Adopting a pet is a very appealing idea for many people. Not only do they get to add a new member to their household, but adopting a pet also enables you to potentially save the life of an animal and give it a happy forever home. However, as noble as adopting a pet is, it is vital that you ensure you are up to the task before you apply. If you are thinking about adopting a cat, here is everything that you need to consider beforehand.
Is Your Home Fit For A Cat?
The first thing you need to consider before you decide whether to adopt a cat or not is whether you can provide it with a suitable home environment. If your home simply isn’t suitable for a cat to live in then needless to say you should not adopt one. The purpose of adopting an animal like a cat is to give it a better quality of life than it would otherwise have. If you can’t provide a cat with a suitable home, then this suggests that adoption is not the best choice for you or a cat.
Even if you have the most cat-proof property in the world, cats are among the smartest and most unpredictable animals[1] that you can own as a pet. If there is a way for them to get where they aren’t supposed to then they will find it. It is therefore imperative that you have pet insurance, which might be able to soften the blow of any vet bills you incur.
If you want to know how much is cat cover then you can find out by using a service like Everypaw to compare cat insurance policies. Everypaw offers different types of coverage aimed at cat and dog owners. These include Maximum Benefit and Lifetime cover. Make sure to carefully consider all of the available options before deciding on the best one for your needs.
If you aren’t certain in your ability to provide an adopted cat with a safe and suitable home environment, you should rethink your plans for adoption and only proceed when you are certain that you can provide for a cat appropriately.
Your Lifestyle
As well as the physical space that you are able to provide for an adopted cat, it is also important to consider the lifestyle that you lead and the emotional space that your new pet will be entered into. If your lifestyle is one full of chaos and upheaval then you need to consider what kind of effect this might have on your new pet. You might be considering adopting a cat as part of a more general effort to slow your life down and introduce some responsibility to your daily routine. If this is the case, then be honest with yourself about how likely you are to succeed before you add the responsibility of a cat on top of everything else.
Some people’s lifestyles are just not suited to pet ownership. For these people, it doesn’t matter how much you might want a cat or how much you might want to rescue one through adoption, if you cannot provide it with a suitable home then you should stay well away
Their Own Space
If you treat any pet properly, then they will show affection to you as their owner. However, while cats can be just as affectionate as any other pet, they also need their own space. Cats are much more independent than many other common pets and they are far more prone to going off and exploring on their own[2]. A dog, for example, will go out for walks with its owner, where by contrast a cat will often check in for meals and return to their home at night for warmth but will spend much of the rest of the time out on the prowl or sleeping somewhere quiet and out of the way.
If you live in a flat that is located several stories up, then you need to consider how easy your cat will find it to get in and out. If you aren’t able to install a cat flap on your door, and there is no other easy or safe way for your cat to gain access to your home, you should rethink whether adopting a cat that is used to being outdoors is suitable for you or not.
What Age Will You Get Your Cat At?
No one can say exactly how long a cat will live, but there are a variety of factors that can determine the answer to that question. However, if you are planning on adopting a cat at a very young age, then you should be prepared for them to live for a decade or more.
This is a significant length of time to commit to anything and given that pet ownership is a big responsibility, it is vital that you are confident in your ability to provide for your pet for the duration of their lives. Of course, you do not have to adopt a cat when they are still a kitten. In fact, one of the big advantages of adopting a pet is that you can adopt them at pretty much any stage of their life.
If you adopt a cat towards the end of its life, then you will have a very different experience from raising it from a kitten. However, for many people, this is a preferable way of doing things.
Adopting a pet can be one of the most fulfilling things that you ever do. However, be aware that it also comes with significant challenges. If you are not prepared for these then owning a pet can ultimately end up being a more stressful than enjoyable experience. Before you proceed with adopting a cat, make sure that you are able to provide a suitable and safe environment for it and that you understand exactly what being a cat owner entails.
[1] https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g21525625/why-cats-are-best-pets/
[2] https://www.wikihow.pet/Give-Your-Cat-Enough-Personal-Space
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© Copyright 2020 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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