Are Cats for You?

Are you ready to welcome a pet into your home and are thinking about adopting a cat but you are not sure if a cat is the best companion for you?

Cats are generally easy to live with because caring for them is simple. But some of their habits make them less appealing to certain individuals. If you need help figuring out if cats will make an ideal pet for you, take a look a below.

Can you handle accumulating feces? Cats use liter boxes to relive themselves. You may find yourself cleaning up a great deal of cat mess which will require you to scoop the box 2-4 times daily and more depending on the number of cats that you have living in your household.

Can you handle cat hair draped over your furniture? Cats are well known for shedding. Different breeds of cats shed at different rates. For instance, Maine Coons shed consistently throughout the day while Sphynx cats rarely if ever shed. It can become very frustrating to have to constantly clean your furniture of hair. Also, cats tend to shed more in the summer months as opposed to the winter months.

Can you handle cats resting on your most intimate surfaces? Cats are resourceful and will find comfort in some of the most awkward places in your home such as; bathroom sinks, countertops, stoves, and tables. Do you think that you can deal with a cat resting on the surfaces that you use daily? This can be off-putting if you are very keen in sanitation.

Can you handle the occasional scratches on your furniture? Cats scratch their nails on surfaces to keep their claws healthy. Scratching enables cats to remove the outer layer of their claws. It feels good to them and they will do it often. So, your leather couch may not last long. There are ways to deter cats from scratching on a surface. Scratching posts provide cats with something to scratch on but you have to be willing to enforce these rules to direct them to their scratching posts.

Are you comfortable with cleaning vomit? Cats do vomit once in awhile. They vomit for many reasons but some of the reasons include; vomiting to eject a hairball, eating something that is foreign to their diet, and eating too quickly.

Are you comfortable with chewed mice? Cats make excellent mice hunters. Some cats partially eat the mice and others will eat the whole mice. Some cats will bring back their catch to their owners. If the sight of half-eaten dead mice is too much for you to handle you might want to reconsider getting a cat.

Are you comfortable with sharing your lap? Some cats love curling up on their owners' lap. It provides them with warmth and they enjoy this comfort. For some, this closeness may be too friendly. If you like space, a cat might not be a good choice for you.

Are you comfortable with being ignored? While some cats are very close others can be extremely aloof. The cats that are aloof may stow away under a chair or in a back room. You will start to feel as though you do not have a cat. If you need constant companionship and cuddle time a cat might not be for you.

Are you comfortable with a cat waking you up? Cats will wake you up when they are hungry, or if they just want to see you. Young kittens will mew loudly if they do not see your presence in the morning. If you do not like to be wakened up you might want to reconsider getting a cat.