Adding a pet to your household is something that needs planning and preparation. Not only are you dealing with the life of the animal but also the lives of those around you and yourself. This is a commitment that should be for life. Some questions that should be addressed in the beginning are:
Does everyone in the household want this pet?
This important to discuss to ensure that the pet will be welcomed and treated appropriately by everyone. Also expectations of what each members role in caring for the addition should be involved in the discussion.
Are you ready for this pet?
Everyone in the household may want this pet but will there be the time, attention, money and supplies that the pet needs? A pet is a big financial commitment with food, doctor visits, emergencies and toys. Time is also a valuable commodity that the new pet will need. Not only the time it takes to feed, brush and clean up after them but also just providing love and attention.
Do you want to kitten or a cat?
Once you answer that you want and are ready for a new pet you then need to decide what age is appropriate for your home. Kittens are adorable but do require extra attention, time and money than an adult. Their diets having to be treated different and they are more likely to need trips to the vet. Kittens require more teaching of appropriate behaviors and this can take a lot of patience. Adult cats do make wonderful pets and you can skip the kitten stages. But you will have stages where the cat has to learn the house rules and this can take time and patience as well. Depending on the background of the adult you may have to re-educate them on the basic social skills and behaviors.
Do you want a shorthair or longhair cat?
Most longhair cats require extra grooming time than the shorthair variety. This should be considered in the decision process.
Do you want a male or female?
Even though there is not much difference between males and females once they’ve been spayed/neutered some people prefer one sex over the other. Males are known to “spray” or mark their territory but this is usually eliminated when the animal is neutered. Females that are not spayed usually get very vocal when they go into their “heat” cycle.
Purebred or rescue cat?
Purebred cats come in many shapes, colors and personalities. The personalities tend to follow a pattern in each paticular breed. Health issues can do the same in the purebred cat. Rescue cats are more of a wild card. Colors and size covers a wide spectrum while personalities vary from cat to cat. Both purebreds and rescue animals can make wonderful pets or bad choices.