Before You Adopt A Cat...

A very basic checklist before you adopt a pet, no matter where the cat is from.

Know thyself and thy family!

• How much time and attention can you give a new pet? This includes not only basic needs, but play time and purring time. Be truthful!
• Decide in advance the best places in your home for her to sleep, eat, drink, and the equally important (but far less entertaining) needs to urinate and defecate? Don't carve this in stone; things may be different than what you expect in the beginning while the cat and you get to know one another.
• Who will take care of these basic physical needs every single day? Can several people share the responsibilities on a rotating basis?
• What kind of temperament will fit in with your family? A cuddly quiet lap cat? A high energy talker? One who runs to greet you and demands attention? A cat who likes to run and play and chase invisible things (these are known as greeblings and live in a dimension that only cats can see)? A kitten that will grow up and require lots of attention and training along the way? An older cat that may have some fears or habits that will require you to work with her calmly and consistently to abate them? Even young cats may have become afraid like our Jennifur, who was tormented as a kitten by some vicious school boys. She avoided our older son until he grew taller, seeming to associate a certain height with those bullies.
• Can your cat live indoors with you? It will lengthen his lifespan, keep him healthier, less prone to ticks, fleas, disease and uninjured. There is a myth that cats must live outside to express their wild natures. Baloney. Outside cats get lost, run over by cars, killed by wildlife, badly trained dogs and vicious people. They can unknowingly eat rats or mice that were poisoned by your neighbors. In suburban areas, they can drink antifreeze in someone's garage and die. In more rural areas cats make great coyote food, and can be killed by rattlesnakes and black widow spiders.

  Cats can hunt, hide, run, jump, chase, stalk, "sharpen" claws (a misnomer), sleep, eat, and eliminate waste all in the comforts of your home. Or do you want an indoor/outdoor cat? Be clear on how this will benefit all concerned.

• Don't like litter boxes? There are self-cleaning ones now, both electronic and manual (you roll the container and dump the contents of the tray into the trash). We have two of the latter type; they're inexpensive, save litter, and turn a 5-minute task into 30 seconds.
• Some cats have been trained to use the (human) toilet. There are books about potty training cats. Jennifur used to do this on her own, except she never did manage to flush the toilet :-)
• Do you want a "barn cat" for killing the mice that eat the grain you need for your horses? Some cats are better for this than others, and a good local animal shelter will know which ones will suit you.
• How will your cat be cared for when you go on vacation? Some cats actually travel well; many do not. Not all vacation spots are suitable for a cat (or dog). There are "pet hotels" or boarding places of various quality. Check with your vet and the phone book.