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A Complete Guide to Cat Ownership
Welcoming a pet into your home can certainly change your life in many ways. Along with bringing a new wave of joy into your life with their presence, it also comes with a long list of care that they require. Now, the care required by each pet varies, but getting any pet certainly does come with some additional responsibility. Cats specifically require a particular kind of care that is distinct to the feline kind. Although learning from other pet parents and browsing online forums helps, they seldom provide a multifaceted picture tailored to your specific geography. For instance, when owning a cat in a city like Chicago, you also need to take care of certain legalities. So, naturally, learning it all can often get confusing and overwhelming, especially for first-time cat parents. So, whether you are planning to get a Persian, Maine Coon, or adopt a stray, this guide will serve as your holy grail, providing a multifaceted view of what it is like to own a cat in Chicago.
The Legalities for Your Feline Friend
One of the first few things on your list when even considering getting a cat should be vaccinating them. In Chicago, a cat older than four months must be vaccinated by an authorized veterinarian.
Next comes microchipping. Now, unlike vaccination, microchipping is not exactly mandatory. However, if your cat gets lost and is impounded, you would have to microchip it before you can reclaim it.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended to have your cat microchipped, unless a professional advises against it due to health concerns. Similarly, although registration is not compulsory, it is always advisable to complete it for your peace of mind. If you are required to show documentation for your cat, pre-registration is always a good idea.
Now, the big thing after these is where to get a cat. Like many other states where you can buy a pet from a commercial production facility, that option is not valid in Chicago. The state laws prohibit the commercial buying and selling of pets.
So, apart from getting your feline friend from a private breeder or a previous owner, adoption is your best bet. The process of cat adoption in Chicago typically involves several steps and takes approximately one week to complete. For more information on adoption, please refer to this article.
Setting Up Your Home
The next thing to keep in mind when getting a cat is making a safe and homey environment for them. And a big part of this is cat-proofing your living space. Now, cats, who are more curious by nature than most other pets, often let their inquisitiveness get the better of them. This, however, can also be pretty risky in some cases.
For instance, if your cat comes into contact with hazardous substances like cleaning agents, medications, or certain plants, it can even be fatal for them.
Big no-nos for your cat:
● Hazardous cleaning substances
● Essential oils like citrus, eucalyptus, and tea tree
● Medications like Tylenol, naproxen, and antidepressants
● Plants like lilies, tulips, daffodils, and aloe vera
Apart from this, make sure that you do not leave any open wiring where the cat can reach them. Bonus tip: Most cats love exploring any new items in their vicinity, so if you're getting fragile, expensive vases, cutlery, or anything of the like, you may want to keep them away from the cat.
The Nutrition Guide and Checkups
Ensuring that your cat gets the right nutrition is one of the most crucial aspects, especially for first-time owners. Now, due to their nature, cats are carnivorous creatures and require certain nutrients to thrive.
Then comes the question of dry feeding vs. wet food. Dry food tends to have numerous advantages and is generally suitable for most cats. However, in some instances, like excess dehydration, wet feeding can be a better option.
As for their hydration schedule, cats usually tend to be independent with their water intake. Although you must ensure to change the water regularly, and if possible, install a water fountain, most cats tend to love them.
Finding a vet for your cat should be one of the most essential things on your checklist. Scouting one that your cat feels comfortable around and guides you correctly can be an absolute boon. As for the frequency of visits, kittens tend to require more care, so once or twice a month should be a suitable routine, unless an emergency arises.
With time, a visit every 3 to 6 months is sufficient for most cats. In case your cat has a specific condition and is on medication, you must ensure those timings are met correctly or convey them to whoever is looking after your cat.
Maintaining Your Cat's Hygiene
When it comes to hygiene, the feline kind tops the charts over most other pets. The meticulous nature of cats often compels them to keep themselves clean, so they might not require baths as frequently as other pets. However, once a month, or sometimes, once every two months, can also be a good number.
Apart from this, activities like brushing your cat’s fur can help with loose fur and prevent overall hair shedding. Similarly, cleaning your cat’s teeth a few times a week can help eliminate tartar buildup and reduce long-term oral issues.
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a cat’s overall hygiene is cleaning the litter box. Ideally, it should be done every few days to prevent odor buildup and maintain overall cleanliness. However, in less ideal scenarios, a few times a week or once a week is a non-negotiable minimum.
Cats and Socializing
Socializing is an essential part for most pets, and it is all the more important in cats. The feline nature is not as friendly as that of other animals, especially in the beginning. That said, you must get your cat accustomed to the presence of humans at some point, and one of the best times to do this is when they are young kittens, up to 8 weeks old.
This is the ideal time to introduce your cat to the concept of socialization, helping to avoid problems like anxiety and fear in the future.
While doing that, it is also essential to introduce them to other pets, cats, and otherwise to get them acclimatized to the presence of other animals to avoid hyperaggression or fear around them in the future.
The Role of Cat Sitting and Cat Boarding
Now, in situations where you are unable to be physically present to take care of your pet, you may look out for friends or family who can fill in for you. However, for days when even that option is not on the table, or you have to go away for a longer duration, cat sitting and cat boarding can be nothing short of a blessing.
While in both cases, there is someone to look after your cat, the ways are very different. With a sitter, after a screening process, an individual visits your home and looks after your cat for a short duration based on the services listed in the contract.
With a boarding service, it is almost like checking your cat into a pet hotel with other pets and having a professional look after them while you are away for an extended period. For a compulsive comparison of cat sitting vs. boarding, find our guide here.
The Most Common Challenges and Solutions
Now, as much as owning a cat is heartwarming, it also comes with its own set of challenges. While these are not given with every single cat, they are likely to arise with cat owners. For instance, excessive scratching can become a real problem around the house where cats reside.
The solutions for this tend to be rather straightforward, like installing scratch pads around the house and trimming the nails of your cat can help vastly with this. Another effective way is to apply double-sided tape to surfaces that are off-limits, signaling your pets to avoid scratching them.
Another big problem can be with litter boxes, and the most effective solution to this is cleaning them regularly and using fine-grain litter. These should help minimize the issue. However, if they still persist, consulting a vet might be the last resort.
The Cost of Owning a Cat
After considering every factor listed above, you might be convinced whether cat ownership is or is not for you. Still, the cost associated with it plays a massive role in the decision. While certain things are miscellaneous, there are certain costs like registration, nutrition, vet visits, meds, and basic supplies that cannot be avoided.
Now, these vary depending on the category. For example, the average annual cost for feeding your feline friend is around $300, but can range up to $800, depending on the quality.
Similarly, vet checkups and basic supplies, such as litter and toys, cost another $300-$400 a year, with some room for deviation on both sides. Add to that the initial adoption and registration costs, which range from $100 to $200.
Finally, leave a little room of about $200-$250 for medical supplies and miscellaneous costs, bringing the annual total cost of cat ownership to $1,700 to $2,000. This number can obviously vary with additional services and costs, but will likely not be less than around $1500, even with keenly cutting corners.
The Cost of Owning a Cat
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There is no doubt that having a cat around the house can be an incredibly uplifting, warm, and wholesome experience; it does come with a set of prerequisites. While these are not as demanding as having a child or as light as caring for plants, the title of a pet parent strikes the sweet middle ground.
As long as you check these boxes even relatively well, owning a cat in Chicago will be far from a heavy task for you.
