Health and Psychology

I got a rescued cat yesterday.  She's an 11 month old tortoiseshell colored female tabby.  She has some minor health issues and will need regular medication but nothing that can't be bought over the counter.

There are health benefits to having pets. Pets can decrease your:  blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness.  They increase your opportunities to talk to other people.  They increase your exercise levels.  People who have owned cats were shown to have a 40% less chance of dying from a heart attack than people who did not have a heart attack.  Children can learn to be gentle and have patience.  They can also learn that routine health care is a normal part of life.

Many people think that cats are standoffish.  That certainly can be true.  When selecting a cat, it's important to choose a cat carefully.  You want to select a cat that has been around people and use caution when selecting a cat that was held by a cat hoarder.  The older a cat is that was held by a cat hoarder the more likely it will be aloof and frightened of people.  If possible, choose a cat that purrs when stroked, even in it's crate, that leans into you, and that seems to track and follow you.  These cats are able to learn quickly and like being around people.  Cats are social animals and will quickly bond with people but do not require the constant attention that dogs require.  It's important to spay or neuter your cat as soon as possible to prevent unwanted behaviors such as spraying, and to prevent an unwanted litter of kittens.

Some of the more exotic breeds of cats such as Bengal and Savannah cats require some special understanding so the expectation of the owner matches the temperment of the cat.  These specialty breeds are a cross between African wild cats and domestic house cats.  The first generation (F1)  of these animal mixes is considered a wild animal.  The temperment is based on the temperment of the parents.  The F1 is bread back to a domestic house cat and the F2 is considered a domestic animal.  These are often larger than average house cats, and may be more wild or ferral in temperment.  There are other specialty mixes that breed bobcats with domestic housecats or other wild animals and domestic house cats.  These animals frequently require a large area to roam and hunt in for their breed and and don't do well in houses or apartments.  

Cats can be trained.  All the cats you see on television or in the movies are professionally trained by behavior specialists.  You can train a cat to walk on a lead, to fetch an object, to sit or stay, to lie down, to come when called, to use a litter box, to stay in a place or area.  Those are the same things you can train a dog to do.  I trained a former siamese cat of mine to say a few words in English (what what, cat food and out), to turn on lights and to ring the doorbell to come into the house.  If you want to learn how to train a pet there's a book I recommend:  "Don't Shoot The Dog" by Karen Pryor.  The book explains the basics of behavior training giving examples for whales, horses, cats, dogs and people.  I often recommend the book to parents because it provides many examples on how to train behaviors you want and untrain behaviors you don't want.  Training behaviors takes both time and patience.  You can train a goldfish in about 10 to 15 minutes a day.  A dog or cat will take a couple of hours a day.  The more complex the behavior the longer it will take to train the behavior.

Because cats are social, they need company around.  Cats prefer having others in their environment than being left alone.  Before you get an animal you need to research the costs involved, the upkeep required, and evaluate whether or not you have the time to devote to it.