There are two main reasons why people keep cats as pets one is that they simply love cats and could not imagine a home without at least one. The other reason is that some people simply want a pet animal as part of the family. The cat may fit the bill because there is not enough space in the home for a larger animal such as a dog. Also a cat can, although not ideally live in a home without a garden or be left alone whilst their owner is out at work. This is not so easy with dogs.

Providing you have a friend or neighbour who is prepared to come in and feed your cat a couple of times a day it is also possible to leave a cat on its own if you are way for a short time. This again is something you cannot do with dogs.

Although cats may by comparison be low maintenance animals you should not be fooled into thinking that they can look after themselves completely. Apart from feeding at least twice a day you have to be prepared to spend some time simply playing with your cat. This is something that needs to be done on a regular basis.

Even the healthiest kitten or cat will need to go to the vets for annual vaccinations, worming and any other treatment that it needs. These visits and treatments can be costly and it is recommended that you get some type of pet insurance.

If it is practical you should consider having an external cat flap fitted to allow your cat to enter and exit at will. It is almost an essential if you want to train your cat to do its "business" outside of the house.

Cats are by nature clean animals and tend to groom themselves but they do benefit from a regular brushing by their owner using a special comb or rack that you can buy from the pet store. This is especially important if your cat is of the long haired variety. These cats if not groomed regularly will ingest the shedding hair and hairball will build up in their stomachs. Although the cat will normally regurgitate these hairballs it cannot be pleasant for them. It is equally unpleasant for you if you have to clean up the mixture of hairballs and half-digested food.

None of this should put you off choosing a cat as a pet. There are commitments and costs involved in sharing your home with a cat but the rewards far outweigh the costs.

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To learn more about Cats and Cat Care, visit http://www.cat-lovers.co.uk.