Being a cat parent is a unique experience. While most of the world loves dogs and their innocence, cats have a real aura bonus going for them. As great as dogs are, they often end up requiring as much attention as small children. For some people, that can be a little too much. 

Over 25.4% of American homes own a cat, and 35% of these owners happen to be millennials. If you are thinking about getting a cat, you might believe that it shouldn’t be too hard. After all, cats are known for being independent and self-caring, right? 

Well, that’s partly true, but there are some aspects you want to know in advance. Let’s look at four of them below. 

1. Equipping Your Home (And Yourself) to Maintain Cleanliness

This one comes as a surprise to many, because people don’t really expect cats to make a home dirty. For one, cats shed their fur just as much as some dogs, and their fur ends up everywhere. This is particularly true for long-haired breeds. 

They can also have a habit of leaving scratch marks all over your furniture, walls, and doors. This can be problematic if you rent a place!

Cats can also make a mess with litter boxes and spray litter everywhere after finishing their business. If you’re wondering how to protect walls around litter box corners, we hear you. You never know if the litter on your walls and floor has been contaminated with urine or feces, and that’s a health risk. 

Info-Cat.com has some helpful advice in this context. One option is to use two litter boxes. A sort of “double box strategy” as they call it. You have the inner litter box with fine litter and the outer one with more coarse or granular litter. This can direct your cat to relieve any digging impulses to the larger box. As a result, their ‘business’ doesn’t scatter everywhere in the process. 

If they scratch up your furniture too much, then scratch posts are going to be a must. Similarly, constant vacuuming is something you’ll have to get used to. This brings us to another relevant point. 

2. Picking the Right Type of Cat

Don’t get us wrong. All cats deserve the same amount of love and care, but cat selection is something you definitely want to consider. It’s true that dog breeds generally have more variation in terms of personality and lifestyle, but differences do exist with cat breeds too! 

Let’s look at it from the most practical angle first. We already talked about how shedding can be an issue above. If that’s not something you look forward to, you probably want to avoid Persian, Siberian, and other long-haired breeds. 

Alright, then what about temperament and personality, you ask? Well, cats like the Maine Coon will be quite different from Persian cats. The former is much more active and playful, it’s quite large, and a nice family cat. They sort of look like mini lions with their furry manes. 

In contrast, Persian cats will want a more casual life. They love quiet environments and will probably wander to another room if your kids are being loud. They can also be great cats for people without young children in the house. Similarly, some breeds like Siamese, can get a little lonely if you leave them alone for too long. 

As you can see, there’s a lot of diversity in cat breeds, and that will certainly affect your experience with them.

3. Introducing A Cat to Other Pets (if Any)

If you don’t have any other pets, you can probably skip this section. Animals are a lot like humans. You can’t just expect them to get along with each other without some sort of ‘introduction.’ There are several ways you can do this; let’s look at some of the most effective ones below. 

The first introduction method we would recommend is scent swapping. To do this, you will want to swap blankets or bedding between your new cat and the pets you already have. Alternatively, you could find an old towel, give your cat a good rub with it, and place it near your other pet’s food bowls. 

Once this is done, slowly introduce visual contact. If your pets are particularly hostile to newcomers, this can be a slow process. However, be patient. You will want to introduce your cat via controlled meetings, usually through something like a partially open door. Be vigilant and ensure that your cat doesn’t try to run out and that your other pets don’t try to barge in. 

Once you run a few visual introductions and the initial curiosity wears off, consider face to face introductions. If you have a dog, a great time to do these introductions would be after a nice long walk. You would have control with the leash in case the meeting doesn’t go as planned, but most of the time, you should be fine. 

4. Getting Used to the Idea of Vet Trips

Our final point brings us to the theme of vet trips. This is something that most animals tend to abhor. It’s a good idea to understand that the earlier you practice taking your cat to the vet, the better the experience is during emergencies. This means getting used to vet fees as well. The average cost for a basic checkup is around $200 to $250, which may include vaccinations and initial health screenings

You would also ensure that your cat isn’t meeting a stranger for the first time if you make some preparatory visits in advance. Like it or not, you may not have much of a choice in this matter. Cats tend to have a number of minor issues that make great excuses to see a vet. 

For instance, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and other symptoms tend to happen relatively often in cats. Even if they are simply caused by something harmless, it’s always better to play it safe and check with a vet. Cats are small animals, and even tiny amounts of food poisoning can affect them severely. Be a responsible owner! 

All things considered, cats are great pets to own, and each cat has its own unique personality that you will love. Owning a pet is also great for your health overall. According to One Health Organization, owning a cat increases your chance of staying alive one year following a heart attack. 

Cats are awesome like that. Sure, their playfulness tends to reduce once they leave their kitten era, but they are still bundles of joy no matter how old they get. So, if you are thinking of getting a cat, just make sure you follow the steps above, and you should be set.