Choosing a Cat

There are several choices to be made in adopting a cat. Read through all the sections or use the links below to jump ahead.

Kitten or Adult? | Male or Female? | Indoor or Outdoor?
Purebred or DSH? | Introductions | Expectations?

Kitten or Adult?

Kittens are one of the cutest things in the world, but just like puppies they normally require a great amount of work. Time needs to be spent cleaning up after the kitten, playing with the kitten and teaching it not to claw your furniture. Kittens also play with everything and chew on anything, so kitten proofing your house is a must. Also there is litter box training to consider and deal with. The upside of getting a kitten is that it's easy. Most animal shelters always have kittens, especially in the summer.

Adult cats are easier in some ways, but harder in others. They are less apt to chase everything that moves, but more apt to claw on your sofa. They are normally very willing to be left alone all day and wait for you to return. Many are already litter box trained and know basic house rules. Sometimes they do have some behavioral problems which can be a challenge to correct.

Male or Female?

In cats there are advantages to a female. They are much less likely to spray your house with urine to scent mark, and they don't get into as many fights as tomcats. Either way your cat should be spayed or neutered. The same advantages apply for cats as did for dogs. Cats reproduce much faster than dogs. Male cats have a need to defend their territory and to find females. Both pursuits cause them to leave your property. While away they could get into fights with other cats, hit by a car or attacked by dogs. If your pet is neutered he will not be contributing to cat overpopulation while having a walk.

• Spayed and neutered pets are better, more affectionate companions.
• Spayed and neutered pets live longer, healthier lives.
• Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer.
• Spaying before the first heat cycle greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer.
• Neutering reduces the incidence of prostate cancer and disorders.
• Did you know that there are over 70,000 puppies and kittens born in the US every single day? That's 7 times the number of human babies born a day.
• A single unspayed female cat, coupled with an un-neutered male, and their offspring, and their offspring's offspring can result in the birth of 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.

Indoor or Outdoor?

Indoor cats live much longer lives. They often do not decimate the local songbird population. If you have an indoor cat it will be unlikely you will find your cat leaving a live snake on your doorstep. These are things outdoor cats do. The safest way to allow your cat outside, if you must have an outdoor cat is to spay or neuter them. Like dogs cats will roam to find mates and that includes crossing the nearby highway on a whim. Outdoor cats are also much more likely to get into fights with other cats, or attacked by dogs. It is much safer for a cat to live indoors, especially in this time of cars.

Purebred or DSH?

A purebred cat is much like a purebred dog. Purebred dogs can gain their papers for only a few dollars a litter, and the puppies may or may not be a well bred line. The same works for cats. You are really paying for the piece of paper. Yes, they often have a certain look, but most of those looks or personality

A Domestic Short Hair or DSH is any cat without a breed. Most cats are classified as domestic short hairs or domestic longhairs. These are the most often seen in shelters. For anyone who thinks a DSH is cheaper than a purebred here is a news flash. All cats need a litter box, food, bedding and love. Many also get scratching posts and multiple toys. All in all a DSH is a slightly less expensive, but don't sell them short just because their mother was a street cat. The majority of cats owned are Domestic Short

Introductions

Cat - Cat

There are several ways to do this. The easiest is if the cats just get along, but that is often not the case. It is best to use three rooms to introduce two cats. One cat should be in each of two rooms connected to the third room. Separately each cat should be let into the middle room and allowed to sniff and rub where ever they want. When one cat is done, the other should be allowed in the room, also alone, and allowed to do the same thing. With this idea the cats are first introduced to each others scent. Later one cat is kept in its room and a barrier that can be seen through, such as two puppy gates on top of each other. Letting the cats in the same room should slowly occur, giving each cat time to adjust. Separate litter boxes should be used so as to keep both happy.

Another idea is to take a towel and rub one cat with it, then rub the other with the same towel. Allow both cats to smell the towel separately, then follow the previous ideas.

Even with this introduction it does not always work. I've been living with two cats who hate each other for a year now. One is 14 years old and was my grandmother's cat. He has one tooth and is a skinny mess, but he still chases my other cat. This is why Mr. Cranky lives in my reptile room (partially to keep him away from the dogs, who could easily hurt him.) They still both will sit at the door growling at each other through it. The other cat is terrified of the old cat and bolts when she see him (she was the bottom of the hierarchy where I got her from a and was hiding under their fridge, so she doesn't have a lot of confidence anyway.) Ideally a new cat will be a kitten which is easier to integrate into a new house as less cat's see them as threatening.

Cat - Dog

• Make sure the Cat has an escape route and that the dog is contained and controlled (if your dog does not follow basic commands do not try this.) Most dogs are much bigger than an adult cat and not all have very good control of their feet.
• The cat should get to sit higher than the dog so that it feels less threatened.
• Control all interactions between them until you are sure the dog will not harm the cat, and that the cat will not attack the dog.
• In the case of a dog chasing a cat it is much easier to train the dog not to do it than it is to train the cat not to run.
  

Cat - Small Furry Mammal

• Don't.
• Cats eat most of these animals, with the exception of ferrets (some cats will still try to eat ferrets.)
• Also, make sure the cat can not get into the cage, or find a place to spend all its time staring at the cage. This has a tendency to stress small mammals, and shorten their life spans.

Cat - Child

• First off, most cats just avoid children.
• As long as the cat has somewhere to escape to they normally live fine with any age child.
• The child must be taught that when the cat is sleeping, eating, or not interested in them, that they leave it alone.
• A cat is a very nervous animal. They can wake from a sound sleep with one touch, and react with a very painful claw scratch, they can also be protective of their food.
• Cats do not smother babies in cradles. Whatever person came up with that did them a great dis-service. Cats will curl up in cribs with the warm thing, but most will leave if the baby actually moves.
• Outdoor cats may contract worms, and children will be exposed to that.
  

Expectations?

What do you expect your new pet to do. Most won't be guarding your house against intruders or growling at the neighbors cat. Cats are primarily nocturnal. Eventually they can be turned around by being kept awake all day, but most stay nocturnal. The cat will often not come at your beck and call, and will keep its own hours. Most will demand attention when they want it and be loving animals. They can not live without contact and love. They do like our companionship, even if they do not fawn on us like dogs. Cats are unique, and each is different than another.

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