10 Things to Know Before You Adopt your New Pur-fect Best Friend

June is Adopt A Cat Month. If you’ve been thinking of getting a cat or know someone who wants to, this is a great month to consider adopting one. Here are 10 helpful things to know before you do

1.  This is a lifetime commitment – Cats can live up to 20 years.
2. Have your cat neutered or spayed – Spaying and neutering will improve your cat’s health and behavior while reducing the health problems and cat pregnancies. It should be done as early as possible.
3. Leave their claws on – Declawing a cat takes away its front line defense and is a painful operation for them. A better alternative is to clip the nails on a periodic basis.
4. You need a scratching post – The scratching helps a cat keep its paws in good condition. The post should be fairly tall and a little bit of catnip sprinkled over it encourage the cat to use it. Having one also protects your furniture.
5. Have a quiet room for the cat –  A place where few people go in so your cat can use it just to get away from it all.
6. A litter box is important – It should be in one specified area of the house and not moved. You have to clean out the litter box on a routine basis. If you have multiple cats, the formula is generally one box per cat.
7. Set up a feeding schedule – You should do this with any pet so they know there is a regular feeding time.
8. Groom your cat on a regular basis – Brushing the cat will get rid of excess hair and prevent a lot of shedding. It also means that there are fewer cases of your cat coughing of hairballs.
9. Keep your cat indoors – It can be very dangerous for the animal. Cats can contract a number of parasites or diseases outdoors or they could be attacked by other larger animals. If you have a secure screen porch, let your cat enjoy with some supervision.
10. Establish a routine of vet visits – Making sure your cat has at least an annual checkup is a good way to maintain proper health.