Male or Female
If you do not intend to become a cat breeder, the sex of your kitten is immaterial to its role as a family pet. While some people swear male cats are more affectionate, others passionately prefer a female. The truth is that since most kittens are neutered or spayed after six months of age, there really is not a lot of difference between the sexes. It's more important to look for the right personality that suits your lifestyle, instead of limiting your choice based on the sex of the kitten.
Mixed Breed or Pedigree
Mixed breed is often known as 'Moggie', in English it means cat of unidentified parentage. Mixed breed kittens are readily available and less expensive than pedigreed cats. When choosing a moggie, the only drawback is that you have little information about its medical or genetic history, so have a vet examination before losing your heart to a kitten that may have a major health issue. On the other hand, you may have fallen in love with a breed's look and personality. Perhaps you are considering showing your cat or eventually breeding it. The advantage of a purebred, more correctly called a pedigreed cat is that it is more of a known equation. It offers predictability. While cats are individuals and vary, cats of the same breed are more likely to share the look and have almost similar characteristics. Seek out a reputable breeder who has carefully chosen quality breeding stock and is skilled at rising and socializing kittens. A good breeder normally is willing to provide expert consultation or advice to kitten buyers even long after the original purchase.
Kitten or Adult
All kittens are cuteness overload! It's hard to resit any of the kitten. While a kitten requires an enormous amount of time and care, it is compensated by the delight of watching it grow and develop. However, an older cat may be a better choice if you lead a hectic lifestyle or have children under 3 years old, who may be too young to be trusted to treat a kitten gently.
For various reasons, a new home might be needed for an adult cat due to divorce, allergies, a change in family circumstances or a pedigreed cat may be retiring from a breeding career. Grown cats have the advantage of maturity and are already vaccinated and neutered. There is also the satisfaction of providing a home to a cat, that if not for you, may never find a home since people naturally gravitate to kittens. One thing to consider: adult cats in shelters may have been turned in due to behavioral problems, typically bad litter tray habits. If selecting an adult cat from a shelter, try to determine the reason its last home gave it up.
Special Needs Feline
You may want to consider adopting a special needs cat, one that is blind, an amputee, or has a health problem that is managable with medicine, such as diabetes. Often considered adoptable, opening your heart and home to a special needs feline is rewarded with love and companionship that more than compensates for the extra care that may be required.
Long Hair Or Short Hair
The grooming requirements of a long haired cat such as a Persian are significant. Even a mixed breed with semi-long hair will require regular combing to avoid matting. A short hair requires less grooming, but the shed hair may be more difficult to remove from clothes and furniture.
One Cat Or Two
Having only one cat at home: the cat will be very attached to human; having more than a cat at home, especially if they grown up together and enjoyed a lot of play time together, most probably they will be more attached to each other than to you.
In actual fact, having two cats are more than twice the fun and less than twice the work. Once you have adjusted your lifestyle to accommodate a cat, adopting another one requires little extra effort. Having two cats at home are very entertaining, as they play and interact with one another, adding an extra portion of fun to the home.
No comments:
Post a Comment