Bangladesh Animal Care

So You Want a Cat…

MAJOR BENEFITS OF A CAT?

•    They eat rats, mice and insects that can cause disease.
•    They are loyal and friendly when socialized and can make good companions.

WHY HAVE A CAT?

Cats make wonderful, caring and, for the most part, undemanding companions. Before you acquire a cat, you should first ask yourself the following questions:
•    Will a cat fit in with your lifestyle?
•    Will a cat get along with the other people and/or animals in your household?
•    Will you have enough money to care for your cat's needs such as de-sexing, food, worming, flea treatments and emergency vet care?
•    Are you planning on keeping an inside or an outside cat.

These are serious questions. A cat adapts well to an indoor life, and can easily adjust to spending much of the day alone. Although they appreciate company, they are naturally solitary animals, unlike dogs and most other pets.

Despite this independence - cats are capable of forming complex social relationships with other cats, people and animals. Whether your cat will adapt to your household depends much on the cats age, temperament and earlier experiences. A cat that has been attacked by a dog in the past may find it difficult to accept even the most cat-friendly pooch - but a cat raised with dogs can become quite accommodating towards its canine house-mates.

WHERE TO FIND A CAT?

Cats and kittens can be found in many places. Just walking around you are sure to have seen many cats. Ask your friends, family and co-workers if they have seen a friendly cat or have seen a kitten in their neighborhoods.  Kittens can be easily lured into your reach by food.  If you see a very small kitten 2-4 weeks old - make sure it is an orphan before you trap it! For kittens need their mothers milk to increase their health just like humans.  A very small kitten takes extra work and care.  You may wish to come back when the kitten is 6-8 weeks old to trap it. Keep in mind that kittens between 8-12 weeks are harder to socialize.

CAT OR KITTEN?

When choosing a new feline friend - age does matter. Whether you decide to acquire a cat or a kitten will depend upon many things. A kitten is yet to develop its personality and will be more likely to fit in to your particular household and get along with other people and animals. Kittens are adorable and entertaining, very fun to have around - but they can also get themselves into more trouble than an adult cat and will require more supervision. A kitten is less likely to appreciate being left alone and will need to be trained to use litter trays etc and learn acceptable behaviour patterns. Most people are prepared for this, but some people may be better off with an adult cat.
Adult cats are set in their ways - if you are acquiring an adult cat - it will be less likely to integrate well with your family unless it is coming to you from a similar situation. Some cats can be very adaptable and will settle in to their new life without problem - but others will display problem behaviours in response to the stress of re-housing. Generally though, if an adult cat settles in well with your household, they will require less care and supervision than a kitten.

ONE CAT OR TWO OR TEN?

Although cats are solitary by nature, most cats love the company of another cat, person or animal. This type of relationship generally begins in kitten-hood and two cats from the same litter can be lifelong friends. However, this is not always the case, so caution is advised when choosing this option. Generally speaking, female cats - due to their nurturing instincts, form closer friendships with other cats. The friendship between two female cats is more likely to last than that of two males. As in everything, there are exceptions - and much depends upon the temperament of the cats involved.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CAT

When choosing a cat, it is best to have an idea of what you are looking for before you go looking. You should have decided upon the sex of your cat beforehand. Male cats are cheaper to de-sex, but are more likely to spray and fight with other cats. Female cats are usually less aggressive, and spray less often.

If you are getting a kitten, you may need some idea of what it will be like when it is older. View the cats parents, if possible. It is also important to check the mother cat, the kitten itself and its litter-mates for any signs of ill-health before taking your cat home. Ask to see proof of vaccination etc and any other relevant documents. Ask if the cat has been vet-checked, wormed and treated for fleas.

Signs of ill-health are weeping eyes and/or nose, an unkempt coat, dirty ears, scratching, bare patches or sores on the skin, cloudy eyes, stiff or uneven gait, third eye-lids showing, diarrhea and listlessness. Kittens tend to sleep a lot, but are more active when awake than most adult cats. If unsure, ask to hold the kitten or cat and to see it walking around or playing with others. Check for deafness by clicking your fingers to one side of the cats head to see if the ears move towards the sound.