Choosing your first feline friend

Taking home a cat for the first time is both an exciting and overwhelming experience. You’ll consider a wide variety of things, from choosing the right cat food to how you will litter train them and how you’ll adjust to the new furball who will be part of your life for the years to come.

Finding your purr-fect match

You can start by understanding the nature of a cat, like what’s not good for them or what kind of surroundings should fit them. Then, even though there’s no guaranteed way to choose the perfect cat for you and your lifestyle, if we understand the cat’s needs, we can bring home a cat that could cope with our environment.

Narrow down your choices by knowing what age, breed, color, or where you’d like to get a cat.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you choose a cat:

●     Do you want to adopt, or you wish to purchase a particular breed?

●     Do you have children or other pets? Can they get along with the cat?

●     Do you want a kitten or an adult cat?

●     Do you want to keep a cat indoors?

It's of the utmost importance for new cat owners to look at a cat's grooming needs, energy level, vocalness, adaptability, curiosity, degree of affection, and appearance before adding the furball to their household.

How to determine if a cat is healthy?

For first-time fur parents, it is best if we look for a healthy cat. Besides saving you lots of trouble and vet bills, a healthy one can also help you adapt to being a fur parent. Healthy cats have clear eyes, a groomed coat, and they are appropriately active for their age.

But we can’t always depend on how cats look as they may look healthy based on appearance or behavior. To find out for sure, it’s best to check with a vet.

If you feel that the cat you adopted shows any sign of illness, take them to a vet to know the problem. Avoid home medications that can endanger your fur baby’s health.

Owning a cat requires constant care which includes regular vet visits for wellness, checkups and preventatives so make sure that you incorporate this in your budget.

Ask About the Cat’s Background

Learning about the background of the cat you want to adopt can help you know how the cat will adjust to your family and lifestyle. Of course, the more compatible your new pet is, the easier the adjustment period will be.

You should also look for the cat’s medical history as much as possible. Know its last veterinary exam and list of vaccinations or other treatments given. You should also take note when the vaccinations or preventatives are due and any medical conditions or special needs.

In some cases, a cat’s vaccination history may be unknown, so it’s best to set up a full wellness check with your vet.

Make your place cat-friendly

Before you choose a cat to take home, it is important to consider cat-proofing your place. Don’t let harmful things for cats like chemical products, or dangerous electric wires, lay around your floors.

Check if your indoor or outdoor plants are good for your cat. If there are some plants in your home that you find harmful for your cat, make sure to keep these away and prevent them from trying to nibble it.

Cats like warm places especially during cold weather so be careful about any electronic devices that easily heat up, like laptops. You can avoid dangers by providing your kitty with a heating pad for pets.

All in all, the best way to make their new home comfortable is to pay attention to your cat's needs and behavior.

Ready to get your first feline friend? There’s no need to worry because you can always ask experts like veterinarians for help and advice for your cats. You can also ask them about new effective ways to protect your cat or visit http://www.bravecto.com.ph/