If you are thinking about getting a cat, you will obviously need to make sure that you are as ready as possible for the situation. Cats can really have a hugely positive impact on your life, but you need to know that you are fully prepared to look after them and give them everything they need. The good news is that this can be pretty straightforward to achieve, and as long as you have done everything you can to be ready for having a cat, you’ll find it’s much more likely to go well.
In this post, we are going to take you through all of the major things that you will want to know about having a cat. As long as you are aware of the following, you should find that you are much more likely to enjoy having a cat, to make the most of it, and to find that you are able to really make them a joyful part of your everyday life.
There’s A Lot To Buy
Before you even think about having a cat, you need to make sure that you are actually in a good financial place to be able to look after one. And essentially that means that you need to be aware of what you have to buy them. There is a lot that you need to buy even before day one so that they have everything they need at home, and it’s important that you make room for this in your life financially as well as anything else, such as finding the appropriate space in the home.
So what is it that you can expect to buy? First of all, there is the litter box and tray, and the litter itself. While not hugely expensive, you will need to make sure that you are budgeting for it, as it can certainly add up. On top of that, there are the ongoing costs. That includes food, insurance, vet bills and so on. You need to ensure you have thought about all of this and that you are ready for it to be part of your life.
As long as you are, it’s going to be much less of a shock financially, and you’ll be able to care for your cat properly too.
Cats Like Their Independence
If you are keen to get a pet because you want something that is going to show you lots of affection, it may be that a cat can give you that – but not necessarily. Cats are famously standoffish, and it’s actually probably going to be better to get a dog if you want to receive lots of love. This is not to say that cats are not loving – they really are, in their own way – but they prefer to have a lot of independence, and you’ll therefore need to make sure that you are doing all you can to ensure you are ready for that.
You can’t force your love on a cat in the way you can with a dog, so be ready for that. You probably know in your heart whether you are a cat person or not, so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But it is something that you will need to be aware of if you want to make sure that you are ready for having a cat in your life.
Prepare A Safe Room
Cats also like to have somewhere that they can go on their own and not be disturbed. You can think of this as a kind of safe room for your cat. Depending on the size of your home, it may not be possible for them to have a whole room for this, in which case it will just be an area. The point is that there should be somewhere in the home where they can go to be alone and not be touched at all.
You’ll find that you have a much happier cat on your hands if you ensure this, so it’s something that is really worth thinking about. It should mean that your cat is going to be so much happier on the whole, and that they are going to appreciate how you are treating them. Make sure that this space has everything they like to have, and they are going to enjoy it even more.
Keep The Home Clean
Cats really like things to be clean, so you will find that having a clean home is an important way to ensure that they are happier with their life and with their lot. If you want to make sure that you are doing this right, you should ensure you have a cleaning schedule and that you really religiously stick to it. With that, you are going to be so much more likely to have a happy cat on your hands on the whole.
Bear in mind that there are certain ways in which your cat might be accidentally working against this goal too. One of the main ones is through hair loss, which is something that is going to just happen automatically and which you need to make sure you are prepared to deal with. Pet hair removal can be a tricky thing to achieve, but you can get tools and kits which do make it a lot easier, so that might be something to consider.
As long as you are keeping the home clean, you should find that it’s nicer for you, but also that your cat is a lot happier in general as well.
Annual Check-Ups
As with most pets, you do need to take your cat for an annual check-up to ensure that they are healthy and being looked after properly. Your vet will know everything that you need to do in order to keep them healthy, and they will be able to discuss this at this check-up. At the same appointment, they will also check the cat’s general health, their oral hygiene, their weight, and will be able to perform any annual vaccinations that your cat might need.
All of that is vital for ensuring that your cat is healthy, so it’s something you’ll want to book into the calendar as soon as possible. If you do, you’ll find that you feel a lot more ready to look after your cat properly, so that is something that you should really bear in mind here. An annual check up can be a great way to gain more peace of mind for yourself as well as knowing that your cat is a lot happier too.
Get The Diet Right
You need to make sure you are feeding your cat right too, and that can be surprisingly difficult to achieve at first. The trick is to make sure that you are paying close attention to what they eat and what they refuse to eat – most cats are quite fussy and they will probably let you know if they are not enjoying some food you give them. You need to ensure that you are feeding them in a way which means that they are going to be much more likely to enjoy their food.
It can take some trial and error to do that, but it’s something that is going to help a lot, so that’s definitely important for you to think about here.
Those are just some of the major things you need to know about having a cat, so make sure that you are aware of these.
