Adopt A Cat Month: 5 Reasons You Should Not Adopt A Cat
Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess
This has been a great month of bloggers sharing their cat adoption stories with us during our Adopt A Cat Month blog hop. There’s still time for you to share your story with us.
Reading the blogs got me to thinking, there are some individuals who simply shouldn’t adopt and here are my top five reasons you should not adopt a cat:
- You think that cats don’t need attention. Cats are aloof. I can leave them home for hours on end and they will be fine. Cats
may be aloof, but that doesn’t mean they don’t crave attention. Ask any cat owner and he or she will tell you that some cats will greet you at the door, some cats will be staring out the window when you pull into the driveway and some cats will take up any available lap space they can find. Don’t believe the hype that cats are solitary and are ideal for individuals who “want a pet, but don’t have much free time.” If you fit that mold, then please don’t adopt — spend some time at a shelter to get your fix of kitties, but don’t subject one to a life of loneliness. - My cat doesn’t care if I only clean the litter box once a week. Let’s be frank here… would you go a week without flushing your toilet? When you look at it that way, why would you force your cat to use a dirty litter box? Cats are clean animals and love a clean litter box. Consider that the number one reason cats are returned to shelters is because of litter box issues and you can see the need for a clean bathroom space for your pet.
- I have nice furniture so if I get a cat I will get her declawed — it’s all good. No. It. Is. Not. All. Good. Imagine if you had your fingernails removed. Can you imagine the pain? Now think about what that feels like for your cat to be declawed. If you have “nice furniture” either don’t get a cat or spend time training him to use a scratching post. Yes, cats can be trained to do
this. In our house we have a wooden kitchen chair that has been part of the family for close to 20 years — it’s hideous and matches nothing in the house. (Yes, that is the chair!) Why do we keep it? Because for some reason every cat we have ever had has loved to scratch that chair — it is the go-to scratching post and has been for years. The chair is in an easy to get to place for the cats and we also have other scratching posts scattered throughout the house. These protect our “nice furniture” and fill the need that cats have to scratch. - I don’t like the smell of wet cat food so I am only going to feed dry. If you can’t stand the smell, don’t adopt. Why? Many cats simply do not drink enough water to keep their kidneys functioning at optimal levels. To help this, you need to feed wet food to help them get the moisture their bodies need to keep their organs working and to prevent kidney infections or disease.
- You like your counters, and personal electronics to be cat free and you like to have your toilet paper stay on the roll. Let’s face it, cats are mischievous little creatures. They will climb your curtains. Shred your toilet paper. Sit on your kitchen counters. Open your kitchen cupboards. Lay on your clean laundry. Chew electronic cords. Knock your plants off the bookshelves. Sit on top of the china cabinet then slap at your hair when you walk past. Run into the closet the second you open the door and refuse to come out. Hide under the bed and attack your feet when you least expect it. How do I know all of this? My cats do this on a very regular basis.
When you bring a cat into your life, you are bringing in a pet that is full of curiosity and will entertain — and yes at times, frustrate — you, but when they press their furry face against yours, knead your chest then snuggle into your lap, you will forget about the snags on your new carpet and the fact that you have a 20-year-old hideous char in the kitchen.
(Photo Shutterstock: Cat on counter)
