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Choosing A Cat For A Pet

At first sight, choosing a cat for a pet appears to be a fairly simple matter. Sometimes it is tempting to accept a stray cat or kitten that is offered to you (or turns up outside your door). However, there are a few things you should consider first.

A cat can be expected to live for between 10 to 15 years. Over this entire time, you and your family will be in constant contact with your pet, and have the often considerable financial outlay which owning a cat involves (vets expenses for example). For this reason it is worth considering the various cat breeds available and selecting the one which is the most suitable for your personal circumstances instead of accepting the first stray kitten that comes along - no matter how cute it may be.

Pedigree or Mongrel?

Mongrel kittens are always available: either at your local pet rescue center or from friends and neighbors.

It is difficult to refuse a cute little kitten when it is placed in your arms, and indeed mongrel cats and kittens will respond as well as pedigrees to correct care and attention and can be very affectionate. While they often do not develop the particular idiosyncrasies and 'character' found in pedigree cats, they will still be a great source of enjoyment and pleasure to you and your family.

If, however, you want a pedigree cat, there is a wide variety of breeds to choose from.

Three Main Classifications Of Cat Breeds

There are three main classifications of cat breeds:

Shorthaired with the body type of the British and American shorthairs.
Shorthaired with 'foreign' body type - the 'oriental' cats.
Longhaired cats.

There are a large number separate breeds within these broad classifications.

When considering breed of cat most suitable for you, there are certain points to consider.

British and American shorthair cats are intelligent, rarely temperamental and make affectionate pets. They are ideal companions for young children because their comparative docility allows them to be cuddled and handled, without scratching and biting. They do not require extensive grooming (once or twice a week is enough).

Foreign shorthair cats tend to be temperamental and demanding, particularly the Siamese.

Longhair cats require a considerable amount of grooming to keep them in good condition (once a day). Though they tend to be more lazy and have easygoing personalities.

Male Or Female Cat?

When you have made your choice of breed, you then have to choose between male or female. If the cat you choose is going to be solely for a pet, and is thus going to be neutered, there is little to choose between a male and a female except that, as with most animal species, the male is usually more aggressive. It usually costs less to have a male kitten castrated than to have a female sprayed.