Bringing Kitty Home

This section of my site discusses the joys of having a cat as a pet - and what better a pet can you have than a cat?

There are various things to learn about that comes with the responsibility of owning a cat, such as what to look for in cat foods, and cat diseases and ailments to look out for. Cat behaviors can vary between breeds and information can be found here on the characteristics of different breeds and differences in cat behaviors.

Although cats cannot generally be trained to perform tricks and respond to a variety of calls like a dog, cats should be trained to learn the basic dos and don'ts of the house and such cat training should not be overlooked.

Although I love, and have had, many cats and dogs over the years as pets, I view them as different animals with quite different temperaments. Whereas my dog, lovable as she is, seems to worship me and is constantly trying to please, almost to the extent of groveling, I find my cat's behavior quite different. My cat is totally self-assured, confident of my affection, but does not feel the need to hang around me and seek my constant attention and approval.

Sometimes a cat's aloofness can be misconstrued as a lack of affection. Be assured that this is far from the case. Cats are wonderful, loving and loyal animals. But, once the bond is established, they do not feel the need to be all over you all the time.

Creating the bond with your cat starts from a very early age. If you are choosing a kitten from a cattery there are a number of things to consider first and then to look for when you are inspecting the kittens.

Do you want a lively, rum bumptious kitten or a quieter layback one? That probably depends upon whether the kitten is for a child or an older person seeking a quiet companion. Do you want a pure bred cat? There are about 40 breeds to choose from and they differ considerably in size, temperament, coat length and so on. Give it some thought. Long coats are gorgeous but require a lot of grooming. Are you, or the appointed carer in the household likely to keep that up after the novelty of the new arrival wears off? If you buy a pure bred cat you know what you are getting in terms of parentage, likely temperament and so forth. Of course you will pay more for a pure bred cat, and, in fact they form a very small percentage of the total domestic cat population (about 1 in 10 domestic vats are pure bred).

You might be just as happy with a mixed breed kitten from the local animal humane society. There are usually plenty available if you are not fussy about getting a specific breed, but there are a number of things to look out for. Make sure the kittens are lively and bright, not crusty, eyed. They should not have an odor, a runny nose, have noisy, raspy breathing or feel oily to the touch. Take your time to inspect the kittens and try, hard as it is sometimes, not to fall in love with one at first glance, before you have even picked him or her up. It is worth the extra time to make a sensible choice because you will have it for a long time, cats live to 15, 16 years on average – the oldest recorded age of a cat that I am aware of is 36 years!

Once the choice is made – then you can fall in love with it, and take it home. Let you kitten wonder around. They are inquisitive creatures and will want to explore their new home. Make sure that you don't leave outside doors open or you might lose your kitten before you get a chance to get to know it! It will want to know where her food and water are located and introduce her to her litter box very early. Be careful, also to leave the lids of toilets down, and just for a while put indoor plants out of reach until your new family member gets to know the rules. It is a good idea also to have a few cat toys around, just so that he or she gets the idea that this is a great new home!

The most important thing is to create an immediate loving bond with your kitten. You will undoubtedly want to handle it. Do so. Let it know that this is home and it is now a much-loved new member of your family.