Hey! It’s Pixie! The luckiest black cat you know here to
help you figure out whether adopting a cat is right for you! There are plenty
of wonderful cats at the shelter but not enough homes! It is a wonderful
undertaking that is rewarding but how do you know that you are ready for the
challenge? Here are five ways that we know of:
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You Are Ready to Adopt a Cat if… |
|
You can Afford a
Cat… or two (Your Finances) |
|
You Are Great with an Independent Personality
and Spirit |
|
You are Responsible
and Mature |
|
You have Time to Spend |
|
You Believe in
Long-term Companionship |
You can Afford a Cat… or two (Your Finances)
Have you researched the cost of a cat per year? According to
the ASPCA,
the average cost of a cat per year is $634 per cat and that figure does not
include the initial cost when first adopting a cat! Expect to budget for spend
anywhere between $600 to $800 per cat to help cover these initial costs and to
be on the safe side reserve an extra $300 - $400 just in case any unforeseen
incidentals that occur. When Leah and I was adopted from the shelter we had a
common cold that is typically spread amongst animals in shelters. As
unfortunate as that might sound, it can be unavoidable at times and therefore
unforeseen by a first-time owner. That
is why it is best practice to have some just in-case money around for
situations like that. And if it isn’t needed then it can be saved or spend on
something. Other expenses to consider:
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Day to Day Expenses: |
|
|
Food (Dry &
Wet) |
Vet Costs |
|
Litter Box & Kitty Litter |
Adoption
Fees |
|
Cat Toys &
Furniture |
|
Although human companionship is wonderful, there is nothing like
the companionship between two cats. Unfortunately, a human cannot imitate or
have that feline understanding that creates that level of simpatico. Remember
that if you decide to get more than one, there will be some items you will have
to double up on or even triple up on so that all animals are comfortable. And
the day-to-day expenses can pile up if you are not paying close attention. But
if you stick with it and manage it well, it will be well worth it. Leah, Star,
and I couldn’t be happier because our family of humans found a way even when it
wasn’t easy. And even if we can’t say it, we appreciate the love, care, and
attention we receive every day! We got each other AND our human family!
You Are Great with an Independent Personality and
Spirit
Let’s just face it, have you ever tried to tell a cat what
to do? And how did that go exactly? (Pixie giggles.) Uh huh, I thought so! Okay,
okay! Not to give my species a bad name but a lot of us just do as we please.
It doesn’t mean that we don’t love you, it just means that we got things to do,
and we don’t need to be distracted with what you think is cute. Just the other
day, I saw this (p)awesome pen drop and roll by on the floor and that was just
it for me! I knew I had work to do! No matter how many times my human called my
name and tried to get it back, it just became my time. So, I played with it and
hid that thing for fun later. It’s a good thing she knew to go get a new one
for herself! I would have stuck around to see if the new one was a better one
than the last, but I had to go take a nap since play time can be tiresome. Needless
to say, it is lucky for me that my humans seem to be easy going and at times amused
by how we are and don’t get upset with us about how they think we should be. We
must remember that us cats tend to be willful and stubborn. If you have a
personality where there may be a conflict that might occur due to this, then it
is better that you start thinking about a different kind of animal to adopt. However,
it would be a shame because you might be missing out on a wonderful connection.
My humans when they decided to rescue me at the shelter, didn’t realize at the
time that I was also rescuing them too. We all toughed out the hard times
together and as a unit, we couldn’t be happier.
