Some folks feel that selecting a cat for the family should not be as difficult a task as selecting a dog; but there are a few things that you should take into consideration when choosing a feline family member.

Different breeds of cat have characteristics that differ from others and should be taken into consideration when selecting your pet. Some cat breeds have long hair and some short; some are very active and others are not; some are very noisy cats and others are not so noisy.

Here are some good questions to ask yourself about your living environment to help determine what cat breed may fit into your home better.

What type of residence do you have? Is it an apartment, townhouse, small home or a house with lots of acreage?

Do you live in the inner city, busy city, suburb, and semi-rural or rural area with not much traffic?

Are you looking to own a indoor cat or a mostly outdoor cat?

Do you have small children at home, older kids or perhaps an elderly person living with you who would benefit from a more sedate cat?

Are there other pets in your home like goldfish, gerbils, dogs or other cats? If you have other pets how do you imagine they will get along with cat?

Would the family members in your home get along better with a good-natured cat, a gentle cat, a playful cat, an independent cat or a high-spirited cat?

How much grooming will you have time to do for your cat? Do you have time to do a lot of grooming, a moderate amount of grooming, just a little bit of grooming or none at all and can afford to have a professional groom your cat?

Do you have the ability and time to care for and train a kitten? Do you prefer an adult cat that has already been trained to be part of a human family?

These questions are important ones to have answers for before you start looking at available cats or kittens.

You should understand something about the nature of a cat before bringing your first cat home. Here is a short description of what you are likely to encounter, so be prepared.

Cats are independent creatures and unlike dogs they usually care little about hurting your feelings. They can be wonderful companions and are usually warm, friendly and even may love to have you cuddle them; but make no mistake the cat will clearly decide your relationship.

Cats can be aloof, or they can be in your face! Kittens love to play and are very active. Cats can also have definite attitudes especially if you forget to clean their litter box. Cats can be very mysterious as they possess a “cat’s intuition” or “sixth sense” that gives them that uncanny ability to know what you are about to do, even before you do.

A cat can very well amaze you with antics, infuriate you with their drama, and comfort you when you are at your worse. Cats can bring immense joy to your life and they will rapidly steal your heart. Be prepared for adventures right from the start that will be like no other you have ever been on.

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Poor cat - he’s a victim of the myth that cats are indifferent to attention. That’s not true for every cat. A bored cat can create just as much havoc around your home as an unsupervised toddler - maybe even more.

In fact, strange behavior in your cat is often a sign that he’s trying desperately to get you involved in his world. How do you entertain a cat? First you start spending time with your cat on a regular basis and see what amuses him.

Spending time isn’t the same as simply being in the same room - arriving home, getting on the computer and chatting on the phone. Your cat isn’t amused by watching you and may do some irritating things, like spin the paper off the toilet roll.

Or he might eat paper - perhaps your notes for tomorrow’s client proposal. Put away your work and clear a play space. Get down on the floor at your cat’s level as you interact with him.

Pick two small cat toys and bring out one at a time for your play session. Start with a small rolling toy or hold a toy fish on a pole and dangle it for your cat to swat. Does he keep playing until you stop or does he walk away on his own? If the toy doesn’t hold his interest, put it away and try another toy tomorrow.

Be careful to choose only toys suited for cats. Children’s toys are not pet toys, no matter how cute you think the idea is. So forget the wind-up mouse your kid got in a Happy Meal. Unless it’s made for a cat, there are small parts or mechanisms that could be harmful to your pet.

Look at pet shops online or in local pet stores for movable toys if your cat favors something to chase down and catch. That’s a natural hunting behavior for your cat, so make sure he has a way to act on his urge conquer.

Once you know what type of toy your cat favors, look for two similar toys. Take a cue for the way parents alternate toys for children and rotate your cat’s toys after a few weeks. Keep the toys that you use for interactive play apart from toys that you leave for his solo play. That way the toys you enjoy together are special.

While you’re at work or out during the day, leave some interesting toys for your cat. You can even buy small plastic balls that can be refilled with dry cat food. Your cat can roll the ball then discover the food treat inside.

That also satisfies his hunting instinct and provides a snack. If your cat is happier when busy, be sure you provide enough stimulation for playtime and most of all, enough time with you - his favorite playmate.

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Scratching is a natural behavior for cats, no matter how it might impact the fabric on your $5,000 new sofa. You cat isn’t scratching to defy you - but he is sending you a message. That message is, “give me something to scratch!�

When his urge to scratch hits, he isn’t too picky about what to scratch. In the wild, everything is fair game. Your cat isn’t trying to damage your belongings. He’s trying to sharpen his claws.

In the wild, a cat might use a tree trunk or fence post for scratching. But since your living room probably lacks those things, the next best thing is something wooden, like the legs on your expensive new coffee table.

Declawing your cat isn’t the only way to protect your furniture. Instead of going to this extreme, set up a few standing scratch posts around your house for your cat to scratch. He’ll be happy to have his own scratching place - which is better suited to his needs anyway.

