5 Things You Need to Know Before Bringing a Cat Home

Bringing a pet home is a big decision. It is like having a child. Your pet needs your love and attention just like a child does, so there’s no difference, really.

Cats are low-maintenance animals. It is precisely why they’re preferred by most people as pets. Still, I’d like you to know that keeping a cat isn’t as simple as it seems.

That’s right, guys! There are a number of things that you need to know before bringing a cat home. Read the following points thoroughly and make an informed decision.

A Litter Box is Crucial

Your cat is a living being, and like others, it also needs its room to perform the excretory business. Would you like your cat to pee around the house? It would be pretty unhygienic. Isn’t it?

Thus, you must buy a cat litter box before bringing the cat home. I would suggest you buy a stainless steel cat litter box since it’s relatively durable as compared to plastic boxes.

Be sure to keep it in a particular area of the house, preferably near a window or back door. Also, you need to clean the litter box daily in order to maintain the perfect hygiene standard.

Take Out Time for Vet Visits

When bringing a cat home, you need to establish a routine for regular visits to the vet. Your cat cannot speak and tell you in case there’s something wrong with it, or if it doesn’t feel right.

It is primarily why you must take your cat to the vet now and then, at least once every three months. It’s one way to ensure that your pet remains safe and healthy.

As mentioned earlier, your cat is going to be your second child. Henceforth, it’s your responsibility to make sure that the cat remains healthy through it all. Besides the veterinary checkups, take care of your cat in general, the food it consumes as well as its hygiene.

Groom Your Cat Regularly

What’s the most prominent difference between a pet and a stray cat? Pet cats are well-groomed, clean, and tamed. It is something that you need to understand before bringing a cat home, your cat would need regular grooming.

If you happen to have a good budget, I would suggest taking your cat to a pet grooming center once every month. On the other hand, you can also groom it at home. A deep cleansing session followed by a bath, and hair and nail trimming are going to suffice.

Most people ignore hair trimming when it comes to cats. Do you like it when there is cat hair everywhere in the house? On your clothes? On the furniture? Well, it doesn’t look pleasing. Thereby, it’s mandatory to give it a hair trim once or twice a month.

Buy a Scratching Pad

Have you ever seen a cat scratching itself? Cats are fond of scratching. It’s a process that releases feel-good hormones in the cat’s body. Thus, scratching uplifts the cat’s mood and boosts its energy levels.

While cats usually scratch themselves, sometimes they scratch the furniture around. It’s an animal, you can never really anticipate what it’s capable of. It is mainly the reason cat owners always have a scratching pad at home.

Do you want your furniture to get destroyed? If not, it would be a sensible decision to get a scratching post or pad. That way, your cat would know that furniture isn’t what it needs to scratch.

Know That it’s a Long Commitment

The average life expectancy of a cat is 2 to 16 years. When bringing a cat home, you must come to terms with the fact that it’s a long commitment. It isn’t going to be a year or two. It will be a relationship that’s going to span plenty of time.

It isn’t anything complicated. You just need to prepare yourself ahead of time for this commitment. Once you know what you’re getting yourself into, things would become easier. It’s as simple as that.

Last but not least, be sure to shower your cat with lots and lots of love. It needs your attention and affection just like any other person living in the house, maybe more. Rest assured, a cat can make a great pet. We wish you well, pals!

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If you happen to have a good budget, we would suggest taking your cat to a pet grooming center once every month. On the other hand, you can also groom it at home. A deep cleansing session followed by a bath, and hair and nail trimming are going to suffice.