Last Updated on August 12, 2022 by Pets Feed
You can’t just pick and get a kitten if before that all your experience with cats was watching cat videos on YouTube. Despite the fact that cats have earned a reputation for being independent creatures, some human care is still required. As with any other living creature, by taming it, you assume some responsibility – both for its life and health, and possibly for your own.
In general, before bringing home a squeaky ball of wool, learn the ten most common mistakes that new cat owners make.
1. Make a decision quickly
When you buy new sneakers on impulse, you can always take them back to the store if you change your mind the next day. When you welcome a kitten into your home, you are accepting a living being that cannot be sent back “where it came from”, nor, for that matter, thrown out on the street. Keep in mind that a cat can spend around 10 years with you, so it’s very serious business to tie your life to another living thing for such a long time. Think carefully, “try on” the role of cat owner and live with that feeling.
And in no case do not follow the example of children who beg you to “take a cat” – you, and not they, will be responsible for its life and health.
2. Not knowing how much it might cost to keep a cat
Despite the fact that cat shelter staff and responsible kitten sellers are always trying to assess whether the new owner will be able to handle the burden of keeping a pet, only you are fully aware of your financial situation. The cat will require the purchase of food, care products and probably money for a vet and medication, which can be quite expensive. Keeping a pet will cost you less than caring for children or elderly parents, but it certainly won’t be free, don’t even hope.
3. Inability to make a decision regarding castration or sterilization
A cat is an animal that does not know how to endure and does not know how to protect itself. Unless you want to listen to the cries of the cat and enjoy the smell of cat feces marking all around, you, as a responsible cat owner, will have to make a decision about neutering or neutering the animal. . Think about it BEFORE you get a pet.
This is especially true for cat owners – you don’t want to let your pet out and then drown the kittens, do you? And in order not to drown them even more cruelly – the streets are already full of homeless animals; it is not necessary to condemn living beings to torment.
Of course, many people specifically breed female cats, but this text is not intended for them anyway – they are not new to their field.
4. Lack of knowledge of the basics of veterinary care
Many novice cat owners naively believe that the phrase “nine lives” of a cat should be taken at face value and see veterinarians as quacks who prey on the fears of hysterical ladies. Yes, cats easily survive most simple illnesses (especially when young), but they can also easily contract very serious illnesses which, if neglected, will lead to their imminent death. Therefore, cats should be presented to the vet every year, vaccinated against a number of diseases and do not hesitate to consult a doctor if you have serious concerns about the health of the cat.
5. Trying to save money on cat food
The money saved on cat food will then have to be spent on a veterinarian. Cats are carnivores and need protein. But what they hardly need is cheap soy and corn, which cheap food makers love to stuff their food with. Before you get a cat, be mentally prepared to spend a lot of money (watch the prices!) on cat food and don’t expect your cat to eat leftovers.
By the way, if you feed a cat cheap, low-quality food for a long time, and then switch to good, expensive types of food, you can see how the animal began to eat less – this is because there’s less waste in the expensive food that’s put there “for the masses”.
6. Choosing amputation without knowing all the facts
Many novice cat owners are confused when veterinarians insist on physical amputation of reproductive organs during sterilization. Meanwhile, this procedure has both advantages and disadvantages and it is not necessary at all in 100% of cases (probably not necessary even in 20%…). Therefore, engage in the “liquidation of illiteracy” in the matter BEFORE you go purring to the vet.
7. “Welcome” to uncontrolled walks
Experienced cat owners are divided into two camps: those who believe that our little brothers deserve complete freedom on walks and those who are sure that cats can spend their entire lives between four walls and stay healthy and happy. Both are correct, but subject to a number of conditions.
Novice cat owners tend to let their pets go wild, but that’s a mistake, especially if you live in a big city. Consider this complex matter carefully before making a decision, but first remember that if you release an animal once without a collar with owner information, you may never see it again.
8. Lack of attention to the litter box
Cats are terribly clean, no one will surpass them in this area. Therefore, their litter should always be in perfect condition. Unless, of course, you want to find “mines” in a house or apartment, and at the most inopportune times and in the most inopportune places. When buying a cat, decide for yourself – are you prepared to monitor the litter box more carefully than the cleanliness of the kitchen table?
By the way, if a cat goes to the litter box for a very long time, and then suddenly stops – in 90% of cases this indicates the presence of serious medical problems. Contact your veterinarian!
9. Ignorance of legal consequences
If you think that from the moment the kitten has crossed the threshold of your apartment, it is your property and that you can do anything with it, you are wrong. In many countries, the mistreatment of animals (including cats) can be punished. If the case is examined administratively, the perpetrator incurs fines of up to hundreds of dollars.
And although such laws are rarely enforced, it is worth knowing that watchful neighbors can still very unpleasantly surprise a negligent and cruel cat owner in relation to his “favorite”.
10. Forbid a cat to be a cat
A cat is neither a child, nor a dog, nor a person. He climbs higher, sharpens his nails, hates the leash, lays on his feet, and prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, not because he’s a “dumb, stubborn brute,” but because he’s a cat.
Getting this animal, the future happy cat owner should understand that his life will change unpredictably, and he will have to adapt to the cat, because the cat will certainly not adapt to him. Because – again – a cat is not a dog. For which we actually like it (or not much, but if it’s not much, then you’re definitely not a cat owner).
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