Scratching means more to your cat than just a way to tend his claws. Declawing your cat won’t stop the other natural reasons for scratching, like being playful. A scratching post is a great stress reliever for your cat.

Some cats use the post as a pretend playmate. They also have a need to conquer perceived foes. Your cat may take on the scratching post, gripping it with his claws and wrestling it into submission.

Make sure the post is anchored solidly. If the post is too easy to tip over, your cat may ignore it in favor of that nice, stable dining room table leg. If your cat plays with the scratching post when you’re home, but returns to the chair when you’re not around, you may have to resort to a trick.

Knowing that your cat has very keen sense of smell, hang bold fragrance room deodorizer or commercial cat repellant near the chair. Your cat will not enjoy scratching in that location anymore.

Place the approved scratched post in a location where the smell factor is neutral and where there’s some privacy so your cat can sneak up on the post as a pretend prey. When the scratching post looks worn out, don’t be so quick to toss it.

Instead, put the new post beside the old post until your cat starts to use it. After you see some wear on the new post, then you can throw away the old one.

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So,you’ve decided that you want to have a pet cat. However, before you shop for your kitten, you may need to consider a few important things. After all, finding out that a cat is not for you after you’ve already grown attached can be heart breaking.

The main reason that people have to find their cats new homes is that they are allergic to cats. If you’ve never spent much time around cats, be sure you can spend a few hours in a home with cats without developing an allergy attack. Also, check with friends and family to be sure none of them are highly allergic.

Next, you may want to consider your lifestyle. Although most cats need less interaction than dogs, your cat can still become lonely and bored if left alone all day. A bored cat is often a bad cat. If you work long hours, consider getting two kittens so that they can keep each other company.

Don’t forget to take a look at your home and be sure you can fit in a cat and all of his accessories. Cats need litter boxes, food dishes, toys, and a scratching post. If you have children, the litter box will need to be placed in a place that your children can’t get to, but that your cat can access easily.

Once you decide that a cat will fit into your household, you will need to decide whether you want a kitten or an older cat. Most people take one look at that cute, fluffy kitten and fall in love. Since kittens have not developed bad habits, a kitten is the perfect choice for people who have time to litter box train their new pet. Most kittens have not yet been altered or declawed and must receive a series of immunizations to protect them from infectious cat diseases. Older cats are a good choice for people who want a slightly less energetic pet and do not have time to train their cats to use the litter box. Most older pet cats have already been altered and will only need to take booster vaccinations.

Now that you know whether you want a cat or a kitten, you will need to find out where to buy your new cat. If you just want a great pet and aren’t concerned with owning a specific breed, the best place to look is your local humane society or animal rescue. These organizations are usually overrun with healthy, sweet cats and kittens. If you are looking for a specific cat breed instead, a cat show can be a wonderful resource. Many exhibitors bring along a few kittens that are for sale. Even if you can’t find kittens of the breed you are looking for at the show, you can ask exhibitors to place you on a waiting list for one of their kittens.

Once you bring your new pet home, don’t be surprised if your cat takes several days to settle in. To help your cat adjust quickly, be sure you have a bed, litter box, and food dishes set up in a permanent spot.

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The Cat Whisperer

A cat whisper is somewhat similar to a dog or horse whisperer, although cat whisperers relate quite well with cats. These types of people are unusually lucky and very successfully with cats. In most cases, a cat will be abandoned or just show up at someone’s door. In this event, the cat will adopt this individual as the cat whisperer.

Often times, alley cats and black cats will show up at someone’s door and decide to move into their homes. This can be a result of abandonment, or the cat’s family moving away and simply leaving the cat behind. Sometimes, the cat may decide that he likes someone else?s home better and decide to move there instead of staying with his owner.

A lot of people will tell you that a cat whisperer can be thought of as a therapist for cats. Almost all cat whisperers haven’t have any type of training, what they know just seems to come to them naturally. These types of people understand the way a cat thinks and knows how to work with the cat to achieve the results they want. Even though many think of a cat whisperer as a therapist, it actually couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cats who have been abused or mistreated, often times won’t respond to anyone but a cat whisperer. Although others may have tried to help the cat, it will only make matters worse by making the cat feel scared and afraid. In most cases, these cats will end up in a pound. This is very tragic, as the cats have already endured more than they ever should have. A majority of the cats who have been abused were once loved pets. Along the way, they were abandoned, mistreated, attacked by dogs, and in some cases tortured.

Cats who have been treated unfairly often times won’t trust anyone. They are often times confused, in a lot of pain, and not sure what they should do. Like humans, cats feel pain. Those that have been physically abused are a sad sight indeed. Emotionally damaged cats may appear to be in perfect health on the outside, although their emotions are a wreck. Emotionally abused cats are much harder to get through to, especially if they were stray cats to begin with.

Cat whisperers on the other hand, can communicate with physically and emotionally abused cats. Cats know who they will choose to be their cat whisperer, which is normally an individual they sense trust with. Cat whisperers are common with cats, although most people have never heard of them before. Even though a cat whisperer may be able to communicate better with cats, it will still take time to heal a cat that has been abused.

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