A cat is not just a living ornament for your house-although it may complement it beautifully-there are many things to consider when buying a cat. The responsibility for rearing a healthy, happy kitten, and for maintaining the health and well-being of an adult cat, rests solely with you. Cats have a life expectancy of 10-15 years. With luck and proper care, a cat can live on into its twenties.

Are you prepared for the constant expense, of food, litter and occasional veterinary bills, over that period of time? Cats do cost money to feed-they are not garbage disposal units who can survive only on scrapes. Neither are they mousers who get their nutrition from occasional catches. Even the healthiest cat need’s veterinary inoculations regularly against the deadly cat-killer diseases. This is true whether the cat in question is a free street cat or an expensive purebred cat.

Another factor, is that different states and cities have different legislation, about the liabilities and duties of cat-keepers. Find out what your local regulation requirements are. Make sure you know whether you are legally responsible or otherwise for your cat’s actions, whether it needs a license or must wear a rabies tag. You must raise and handle your cat so that injury to others, destruction to their property, or imposition on their rights does not occur.

To have a relationship that is mutually satisfying, you must do more just than fill the cat’s food dish, pet the cat briefly, clean out the litter box and disappear.

Are you a calm, tolerant person or will you become hysterical if your kitten decides to do gymnastics on your drapes, breaks grandmother's antique vase or has potty mishaps on your new bedspread? If you think you can put up with all these minor annoyances calmly, then a cat will be happy in your home.

Certainly, cats eat a better balanced diet on a daily basis than their owners! Never feed a generic cat food from the grocery store. Feed a name brand commercial food, appropriate for the age of your cat. Your veterinarian can recommend a suitable diet.

Lack of regular grooming is more apparent in long-haired cats, but even cats with short coats benefit from regular grooming. Grooming will decrease the amount of hair shed in the house. Some cat lovers say a cat should never be bathed.