So, You're Thinking About Getting A Cat!
Nicole Niska, Paws the Cat Cafe
Some important considerations need to be made when you're thinking about adding a new furry friend to your household. Close your eyes for a second, and imagine your ideal cat. Go ahead, we'll wait.
Open your eyes now. Was your ideal cat engaged in a play or training session with you? Or were they cuddled up on your lap while you're perusing Edmonton Muse articles on your tablet, or were they on your back in a carrier having an adventure with you?
It's important to take a good look at your lifestyle, living situation and housemates. If you're a busy individual who's always out and about, take a look at the places you go. Could your cat (with some training) come with you? Are there other animals in your residence that your new cat would have to get accustomed to? Are you a homebody who would be content to be engaging in play with your cat to help them expend their energy?
Some questions to ask when you're speaking to a rescue, your local humane society, cat cafe staff or someone who is looking to re-home their cat:
Is this cat extremely social, or are they more independent, when it comes to their human companions?
How is this cat with other cats? Has it been around kids? Dogs?
How active is this cat? How much time has been spent playing and engaging with it daily? (Are you willing to keep that up, or is that too much/not enough?)