Before Getting a New Kitten or Cat
Before Getting a New Kitten or Cat
Before getting a replacement kitten or cat, one among the items to ask yourself is: am i able to properly look after a cat and supply a stable, safe home for its lifetime which is usually about 15 - 20 years? Many statistics show that the maximum amount as 50 percent of all cats change owners a minimum of once in their lifetime. this is often an appalling and alarming statistic.
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| Before Getting a New Kitten or Cat |
Can I Afford A Cat?
The initial price (or adoption fee) of a cat isn't the foremost expensive cost as there'll be many other costs over the cat's lifetime. Those costs include food, litter pans, litter, toys, scratching posts and/or cat trees, and veterinary care. Veterinary care (without taking into consideration any catastrophic health problems) will run about $100 - $300 per annum . Preventive and consistent care is vitally important to any cat's overall health. If an owner cannot afford veterinary care, it's probably an honest idea to not get a cat. Additionally, counting on where an owner lives, there'll be a one-time fee of anywhere from $70 - $500 for the value of getting the cat spay or neutered. albeit the cat is an inside only cat, it recommended that it have all of its vaccinations, including rabies (a rabies vaccination are legally required in many cities and/or states for cats and dogs), and counting on where you reside , there could also be other medications that are strongly recommended by the veterinarian on a yearly basis (such as a heartworm preventative medicine). many of us believe that because their cat is an inside cat, it doesn't need a rabies vaccination. However, consider what would happen to you and/or your cat if it bit someone while they were in your home? First of all, the authorities will presumably remove the cat from your home and quarantine it for a period of your time (at cost to you for boarding and care); if on the off chance your cat shows signs of rabies it'll be destroyed. it's highly recommended that a possible owner ask their veterinarian to seek out out what vaccinations are required by law.
What Breed of Cat?
All kittens are cute and most of the people fall crazy with a cat or kitten due to its look (the cuddlebility factor). Some people prefer a pedigreed cat due to certain breed characteristics while others prefer a mixed breed cat. If desiring a pedigreed cat, careful consideration should tend on the breed characteristics of that breed. For example: what proportion grooming will the cat require, what proportion will it shed, how playful or active is that the breed, how big will the cat get? Are you trying to find a cat that gets along well with young children or elderly people? does one need a cat that gets along side your dog? does one desire a cat that's calm and likes to cuddle and can roll in the hay you at night? These are just a couple of of the items to think about before bringing a cat home.
Should You Get a Kitten or an Adult Cat?
Many people, when considering whether or to not get a cat, will only consider getting a kitten. Here are a couple of reasons why an adult cat could also be desirable:
An adult cat has already developed its personality so you'll know exactly what you're getting;
An adult cat is already litter box trained;
An adult cat should only need yearly examinations and vaccinations (instead of a series of vaccinations that a kitten would require within the first 6 months);
An adult cat has already skilled its "teenager" phase;
An adult cat can "bond" even as well as a kitten with a replacement owner.
Where to urge a Cat?
Animal Shelters
While many shelters are no-kill, most aren't . Getting a cat or kitten from an animal shelter could reserve it from being put to death. Typically, you ought to search for a cat that appears clean, healthy, with a shiny coat and clear eyes. Ask to go to with the kitten or cat during a private area to ascertain how it'll interact with you. How friendly is it? If the kitten or cat appears lethargic, it's going to be best to seem at another one as this one could also be sick. Ask the particular caregivers of the cat or kitten for any information they'll wear it. Ask why the cat was surrendered to the shelter. confine mind that a lot of people don't always tell the reality to shelter personnel once they surrender their pet. So, sometimes the shelter might not remember that this cat or kitten may have undesirable behavioral traits (i.e., not using its litter box) or have some sort of major health concern which can shortly require a really high veterinarian bill. Many shelters will have already spayed or neutered the cat or kitten before its getting to a replacement home. If not, they're going to generally require that you simply do so within a particular period of time . don't over-look the adult cats.
Responsible Breeders
If you're trying to find a purebred/pedigreed cat or kitten, it's best to locate a responsible breeder. to seek out such a person:
- Visit an area cat show which may be a good way to ascertain the various breeds of cats, meet breeders, and ask questions.
- The Cat Fanciers Association ("CFA") has an on-line breeder referral list which may be searched by breed, location, and other search options. (Please Note: the CFA doesn't endorse or recommend any particular breeder or cattery on the list.)
- Nowadays, there are many show breeders, also as hobby breeders, that have internet sites . To locate a breeder during a particular area via the web , use an enquiry engine (i.e., yahoo, Google, etc.) and sort within the particular cat breed and therefore the state you reside to urge results for breeders in your particular state or locale. Some breeders advertise in Cat Fancy or other such publications.
Responsible breeders will have (at a bare minimum) a written health/genetic guarantee, provide a starter kit that goes home with the kitten or cat (containing the sort of food it's been eating, feeding instructions, breed information), have some provision for (or already had it performed) the spay/neuter of the kitten or cat, provide documentation of pedigree, parentage, and vaccination records. When interviewing a breeder, hear your intuition; if anything feels "off" a few breeder, don't get one among their kittens. If this happens, it's recommended that you simply hunt down and interview another breeder. Remember, a responsible breeder will want to interview you and obtain to understand you as a possible owner the maximum amount as you'll want to interview them.
Pet Stores
A responsible breeder wouldn't allow their kittens to be sold during a pet store or other re-sale outlet where they might not personally interview the customer to form sure they're conscious of the responsibility of caring for an animal. Most responsible breeders belong to breed clubs and sign a breeder's code of ethics which prohibits them from selling to shops (pet stores). More often than not, the puppies and kittens purchasable during a retail outlet are from commercial, "puppy" mill type operations. Some stores (i.e., Petco, etc.) do have cats for adoption through an area animal shelter but aren't actively involved within the resale of cats and dogs. If getting a shelter pet through this sort of adoption process, confirm that the adoption procedures suits that shelter's normal adoption process.
Private Sources
Sometimes, if an owner can not keep their adult cat, they'll place a billboard through an area newspaper, grocery bulletin board or veterinarian's office. As long as you'll meet the person, observe the cat in its home environment, and confirm the cat is healthy, there's no reason to not get a cat this manner . If it's a kitten, confirm it's a minimum of 12 weeks aged , is correctly litter box trained, had age-appropriate vaccinations/wormings, and appears healthy. (Warning: responsible breeders wouldn't advertise this manner nor use Craigslist or something similar).
Getting a cat may be a lifelong commitment of not only an owner's time, but their money so as to stay them in food, toys, and proper health. If the on-going cost of keeping a cat beyond the initial cost of it (i.e., veterinarian, vaccinations, cost of spay/neuter, unforeseen health issues/costs and more), then perhaps it's not the time to urge a pet.
