Pros and Cons of Getting a Cat

I’ve had many cats in my life, all much-loved, but there are certainly some disadvantages in cat ownership. Recently my son wanted a cat. He badly wanted a cat. We weighed up the pros and cons of getting a cat and eventually decided that yes, we needed a cat in our lives. A cat would make him happy and enhance all of our lives. We also felt that it would be a kindness to adopt a homeless cat or kitten. So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of getting a cat.

Pros and Cons of Getting A Cat

The Disadvantages of Being A Cat Owner

Freedom. Cats live a long time. By committing to a cat you’re throwing away your freedom to travel, to take trips, to move house or country – within reason. Indoor cats live even longer than outdoor cats, from 12- 18 years. ( source)
Mess. Cats can be messy. Smelly food, dead rodents, cat hair, poo, pee, vomit and the worst – litter tray tracking. By getting a cat you’re committing to more house work and some of it will be icky.
Expense. Cats don’t come cheap. Even adopting a cat from a reputable cat shelter is expensive. You need to cover de-sexing, vaccinations, cat transportation cages, cat food, cat toys, chipping, litter and litter trays. Add to that vet bills and possible cost of cat care if you go on holiday or even away for a weekend. Getting a cat is a financial commitment.
Cats are natural predators. Cats kill birds, small mammals, butterflies and reptiles ( our cats always loved killing lizards). It’s natural but it can impact your natural fauna. This is one of the reasons we chose to take on an indoor cat.
Health and Safety . A cat with behavioural issues can bite and scratch. Often these problems can be prevented with proper care, but know that play biting is natural and your feet, or your child’s feet, could be attacked. Some cats have major problems with this, particularly if mistreated.
Changes to Your Home. You will have to modify your home and your behaviour to cat proof your life. Cats can be destructive and you wouldn’t want to put your cat in danger.
Time Commitment. You need to play with and spend quality time with your cat. Schedule it into your day. Cats aren’t pets to ignore.
Pet keeping isn’t good for the planet.

The Advantages of Cat Ownership

Giving a homeless cat a loving, secure home is a great thing to do for the cat.
Cats are adorable, cute, warm, furry, playful and endearing, they are great company.
Cat ownership is better for the environment than dog ownership in terms of carbon footprint. Cats are generally smaller and are less likely to eat beef based foods.
If you’re a cat owning guy, you’ll get more dates with the opposite sex than if you own a dog.
Cats, of all the pets, are some of the best at lowering heart attack, stroke and stress levels.
Your child is less likely to have allergies if he arrives into a cat loving home.
Cats can control mice, rats, spiders, bugs and reptiles – if that is your want.

There are some pretty strong scientific research papers outlining why having a cat is good for you. So what do you think? From our pros and cons of getting a cat do you think cat ownership is for you?