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Adopting a cat is not to be taken lightly, and before you bring a cat home there are a few questions you should ask yourselves:

1. Do we want a mixed breed or a pure bred cat?
2. Do we prefer a kitten or an adult cat?
3. Male or female?

Even if you think you know the answers to the above, take another minute to check if the cat you're dreaming about is the most suitable cat for your family's lifestyle.  

Mixed breed or pure bred?

A pure bred cat is chosen for his look and character. Long haired cats like the Persian have a very agreeable nature but require daily brushing and grooming to keep their majestic appearance. Siamese cats, which make lovely pets, tend to need a lot of attention from their owner and they are very vocal about it (though they make up for it by being clever and graceful). Also remember that on top of the initial and ongoing expenses for vaccines, food and medical treatment, purchasing a pure bred cat is costly, as it should be purchased from a well known breeder. Mixed breed cats usually live longer and are less prone to disease. The various shelters and rescue organizations are overcrowded with abandoned cats and adopting one there is also a beautiful act of charity. These cats are spayed and neutered. 

A kitten or an adult cat?

Few people can resist the charm of a kitten, and raising a cat of a very young age is a challenging but fulfilling experience. With that said, remember the younger the kitten the more you'll need to invest time and energy in his upbringing. A grown cat would usually be house-broken, will use the litter box and will probably create less havoc. On the other hand, a grown cat may be "set in his ways" and you have to make sure his ways are compatible with yours. 

Male or female?

Since we strongly advise spaying or neutering your cat, for both behavioral and medical reasons, gender doesn't matter much, as spayed and neutered cats tend to be tame and loyal pets. Refraining from spaying your female cat means loud vocalization when on heat, refraining from neutering your male cat means urine-marking the house, escaping to look for female cats, getting into fights with other males, etc'. (More on the issue of spaying and neutering cats in our next article). 

After deciding what kind of cat you want, make sure you are ready for the new cat: 

Did you bring into account the expenses (food, vaccines, deworming etc')?

Are you emotionally ready for possible damage to your furniture? 

Do you have enough time to dedicate to the cat?

Did you make sure nobody in the family is allergic to cats? 

If the answer is yes to all of the above, you are ready! We strongly recommend approaching one of the many animal shelters and rescue organizations, or otherwise – a renowned breeder.

Enjoy your cat!

At the Ramat-Hasharon veterinary center we'll be happy to answer any question that might arise.