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 Five Ways to Choose the Best Cat Breed for your Family
Choosing a pet for your family takes time and preparation. Deciding what type of cat will best serve your familys needs is not a light task. You must take into consideration if you have kids, allergies, a fear of lots of hairballs, etc. Do you want to adopt a cat or kitten or pick one from a litter? Do you want to have a pure bred from breeder with papers or just get a free tabby? These are just some of the things you need to think about before picking out a cat. You also need to make sure that once the cat is home you can provide food, toys, and vet cost. Cats need shots and vet visits too. Also think about grooming costs for a longhaired cat, it can get expensive. A free cat is not free, it costs money to own a pet and be a good pet owner.
1: Choose a personality
When choosing a cat, pay close attention to what their personality is. Is the animal playful, skittish, rough, quiet or loud? If you have children you may want to go with a more mellow and relaxed cat. One that isnt bothered by noise and sudden movements, it will be less likely to scratch or hiss at the kids. If you are picking out a kitten than it can be hard to know which ones are going to be what as they grow. The kitty that pays you the most attention should be the one you get. Let your cat pick you out. Have patience with your cat as you discover his/her personality. Nighttime friskiness is to be expected and even the mellowest cat will play through the night.
2: Kitten or Cat?
Many people want a sweet little kitten. What is not to love about kittens? Well, for starters they attack everything, including the baby, the plants, your clothes, your body, and just about anything that peaks their fancy at that moment. If you can handle picking up after your new little tornado and can handle litter box training (not all kittens come trained), then you might enjoy the playfulness a kitten can bring. If you dont want to deal with those things and are worried about small children getting scratched than adopting a mature cat might be a better option for you. Adopting an older cat cost less initially as well. You will pay an adoption fee, usually somewhere between $30-$50, and you cat comes with all its shots and fixed. You will be responsible for the cost of all that when getting a kitten. Older cats also tend to be more passive and instead of scratching kids, they know how to simply avoid them.
3: Short hair or long hair?
Long or short hair, now thats the question. It can be hard to tell if a kitten is going to be long or shorthaired, they all are fluffy and fuzzy when they are little. Also with domestic cats you cant rely on what the parents look like either. Shorthaired kittens tend to look a bit less fluffy than longhaired. All cats shed no matter what hair type they have and so cleaning will be a must for both. Shorthaired cats seem to have hair all over the place, where longhaired cats seem to have clumps here and there. Longer haired cats also require more maintenance. Some require daily brushings to keep the hair untangled and clean. Grooming visits to trim the cats hair from the back end helps fervent nasty litter box mishaps, but can be costly. Shorthaired cats require hair brushing too, to minimize their shedding. Another thing to consider is a hairless cat, which are great if you are allergic to cat fur. Grooming is a part of any pet owners life, how much time you want to invest is what you need to figure out.
4: Breed
There are thousands of types of cats out there to choose from. Even a domestic cat comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Choosing a breed really is a personal option. If you are looking for a pure bread cat and are willing to pay good money for it then you want to research the different breeds and what to expect. Each breed has its own unique things to consider that may make the difference when adopting. Some breeds have a longer life span. Some are more territorial. Some are more aggressive. Some have a tendency to go blind. Some do not like other pets or children. Most pure bread cats come with health and purity certificates. If you are picking a kitten from a domestic litter or adoption then it is more of what color and hair length do you want. Most domestic cats are free and can be found listed in the paper, grocery store bulletin board, or word of mouth. Remember a free cat really isnt free, it may require defleaing before coming home and will need to go to the vet immediately if not adopted from a shelter.
5: Commitment
Cats live ten to fifteen, sometime twenty years. When you are adopting a cat, you are adopting a long-term commitment to care for that cat. You are adopting a commitment to feed that cat. You are adopting a commitment to protect that cat. You are taking on the responsibility to provide medical care, love, and time to care for this pet. Cats may be lower maintenance animals but they require all the same things other animals do. Their litter boxes need regular cleaning and they need affection. Being a pet owner is a big commitment and should not be taken lightly.
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