Caring For Cats – 4 Important Questions To Consider

In this short article, I will be expanding on 4 important questions you must consider when caring for cats. The article is mostly aimed at folks who are new to looking after cats or are thinking of adopting a cat. 

Caring for cats or kittens? this a big decision to make. Everyone and their granny loves kittens, they are very cute, cuddly and do the funniest things. Be aware that especially in the beginning kittens require a lot more care and attention than a more mature cat. Kittens require to become accustomed to their new surroundings more than an adult cat, they require to get used to you and your family not to mention they will require the necessary veterinary care which includes boosters, worming, neutering or spaying if this is the way you want to go.

Having always been caring for cats from their infancy to adult hood I can safely say that it is so rewarding watching them developing their own little personality and learning their likes & dislikes, however you will only ever get the most out of raising a kitten from the beginning if you have the time to put in and also the energy as they can be very demanding. Like I always say, a kitten is for life and not just for Christmas.

According to Cat Fanciers Association there are 41 different cat breeds.

For the length of time I have been caring for cats, the only breed I have owned is the domestic cat. However I have spent time with various different breeds of cats at one time or another through friends and relatives.

Most people will opt for the domesticated cat as they ordinarily do not cost anything or only require a small donation to obtain.

There are so many various different breeds of cats. There are Siamese, Ragdoll, Himalayan just to name a few. You also get different variations of breeds within a breed such as a red point or chocolate point Siamese. All breeds vary in prices from zero pounds to hundreds of pounds to thousands of pounds. There really is no limit.

I have been caring for cats my entire life and have had both outdoor and indoor cats. At this present time I have 2 domestic cats both of which are house cats, they do not go outside at all. There are arguments for both sides of this but the reason that both my cats stay indoors is due to a bad experience with a previous cat.

Most cats love the outdoors, they love chasing prey, climbing trees and socializing with their 4 legged friends. On the flip side, many, many dangers exist when the cat is outdoors from diseases caught from other felines, cruelty from our fellow human beings is also an ongoing problem within society, dangers from other animals such as foxes, dogs and lastly the many dangers of the road and this is just to name a few.

When caring for cats you will inevitably come across this question. In male cats unfortunately (in my opinion) neutering is a must as if the cat is not neutered then the cat will begin spraying in every possible place in your home, this is to mark the territory and unfortunately the smell is very, very unpleasant. 

With female cats, there are several arguments, one is that having the cat spayed will reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and other killer diseases. With my female cat for example I have avoided getting her spayed for the time being, this is just my belief that beside the operation being unpleasant I always wish a female animal to know what it’s like to be a mother first prior to the spaying. This is just my belief.

In conclusion, when caring for cats all the answers to the above questions will be a personal preference and may also depend on the cat you have adopted. For example, the question “Neutered/Spayed or Not?” you may choose to want a pedigree cat and not want to neuter your cat as you may wish to breed them or you may wish to have your cat spayed as your previous cat suffered from ovarian cancer? For me the answer to the question “Outdoor or Indoor Cat?” will always NOW be indoor. Several years ago I had a cat who was innocently out playing in the back garden and unfortunately was mauled by the Alsatian over the back fence. Like I have stated, I have been caring for cats my whole life and have had cats who have played outside without incident, however that unfortunate incident has always played on my mind.