Your first cat: what nobody tells you beforehand
Having a cat is easier than having a dog, but it is not a soft toy that looks after itself. A cat needs daily play, a spotless litter tray, high places and a vet who sees it even when it seems healthy. This is what is worth knowing before it walks through the door.
The myth of the independent cat
It is the idea that sends more cats to shelters than any other: that a cat looks after itself and needs nobody. A cat does not need walks or toilet training, and it copes better than a dog with a few hours alone, but it is a social animal in its own way. It looks for routines, it gets bored, and a bored cat scratches furniture, yowls at night, attacks ankles or puts on weight. What it does have is a different way of asking: it will not follow you around with the lead in its mouth, but it will sit in front of you and stare. If you want an animal that needs none of your time, a cat is not it. If you want one that needs a little time, but every single day, it is.
How much time it really needs
Less than a dog, more than people tend to think. Plan on two or three ten-minute play sessions a day, especially around dusk, when it is at its most active. Scooping the litter tray, every day without exception. Topping up water and food, and brushing once a week if it is short-haired and daily if it is long-haired. And being there: a cat enjoys sharing space with you even when it is not on top of you. A cat left alone for ten hours every day that gets no play when you come home ends up with behaviour problems. If you work long hours away from home, consider adopting two cats that already get on: they keep each other company and tire each other out playing.
The litter tray is everything
It is where people most often go wrong with their first cat, and the problem behind more returned cats than any other. The tray should be big, at least one and a half times the length of the cat without its tail, in a quiet spot, away from food and water, and not next to the washing machine. It is scooped every day and the litter is changed completely as often as the type of litter requires. The golden rule with more than one cat: one tray per cat, plus one. Many cats reject covered trays with lids or scented litters, even though we think they are better. If a cat stops using its tray, it is a signal, not revenge: it may be the tray or it may be cystitis, and that is for the vet to say.
Scratching is not a bad habit
A cat needs to scratch: it sharpens its claws, stretches its body and leaves its scent. You cannot stop it, and removing its claws surgically is a mutilation that Spanish law prohibits. What you do is give it somewhere to scratch. A good scratching post is tall and stable, so it does not move when the cat stretches out fully, and it stands somewhere visible, near where the cat sleeps or by the entrance, not tucked away in a spare room. Many cats prefer to scratch vertically and others horizontally: try both. If it has already chosen the sofa, put the scratching post right in front of it and make the sofa less appealing in the meantime. That works far better than telling it off, which only teaches it to scratch when you are not around.
Windows, balconies and cat-proofing your home
Before it arrives, go round your home through a cat's eyes. Open windows and balconies without netting cause a huge number of emergencies: cats fall while chasing a bird or an insect, and they do not always land well, not even from a first floor. Tilt-and-turn windows trap the cat that tries to squeeze out through the gap. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, even the pollen, and quite a few houseplants are too. Thread, hair ties, gift ribbon and fishing line are dangerous if swallowed. Human medicines, starting with paracetamol, can kill it. And check inside the washing machine and the dishwasher before you close the door.
The vet, even if it seems healthy
Cats are masters at hiding pain and illness, because in the wild looking weak is dangerous. That is why the yearly check-up is not a formality: it is the only way to catch things like kidney disease, dental problems or excess weight in time. Find a vet before the cat arrives and, if you can, a cat-friendly clinic, with a separate waiting area or quiet appointment slots. Get it used to the carrier from day one by leaving it open at home as one more hiding place, not only for vet trips. That way, the day you need it will not be a battle.
Which cat to choose if it is your first
For a first-timer, the best choice is almost always an adult shelter cat whose character is already known: calm, sociable, used to people. You know what you are getting, and the rescue can tell you whether it is affectionate, whether it tolerates handling well or whether it lives happily with other cats. A kitten is adorable, but it is also a small hurricane for a year. Among breeds, those usually recommended for a calm, adaptable nature are the British Shorthair, the Ragdoll and the Birman, while the ordinary European domestic cat, which makes up the vast majority of shelter cats, comes in every kind of temperament. High-energy breeds such as the Bengal or the Abyssinian are better left until you have some experience.
The first months: patience
A cat arriving in a new home usually hides for the first few days. That is normal: it does not mean it dislikes its new home or that it is going to be unfriendly. The best thing is to give it a quiet room with all its things and let it come out when it wants, without dragging it out of its hiding place or forcing contact. Some cats take hours, others weeks. The bond with a cat is built at its own pace: sitting near it, talking to it, offering food and play, and letting it be the one to come to you. When it does, and it will, the trust it gives you is the kind that lasts.
Before you say yes
Ask these questions at home. Is anyone allergic? Better to find out beforehand, by spending time around cats, than afterwards. Does your tenancy agreement allow pets? Who will look after it during the holidays? Is there money for a thousand-euro emergency? Are you prepared to put netting on the balcony? And the most important one: a cat lives fifteen years or more. Think about where you will be in fifteen years, with children, house moves or job changes, and whether the cat fits into all those plans. If the answer is yes, getting a cat is one of the best decisions you will ever make.
A cat does not need walks, but it does need daily play, a spotless litter tray, a proper scratching post, secured windows and a vet who sees it even when it seems healthy. For a first cat, a calm adult from a shelter is the safest bet.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.