Is a cat right for me? People ask Dr Google if they are suited to owning a domestic cat. Google refers them to cat breed selectors which is a very poor response. It is good to ask oneself if adopting a cat is a good idea but the answer comes from within through research and introspection. It is better to develop one’s thoughts more i.e. the question is premature. People also ask for a quiz to check if a cat is right for them. I feel that this won’t work.
As mentioned, Google in its ignorance attempts to answer the question by providing a list of websites with cat breed selectors. Google interprets the question to mean that the person wants to own a domestic cat but is unsure what breed! Yet nearly all domestic cats are not purebred and it is always best to adopt from a rescue centre where almost all of the cats are random bred. Who said Google was a good search engine? Bing is better. Trust me.
The better answer is for the person to ask themselves if they are committed to owning a pet of any kind and if they have the time and funds to do it properly for the pet’s entire life.
When they have digested that question for about a month it should have eliminated the need to ask the question in the title.
But if the person is still unsure whether a cat is the right pet for them, my advice would be to study the cats by reading the articles of this website, go to a nice rescue center and spend some time with some cats, do the same for dogs and then come up with an answer to your own question.
Dogs are suited to men and ladies prefer cats but this is generalizing in a big way. Independent minded and intelligent women tend to prefer cats. Pack animal type men (corporate types) like dogs.
Don’t think that cats are so independent that they can be left at home all day and be ignored a lot of the time. People tend to think that and that dogs are more friendly and needy. Cats need companionship. I should know as way back I left my cat alone all day and she suffered ill-health because of it. That’s before I educated myself about cats.
If you are very busy and have little time to share with your cat or dog don’t adopt. I think it is unfair on the animal. You have to let ownership of cats and dogs be a life changing event somewhat like having a baby. It is that big. It will curtail your precious freedoms. It will anchor you and if it does not you’re not being a very good cat owner. The more you care the harder it is to leave your cat behind in a boarding cattery or with a pet sitter.
And the more you care the better the relationship is between you and your cat. You want that tight bond. You will both get a lot more out of the relationship.
And if you are even a little frightened of cats because their claws are sharp look ‘sinister’ and move fast then forget it. Declawing cats is verboten. You have to accept and respect just like any other relationship. It is the only way to make it work well.
And don’t forget that 10% of people are allergic to cats; check that out because it will be hard if you love cats and are sneezing and itching all day when around them.
Dogs bark, cats are quiet. Neighbors don’t like barking and some neighbours don’t like free-roaming cats trespassing on their property. You cannot end up in a dispute with your neighbor for either of these reasons. This should be a factor when choosing a dog. You can always build a nice outside cat enclosure to stop ‘trespassing’ but you can’t stop barking completely.
In conclusion, go back to the drawing board, study the domestic cat and meet some cats. Check out some dogs and their lifestyle. You should have cleared your head of the silly question in the title by then and refined you thoughts. You should know if you are right for a pet and which species. Then chose a rescue cat and love her for all her days 🙂
While some breeds are know for certain traits all cats pretty much come out of the same box.
Most adoptions happen very quickly. I used to teach a horse ownership class. It was 100% geared to people contemplating ownership or making the jump from a barn lease to purchasing and taking the horse home.
The excuse that dogs bark therefore you must bear it is pure nonsense. Many people teach their dogs to obey and don’t
make everyone around them miserable. Unlike my often mentioned in-laws and SIL next door who are the poster children for bad pet neighbors. More and more people are taking negligent pet owners to civil court and winning judgments with documentation of either property destruction or noise pollution.
I have 4 cats and they seem to form on and off best buddy cuddle mates and play mates. Cats are not as depicted solitary creatures but wonderfully social and affectionate.