Choosing the right cat to keep at home will make a big difference in how you relate to each other. Make sure you've studied well before embarking on a relationship that could last for many years. There are many types of cats: purebred, domestic, long-haired, medium or short-haired, and in a range of color combinations.
Steps
Step 1. Decide if you want a cat from an animal shelter or a purebred cat
Animals from the shelters are not free, they cost between $ 70 and $ 110 per cat. Some cost less. They may also ask you to sign documents that you agree to keep the cat. Taking an animal from a shelter is a great idea, cheaper than buying it from a breeder, but it does come with risks. Animals are quarantined to determine if they have any diseases when they arrive at the shelter, but sometimes it happens to bring one home and it will die in a few days or weeks from an illness that it had or got from another animal in the shelter.. There are no certainties with the animals in the shelters.
Step 2. Please note that purebred animals are bred according to the consumer's request
Some cats are considered more in demand as a market product and are always bred for sale. Make sure you find a reputable breeder and check the hygiene status of the kennel to find out what environment the cat was raised in. Overcrowding and dirt are definitely warning signs, no matter how much they want for the pet. Some breeders are asking more for cats that have not been neutered, to decrease competition in the market.
Step 3. Check the local papers
There are people with kittens who will be happy to give them away. This also allows you to take a look at the kittens' mother to see how well the cat will grow and what it will look like. By taking an animal from a shelter, you may not have this benefit. However, this kitten could have all kinds of parasites: fleas, worms, ear mites.
Step 4. Find out if the cat has long, medium or short hair
It will make a difference in how it looks and how it sheds. The more hair it has, the more it will lose. If you choose a cat of a similar color to your rug, sofa, or chair, it may make shedding less of a problem. A longhaired cat is much more likely to produce hairballs than a shorthaired cat. Cats clean themselves by licking their fur with their tongue (which is designed to help this process), and the fur is ingested, becomes a pile and then regurgitates. This fur ball looks like a wet hairy sausage. You can do something by brushing the cat to remove the dead hair. The more you brush it, the fewer hairballs you'll see around.
Step 5. Taking a cat that has had its claws removed, or taking the claws off the cat, means that it will never get out
Cats need claws to defend themselves in the wild, and also to catch food.
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Please do your research before deciding to claw your cat. The practice is ultimately an amputation at the height of the first joint on each of the cat's toes. This practice can cause many serious problems, including litter rejection (paw pain when digging in sand); arthritis, bites and scratches etc. Please consider getting your cat used to using a good scratching post instead of mutilating it.
Choose the Right Kitten for Your Home Step 5
Step 6. Find out if it is male or female
Both males and females will mark their territory by urinating in certain areas of the house. Spaying will stop this behavior, especially if done before the puppy reaches sexual maturity. If you get a cat from a cattery, it will likely be neutered already.
Step 7. Cats are super easy to house train
Put a cat in the litter box once or twice, and it will automatically know where to litter. Much, much easier than training a dog for the same thing. This is because cats naturally use a specific place, while dogs do not.
Step 8. Pamper your cat when he wants to be pampered
Leave him alone when he wants to be alone. Nothing else, it's just that easy. There is nothing better than a cat that jumps into your arms and wants to be pampered! (However, it usually takes a year for a cat to trust you enough to sit on your lap for a long time.)
Step 9. Let the cat get used to the house
The first time you bring him home, he may hide or run away (you should keep him indoors for about the first week, until he realizes you are feeding him).
Step 10. If you have other cats, it is very important to introduce the newcomer gradually
Start by giving the puppy only one room, perhaps a bathroom or a bedroom. Keep the doors closed, leave him a puppy litter, food and water. The puppy will be fine in there. Give your other cats or cat a lot more attention and extra treats. They will certainly know the kitten is in there, from the smell. They will smell and touch the door with their paws, they may even blow on the door. That is fine. The cats that meet must establish territories and borders. You don't want your cats to think the puppy has invaded their territory, or they will be unhappy, and they may start doing things to prove it to you. When you leave the room where the kitten is, let the cats sniff your hands, then pat them and give them a treat and attention. After two or three days, you can have larger cats enter the room to check it out, under your supervision. Upon seeing the puppy, they will want to smell it, and they may very well blow at it. No problem, pet them, give them something to calm them down, how important they are to you. DO NOT give the kitten too much attention when other cats see you, for the first few weeks. This is very important, the fact that cats still feel important in the house and for you. Eventually they will likely relax and accept the kitten, but that's not 100% sure. Take it easy, you can create a good relationship between them if you don't mess around. Once in a while, when the other cats are not around, or asleep, take the puppy out of the room to explore the living room. At least for the first week, but even longer if other cats seem angry, the kitten has to stay in his room, especially at night, and especially if any of them sleep with you. With any luck, cats will accept the puppy as a little brother or as their own puppy, play, fight and groom each other, becoming great friends. This is worth waiting for.
Advice
- Never use human nail clippers to cut your cat's nails. Get one for cats at your pet store; they are more curved than those for people. Read how to cut cat nails.
- Your cat may not like strangers. Many hide when someone comes to visit you. It's a temperamental thing, something innate that makes him love new people or not. If you happen to be with your cats, leave them in a room with the litter box, water and food, if you want to have a party or if you have invited a lot of people to the house.
- DHS in English means short-haired domestic.
- Some cats will form a bond with one person, or with another cat. If you want this kind of relationship with your cat, you need to give them a LOT of attention. Cats react based on the attention they receive, no doubt, and based on how well you respect their boundaries. As stated above, if the cat struggles when you pick him up, he doesn't want to be held, let him down right away. If the cat hisses at you, understand the situation and leave it alone.
- He begins to trim his nails when he is little. It will help you get him used to it.
- Many animal shelters have a website so you can see which animals they have before you decide to go there and make a commitment. Use this resource if it is available.
- DMH in English means medium-haired pet
- Spaying a female means removing her ovaries and uterus surgically.
- DLH in English means long-haired pet
- Spaying a male means castrating him
- A spray bottle or water gun works well to train the cat not to step on tables, or to scratch furniture. It also helps a lot to speak in a firm and dry way, to say "No!" when they do, in order to associate the word no said firmly with the water they do not like … in the end they will only react to no. But, be prepared, cats have no morals! Most likely they sleep on the table where you eat when you are not there, to go down as soon as you get home! When the cat misbehaves, make it seem to the cat that you are not punishing him, or the puppy will associate you with being punished. It is not you who owns the puppy, but the opposite!
Warnings
- Remember that having a pet means taking responsibility for the care and well-being of another living being, probably for many years. Don't do it lightly.
- Never let a cat that has had its claws amputated out. Claws are its natural defense against predators as well as its way of grasping food
- Make it clear to yourself why you want an animal.
- Take your cat to the vet for a checkup as soon as possible. If it hasn't been sterilized, do it as soon as possible. Some states require animals taken from shelters to be neutered within a certain period of time.
- If you use a spray bottle, do not recycle one of detergent, as anything that gets on its fur will lick and swallow.
