10 Reasons to Own a Cat

I have had my share of pets in my life, from mice and birds to cats and dogs. I grew up with both cats and dogs, and I love them both. They both have pros and cons to owning them, but in my opinion cats are easier to have for many reasons. Here are my top ten reasons I love owning a cat.

Cats are very independent creature, and for me this is a plus because it makes them very easy to own. They will depend on you for things like food, and cleaning their littler box, but most of the time they will be able to entertain themselves. They sometimes requite attention when they feel like coming and bugging you for it, but when they have had enough they move on back to where they were sleeping. It also makes it easier for someone like me who is at school most of the day; I always know they are happy at home entertaining themselves by chasing imaginary bugs or sleeping. They really don't require much other than the basics from their owners; it makes it very easy to live with them.

From my experience if you treat a cat nicely they will do the same back to you. Anyone who owns a cat knows that sometimes you end up with a scratch or two, but usually that comes from annoying the cat, or not listening to his warning and picking him up anyways. My cats usually do everything not to hurt me before they actually resort to scratching me. As long as you respect them they will respect you too. They are intelligent animal, and enjoy their personal space too just like any other person would. Treat them nicely and I am sure you won't have to worry about explaining random cat scratches to your friends.

The cats I have owned and other cats I have been around are some of the most entertaining animals I have ever been in the presence of. I find cats to be extremely entertaining and that is one of the reasons I love owning them so much. They are extremely intelligent, and watching them figure things out or hunting random objects can be extremely fun to watch.

One of the best things about cats is how clean they are. They never really require much grooming beyond brushing (especially for long haired cats, hairballs are no fun). They fact that they keep themselves very well groomed makes them easy for anyone to own a cat because one is not required to set aside time to bath and groom them like one would have to do with most dogs. They are quite easy to keep looking wonderful, and most of that is done by them.

Cats are pretty intelligent and this to me makes them awesome pets. They are able to understand easily the things they are suppose to do and what they are not. They may choose to ignore you saying no to them and continue on to what they want, but usually they will stop if you teach them the word no, which in my experience they learn quickly. They are to teach things to, I wouldn't really say train because well if my cat doesn't want to do something then there is no way in hell I can make her do it even if I offer some kind of reward. Their intelligence makes them awesome companions because they are able to think for themselves and always entertain themselves without depending on their owner to play with them or keep them company.

Another great thing about cats is you can really own them in any kind of environment. They can be happy both being completely indoor cats and being able to go outside. If you happen to live in a place and feel comfortable enough to let your cat out they will be more than happy and well equipped to handle life outside. Although if you live in place where letting your cat wander outside is dangerous or just don't want to let them out then they can be completely content in the house. As long as they have things to occupy their ever going minds they are usually happy. Both of the cats I own do not go outside and they are completely happy with their little world inside the house and are both very healthy as well. This makes it pretty easy for anyone to own a cat, whether live in a house with lots of land, or an apartment in a bustling city your cat will be happy.

The feeding of cats is generally easy because they only eat when they want to. So usually if you just fill their bowl in the morning they will be fine for the day, and obviously it should be checked to make sure they still have food. I have not known any of my cats to eat too much, but obviously if a cat is getting overweight their diet has to be watched as to make sure they don't become obese or unhealthy in anyway.

As much as they produce fancy cat toys that are always way too expensive for what they really are, most of the time cats don't require anything expensive to play with. Maybe they something for them to climb on and scratch is nice to save the furniture, but as for actual toys there is no need. I find that strings and shoe laces do just fine to entertain cats. Really anything that they can chase and hunt usually will supply them with endless fun.

The one thing everyone I know says to me is "hey can I borrow your cat to catch a mouse in my house?" and well I don't typically loan my cats out, but it is nice knowing that they will catch any furry little creatures that invade my house. While my cats never actually kill the mice they do provide a way for me to get rid of them. It is nice to know that the mice that occasionally come into my house are taken care of, even if they never kill them for some reason, which in a way is good too don't them getting sick from the mouse. My cats also catch bugs, which is even better because well sometimes moths get into my house through this annoying window but I never have to worry long because the cat take care of them. So if for nothing else but to get rid of creepy creatures they are good to have around.

And lastly, cats are just a ton of fun to have especially if you have more than one. They are great companions and always fun to play with. They may disappear at times and be impossible to find, but when they decide they want attention they are a lot of fun. They are also damn good at making sure bugs and other creatures stay out of the house. They really are not that hard to care of and other than the occasional hairball and maybe some problems as kittens they are usually healthy.

I love both my cats very much and I would recommend owning a cat to anyone who wants to care for a simple animal. They require your love and attention and other than that make great housemates. They generally listen if you teach them early, and are very clean. They make wonderful pets and if you respect them they will almost always respect you too. They can be quite annoying, but only because of their intelligence and pure skill at mischief. Have fun and enjoy the cats in your life. And almost on cue my cat has decided to sit on my keyboard... oh those crafty little buggers who know the perfect time to come bug their humans.