Choosing Your Cat

One reason cats are such popular pets is their adaptability. They are self-sufficient and absolutely unpredictable. Cats thrive anywhere people do with very little special care. Nevertheless, a cat's age, sex and breed should be considered if you want the most suitable pet for your lifestyle.

A farmland family with children and neighbors' children running in and out all day slamming doors, might be more appreciative of a sturdy, low maintenance "wash and wear" American Short-Hair. A cat connoisseur might choose the unique look of the Ocicat, which, besides its spotted wild looking beauty, is known as one of the best companion cats. The best companion for an older person or invalid might be a mature cat who stays out from underfoot and is not too energetic. A long-haired cat or a high-strung, elegant Siamese whose claws are sure to scratch expensive furniture and mother's stockings, might send a fastidious housekeeper into a broom swinging rage. On the other hand, an easygoing young childless couple would be delighted with the same cat.

The following general information may be all you need to make your decision. If not, and you want to know more, get a note book and start researching at the library. Look in bookstores for good sources of information, join a cat club, attend a cat show and visit breeders in your area. The more you learn, the more you'll enjoy your feline.

Decide what type of cat you want: pet, breeder or show quality. If you cannot commit to the money or time, do not buy a show cat. If you are not going to breed the cat, don’t buy breeding stock. The least expensive kitten is going to be the quality that reputable breeders will only sell with a spay/neuter agreement.

ADULT OR KITTEN?

Each has its virtues. An adult cat is a ready-made companion, no muss, no fuss. He's trained, he's self-sufficient, and like the words of a famous philosopher "what you see is what you get", no surprises. What's more, he may already be neutered and he knows how to take care of himself. He'll hide when he tires of playing with the children and they get rough. And if you need a mouser, he can probably learn the job within hours. Assuming he's healthy and comes from a loving breeder or home, he may make an excellent pet.

On the other hand, adult cats are generally slower to adjust to new situations than kittens. Normally shipping can cause adults immense stress and stress can bring on illness. It may take a little extra patience to introduce an older cat to other pets in the family. You'll probably have to watch closely for a few months until he becomes adjusted so that he doesn't sneak out the door and try to return to his former home. Starting out with an adult cat, you miss the enjoyment as well as anguishes of kittenhood; some people feel it’s easier to bond to a kitten than an adult cat.

No doubt kittens are adorable, cuddly and amusing. Their nonsensical antics and youthful exuberance bring out the cheerfulness in everyone. Watching them learn and grow is unforgettable for all ages and an exciting experience for children.

They do take time and patience however; be prepared to give a kitten lots of care during the first few weeks. He may need to be fed several times a day; you'll have to spend time training him and cleaning up after him when he has an accident. He may even need to sleep cuddled up with you the first night or two. Kittens are born explorers, so put away table top treasures (or glue them down with a glue gun) until he's older. Finally, be prepared for veterinary expenses - for inoculations, neutering and checkups.

PEDIGREED

If you plan to show your cat as a hobby, and your specific about what you want in looks and temperament or if you intend to breed, by all means, buy a pedigreed cat from a breeder. A pure-bred cat can cost several hundred dollars. Chances are you will never mull over your investment in an exquisite, show quality feline.

As to advice on buying an expensive show cat, the best practice is to learn about the breed you want through reading, talking to breeders and attending cat shows. With this knowledge under your belt, go look at kittens and you can probably make an intelligent evaluation. If you don’t feel that you can, take someone with you that can.

If you definitely want a particular breed, but you don't need show quality and registration papers, you may be able to buy a "pet kitten" relatively inexpensively from a breeder. While color variations or other minor faults may make the kitten unacceptable for breeding or showing, they don't affect his pet potential at all.

LONG-HAIRED OR SHORTHAIRED?

Your tolerance for continual hair on carpets, furniture and clothing is one factor to consider. Allergies can be another; long-haired cats may aggravate allergies more than short-hairs. Daily grooming is essential, if you choose a long-hair and want to keep him healthy, good looking and free of hairballs. A short haired cat requires less maintance, just gentle brushing with a rubber brush, a couple of times a week. Both the long-hairs and short-hairs will need a nail trim once a week.

TEMPERAMENT

Claims are made about different temperaments among the breeds, but in general, longhairs are quieter and more tranquil than short-hairs.

MALE OR FEMALE

Unless cat breeding is your goal, sex makes little difference since you're going to spay or neuter the cat anyway. Altered pets are more docile than whole cats. Neutered males normally never spray and are more mellow because their not driven by hormones. Males are always larger than females. Spayed females won't produce generation after generation of unwanted litters at home or elsewhere.