires proper care. Since a cat can live indoors and does not need to be taken on a daily walk, it is the ideal pet for a city dweller. Cats make particularly good pets for children or the elderly.

Which Sex?

Before making your choice, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of owning a male or female cat. The female cat is more docile, playful, and affectionate than the male. The larger and more assertive male will stray and fight for possession of territory and the females within it. If , however, your male cat is neutered, it will become more docile and ”female-like.”

Kitten Or Adult

A kitten is more demanding to look after than an adult cat. Playful and inquisitive, it will need careful watching, as well as litter and cat door training. But a kitten is more adapable than an adult cat and easier to introduce into your home, especially if you already have a pet. Also, a kitten, well trained from an early age, will be less trouble to look after as it grows up than an older cat with ingrained habits.

Shorthair Or Longhair

A shorthaired cat will make fewer demands on your time than a longhaired cat; it is able to groom itself, so you will spend far less time keeping its coat in good condition. Also, many of the coat problems that arise on a longhair, such as matted hair, are less likely to occur, and it is easier to tend to wounds and remove parasites. A longhair requires daily brushing and untangling. If you do not groom your longhair daily, clumps of swallowed hair, known as hairballs, accumulate in its stomach, upsetting its digestion. However, the look and docile nature compensate for the grooming demands.

Where To Buy A Cat

If you are looking for a pedigree cat, go to a specialist breeder. Animal welfare societies are a good source of abandoned and lost cats or cats whose original owners have died. Alternatively, your vet might know of cats that need a good home. Checkup & Vaccination Unless you aim to breed your cat, you should have it spayed or neutered. This prevents pregnancy in females and undesirable sexual behavior in males. A female cat should be spayed before she enters estrus (heat) which occurs at about 6 months of age. If a female cat is not spayed, she will come into heat several times a year, during this time she may mate. A full tom will stray, spray urine, and fight with other males. The operation is performed under anesthetic and takes only a few days to heal.

Checkup and Vaccination

As soon as you buy a kitten, have it examined by a veterinarian. A good way to choose a vet is to ask your cat owning neighbors to recommend one. It is essential to have your cat vaccinated as soon as you obtain it so, see your vet promptly. Vaccinations administered by your vet will protect your cat against many serious virile diseases. Kittens can begin their vaccinations as early as 6 weeks of age. If you are buying an adult cat, check that it was vaccinated as a kitten, has since received regular boosters, and has an up-to-date rabies certificate.

Spaying and Neutering

Unless you aim to breed your cat, you should have it spayed or neutered. This prevents pregnancy in females and undesirable sexual behavior in males. A female cat should be spayed before she enters estrus (heat) which occurs at about 6 months of age. If a female cat is not spayed, she will come into heat several times a year, during this time she may mate. A full tom will stray, spray urine, and fight with other males. The operation is performed under anesthetic and takes only a few days to heal.

Examine Your Kitten

Think twice before you choose that adorable, helpless looking kitten. Since a cats life span is about 15 years, buying a healthy kitten may save you many years of veterinary fees.