🇬🇧 Tips for those who want to have a cat

Today I will talk about initial care for cats, those doubts that those who want to have cats have. If you have any unanswered questions in this text, use the comments to ask and, if possible, I will answer.

In addition to the option to buy purebred cats, you can adopt cats. Mine were all adopted. I believe that buying is only an option when we look for specific characteristics of a certain breed, and even then sometimes we are able to adopt animals with that profile. At the time I adopted Thor, I dreamed of a giant cat, but I still had little experience with cats, so I did not consider immediate purchase. Today he is bigger than a female ragdoll.

The catteries I have already probed do not guarantee that a maine coon puppy or other giant breed will be big, and without that guarantee, if the characteristic I seek is the size much above the average of ordinary cats, I do not believe it is worth it  buy a cat in this case. I believe it is valid, for example, for different breeds, such as Sphynx (I would not have one, it requires too much care, but I never saw one for adoption), Scottish Fold (who have a sweet and unprotected appearance), American curl (I think they are beautiful), Norwegian Forest (have other attractive features besides size), etc. As I like to travel and move, short-nosed cats like the Persians are not an option for me. The maintenance of the Persians seems to me a lot of work too, because their hair is thin, being easier to tangle than a British long hair, for example.

For every cat you will have to teach what can and cannot, have scratchers for them to sharpen their nails (cardboard boxes will do too, but rope scratchers last longer), offer quality food (Thor eats super premium food as weighing the cost x benefit ratio I noticed is more worth buying than cheap food from the supermarket), screen the windows or protect the walls of the house so that the cat does not go out or get hurt, and use litter boxes so they can make their physiological needs there. You also need to remove feces and lumps of urine daily (I do this several times a day, and if you have less than three boxes for each cat, I recommend that you do the same).

Do not expect obedience from a cat. They are very loving when they want to, but they are usually guided by their own head. They are very intelligent and even if you adopt an adult cat it is able to learn how to make needs in the litter box and understand what he can and cannot do if you teach with love, without physical punishment. I used a type of repellent spray for pets to prevent my cats from biting the computer wires and others around the house as puppies, but honestly I would like to discover a more effective method for this, that does not let pets associate the spray sound to something  unpleasant.  If you know, share in the comments.

Cats like fresh water.  It is important to remember to change the water frequently. Many people use a water fountain for cats. I haven't tried it with mine yet, but Thor happily drinks a lot of water even without such stimulation.

Some people say that cats love the house and not the owner. Thor is very attached to me and I have seen other cases of cats who love their guardians. With me he feels protected and confident, possibly because he knows he is loved.

I recommend that anyone who chooses to buy a cat to analyze the breed's standard on official websites such as FIFE and also to analyze catteries, avoiding those that breed several fashionable breeds or that always have puppies available, which may be overloading the breeding stock. And, whether adopted or purchased, learn to respect the cat and understand its individual needs.

If you lime this post, buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/nycka

Nycka, the Nomad