How to Live With a Cat

Adding a cat to a household is like adding a roommate you don't know well. Try to get too friendly right away; and she'll hide in her room all day. But if you're patient, she'll start to join you on the sofa to watch TV, and you'll eventually become great pals. If your new cat could speak, these are the things she'd tell you about getting to know her.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Litter box and litter
• Food and water dishes
• Toys
• High perches
• Veterinarian
• Scratching post

1. Forget about playmates. Like any roommate who doesn't have to pay rent, a cat would rather you didn't acquire additional roommates. Cats are solitary creatures. They don't need other cats to keep them company while you're at work.

2. Give me my own bathroom. This means a litter box in a quiet corner, not in the family bathroom or the noisy laundry room. She will absolutely resent having to share her litter box with another cat and will pitch a fit if she finds the dog nosing around in it.

3. Don't make me share. Your cat doesn't want other animals eating her food or drinking her water any more than you do. Each pet should have his or her own dishes, which may mean feeding your cat somewhere that's out of reach of the dog.

4. Leave my toes alone. De-clawing a cat--or cutting off her toes--is unnecessarily cruel. Instead, provide a scratching post not far from the litter box so she can clean her claws. If your cat is scratching the furniture, move the scratching post there. Or consider getting soft plastic tips for her claws so she can scratch without causing damage.

5. Give me a safe place. Your cat feels safest when up high. She can see where everyone is and can relax without worrying that the dog will pounce on her. Get a "cat condo" for her. It's also a good place to feed her.

6. Make me exercise. You can't take a cat for a walk, but she still needs daily activity. Buy a selection of toys for her to play with, but only give her one at a time. (Cats bore easily but they have short memories.) Cats especially love jingly balls and "fishing poles" with feathers.

7. Protect my health. Your cats is subject to rabies, distemper, feline leukemia and heartworm even if she never goes outside. Kittens need immunizations, and adult cats need yearly booster shots plus monthly treatments for fleas and other parasites.

8. Keep me inside even if I beg to go out. Cats who go outdoors live about three years. Those that stay inside the house live close to twenty. Protect your cat from attacks by dogs or rabid wildlife, ingestion of antifreeze or other poisons and cars by keeping her indoors.

9. Let me go when the time comes. A sick, injured or elderly cat may no longer be able to enjoy life. If your cat stops playing with toys, can't climb into her high perches, stops eating, meows and paces all night or otherwise seems miserable, it's a kindness to have a veterinarian gently help her die.

Tips & Warnings

• Some cats are affectionate and some are aloof. Check the characteristics of the breed before buying or ask the previous owner. You may find that a cat who won't sit in your lap will follow you from room to room and lie nearby.
• Cats are particular about food and litter brands, impatient with children, mischievous, moody and self-centered. Don't expect your cat to be any different no matter how much you yell, punish, beg or bribe. If you want unquestioning loyalty and adoration, get a dog.
• Some people are allergic to cats--a few severely so. Before adding a cat to the household, visit a friend who has a cat.

[yourlovingcat]

on 4/30/2009 A very good article, but I do have a couple of points with it. In Step 1, it states that cats are solitary creatures and don't want a playmate. This depends on the cat. Many cats like the company of other feline companions, sort of like a pride of lions, and I have always had a pair of cats. The other point was that about alergies in the tips and warnings. Many people are alergic to either short hairs or long hairs, but not both. Also, spend more than a few minutes in your friends home, and see if you can actually handle their cat. Another good way to find out about alergies is to visit an adoption center such as the Humane society, and spend some time in their cat rooms