I became a cat mom just over 1 year ago and it was a huge step since previously I considered myself a dog person. Anyway, my children kept asking for a kitten, the opportunity arose, and we adopted a cat. Here are some questions I pondered in those early days.

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• Does my cat need a companion? Not necessarily. We adopted two kittens that were sisters, but sadly one died when she was hit by a car earlier this year. Her sister grieved for her, but she seems happy by herself now. I think cats get used to their surroundings just like we do.
• Why should I get a cat tree? I wasn’t sure we could fit a cat tree into our living room, but I’m glad we did. We started out with a small cat tree for the kittens, and then bought a larger cat tree when they grew bigger. The kittens loved playing on it, and now our adult cat uses the scratching posts several times a day, she sleeps on her cat tree, and she uses it as her safe space when she wants to be alone.
• How often should I pick my cat up? I don’t think cats are particularly cuddly, but again it comes down to the individual. Our cat is used to being picked up and cuddled regularly, and sometimes she demands to be picked up and cuddled. Other times she scratches us and runs away when she wants to be alone. You will learn to recognise your cat’s body language and will be able to communicate with them as you get used to each other.
• What food should I give to my cat? Another tricky question, but one that we answered through trial and error. Our cat eats both wet and dry cat food. She loves her cat biscuits and eats those for breakfast and lunch. She eats wet cat food for dinner (when she isn’t eating the dog food)!
• Should my cat be allowed outside? We agonised over this question for a while but knew that we couldn’t keep our cats indoors when our dog regularly uses the garden. We do live on a busy road, and unfortunately it didn’t work out for one of our kittens. She was a born adventurer and I believe she was too busy for this world. Her sister still goes outside regularly but she has a night-time curfew so that we can be sure she is safe.

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