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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 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"
Short-Hair cat. 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 mess, 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 maintenance, 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.
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