Have you always thought of getting a cat, but not sure of whether you can commit to it in terms of both time and money? These are the top 2 factors to take into careful consideration for potential cat owners. This is why today we have come up with a checklist to help you decide on whether you should buy a cat in sunny Singapore.
Buying a cat is akin to adopting a child – you need to commit to it for the long haul. The average lifespan of a well-cared for cat can go up to 15 years or beyond. There have been cases where cats live up to 20 years old, with a few rare cases of them going even beyond the age of 25!
Cats are obligate carnivorous by nature and will require to have meat in their diets in order to obtain the necessary nutrients for them to be healthy and thrive. They are biologically built to have senses of smell and taste as that of carnivores. This may prove to be a challenge for pet owners who are vegetarian and want their pets to follow a similar diet. Not giving your cat the necessary meat-based diet it requires will not only be unfair to your feline, but it can even be dangerous from a health perspective should you insist on them becoming vegetarian. We would suggest opting for other pets such as a rabbit which has a plant-based diet instead.
The instinct to hunt within cats remains strong despite them being domesticated for thousands of years. They have an inherent desire to hunt prey to feed their loved ones as a form of care, so don’t be surprised if your feline friend suddenly decides to gift you a dead lizard!
The extent of how much you want to pamper your feline differs from cat owner to cat owner in Singapore. However, there are some standard expenses you can expect to incur which include buying cat food, litter-boxes, toys, your cats’ identification and microchipping, food bowls, vaccinations and parasite preventives, grooming tools and costs of visiting the vet. As your cat gets older, it is often necessary for them to visit the vet a few times in a year if they have any specific health conditions. When financially planning for your cat, bear in mind to account for things such as routine health care check-ups, emergency budget and pet insurance if you decide to purchase it.
If you already own a cat or have friends who own cats, you would quickly come to realise they love to do one thing in particular – scratch. There have been many cases where cat owners find their favourite furniture being shredded by their beloved cats. This is why scratching posts are so important for your cat as well as cat trees. These items serve as enrichment for your cat to express its natural instinct to climb, jump and scratch – just as it would when it hunts in the wild for food. This will not only keep your cat entertained, it will also minimise the damage done to your household furniture. You should also be mindful to remove or constantly look out for items that may potential harm or poison your cat such as medication, cleaners or chemicals and even plants!
While cats are not stereotyped to be walked on a leash such as dogs, they do still need exercise. Experts generally recommend that cats should get an average of 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Of course, this might not be the easiest feat to accomplish considering we can’t just play fetch with our cats. However, one easy way to accomplish this is to simply play with your cats such as getting them to chase a laser pointer or feather or other interactive activities. The more you can do this for your cats, the better – and of course, the added fun you can have with them doesn’t hurt!
If you find yourself responding ‘Yes!’ to each of the points within this checklist, chances are you can start considering getting yourself a cat in Singapore. It is important to remember that pets are a lifelong commitment and should not be adopted or purchased out of impulse or pure vanity reasons.