Nowadays, cats are very popular in the internet. These little furry felines are currently attracting millions of humans and you may be one of them. They’ve caught your attention and now you’re in love. In this case, you are now planning in getting one for yourself. However, there are things to consider first before you get your arse out and visit the nearest pet shelter or contacting a cat breeder:

photo credits: www.telegraph.co.uk

1. Prepare the perfect living space for them.

Before getting or adopting a cat, you should prepare their safe haven. You need to cat-proof the whole house, specially if you have expensive furnitures. Also, you need to consider if everyone in your house approves of having a new furry member in the house.

2. Plan your little furry member’s food or diet.

This is important since what they eat will determine their health. Some would prefer giving them a raw diet, while some prefer to provide commercialized cat food. Raw food is healthy for cats since this is their natural food source, however, it can be tedious and you need to make sure the ingredients provide the proper nutrients for their daily needs. That’s why most cat owners just give their pets a combination of dry and wet food. Commercialized cat food already has balanced nutrients for everyday intake but you need to make sure that the quality is good. You must also make sure you know how to feed them properly (feeding schedule, nutrient balance, etc.) and provide them with fresh water daily. Improper feeding, no matter how good the quality of the cat food is, can still cause serious medical complications in the long run. (Diabetes, Feline Urinary Tract Infection, etc.)

3. Select their litter sand, set up the litter box and maintain it.

It is not advisable to use your preferred litter sand the moment your furry friend arrives. Your cat may not identify it as their litter box; but since they are smart, they would know it’s a litter box. It’s either they’re just not used to it yet… or they just don’t like it. Period. In this case, you would need to use the same kind of litter sand that they’re used to before you got them. It’s best to ask the pet shelter or the breeder where you got your cat so you can slowly introduce them to the new litter sand should you decide to use another brand. Finally, you would need to maintain it. Cats are very sanitary so you would have to clean their litter box religiously or they’ll look for other places to hide their poop. (and trust me, it won’t be pleasant) *wink*

4. Choose the best veterinarian.

Veterinarians studied for years to help us take care of our pets but to be honest, SOME really do not care for our babies’ health. They just want our money. I’m not pertaining to ALL of them, though. That’s why we need to choose the right vet for all our pets. Not just our cats. You are literally turning over your pet’s lives on the vet’s hands so you must be very careful.

5. Prepare your pockets.

You are now responsible for your cat’s welfare. Hence, you would need to purchase their grooming tools, food, finance their regular visit to the vet and many more. Everything comes with a price and these are not cheap. You may risk your cat’s health if you won’t allot a budget for them.

photo credits: http://www.salon.com/topic/cats/

6. Most of all, prepare yourself.

This is the most important thing to consider. You must prepare yourself before welcoming a new family member to your house. Remember that cats are not just your pets, they are family so they do not deserve to be treated like an accessory to your home. They need to be loved and taken care of. You need to spend time playing with them especially if they are still playful kittens. Give them the attention they deserve and loving affection. Cats may be vain creatures unlike dogs but they do love you back. They can relieve your stress and they can be there for you when no one else are.

After you’ve decided that you are now ready and you finally have your feline friend in your home, I tell you; it’s all worth it although it seems like cats may sometimes be very ungrateful (HAHA). Also, always remember that you may live with different cats in your entire lifetime but they only have you in theirs so be responsible pet owners and love them genuinely.