Should You Get a Cat?
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Your cat will depend on you throughout its life, and with proper care may live 15 years or more. Are you willing and able to care properly for it and provide a stable home for that long? An astonishingly high percentage of cats change owners at least once in their lifetimes, and that does not count those that didn't make it out of the shelter.
Don't get a cat without prior budgeting for vet visits and other costs. Normal veterinary care includes yearly shots and boosters, tests for worms, and examination for typical diseases as needed. This will run about US$100-$300 a year. This, of course, depends on your vet and on the health of your cat. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the long run.
If you cannot afford veterinary care for a cat, you should not get one. Do not think that you can get a cat and never see the vet. Annual shots and examinations are a must for keeping your cat healthy; certain vaccinations are required by law in different areas.
Other routine costs include cat food, cat litter, litter pans and scoops, and other cat paraphernalia such as scratching posts and cat trees.
Most life changes shouldn't affect your ability to give a cat a good home. Some people think they must give up a cat when they move, but that's not true. It is relatively easy to move with a cat, even if you are moving cross country or overseas.
However, if you expect that you will soon be in a situation where you will have to give up your cat, consider spending time with friends' cats instead of getting your own . It can be very difficult or impossible to find a home for your adult cat if you ever have to give it up.
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Caring for a new kitten
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Generally, a very young cat doesn't need the full run of an entire house. Use your judgement, but leaving it in one room until it is a little older can save both of you some anxiety. A kitten will need a different diet than an adult; most brands of cat food also come in "kitten food" versions. Kittens have small stomachs and big appetites; they need to be fed several times a day.
Most kittens will understand how to use the litter box. Usually their mother teaches them, but they will pick it up easily on their own. If you have a too-young cat, you can teach it by confining it to one room so that access to the litter box is easy and putting it in the litter box after feeding.
You might wind up with kittens too young to have been separated from their mother for whatever reason. If you have an orphan kitten, you will need to provide a warm draft-free area and use something like KMR (kitten milk replacer) for food, using an eyedropper. Consult your vet for advice and help.
From kittenhood, accustom your cat to being handled. Look into its ears (clean, white and light pink), eyes (clear, no runniness, inner eyelids may blink but should remain open), nose (clean and pink (or its normal color) and mouth (clean, light pink gums) regularly. Hold it still and look at its anus; pick up its paws and look at the pads and claws. This will have the added benefit that you will notice any changes from normal quickly and be able to call up your vet if something is wrong.
Do arrange for the kitten to meet plenty of people; this will socialize your cat and it will not hide from people when adult.
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