Is A Cat The Right Choice For You?

There is something about those wide eyes and cute little faces that make kittens irresistible. But, is a kitten the right choice for your family?

Nicky
Nicky knew that she wanted a mature-aged cat. She lived on a property 20 minutes from town in a rented house and she worked full-time. She also had bothersome mice, so she thought an older cat would get to work immediately on any furry housebreakers. Two weeks later Nicky found Beety, a mature five years old cat. Beety loved her new home, chased the mice away and found peace at the end of Nick’s bed. It was a match made in heaven.

Jemma
Jemma is animal mad, but was renting so she was unsure about taking on the commitment of a cat. “We had a long-term rental, but I wasn’t sure about taking on a kitten even though our landlord said we could. As it happened a friend of mine was moving and she had inherited a cat called Nanny (it was very old!), and Nanny needed a new home. Nanny had been a feral cat and was ‘owner-ised’ by a guy who looked after her for some years before she went to live with my friend. Nanny was unusual. Being a cat lover, I found her to be really peaceful, although very sensitive. She had all the symptoms of an older cat so you had to be around to help her out sometimes. Having Nanny made me aware how much I missed having cats and so through friends I later got a fluffy kitten that was the opposite of Nanny. Thankfully they liked each other.”

Andrea
Andrea has three kids aged five to 12 and the family had been through a divorce and relocation. “I wanted to give my kids something special to care about. I suppose it was a whim and I now warn people to be prepared, but we brought home a cute little kittem. Oh! What a handful! I really wasn’t prepared for the extra work involved. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been so rash, but then you watch your children having ‘moments’ with the kitten and you know everything is as it should be.”

David
David knew he wanted a kitten. “I grew up with animals and I wanted to form the bond for as many years as possible,” he says. David works from home in a downstairs office, which is also home to a lot of computer hardware. “I wanted a cat that would be a valuable companion to me and my friends.” David didn’t mind spending the extra time training Benny, who is often described as a ‘big puss’

Elizabeth
“My children are quite young and I’d never had a dog before,” says Elizabeth. “I didn’t want to get a puppy and then fail miserably. My friend worked at a shelter so I was encouraged to look for a dog there. When we arrived, we had to walk through the cat area to get to the dogs and that’s when the kids saw Fuzz, a fluffy ginger kitten with big round eyes. That was the end of dog hunting which in a way was a big relief for me. Fuzz has adapted really well to our house and the kids simply love him and enjoy looking after him.”