A Big Commitment

Are you ready? Any doubts? Now is the time to consider what’s involved. Before adopting any pet — cat or otherwise — you must realize that you are making a long-term commitment. You have to be prepared to care for the animal for its entire life. Even when things change in your life， be it deciding to live with someone， relocating to another city or country， or having children， you should be willing to make the necessary concessions to ensure your pet continues to have the kind of life to which it becomes conditioned. Even going on vacation means making arrangements for someone to look after your pet. If you work an inordinate number of hours or travel often， it may be better to wait until your life is more settled， or you might consider adopting more than one cat so they’ll have company and stimulation. It’s true that most cats accept being left alone much more easily than dogs， but rarely are they the aloof， completely independent creatures that many people seem to believe they are. Cats thrive on the attention and affection that comes from you.

Don’t make a hasty decision. Even if you’ve decided you’re ready to open your home and your heart to a pet， do some research to see what having a cat is all about and whether a cat is the ideal pet for you. Don’t choose a cat by default. If you really want a dog， for instance， but feel that it would be too much work， perhaps you should put on the brakes. The worst thing you can do is adopt an animal and find that it doesn’t live up to your expectations. This often leads to neglect or a sad visit to the humane society to give the cat up. If you need to learn what having a cat is all about， spend some time with friends who have cats and pump them for information. Offering to cat-sit or fostering for your local animal shelter are excellent ways to practice all aspects of feline care and to spend time interacting with a cat. You may also find out whether or not you’re allergic to cats before you take the plunge. But a word of warning: Sometimes allergies don’t surface until you’ve lived with a cat for a while. Your pet will count on you to provide a safe environment， stimulation and exercise through play， good-quality food and a clean litter box， plus grooming and regular veterinary care. But all this costs money. Aside from the initial expenses for accessories and the vet care a new cat requires (vaccinations and neutering or spaying)， you’ll likely spend at least $400 to $500 a year on food， litter， a veterinary checkup， professional grooming and teeth-cleaning by a vet. This doesn’t include potential emergency vet care， which can run into hundreds of dollars or the additional veterinary expenses of an older cat. And cats often live from 15 to 20 years.

The Selection Process

If there is a trick to choosing the perfect cat， it is to think through what is best for you and your living situation before even laying eyes on any irresistible bundles of fur. The goal is to avoid an impulsive decision that you may later regret. Start by taking your lifestyle into account. How much time do you really have to devote to looking after a pet? If you aren’t home much， a pair of shorthaired adult cats may be ideal for you. They can amuse each other when you’re not there and they don’t need much grooming. Longhaired cats might not be a good idea for you. They need a regular grooming routine. Aside from hair length and number of cats， you will also need to consider such factors as age， gender and personality type and whether you want to allow your cat to go outdoors.

Shopping Around

When you begin looking for a feline companion， you’ll quickly discover there is no shortage of candidates; in fact， there aren’t nearly enough homes for all the available cats. You’ll find an almost overwhelming selection at animal shelters and small-scale private animal rescue groups， pet stores， veterinarians and breeders. You can also go the informal route， taking a kitten from the litter of a friend’s or neighbor’s cat or bringing in the stray that shows up at your door. Newspaper ads are another source， especially if you are looking for an inexpensive adult cat that has already been fixed and vaccinated. But wherever you start your search， remember the golden rule: No impulsive decisions. If you have any doubts about the kitten or cat， keep looking until you find the right one.

Mixed Breeds

The most popular of all cats has no pedigree. The mixed-breed， or random-bred， cat — known as the domestic shorthair — that makes up an estimated 95 percent of the world’s domestic cat population is the result of natural selection and random， not selective， breeding. The cats come in all shapes and sizes， with a great variety of color， pattern and length of hair. The bushier varieties， or "domestic longhairs，" are usually just grouped in with the catchall label of domestic shorthairs.

The overall appearance of mixed-breed cats can be traced to one of the natural types: cobbly， foreign， or in-between. Mixed breeds bearing a strong resemblance to purebred cats are fairly common. Longhair random-breed cats， while less common because of the recessive gene that creates long hair， often resemble the pedigreed Maine coon of Angora. The temperament of mixed-breed cats is less predictable than that of purebreds， though， and probably influenced more by environment than by genetics.

Purebreed Basics

How many breeds of cats could you identify? Chances are you would recognize at least a few of the following: Persian， Maine coon， Siamese， Abyssinian， exotic， Oriental， Scottish fold， American shorthair， Birman or Burmese. These are the 10 most popular breeds， as compiled by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA)， the world’s largest breed registry. There are about 40 other cat breeds， however， some of which are quite new or rare and not yet officially recognized by many feline associations.

Considering our long and successful relationship with the domestic feline， the phenomenon of the purebred cat is a surprisingly recent one. Cats have graced us with their presence since the time of the ancient Egyptians， possibly much earlier. But it took the rise in popularity of cat shows in late 19th century England to kick-start the selective coupling of the domestic cat into separate breeds. All but a few domestic cat breeds are less than 100 years old， and most of them appeared on the scene far more recently. Compare this to the dog world， where rudimentary selective breeding started several thousand years ago.

First Days

Before you bring your new cat or kitten home， make sure you’re ready to take care of his basic needs. First， find a vet who suits you. Your new arrival should be examined as soon as possible after you bring him home. Also make time to poke around a pet-supply store for food and litter， plus their containers and a few other essentials.