It’s a well-known fact: there are dog people…and then there are cat people. I’m hands-down cat person; I have a six month old kitten, and while I love him to bits, there are some things that I wish I knew before bringing him home. Cats are generally easy-going and pretty-low effort pets, but it’s still important to do your research before heading to the shelter to find your new furry friend.
Here are 5 things that every soon-to-be cat owner should know – or, at the very least, be familiar with and ready for.
- Kitten claws are like tiny little needles!
These needles will leave you bleeding and scratched to the point where you look like you were in a fight. Also, most cats, especially when they are getting a feel for life, don’t like their paws being touched. So, those needles stay needles until you get to know your cat a little bit better.
- Like dogs, cats explore the world with their mouths. Be ready for some biting.
Cats start teething around six months old, which means they lose their baby milk teeth and grow adult teeth. During this process, you’ll find baby teeth everywhere. They might even come out while your cat is biting you! As their new teeth grow in, they bite everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. My cat prefers chewing on magnets and people (he has weird taste, obviously) but all cats are different.
- Cats and kittens will eat anything in sight.
I’m not exaggerating when I say be ready to pull random objects from your cat’s mouth. From lettuce, to chocolate, to raw pasta, to paper, and even condoms (yes, you read that correctly!) Everything is something for them to eat. This is all fun and games until your cat eats a bite from every single bagel and spreads them all across your apartment.
- Litterboxes can be pretty nasty.
The best part about having a cat is that they come potty trained. You show them the litter box and BAM! They know what to do. The only issue is that, oh my, do they ever smell bad! It’s always hard for me to believe that all of thatcame out of a seven-pound kitten. If you’re looking into bringing home a kitten, make sure you consider the fact that the litter box should go somewhere where the scent can be masked and the box can be enclosed.
- Cats can be extreme cuddlers at night.
Snuggling with your kitty can turn into you wearing a cat infinity scarf or being smothered by them in the middle of the night. The idea of getting close hits so different for cats at night. Cats are also naturally nocturnal, and need to be trained to sleep at night and be active during the day. No one told me this; I ended up dealing with 2 AM zoomies for months.
