Should she get a cat?

HOME	Should she get a cat?

Before Miss Tatana decides to get a cat, she has to think out a few issues. It is no good falling in love with a cute kitten, bringing it home, and then finding after it has grown up, she doesn't want it any more. That would be irresponsible. Miss Tatana knows that a kitten will grow up to be a cat, and she will have to look after it for between 10 and 15 years.

Kittens are not a good idea in a house with children younger than 3 years old, because the kitten might scratch the baby, and young toddlers don't know how to treat a pet, and they can hurt it badly.

Cats need to scratch to sharpen their claws, so Miss Tatana will have to accept that she may end up with some scratched furniture in her house. She will need to buy a scratching post, and clip the cat's nails regularly if she wants to minimize the damage!

She will need to feed the cat every day, and if she uses a litter box, she will need to clean that out regularly. Part of owning a pet is doing the disgusting jobs too!

A cat will need regular grooming, and visits to the vet. It will also need to be looked after if Miss Tatana goes on holiday. The best thing for cats is to go to a cattery, because they get very lonely if they are left alone with no human company. A cat needs at least 15 minutes of patting and playtime every day.

Last of all, Miss Tatana has to be sure that she can afford a cat. Sure, she could easily get a "free" cat, but it will cost money every week to feed it, to buy things for it, and to pay for cattery visits, and going to the vet. There is no such thing as a "free" cat - it will probably cost thousands of dollars for Miss Tatana to own a cat, but that is spread over a lot of years.