You are Responsible and Mature
It is not just about play time and cuddles with us. We need
consistency, patience, structure, and to know that we can depend upon you. We
cats are clean animals. We preen and self-groom all the time. If there is more
than one of us cats around then we groom each other socially. The grooming and
cleaning process is just a part of our nature like certain routines, habits,
customs, and formalities are part of one’s culture or norm. We don’t like a
speck of dirt on us so remember that we will need our litter box cleaned out
daily. Our food bowl and water dishes need to be cleaned periodically and our
toys and furniture checked and replaced too. There are doctor’s appointments to
be scheduled and if we happened to be sick medication to be paid for, etc. And,
with the serious stuff, sometimes we don’t make it easy. Leah, Star, and I all
agree on one thing as much as we disagree a lot: We don’t want to leave the
house! It doesn’t matter if a food truck meant for cats pulled up outside our
house filled with fancy fest or a bunch of birds were close enough to pounce
on! We are not stepping one paw outside! So, when we have to go to for our
annual doctor’s checkup you can only imagine what it is like getting anyone of
us inside of our travel carrier. Our humans have to prepare about 15-20 minutes
ahead of time to chase us around the room before they can finally pick us up
and get inside that carrier. And Leah is the worst about it. She knows all the
best hiding spots and is the quickest cat inside the house. We had a doctor’s
appointment a few months ago and one of the humans is still walking around
short breathed about it! Remember when I pointed out that we were independent,
spirited, willful, and stubborn? This is the part that isn’t glamorous about
having a cat and should be taken into consideration. You got to be ready and
willing to rise to the occasion consistently. And a pair of good healthy lungs
and great agility skills don’t hurt the cause either!
You have the Time to Spend
Yes, we are independent and aloof animals at times but only
because we want attention on our terms. But it certainly doesn’t mean that we
don’t need a certain level of interaction like everyone else. Everyone is busy
but if you are so busy that you can’t find time during the day to interact with
us not even 15 to 20 minutes then perhaps, we or any other pet is not for you. Even
Leah, who likes her space and distance with humans, she enjoys daily brief
interactions she gets from the humans inside the house. She enjoys getting
praises and treats better than a head rub. And those brief interactions happen daily
spread out during the duration of a typical day. By diamondpets.com,
it is recommended to prioritize playtime with your cat once to twice daily 15
minutes per session. Play time can range from 20 to 60 minutes daily but should
be split up into multiple 10- to 15- minute segments since it is in a cat’s
nature to be active in short bursts.
You Believe in Long-term Companionship
Did you know that on average an indoor cat has the average
lifespan of 12 to 17 years? I would like to emphasize that that is on
average and there has been reports of cats living even longer than that! The
point is to make sure that in this day and age with proper nutrition, exercise,
medical attention and regular checkups we can be around for a VERY long time
particularly if we are kept indoors and aren’t roaming around the neighborhood
unattended. Do not get a cat or any other animal if you don’t think you will be
capable of taking care of them for the duration of their lifespan. We cats or
any other animals are not a trend or a fad to have on a whim and then to be
discarded when it comes an inconvenience. All animals have feelings even if
they can’t readily express them like a human would and it very harmful and
emotionally detrimental to take an animal into one’s home only to return, neglect
and/or discard the animal because of poor thought and decision making. We call
it a fur-ever home for a reason. I say this because Leah, Star, and I had an
outdoor neighborhood cat friend that use to visit us all the time and she was
neglected. The neighborhood that owned her refused to take care of her but
didn’t want to give up ownership either. Our humans and other neighbors did the
best we could to help her, but it wasn’t enough. She died recently and we miss
her every day. Not to end on a sad note but my furry point is that this
decision should not be impulsive and the reality of having a pet well beyond 17
or 18 years should be taken seriously and into consideration. Can you see us
with you for such a long time? Can you? Because our love is unconditional, and
we can see us with you fur-ever!
Looking for additional resources to help you with your
decision? Say no more! You can check out the links below where a lot of my
furry facts came from, and I got a (p)awesome checklist
that covers what you need in order to adopt a cat. You can access the free
PDF right here!
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Blog Article Resources: |
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https://www.dailypaws.com/living-with-pets/pet-costs/cost-of-owning-a-cat
|
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https://www.thevetonfourth.com/how-long-do-indoor-cats-live/
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In the future, I would love to cover the various cat breeds but since that would take multiple articles to fully cover the wide range of cats and their purr-sonality traits it will be for another time. Let me know if that would be something that you would like to see and read about in the near future. For now, I’ll catch you later! Don’t want to be late for my catnap!
Got a question, comment, or a
cat-astrophe on your furless paws?
You can always
reach me at pixiespetcorner@gmail.com.
And remember that no problem is ever too big or too small for this little black
kitten!
Hugs & cat
kisses from the luckiest black cat you know!
Until next time…
Make Every day the Best Cat-urday!
Pixie
Pixie’s Pet
Corner™
The Luckiest Black
Cat… Truly Beloved!™
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