adopt a cat (again)

If you really love cats and are willing to put in the work of feeding them (not much work) and changing the litter box (annoying, icky, major work) then it’s totally worth it.

When you go to look for one, make sure you find one that is friendly and cuddly and sweet. If the cats you look at are aloof, bored, scared, or uninterested, then keep looking. You want to find one that will be companionable. Cats can be extremely affectionate—but only if they’ve been treated well. (If you’re looking for a kitten, playful can take the place of cuddly; that kitten is happy, unafraid, and probably will be perfectly content and ready to form a bond with you.)

Dogs love everybody. Cats only love the people they like. Some people say that’s why dogs are better—I say that that’s why it’s far better to be loved by a cat; you know they really do love you. (And when they do, they are extremely affectionate. To the point where they get underfoot and meow for attention and headbutt you when you’re trying to do something else and so on, because they want to be with you. But they’ll soon realise they can’t distract you and they’ll curl up and sleep next to you instead, and be all warm and purring and soft and nice.)

My current cat was an adoptee drom Battersea Dogs’ Home (they do cats as well). Tabitha, a standard mog about 1 year old, had lived wild for a while and to this day HATES all other cats – I think she was bullied as a kitten. She’s now 14 or so, on 3 sets of medication, and with no teeth at all (which complicates matters when she catches birds). I think she has a few years left in her but when she dies I will get a tabby kitten from an animal shelter – tho’ if I could find a Siamese up for adoption I’d have that.

:(