Cat and Kitten Care
The Basics of Cat and Kitty Care

Cat and kitten care begins way before you make a decision on your new feline joint venture. Some cat-human mergers begin in the most unexpected places -- like at the grocery store. For others this is a well planned event, complete with shopping lists, multiple visitations and in some cases, trial periods. Whatever the case, there are several steps to a successful cat or kitten merger.

Choices

• Boy or girl;

• Domestic or purebred cat;

• Choosing a fuzzy haired, long or short hair cat;

• Kitten or adult cat

One or more cats?

Some people think that cats want to be left alone. This is simply incorrect.

Domesticated cats are very social animals. They seek out companionship. When cats spend a lot of time alone, they can become bored which leads to unwanted behavior. They can also become depressed. You probably see cats throughout your day. You may even want a certain type or color of cat. Perhaps you had visions of chasing butterflies and snakes together. I thought so.

More often than not, you didn’t dwell on the fact that this union requires a decade or more of cat and kitten care. Even if you adopt an adult cat, you get each other for better and worse, including the dazzling eyes, the adorable sleep positions, the unexpected claw slashes and perplexing moaning or yowling. Don’t forget the other feline extras, like spraying, drizzling, and outright puddling.

Sit down with yourself and your family and talk through aspects of cat and kitten care. Start with  the feline traits. These include their physical attributes, how they look.  Dig into some of the details by checking out some books at the library or create your own collection. Talk to other humans about cat and kitten  care.

Review the physical characteristics and profiles throughout our cat breed pictures.

Purebred vs. Domestic

Long or shorthair - or fuzzy hair?

If you think you want a curious breed, it shouldn't be a surprise that to find that this breed is also extremely active, therefore requiring extra attention in their cat and kitten care program. This breed spends a lot of time playing and needs a lot of toys. If you don't provide playthings, your cat will use your belongings to create his own toys.

If you really are attracted to the shiny spotted coat of a cat that looks like a mini-leopard then that’s the place to start your research.

Do you want the cat to be gentle with kids or other pets? A boy or girl cat?

A lap kitty or an active run-about? You may find out that the cat your really want has no spots and sports a long fur coat.

Do you have a very strong opinion about whether your cat is a boy or a girl?  Doesn't really matter.  That said, unaltered female and male cats have more bad habits than do their neutered/spayed counterparts.

Boy or girl, flip the coin, but always bet on getting your cat fixed.  Tails up!