Cats as Pets


Owen Williams, Writer

Cats are fun, active (most of the time) pets that can make a long-time companion.

Depending on the cat, they should sleep 14 hours per day, drink often and play energetically at least 30 minutes per day. To care for them, simply have a bowl filled with high-quality dry cat food and wet food if you want. Also provide a water dish, or even better, a cat water fountain. Provide them with lots of things to climb on (cat trees, furniture etc.), plenty of toys, a litter box (clean it 2 x per day) and a safe hiding place. This hiding place should be dark, dry and soft. Play with your cat 30+ minutes per day, pet them 30+ minutes per day. When they are a kitten do these same things for 1 hour, 30 minutes+ per day. 

As a kitten, you can leash train them if you take them outside every day. You can also train them to go outside every morning for the day and bring them back inside at night. I recommend bringing them outside while they are supervised, in a fenced area. Bring your cat to the vet at least 1 time per year and make sure they get ALL of the shots, even if some of them don’t seem necessary. When you are getting your cat, do not get them from a pet shop unless it i9s an extremely high-end pet shop. Pet shops don’t treat the animals very well. If you are getting a cat, get it from a high-quality breeder or a good shelter. A shelter may be a better idea because some cats from breeders can easily cost $1000+. However, a cat from a shelter will cost maybe $200. When you get your cat, spend at least an hour with it before purchasing it so that you can learn it’s personality and so that it can be comfortable with you. When you bring your new cat home, give it a safe room (a guest bedroom with a bathroom is best). This room should be moderately sized with all of the things they may need (treats, toys, food, water, bed, carrier etc.). The room should also have a carpet over at least some of the floor. Do not have any plants unless the kitten can’t reach them. Keep them in the safe room for at least 2 weeks. The longer they stay in there the better, unless they are there for more than 4 months. When you let the kitten have the house to itself, try to block off part of the house and slowly allow them to have more and more room until they have the whole house to roam in. Before getting your cat, I recommend making your own care sheet to know exactly what to do for your new cat. Do not put a kitten with an older cat right away. Do not keep the lights in the house on all night. Do not let your cat outside alone without training. I do not recommend keeping a cat with any children less than 6 years old or even 10 would be better. 

In conclusion, cats make great, intermediate fun, loving pets.